Bass Companys from the late 1800's

[steve2]

I am still thinking about buying my Neighbors Double Bass that they say is over 100 years old and was wondering if there was a lot of companys that made them back then of course I am sure there was a lot of people out there. The bass does not have a name on it and I am sure a photo may give someone on the forum an idea. I live in East Tennessee and my neighbor I think he bought it in the 50's or 60's. It has been refinshed which one person said that was a mistake. Anyway I was just wondering if I buy it if it would be hard to figure out the brand and approx age of it. If that even matters. The fiddle player Benny Sims use to jam with my neighbor. Benny told them to never sell it. Well the owner has been dead for several year and his wife said that I could buy it for what it cost for resotoring. Sorry for the double post but I had a few more details to add,

Steve

[Kevin Hsieh]

Most Upright basses, unlike electric basses don't come from a "company". I guess you could call the luthier a company. There were definitely basses being made way before the late 1800s. For the price you're paying (1200? am i correct?), you are either getting a great deal or you're buying an unusable bass. Be aware that you may have to end up putting a lot more money into the bass for upgrades and maybe some better parts. A bass that has been taken apart may need some extra work. Maybe a picture and some sound files may be helpful to some of us TBers to see if this is a worthy buy. there's a guy on the TalkBasses that picked up a bass that was in shambles and got it for dirt cheap. It ended up (after thousands of dollars of GOOD repairs) to be a priceless instrument.
http://www.thetalkbasses.com/
check out donald carrigan's 1820s prescott busetto
best of luck

kevin

[anon_6j591b0]

I'm no expert but having owned a no label turn of the century flatback I've absorbed some info. First if it sounds good it sounds good. There were a lot of no-name "student" quality instruments built back then and through the years either the good ones survived or maybe the ones that survived became good over 100 years of being played? If you can get it or at least get detailed pics to a luthier who knows his stuff he's gonna be able to make some very educated guesses about it's pedigree based on construction method, wood, shape, scroll, tuners etc. you wanna get several quotes on restoration costs too...it may be worth shipping it to have the work done by someone experienced and reputable. If they're hemming and hawing on selling it you can point out the longer it sits the more it deteriorates and the less it becomes worth. Not to mention the fact it ain't doin' anyone any good sitting unplayed.

Anything 100 years old restored and playing well is gonna sell for at least $3500 and probably more. The player who sold me my Tyrolean flatback in the '80's for $2400 called me fifteen years later wanting to buy it back for $12000...and he's a cheap bastard.

[steve2]

Actually its been put together by a Luther locally and looks like its in excellent shape. I can acually buy it for a lot less than $1,200. That is what the Luther said he would value it at the minimum. I have lived right beside of the owner and the lady just turned 80 and has been close friends to our family for about 20 years. She priced it what it cost to restore it. Her son in law did all the refinishing of the wood so there is not any cost in that all the cost was someone locally reassembling it. I'll see if I can get pics tommorow. Thanks

[anon_6j591b0]

That's a steal...a no loose situation to buy it for that. Go give her the money right now before someone else does!

[steve2]

If I can catch them home tommorow afternoon I am going to get pics and tune it up. She took the tension off of it quiet a bit since it was not being played. Like I said I have never played one I assume they are tuned 440 EADG. Thanks

[Matthew Tucker]

Originally Posted by steve2

I assume they are tuned 440 EADG. Thanks

it's a bass. tune it like your bass guitar.