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06-05-2009, 01:49 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | Bass ID help
I'm looking at buying a bass and want to know what you guys with expertise have to say about this instrument. Anything that would be helpful. Origin, age, etc.
Any info is appreciated!
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Last edited by DrBassie : 01-20-2010 at 11:13 AM.
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06-05-2009, 01:49 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | More Pics
Last edited by DrBassie : 01-20-2010 at 11:13 AM.
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06-05-2009, 01:50 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | one more...
Last edited by DrBassie : 11-01-2009 at 06:34 PM.
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06-05-2009, 02:06 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Albuquerque | | | My first guess would be a "blockless wonder" of German or Tyrolean origin from the late-19th to early-20th century. It could also be Bohemian, and some of the basses that look like the "blockless wonder" actually do have a neck block (either original, or added later). Larger, higher quality pictures would be helpful, as well as any labels/stamps/writing on the inside of the bass. |
06-05-2009, 02:09 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | Yes, the pictures are not the best, but the best I have at the moment. I'm not familiar with blockless basses. Pros vs. Cons? |
06-05-2009, 02:15 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | Did some searching on "blockless wonder". Seller said it is fully restored. I'm assuming fixing this would be part of a full restore.
After reading some threads on the blockless basses, is $4k too much to pay if the neck hasn't been "blocked"?
Last edited by DrBassie : 06-05-2009 at 02:54 PM.
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06-05-2009, 03:40 PM
|  | Supporting Member
Luthier: Bresque Basses, rep: Paulin EUB | | Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sydney, Australia | | | The shape of the ribs arount neck joint looks like there's a block in there, to me. It looks to me like the neck joint is a dovetail. |
06-05-2009, 03:43 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NYC | | | Tyrolean/Bohemian. This looks so much like my former bass, it's spooky, especially the back view. If a reputable luthier pronounces it healthy and it sounds good, $4000 seems pretty reasonable to me. Just treat it nicely and keep it maintained. |
06-06-2009, 02:07 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | Better Pics
Got a look at the bass today. It was about an hour drive. I was going to bring a camera, but I forgot it and didn't remember until I was half-way there, so no going back. Here's pics from my phone.
I'm not exactly sure what I was looking for with the blockless, but it does look different from my New Standard.
Here's a couple of shots I took of the neck through the f-holes.
Last edited by DrBassie : 11-01-2009 at 06:34 PM.
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06-06-2009, 02:13 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | Neck.
In the first picture, you can see the ribs meeting the neck. The ribs do seem to meet the neck perpendicularly, which from what I read, was something to look for on the blockless. So, is it blockless?
Neck trauma. Owner said the luthier that restored the instrument in the 0's estimated it happened early in the bass' life (20's). Originally nailed together with home-made nails, restored in the 80's. Looks and feels solid...In the pics you can see the remnants of nail holes.
Last edited by DrBassie : 11-01-2009 at 06:34 PM.
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06-06-2009, 02:18 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | A couple more various pics.
More pics available if you need another angle. Thanks for any insight!
Last edited by DrBassie : 11-01-2009 at 06:34 PM.
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06-06-2009, 04:49 PM
| | Supporting Member
Luthier: Bresque Basses, rep: Paulin EUB | | Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sydney, Australia | | | So I was wrong, it IS a blockless bass ... you can see the neck root protruding into the bass with a kind of "heel" glued to the upper back.
The shape of the ribs in themselves don't prove anything, because it is possible to have that rib/neck shape and have a block as well.
If it is sound, then I think there's nothing wrong with a blockless bass. But if you ever needed to replace that neck, you would need to get a block put in, and that's major surgery. Its hard to tell from the pics how sound that neck repair is. |
06-06-2009, 09:24 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NYC | | | After seeing the pix, I'd advise having someone look at the top on the lower bassbar side. It looks to me that there some cracks and some sinkage, which can occur with an integral bassbar, a standard feature on these basses. If the cracks are repaired well and the sinkage is stable, you're OK, although it is something that will probably need to be dealt with a some point. The neck area should be looked over as well. As I said before, if it sounds good and is stable, $4000 sounds pretty good, to me, at least. At some point it may need to be overhauled (new neck or graft, neck block, bassbar, etc.) which would mean $$$. |
06-06-2009, 11:35 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NYC | | | After seeing more pix elsewhere, I'd advise having it THOROUGHLY inspected, especially the neck repair and the lower bassbar area. They both look pretty scary. Get an overhaul estimate before you go any further.
Last edited by salcott : 06-06-2009 at 11:42 PM.
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06-08-2009, 07:15 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | Thanks for the help guys! It is definitely appreciated. This forum is a great resource.
The blockless aspect along with the previous neck damage makes me too leery. |  | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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