Bass identification - help required

[hansieko]

Well, some people think 40 years is a hell of a lifetime

[Martin Sheridan]

That whole sound post area on the back looks suspicious to me; shadows, light? If it is carved and there is a good post patch it's probably worth the money. If it's not repaired properly or is plywood, I'd forget it.

Paul, look again. The very first post...click on the picture to enlarge, there's a dark line right where the post should be.

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Martin, unless it's a lefty Bass with the BassBar reversed, the Crack is under the 'E' side of the Bass. The first post/pic shows the crack on the right side of the back in the 'C' bout area. Unless the photo is inside out, it is Not a Post crack!

Even so, a Crack in a Round Back modern Bass is not a good sign.

[Silversorcerer]

I don't think the photograph is sharp enough to tell if it has a crack or not. What I can see is the ebony trim along side the neck mortise. I've seen that most often on Romanian factory basses from fully laminated to fully carved. The exterior lining is most often associated with German basses, but is also used on various European makes, even on some asian imports that copy the German look. Variations of the design on the back purfling are just about everywhere. The back along the edges doesn't appear to have the releif of a carved back, so I would agree with Paul that it looks laminated on the back. The front however seems to have releif at the edges indicating that it is probably carved. Usually carved tops with laminated backs also mean laminated ribs. The button looks a little narrow to me to be any of the German makes that I have seen a few of. I think it looks more like one of the other European makers, perhaps Czech Republic or Romania.

[Martin Sheridan]

Ken,
I knew there was someting funny about that bass.