Blonde Double Bass - German?

bass5555 · #1 09-03-2010, 07:53 PM

I bought this bass the other day, it's my first double bass and it was pretty cheap. The seller didn't really know much about it. When I picked it up I was surprised at how good it sounded and it was older than I thought. It looks to me like a 1950's german bass but I imagine you guys know much more than me about double basses!

It doesn't have a sticker inside but it looks like there might have been one in there at some point. Can anyone identify or give me any info on this bass for me?

bassics1975 · #2 09-03-2010, 07:57 PM

A nice looking instrument. I don't think it is German made but in fact American. You have some info stamped on the plate tuners in one of your photos that is hard to make out on this end. This may provide you with some clues. Perhaps a close-up of this will help us identify it for you. From what I can see, it looks a lot like a King (don't quote me on this).

bass5555 · #3 09-03-2010, 08:09 PM

Thanks for the reply. It just says FOREIGN on the plate.

standupbassman · #4 09-03-2010, 08:17 PM

it looks like a Kay bass like this one: http://thebassmonkeyworkshop.blogspo...1_archive.html

bassics1975 · #5 09-03-2010, 08:30 PM

I am quite certain that it was made in the US. American Standard and King used a variety of different tuning machines I believe from various suppliers. Most were a bass metal of steel that were plated with brass or even gold. I was thinking Kay when I first saw it however the pegbox just doesn't seem to be the same as those I have seen on Kay basses. Your luthier should be able to give you a much more accurate assessment of the instrument and its origins. They can look for clues in the internal ribbing etc. Either way, it looks like a great bluegrass or rockabilly bass. Great find.

ASBass · #6 09-04-2010, 06:33 AM

It is definitely not a King or a Kay.

Paul Warburton · #7 09-04-2010, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by standupbassman

it looks like a Kay bass like this one: http://thebassmonkeyworkshop.blogspo...1_archive.html

May I recommend a good optician?

Jake deVilliers · #8 09-06-2010, 08:07 PM

Its most likely to be a Czech made bass though German is not out of the question from the pix. Definitely NOT Kay, King or American Standard.

Are you enjoying it so far?

fdeck · #9 09-06-2010, 08:52 PM

Is there a story behind the Fender neck on top of the Wurly?

61pollmann · #10 09-06-2010, 09:11 PM

I owned a twin of this bass. Bought it around 1975, owner said it was late fifties. I never used it for gigs, and sold it in the early eighties to one of my students. He has gone on to bigger and better things in New York. He works with Roy Hargrove, and recently toured Europe with McCoy Tyner(Coltrane's pianist of choice). He also has a much better bass now. It was, though, a good first instrument. It was comparable in tone to a good Kay.

bass5555 · #11 09-07-2010, 06:12 PM

I LOVE it Jake. I have always wanted one but never really had the budget to get one. I got a second hand bassix EUB for cheap recently which just made me want an acoustic one even more so I sold that for more than I paid for it and bought this. It was only £275 which I think is a bargain. It sounds amazing - the action is a bit hi but I am lowering it and then I want to get a Realist pick up for it. I would like to get some new strings at some point too but they are so expensive.

The neck is a soft-v nitro all parts neck I want to use for a 50's blackguard I want to build. My problem is I love old instruments and want to play them all! It gets kinda expensive but I'm a bit of a baragin hunter (The wurly cost me £20!!!).

Eric Hochberg · #12 09-07-2010, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 61pollmann

...one of my students. He has gone on to bigger and better things in New York. He works with Roy Hargrove, and recently toured Europe with McCoy Tyner(Coltrane's pianist of choice).

Now that's cool... Congrats!

PaulKing · #13 09-08-2010, 08:30 AM

I think you've got the message, it bears no resemblance to any King or Kay. The devil is in the detail, and this has none of the details of either brand.

Not really going to add much except to say, from the condition late 50's-60s. European, probably Czech or German.

Very pretty looking and great condition. I like it a lot. How does it sound?

Basses like this can be prized for their wonderful warm tone in Europe. Over in US people seem to be blinkered to Euro ply, focussed on Kays and Kings. In US European ply basses don't seem to have have anything like the value or collectablity ... but it could easily be a better bass than many Kays.

Jake deVilliers · #14 09-08-2010, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass5555

I LOVE it Jake. I have always wanted one but never really had the budget to get one.

That's what I like to hear. Well set up, those basses are very decent instruments.

Congratulations!

neal davis · #15 09-08-2010, 08:01 PM

that looks exactly like one of my students basses that is a czech factory bass, it had a label that said german but when he had to get a soundpost patch and the luthier told him he saw a czech factory shipping label on the inside front. my students bass is a nice sounding plywood bass

onree · #16 09-09-2010, 10:15 AM

I had a trio of these European blondies pass through my violin shop about twenty years ago. I don't have a very clear memory of them (they are long gone) but my old stock list says that one was a Framus, the other two were Wenzl Fuchs.
Just as an aside, I sold one of them to a well known instrument maker for his personal use. He said he wasn't a good enough bass player to justify playing one of his own instruments.

Onree in Nebraska