A Busan from Dragonetti on E-bay?

[R Sturm]

There is a recent ad in the LA craigslist as well, same description. A few years ago there was a thread on the board about a bass like this, might be the same. Mr Woolsey at it again?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=011

Sounds like an interesting bass as it, even if the description is maybe a tall (and poorly spelled) tale. From the listing:
"This fine double bass was made by DOMINICO BUSAN in Venice, Italy in 1777 and is in mint condition.Circa 1778 Dragonitti bought the bass and took it to London where his playing partner played it as did Dragonitti...."

E-bay seems an odd choice for it (even if were just a copy half that age). But in "mint" conditions sounds more like 2 1/2 years old rather than 2 1/2 centuries.

[KSB - Ken Smith]

I spoke earlier today with his son. Mr. Woosley passed away last year and his son is selling the Bass. The appraisal for the Bass as a Busan was in 1945. We can't count how many incorrect certificates have been made in the last 100 years. From the description he read me over the phone the Bass does seem to be Italian. Busan? More than likely not. I can't make a call on this one from the photos or the appraisal. It looks Italian and quite old but only a closer look will help me guess closer.

By the way, I was the high bidder. Even if it's only 100 years old, as long as it sounds good and is Italian, it's worth some money. I know now what he wants for the Bass and advised him to include the old Appraisal in his next listing along with his minimum price. No use bidding it up if he wants more and I think reserves are a waste of time. Just start the bidding at the minimum sale price and go from there. I doubt this is an Ebay type item but the advertising is sure pretty cheap as compared to magazines.

[R Sturm]

I just saw the listing was ended early. It was still pretty low when I first saw it, a few thousand dollars with only a day or two to go (even I would have bid more than that, safe guess that it is more than that), so presumably the seller got cold feet. Probably not the $100,000 or $200,000 that his dad wanted (or $50,000 for the homemade bass).

[LouisF]

Woolsey was an interesting, if eccentric guy, who, I think was also an engineer. He had very individual ideas about strings etc (I tried one of his once). I never saw the bass or heard him play. Nothing more to add, just a very interesting guy.

Louis

[pawelknapik]

The bass has just been re-listed on eBay for $100,000.00 or best accepted offer.

PK.

[GradyBass]

... how many times can you fit the word "circa" in a paragraph?

[bassist14]

after reading this thread i think i post some pics for comparison to this: http://www.boazmusic.com/For%20Sale.htm

[bassist14]

two more pics
source: http://www.cite-musique.fr/

[Don Carrigan]

Originally Posted by R Sturm

There is a recent ad in the LA craigslist as well, same description. A few years ago there was a thread on the board about a bass like this, might be the same. Mr Woolsey at it again?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=011

Sounds like an interesting bass as it, even if the description is maybe a tall (and poorly spelled) tale. From the listing:
"This fine double bass was made by DOMINICO BUSAN in Venice, Italy in 1777 and is in mint condition.Circa 1778 Dragonitti bought the bass and took it to London where his playing partner played it as did Dragonitti...."

E-bay seems an odd choice for it (even if were just a copy half that age). But in "mint" conditions sounds more like 2 1/2 years old rather than 2 1/2 centuries.

Dragonetti's Bass? Here's Tom Martin inspecting it after finding it in the cellar of an Italian Convent as bequethed. Some say it was made in Venice in 1699 or later. Do the FF holes match?
DeSalo:1699 http://home.earthlink.net/~prescottv...onettiBass.jpg
Busan 1770: http://home.earthlink.net/~prescottv...enicoBusan.jpg
The old man himself: http://home.earthlink.net/~prescottv...DRAGONETTI.jpg

Donald Carrigan, prescottviol@earthlink.net See Prescott Data & Photos: http://home.earthlink.net~prescottviol

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Don Carrigan

Dragonetti's Bass? Here's Tom Martin inspecting it after finding it in the cellar of an Italian Convent as bequethed. Some say it was made in Venice in 1699 or later. Do the FF holes match?
DeSalo:1699 http://home.earthlink.net/~prescottv...onettiBass.jpg
Busan 1770: http://home.earthlink.net/~prescottv...enicoBusan.jpg
The old man himself: http://home.earthlink.net/~prescottv...DRAGONETTI.jpg

Donald Carrigan, prescottviol@earthlink.net See Prescott Data & Photos: http://home.earthlink.net~prescottviol

The D'Salo pics are not a new find. He is just in Venice (I think) getting a look at the Bass where it is kept and it's dated about 1580. D'Salo died in 1609. What and where was that second pic taken? Those Ribs look new as does the varnish on them. The Scroll looks funny as well. The Gears are newer Italian copies. I had originals of that Gear on my old Italian bass of the same style.

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by Don Carrigan

The old man himself: http://home.earthlink.net/~prescottviol/Photos/DRAGONETTI.jpg

Here is the whole pic of "the old man":

[MingusAmongUs]

Originally Posted by bassist14

Here is the whole pic of "the old man":

Is he playing that thing with a hacksaw?

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by MingusAmongUs

Is he playing that thing with a hacksaw?

that´s what some people call a
"dragonetti bow"

not an unusal model in his time

[MingusAmongUs]

Originally Posted by bassist14

that´s what some people call a
"dragonetti bow"

not an unusal model in his time

Oh. Thanks for the lesson. Never saw that.

[Jake deVilliers]

"Is he playing that thing with a hacksaw?"

ROTFL!!!

[dakpluto]

Dude, the way he is sitting with that thing 1st and half positions must have been a bitch on the muscles.