CALIN VOLTUR "EURO ARTIST"

bribass · #1 10-27-2006, 06:51 AM

I'm researching entry level carved or hybrid basses for a student. Anyone have experience or know about the quality of CALIN VOLTUR "EURO ARTIST" basses?

Thanks, BG

drurb · #2 10-27-2006, 07:05 AM

PM sent

bribass · #3 10-27-2006, 07:06 AM

excuse my bump

KSB - Ken Smith · #4 10-27-2006, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bribass

I'm researching entry level carved or hybrid basses for a student. Anyone have experience or know about the quality of CALIN VOLTUR "EURO ARTIST" basses?

Thanks, BG

Actually is it "Calin Wultur" and I recently purchased 6 of his Corsini model Basses. I did a basic set-up on each and shipped one out recently. I have one in my Personal Bass rack with my name on it and each one I strung up was a keeper. His "EURO Basic" is the least expensive and the CRACOVIA is his top model. I have the fully carved ones in the middle of his range. They generally price their Basses by looks and grade of wood.

We all know that some of the best sounding Basses in the world are the old Italians and most often made with the least fancy woods often with more knots and defects than one can count.

I would love to put these Corsini models from him up against anything else from his shop, Eastern Europe or China. I was shocked when I strung up the first Corsini Bass.

bribass · #5 10-27-2006, 11:39 AM

Ken and drurb,

Thanks so much for the info

Bri

Jazzman · #6 10-27-2006, 03:47 PM

I had a Waltur Euro Artist - it was a fully carved flatback. I bought it new and kept it for a couple years. An extremely disappointing bass. The tone was very bland and choked. The construction was decent, but the bass never had much tone. It also had an extremely thick and glossy finish, which didn't help the tone.

drurb · #7 10-27-2006, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzman

I had a Waltur Euro Artist - it was a fully carved flatback. I bought it new and kept it for a couple years. An extremely disappointing bass. The tone was very bland and choked. The construction was decent, but the bass never had much tone. It also had an extremely thick and glossy finish, which didn't help the tone.

I don't know what a "Euro Artist" is. I do know what the "Euro Basic" is and, as Ken pointed out, it is the low end of the series. Those are laminated and hybrid basses. The carved ones I've seen and played (like the one on Ken's site) have been finished with German spirit varnish and offer huge bang for the buck. They are anything but bland. I wonder what relation the one you had bears to the current ones. Perhaps they are altogether different. If so, and if one can generalize from your experience, perhaps buying a "Euro Artist" would not be a good idea. I do know that buying one of their current models is a fine idea!

drurb · #8 10-27-2006, 07:45 PM

Okay, I found a Euro Artist. Look here.

Now, that bass is said to be made in Romania. It does not share the very characteristic features of basses currently labelled as "Calin Wultur." I know those basses very well. Just for starters, the scroll on the Euro Artist is completely different than the basses usually sold as "Calin Wulturs." The truth is that there are a number of shops in Romania and Poland where all of these basses are made. It seems that whether one of those basses is said to be a "Calin Wultur" depends on the seller.

Let's put the name aside. I can tell you that the Corsini model bass on Ken Smith's site, the "Calin Wultur" Panormo model on ebay , and this one all seem to come from the same maker and all differ substantially from the "Euro Artist." I believe the Euro Artist is not akin to the others, which are what we are used to seeing sold as "Calin Wultur" basses. Based on Jazzman's experience, the Euro Artist may not be a wise choice at all.

Jazzman · #9 10-27-2006, 08:42 PM

Don't go just by my experience - that is one experience with one bass. I have noticed I am much more opinionated than your average person when it comes to evaluating gear. On the other hand, I do think there are much better basses out there for the same amount of money. However, this is just my opinion.

KSB - Ken Smith · #10 10-27-2006, 08:49 PM

The Calin Wultur shop is actually owned by J&R Music. J&R also sells Basses made in other shops as well like Gliga who supply J&R with some of their lower end Basses.

I just found a Euro Artist model on Ebay from 2002 with the label showing a signature by Calin Wultur. It looks to be a carved flatback with fairly plain looking wood on the back. I think it would be easier to ID this model if you called J&R and asked.

On the Tone, I think the Corsini models have a real sound of their own. I have a drawing of the top graduation pattern that was provided to me before I made my purchase. They had also made a thinner graduation model for a period which came about accidentially but at least one shop has told them to stay with the regular pattern as the thinner pattern can develope cracks easier in its early life. The Basses are fairly loud actually and have alot of sound for a 3/4 sized Bass. The Rib depth tapers throught its length from the NeckBlock down to the TailBlock with some of the Basses going over 8 1/2 inches wide at the bottom between the Top and Back plates (not including).

I think only time will tell with these Basses. Before buying them myself I called and spoke with Steve Swan who also carries this line for a second opinion and he gave a big 'thumbs up' over the phone as he has personally used these Basses. Being on the west coast, they can handle flatbacks much better then here on the east coast. I chose the Corsini model for its dinensions and the level of player the smaller model might attract. They are listed as 40 3/4" string length which I thought was better then the other modles listed as 42". I told J&R if the Panormo model was 41 1/2" string length I would be interested. When I strung up these Basses I found them all to be 41-41 1/2" string lengths just as I would prefer. No two Basses had the same dimensions anywhere on the Bass. The Sales rep (who is the ex-partner and was co-owner of the company prior) told me they are totally handmade and variation is very likely. I don't even have two exact Scrolls either which shows some individualism to me. I can only assume that this 'Euro Artist' model was their low end carved Bass at that time as it is no longer offered on the J&R website. Other than price, there is a huge difference between a Flat Back and a Carved Back over time.

drurb · #11 10-27-2006, 09:12 PM

Ken, I agree, and my earlier posts clearly reflect, that the model you are carrying, it's Panormo brother, and the current models sold as "Wulturs" seem to be fine basses for the money. We also seem to agree that the "Euro Artist" was another animal entirely. While I have no direct experience with the Euro Artist, it certainly does not seem to be up to the quality of the other ones with which I do have experience and which I would feel good about endorsing. It seems you do too or there would be no way you would offer that Corsini.

drurb · #12 10-27-2006, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzman

Don't go just by my experience - that is one experience with one bass. I have noticed I am much more opinionated than your average person when it comes to evaluating gear. On the other hand, I do think there are much better basses out there for the same amount of money. However, this is just my opinion.

Well, you did us all a service by making us dig deeper and figure out that the Euro Artist is not what we typically take to be a current "Wultur" bass. This would seem to be important information for bribass.

KSB - Ken Smith · #13 10-27-2006, 11:27 PM

I found this on Ebay as well just now. http://cgi.ebay.com/Gliga-Workshop-E...QQcmdZViewItem

It is the Euro model but with a Gliga label. I wonder now if the Euro was actually ever made by Wultur to begin with rather than supplied to them by Gliga and labeled by Wulter for re-sale as their low end Carved and Hybrid Basses.

As far as labels go, on of the Corsini Models I received had no Label at all. I called the sales rep and in a few days I got a Label in the mail with the model and serial number hand written like the other Basses that were labeled in Romania. I put some Hide glue slightly watered down and placed the label inside as best I could.

As we all know, labels and actual makers are the biggest mystery in the Violin family instrument world and on average, there are probably many more fakes and mislabeled instruments in the world than ones that actually match up to what they really are. Every Juzek labeled Basses in the world is a brand and not made at all by Juzek but mainly by a few generations of the Wilfer family. This is just one example not to mention the millions of Strad fakes and models made by commercial shops and factories with labels changing as often as ones menu.

**Matthew Tucker** · #14 10-28-2006, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

Every Juzek labeled Basses in the world is a brand and not made at all by Juzek but mainly by a few generations of the Wilfer family.

What did Juzek do for a living then??

KSB - Ken Smith · #15 10-28-2006, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

What did Juzek do for a living then??

What did Juzek do for a living then??, Not make basses, that's for sure..

There is history about him on metmusic.com, the Juzek family. His brother Robert ran the import business here in USA. I know John did make some violins and maybe cellos but I doubt very much if any were exported here. The had a complete distributer/import business starting in the 1920s. I knew the brother and his son Bobby (still here in Vt.) since I was in Highschool. I guess they sold instruments for a living and John took care of getting the orderes shipped from first Czech and then Germany after wwII. Actually after wwII, Robert ran it completly as John was out of the picture. I got some info from Peter Eibert whom worked for them in the '60s-70s and earlier for Lang in Germany, Bobby Juzek in NY at Met.Music and personal experience.

The oldest labelled bass I have seen was 1936. I have seen a few that might be older but not sure. Most were never dated but 1936-1939 I have seen dates. Anything claims of Basses older than 1920s is false like that of Ron Carters Bass of 1910 as written in a few articles. Yes, He wants to say he has the first one possibly made but the oldest know violin is 1911 and they think he started in 1910 but the Basses were all later exports made by Wilfer from at least the 1920s if not '30s.

This has been discussed here so search it up a bit mate!

bribass · #16 10-28-2006, 07:21 AM

Well this is the bass that had me start this thread in the first place. http://cgi.ebay.com/CALIN-VOLTUR-Eur...QQcmdZViewItem

I should of put it up then.
So you guys think this model is NOT one of the good Calin Wulturs?

BG

drurb · #17 10-28-2006, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

I found this on Ebay as well just now. http://cgi.ebay.com/Gliga-Workshop-E...QQcmdZViewItem

It is the Euro model but with a Gliga label. I wonder now if the Euro was actually ever made by Wultur to begin with rather than supplied to them by Gliga and labeled by Wulter for re-sale as their low end Carved and Hybrid Basses.

As far as labels go, on of the Corsini Models I received had no Label at all. I called the sales rep and in a few days I got a Label in the mail with the model and serial number hand written like the other Basses that were labeled in Romania. I put some Hide glue slightly watered down and placed the label inside as best I could.

As we all know, labels and actual makers are the biggest mystery in the Violin family instrument world and on average, there are probably many more fakes and mislabeled instruments in the world than ones that actually match up to what they really are. Every Juzek labeled Basses in the world is a brand and not made at all by Juzek but mainly by a few generations of the Wilfer family. This is just one example not to mention the millions of Strad fakes and models made by commercial shops and factories with labels changing as often as ones menu.

Indeed, Ken! This is why in an earlier post I wrote:

The truth is that there are a number of shops in Romania and Poland where all of these basses are made. It seems that whether one of those basses is said to be a "Calin Wultur" depends on the seller.

What is called a "Calin Wultur" does not necessarily come from one shop. Look at the J&R site. The Cracovia model is made in Poland. If you look closely, you will see that it has quite different features than the line of basses that match your Corsini.

drurb · #18 10-28-2006, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bribass

Well this is the bass that had me start this thread in the first place. http://cgi.ebay.com/CALIN-VOLTUR-Eur...QQcmdZViewItem

I should of put it up in the first place.
So you guys think this model is NOT one of the good Calin Wulturs?

BG

Well, yes, it would have helped if we knew that to begin with. Yes, in my opinion, that model is NOT one of the good "Calin Wulturs."

Ken McKay · #19 10-28-2006, 03:51 PM

For someone trying to stretch their budget from a good hybred bass this would be a possible nice step up for about the same price. It could be an overbuilt dog though.

bribass · #20 10-29-2006, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken McKay

For someone trying to stretch their budget from a good hybred bass this would be a possible nice step up for about the same price. It could be an overbuilt dog though.

Yes, I was thinking w/ this student's budget (around 2-3K?) she should go w/ something like a Upton Hybrid or equivalent unless she could find a really good deal on an 'atleast decent' carved, new or older. The 'good' models of the "Wulturs" or whatever brand these E. European basses are sound like they have possibilities.

BG