EBAY Bass - what is this?

Alexi David · #1 07-06-2004, 04:51 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...734778828&rd=1

Check out the scroll!!!! Does this bass look familiar to anyone? Maker?

anonymous0726 · #2 07-06-2004, 05:09 PM

I like to call that peg-box style 'Men in Tights'. Shank had/has a bass like this in his showroom. Was it Romanian? Can't remember.

Anyhow, it looks kinda like plywood to me. I can't see any grain in the gloss on the front. The ribs and back I'm not sure at all.

godoze · #3 07-06-2004, 09:11 PM

that's one fugly scroll/pegbox.

AMJBASS · #4 07-06-2004, 10:22 PM

Could possibly be an older German bass. That scroll style was somewhat common early-mid 19th century in certain areas.

olivier · #5 07-07-2004, 01:33 AM

Tuning machines are not old...

arto alho · #6 07-07-2004, 07:28 AM

Well, there´s one alike over here:

http://www.worldofbasses.de/Instrume...elsdorfer.html

and THAT´s old...

R2

arnoldschnitzer · #7 07-07-2004, 07:29 AM

I'm fairly certain that's a new "gypsy" bass made in either Hungary or Romania, in the style of an 18th century Viennese. The tuners are likely Rubner knock-offs made in the area. These guys do a great job banging up and antiqueing. I've even seen neck "grafts" and cracks. One of the giveaways is the spicy smell inside. They use something to darken the interior to make it look old and oxidized. Also, it's unlikely a Viennese bass of that style would have a round back.

godoze · #8 07-07-2004, 07:57 AM

Arnold, have you ever smelled the inside of an instrument as part of age determination ? I recently saw a restorer do this on a questionalble Scarampella violin...

Another question for you Ahnold- the scroll, esp. on the Teufelsdorfer at WOB- is that attached to the pegbox or is the pegbox and scroll made from one piece of material ?

Al Smith · #9 07-07-2004, 10:30 AM

Can anyone guess a ballpark value for this bass without listening to the sound that it creates when bowed or plucked?

Is it a new, unplayed bass that needs to be "broken in" or what might it sound like? or any other comments? speculation?

AMJBASS · #10 07-07-2004, 10:33 AM

Gotta go hear it for yourself. There are too many questions about this bass.....

KSB - Ken Smith · #11 07-07-2004, 10:42 AM

That Bass is East Europe and not at all Italy. Maybe Hungry or Austria. Maybe even Czech or Romania. It dosen't look that old either. This is my opinion. The Scroll doesn't have any repair scars from eariler tuners either !!

jneuman · #12 07-07-2004, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arnoldschnitzer

I'm fairly certain that's a new "gypsy" bass made in either Hungary or Romania, in the style of an 18th century Viennese. The tuners are likely Rubner knock-offs made in the area. These guys do a great job banging up and antiqueing. I've even seen neck "grafts" and cracks. One of the giveaways is the spicy smell inside. They use something to darken the interior to make it look old and oxidized. Also, it's unlikely a Viennese bass of that style would have a round back.

Yes definitely. John at World of Strings gets a lot of basses from that area. He is straight with customers on what they are though; Some of them are hard to tell from the real thing at first look. I was going to buy a consignment bass that was "supposed" to be Italian from another shop. It had the dark finish inside and that smell. It was built to look old and repaired. The top and back were made different sizes and a fake rib section was done at the bottom to compensate. Why do these guys waste their time with this stuff instead of building more honest instruments? Any why to alot of shops have a "don't ask, don't tell"policy with consignment instruments?
-Jon