have i hit the jackpot? (1955 Anton Wilfer)

j.stemmler · #1 07-11-2010, 07:43 PM

hi all,

i've got an in on a bass. i wasnt planning on upgrading, but i was tipped off by a friend on what could be a great deal. long story short, it is a 1955 Anton Wilfer, which was appraised 10 years ago for $12,000 CAD. However i am not familiar with the appraiser, and am not going to rely on his opinion alone.

the owner of the bass has sadly passed on, and the family is now ready to sell the bass. as far as i know, they are asking around $8,000. i'd have to take out a loan to pay for it, but it could be a great investment.

however i am also aware that a bass is only worth how it performs. im going this thursday to check it out, and if i love it, im going to start the loan process as soon as possible.

so, does this seem like a reasonable appraisal for the bass? have any of you canadian bassists heard of James Smith (the appraiser)? at the time of the appraisal he was working out of picton.

what can i excpect out of the higher end wilfers? ive read nothing but good on many wilfer basses, but ive had some issues finding info on basses made by Anton.

clearly, im pretty excited about the thought of upgrading from my eastman hybrid, but at the same time i dont want to get my hopes up. any help would be greatly appreciated!

thanks guys

o, and you didnt think i was going to make you read all that without pics did you.....pics can be found at http://s938.photobucket.com/albums/a...lferfront1.jpg

eh_train · #2 07-12-2010, 08:47 AM

Hi J. Stemmler,

Just a couple of thoughts:

Eight thou is no small amount of money, so it should be a quite nice bass for that price. Wilfers do have a reputation for being higher end German, so this should be, at least, a well made bass. You're right in focussing on the sound, no matter how nice the bass might look.

Re. the appraisal, and the appraiser, don't forget that these are often done for insurance purposes, and may somewhat over estimate. Also, if it's an unwritten appraisal, how much credence does that have? I have heard of James Smith a few years back. He was recommended as someone who had worked on a lot of basses for the TSO (Toronto Symphony) players. I tried to find him when in Picton, but had no luck. If you do locate him, I would like to get the contact info.

Thanks,

Paul (Eh_train)

AMJBASS · #3 07-12-2010, 09:25 AM

I know Jimmy Smith pretty well. I'll PM you Paul with his contact info. I sent you a PM as well Jon regarding this and the bass. Its an exciting process buying a new instrument and its very important to excersize patience! There are good basses out there if you look for them. If you get a chance contact Ken Smith and let him know you are in the market as well. He is a virtual encyclopedia of knowlege on the bass and has a very fine collection himself.

j.stemmler · #4 07-12-2010, 10:35 AM

hey guys, thanks for the help.

as far as the appraisal, i have a written copy of it, signed by James Smith.

the thing is, im not really in the market bass just yet. the only reason im really considering the upgrade is becuase i feel the bass found me. the person who tipped me off (whos name will remain unknown) is a very well know canadian bassist, and a close friend of mine. im really the only person who knows the bass is even for sale. .

i've kind of decided that if i go down on thursday, and am not %100 sold on it, i will probably abandon the bass search. im pretty content with me bass now. it gets the job done, so buying a bass of that quality right now would simply be a luxury.

now, one more quick question. it has most likely been a while since the bass has been played (maybe even more that 6 years). does this effect the value? how accurate of an idea of this basses playability can i get if the bass hasn't been played in such a long time?

thanks so much guys