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09-26-2005, 02:54 PM
|  | Velvet Strings Customer Service | | Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: SWITZERLAND | | | Just take a look at this bass!!!
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09-26-2005, 07:59 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Eugene,Oregon/Tyler,Texas | | | simply breathtaking!
I'm gonna be in trouble if my girlfriend finds me with this on the screen. Thanks NUNO |
09-26-2005, 09:14 PM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | |  18th century?
From what I can see, it looks like one of those antiqued Gypsy Basses. It looks too clean to be over 100 years. Lots of detail on the Bass in perfect condition. Was it in a case for the last 100 years and just opened up last week?
Show me so better and detailed pics and I will confirm this for you.
Look at this Bass of mine. Do NOT read the information untill AFTER you guess it's age. http://www.kensmithbasses.com/Double...2/Mystery2.htm
Last edited by KSB - Ken Smith : 09-27-2005 at 05:48 AM.
Reason: typo
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09-27-2005, 12:11 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Astoria, OR | | | Shore is purdy though. It would give some competition to Paul's bass for strange aesthetics.
Ken, would it be more prone to cracks in the top and back due to all the indentations?
az
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09-27-2005, 12:26 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA USA | | | That's definitely a modern take on the festoon shape of a much earlier period. You don't see that every day. It is pretty. I kind of doubt the age, too though. If for no other reason than Ken Smith said so......
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09-27-2005, 05:09 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Ridgewood, NJ | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith From what I can see, it looks like one of those antiqued Gypsey Basses. | Yes.
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09-27-2005, 06:14 AM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | $$
If this guy was a Banjo player and just a beginner, what in the world would he be doing with a 19th century Hungarian Bass?
The USD is .75 to the AUD. AUD 9,000 ($6,750.) is way to low for a real handmade Bass of the 19th century like that unless it's a broken down piece of junk. The price tells it all. New Hungarian 'look a like' Bass!!
AZ, I can't answer your question in regards to being more prone to cracking. I just don't know. With these Basses though, they already come with some cracks that have been repaired poorly. They take the top off with each crack and do it over again. By the time you get the Bass and see all the various grades of repairs, you too will believe it is an older Bass. The fact is they do this Antiquing method to make it 'look' as if the Bass has been used and abused over the years. When you scrape off the artifical coloring inside the top and back, you will see just how nes the Bass is.
One of the Cross Bars were loose on mine while Arnold had the top off. He could see the stain partially running under the Cross bar as it was poorly glued down as well to make you think it took 100 years for the Bars to come loose. The Bass bar was touching in 2 spots and the rest of the gap had sawdust stuffed into it. Believe it or not, the Bass still sounded great in it's 'falling apart' state b4 repairs begun.
I would NEVER have believed this until I saw it with my own eyes. I had my Hungarian Bass converted to a 5er so everything had to be checked or re-done anyway. These Hungarian/Gypsy Basses like all other countries of making come in various grades. I have see some going from 15-20k and some from 1500-2k. You get what you pay for, if you are lucky!
By the way, I thought I got a great deal on mine. Actually it was good, not great. Now with the full restoration, re-graduation and 5er conversion I have a good Bass worth all the trouble and expense. At the 2nd rehearsal with one of the two Orchestras I play in, the Concertmaster walked over to me while I was packing up and said with a big smile, "I can really hear you over there now, your Bass sounds real good". I have used my Gilkes, Martini, Morelli and Shen in that Orchestra and the only other time he said that was when I was playing the Morelli with the Lower Extension notes and that was what got his attention.
A good Bass is a Good bass. If each Bass were in it's optimum condition then there would be alot more non-pedigree Basses in professional use from what I have experienced.
Last edited by KSB - Ken Smith : 09-29-2005 at 05:08 AM.
Reason: typos
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09-29-2005, 03:55 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Austin Texas | | | Are there folks out there that make these kind of basses now?
I love the way it looks...like Satan's bass. |
09-29-2005, 05:11 AM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | ??
Quote: |
Originally Posted by mpoppitt Are there folks out there that make these kind of basses now?
I love the way it looks...like Satan's bass. | That IS the point I am trying to make. This IS a recent Bass. I have seen quite a few pop up in the last year or so. The answer to your question is YES and this Bass is a NOW made Bass. |
09-29-2005, 06:41 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: St. John's, Newfoundland | | | Wow. One bass, three threads. Talk about your oddities generating interest! |
09-30-2005, 07:04 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Denver, Co. | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by azflyman Shore is purdy though. It would give some competition to Paul's bass for strange aesthetics.
Ken, would it be more prone to cracks in the top and back due to all the indentations?
az | I'd like to see some other shots....scroll, sides, machines and back.
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10-02-2005, 08:59 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Denver, Co. | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by mpoppitt Are there folks out there that make these kind of basses now? | www.rossdoublebass.com
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Oh, no.....have we gone OT yet again?
"The opportunity was there...but it never presented itself." Phil Urso, 1980. :atoz: |
10-02-2005, 10:01 AM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | |  Making now?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Paul Warburton |
Yes paul, and the Guy in Hungary that made that Faked old/brand new Bass in the last year or so... |
10-02-2005, 09:13 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Astoria, OR | | I these are pretty good basses to start why go through all the crap. It seems it would be more economical to just build the bass without all the hassel of removing the top several times, cracking the top and repairing it, etc, etc, etc. Why not just build a fine sounding bass 
az
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To me a P bass is like a girl who doesn't look all that beautiful but she can really..... dance. - Moe Monsarrat :p
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10-03-2005, 08:23 AM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | |  Why?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by azflyman I these are pretty good basses to start why go through all the crap. It seems it would be more economical to just build the bass without all the hassel of removing the top several times, cracking the top and repairing it, etc, etc, etc. Why not just build a fine sounding bass
az | Why? So they can try to sell it as a 100+ year old Bass. They make copies and fakes all day long. I think the price is 'ok' for what they make as a 'new' Bass and there is no need to try and make us think we are getting a deal 'too good to be true'. They must think we are stupid but someone does end up buying these without first getting advice. So, they keep on doing it.. Plain and simple. |
10-03-2005, 10:09 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada | | | And I would buy another one! There are a few people buying them knowing what they are. Ken and I both had an idea when we bought ours. I don't think you can go wrong for the price. Even if they sold them as new basses I think it is a very fair price. |
10-04-2005, 07:13 AM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | Knowing..
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Adrian Juras And I would buy another one! There are a few people buying them knowing what they are. Ken and I both had an idea when we bought ours. I don't think you can go wrong for the price. Even if they sold them as new basses I think it is a very fair price. | You cannot really know how they were made untill you open them up. Be careful when you buy a Bass like this. Corrective repairs coupled with the initial purchase can easly run you more than the value of the restored Bass. This goes for many German/Czech Basses made within the last 100 years.
If you own the Bass already, then fixing it is maintainance. If you are buying it, then the repairs are part of the purchase price! Plain and simple.. |
10-07-2005, 07:06 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Denver, Co. | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by COUNT ZACULA I'm gonna be in trouble if my girlfriend finds me with this on the screen. Thanks NUNO | I've been wondering about the fact that you have two addresses.....Eugene, Oregon and Tyler, Texas.....which is yours and which is your girlfreinds?
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Oh, no.....have we gone OT yet again?
"The opportunity was there...but it never presented itself." Phil Urso, 1980. :atoz: |
10-07-2005, 05:51 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Eugene,Oregon/Tyler,Texas | | | Well, I'm from Texas. She's from Oregon................ lets just say I've been staying in Oregon for awhile now.
zac
ps. she is the jealous type, though. Makes it tough when I try to get the three way going with my bass. |
10-08-2005, 03:37 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Naushua, New Hampster, U S of | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by basscrazy72 | Sorry, but man - that has to be one of the ulgiest basses I've ever seen
what does he call it "The Cameltoe Special" ? sheeesh!!!! 
- Wil
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