The add copy:
"Best AAA woods in all key areas of the front, back and sides."
What are the fingerboards made of? Usually if it's ebony, that is something to crow about.
Himalayan Spruce? Probably good stuff. Romanian maple. Definitely good stuff. We've been round that Tibetan issue once with the Hima basses. Hope that doesn't start up.
So we know where the materials come from but not where the assembly is done.
And there is a fellow named
Fritz Kronenberg
I'm in a noisy place with no ear phones. Someone else will have to report on the interview details. [EDIT: I listened to the interview later and it is pretty good in terms of information. If one listens carefully to the answers it is evident that the Vienna Strings basses have benefited from the input and participation of Fritz Kronenberg in the manufacture, wood selection, etc. It can be inferred from the interview that he is only personally involved as a maker in the "Handcraft" ones with his signature stamp on them and that he probably just guides or oversees the rest of the manufacture. He talks a good bit about tuning the plates, selecting aged wood, etc. It might be worth investigating these. I do remember there being some reports that the seller, Jim Laabs, was not particularly easy to deal with, so the customer service side might not be the best, while the basses look better than ones they were supplying earlier.]
I have seen one Jim Laabs supplied double bass. This was in the past year. I was not impressed with the set-up. The bridge feet were not shaped at all. Straight and flat like a blank. These basses might be different now, and they look better than the one I saw here in Atlanta. It was a solid top. Carved?? I don't think so. It probably was not a Vienna Strings, but it did come from Jim Laabs. Who knows. Anyone tried one?
