Well the Juzek didn't last long....

[AMJBASS]

I have come across an absolute canon of a bass! It is an old German bass(my guess is late 1800's early 1900's) that sounds ridiculously good. It is an incredibly powerful bass. The whole range of the bass resonates huge. Every note! The only other bass that I have heard(up close) like it is a 7/8 Italian Carcassi. I ended up trading my Juzek and a small amount of cash for it. I only had the Juzek for a couple weeks, and it was a really good sounding bass, but this instrument is on a whole different level. I couldn't pass it up!

It is a 7/8th size bass, gamba corners. It originally had a 44" string length, though a recent neck graft has been done to bring it down to 42". The bass is really easy to play despite the size. It looks as though the edging has been removed since the sides are even with the top of the bass. I did some research and found that this is the way these basses were made. No outside linings.There is only one major crack, and you can see it right the top on the right side of the fingerboard. The bass has been restored however, so there aren't any open cracks or seams. The bass essentially in "mint" condition. While not as pretty as the Juzek, it more than makes up for it in tone and volume.

This bass would make a good symphony bass. It projects wonderfully, and is quite sonorous. However, I am using it mainly for Jazz. It is loud enough to play acoustic in practically every situation I will be playing in. I have had a practice with it already...the first gig is Saturday.

Sorry about the long post! I just haven't experienced a bass like this yet! Check it out:

[anonymous0726]

Congrats!

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Nice Bass. Congrats.......... I would like to see better shots of the top and also the ribs, back and scroll. The Varnish looks golden on the ribs but reddish on the top. Was the top ever re-finished?

Let us see the whole Bass. It may be Bohemian and not German but they are sometimes so close it doesn't realy matter.

Good luck with it.

Oh, and by the way, is it a 'D' neck now that it was repaired with a new graft. Please also include the normal set of measurments (36-24-36, lol).

[AMJBASS]

I will take more pictures this evening. There is a possibility that the bass was refinished at one time. You can see how the top is blotchy. Although that could also be from applying stain directly to the top. The back is pretty ugly. Quite plain. The grain is really wide. There was originally a somewhat poor repair of the bottom seam. The varnish is a little messy. The ribs are actually really nicely flamed maple.

Here are some messurements:

Upper Bout: 20 3/4"
Middle: 14 1/2"
Lower Bout: 27 3/4"
Body Length: 46"
String Length 42"

It has been made into a "D" neck.

Upon further inspection...it does appear that there is a golden undercoat of varnish. If you look at the ribs you can see where the darker varnish is worn. The picture does make the top look more reddish. The varnish is consistant all over the bass though. I will take pictures...

[Marcus Johnson]

Lucky You...now let's hear it!