What Can You Tell Me About THis?

[rosafloydian]

I am a beginning upright player and I recently purchased this bass for a fair price but there seems to be no identifying markings ANYWHERE on the bass... Can you tell me what it is? An appraiser in Elmhurst looked at it and couldn't decipher a make...

All I know is this: Rosewood fingerboard, curved back (or is the term "bowed?"), plywood top/back, from at the oldest 1970's (I bought it from someone who purchased it from someone in the 1970's) I have no clue how old it is but I'm guessing not that old.

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[Slaps McGoo]

The wood looks pretty nice, flamed top, tiger back, but I definitely can't tell the make. And are the pinstripes inlaid, or ontop? that might help to identify.

[Marc Piane]

Looks like a pretty stock ply bass to me. The photos are not close enough to really tell. It looks like a bunch of Kay and German factory ply basses I've seen. I'm sure somebody who has a better eye than mine will chime in.

The important thing... how does it sound?

[AlphaMale]

looks better than mine.

[Jake deVilliers]

Is the top sunken or is it just the angle of the photo?

[Jason Sypher]

My guess is an east german or Romanian plywood bass. At first I thought Engelhart but I don't remember the outline looking like that near the neck joint or the outer linings. Looks to be solid.

[mlz77096]

Your bass is strikingly similar to mine which is a German factory laminate bass made for import to the USA. The top on mine is not caving in, but it is flatter than most basses as the pictures seem to show is the cases with your bass. The sides are exactly like yours with the top and back not extending over the over the outside bracing. I hardly ever see that. My fingerboard is ebonized, but when it came off the wood looked like rosewood to me. The luthier said pearwood. String length is 40.5" and I've noticed that many of the German basses have a length under 42".

The neck on mine is smaller than the new basses I've played and really feels good. It's unfinished. I don't think my bass is particularly loud but it has a warm sound that blends well with other instruments in a jam. Players much better than I say it plays very well. There is a tiny label in the inside that says "Anton Schuster, handmade in Germany" I was told it was from 1962. I'm happy with it, and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

[rosafloydian]

Well see that's the thing, I looked inside the F-holes and there is no tag or sticker anywhere - I shined the light into the bottom and it didn't appear to fall down there. The string length (not sure if I measured it right from the bridge to the nut correct?) is 40.5" and the body length from the bottom of the lower bout to the tip of the upper bout is 42". I don't know if the fingerboard is rosewood, I am only assuming so because the black paint seems to have worn off near the top...

I can't tell about the pin-stripes - would it be obvious if they were inlaid? My guess is they are ontop

It sounds great (to me) but I am going to have to bring it to my bass teacher to get his opinion - naturally he has a better trained ear than me. I think it is plywood but I'll get another couple pictures up here soon for your judgments.

I don't think the top is sunken in, how bowed outward should it be? It isn't bowed inward but it is relatively flat with maybe a small bow outward. What does that indicate?

Also let me know what you want me to take pictures of to aid in identifying it. I am going to get one showing where the top and back joins the body width.

[mlz77096]

Here are pictures of my bass so you can see the similarities. As for the top on mine, yes there is some deformity on the side with the sound post.

[mlz77096]

Two more. I didn't show the back. It is just more plywood. No pretty maple.

[rosafloydian]

Here are a couple of pics showing the top and back meeting the width of the body - its plywood right?

[glivanos]

Looks like my buddy's old German Framus bass.

String length and slightly sunken top also match.

[rosafloydian]

Hmmm I see, any kew characteristics that could give it away? Sometime this week (prob. Tuesday) I'll get a shot of the tuners and the decorative plate - hopefully that will shed some light.