Who made my bass?

Luckie · #1 07-02-2010, 06:23 PM

This is my first post in the DB forum, it's very exciting.
I'm borrowing this bass from a friend to work on my upright chops.

I was wondering if you all could help me figure out who made this bass. I understand how ridiculous it is to ID this, but any help would be appreciated. Heres the label from the inside.

I know it was made before 1939, there's a scribble about a repair done in that year.
I don't know what differentiates double bass makes, so feel free to ask me for pictures of whatever would be helpful.
Thanks!

Ed Fuqua · #2 07-02-2010, 06:37 PM

Kinda looks like a Juzek sticker...

TroyK · #3 07-02-2010, 06:51 PM

Can you read what's on the label? Can only really see the first few letters in the photograph.

Michael Glynn · #4 07-02-2010, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyK

Can you read what's on the label? Can only really see the first few letters in the photograph.

Ed probably can't read it any better than I can, but it does look like a Juzek sticker. I've seen a few Juzek stickers before. Probably says "John Juzek, violinmaker in Prague" or something like that.

Edit: here's a Juzek label:

Ed Fuqua · #5 07-02-2010, 07:19 PM

I TOTALLY can read it better than you can, so THERE.

I did the two finger scoonchy thing on my laptop and embiggened it, you can see that JOHN is in the same font and can make out VI as the first letters under teh stain in the next line down....

Luckie · #6 07-02-2010, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Glynn

Ed probably can't read it any better than I can, but it does look like a Juzek sticker. I've seen a few Juzek stickers before. Probably says "John Juzek, violinmaker in Prague" or something like that.

Edit: here's a Juzek label:

Yep, it is indeed a Juzek. How would I know when it was made?

Michael Glynn · #7 07-02-2010, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

I TOTALLY can read it better than you can, so THERE.

I did the two finger scoonchy thing on my laptop and embiggened it, you can see that JOHN is in the same font and can make out VI as the first letters under teh stain in the next line down....

Oh yeah, well I used the special CSI: Miami computer enhance thingy to clear away the grime (you know, using math and fractals and computer code and stuff) so that I could read the label as good as new.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckie

Yep, it is indeed a Juzek. How would I know when it was made?

Uh, before 1939? That's probably as close as you are going to get. Don't feel bad. My bass just has a "Made in Germany" sticker. Not even a maker. In any case, congratulations, some of those pre-war Juzeks are really nice sounding basses.

Luckie · #8 07-02-2010, 11:33 PM

Great. I just noticed this crack in the neck heel.
I didn't put it there, I know that for sure.

Thanks to life experiences, I know that cracks in wood are bad. But I have some questions anyways.
-How serious is this crack given the location?
-What should I do?
-Does the damage require a repair for the continued integrity of the instrument?
-Any idea of what the repair would cost?

**Matthew Tucker** · #9 07-03-2010, 01:59 AM

- serious
- get the owner to get it fixed
- yes. If you play it like that it will eventully give way and probably cause more damage.
- not cheap, sorry.

nice looking bass. Needs TLC. Perhaps if you pay for the repair you can consider that the year's "rental" fee for the borrowed bass.

Good luck!

Greg Clinkingbeard · #10 07-03-2010, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

- serious
- get the owner to get it fixed
- yes. If you play it like that it will eventully give way and probably cause more damage.
- not cheap, sorry.

nice looking bass. Needs TLC. Perhaps if you pay for the repair you can consider that the year's "rental" fee for the borrowed bass.

Good luck!

You or the owner should definately get it fixed.
Not that it matters much to this damage, but is the bass fully carved of laminated?
The top looks carved, but looking at the wood around the label and the ribs in your last pic, not so sure.

Personally, I would want to know the value before negotiating sharing any of the repair cost.

Paul Warburton · #11 07-03-2010, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

I TOTALLY can read it better than you can, so THERE.

I did the two finger scoonchy thing on my laptop and embiggened it, you can see that JOHN is in the same font and can make out VI as the first letters under teh stain in the next line down....

Fuqua computer-keyboard-speak. Along with: "Use yer Google Finger".

shadygrove · #12 07-05-2010, 11:19 AM

Seems like a pretty useful word to me...

Well, yeah I know it don't look like much now. Just hold on a minute and I'll see if I can embiggen it for ya'

crowsmengegus · #13 07-05-2010, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckie

Great. I just noticed this crack in the neck heel.
I didn't put it there, I know that for sure.

Thanks to life experiences, I know that cracks in wood are bad. But I have some questions anyways.
-How serious is this crack given the location?
-What should I do?
-Does the damage require a repair for the continued integrity of the instrument?
-Any idea of what the repair would cost?

Looks more like a "break" than a "crack". Cracks are those things on the top that open up and buzz when it gets humid.

Better get it fixed before it does more damage.

Cool bass, it looks a lot like mine, which I think is a German factory instrument from maybe late 1800's. Since nobody said it yet: Juzek is an import label mostly for German and Czech instruments. They imported a lot and I think they used different factories probably to fill their orders. From what I've read, the basses were mostly made by Wilfer. I think the label started around 1930, so this bass, if that label is original, shouldn't be older than that. Read here.

Luckie · #14 07-05-2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crowsmengegus

Looks more like a "break" than a "crack". Cracks are those things on the top that open up and buzz when it gets humid.

Better get it fixed before it does more damage.

Cool bass, it looks a lot like mine, which I think is a German factory instrument from maybe late 1800's. Since nobody said it yet: Juzek is an import label mostly for German and Czech instruments. They imported a lot and I think they used different factories probably to fill their orders. From what I've read, the basses were mostly made by Wilfer. I think the label started around 1930, so this bass, if that label is original, shouldn't be older than that. Read here.

It's in the shop now, it'll be out in a couple weeks.
Thanks for the information!

Michael Glynn · #15 07-05-2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadygrove

Seems like a pretty useful word to me...

Well, yeah I know it don't look like much now. Just hold on a minute and I'll see if I can embiggen it for ya'

Embiggen is a perfectly cromulent word.

Paul Warburton · #16 07-05-2010, 01:30 PM

Can I embiggen my schlong?

Square Bear · #17 07-05-2010, 01:45 PM

there's a pill for that...

Jordan M · #18 07-05-2010, 06:41 PM

Looks very similar to my approximately 1910 Czech bass. Very small body, similar shape, identical hat peg tuners, and a similar finish. The same edges (I don't know the technical term for it, but not purfling). Same tailpiece. Even the piece of dowling at the bottom of the neck is the same.

The thing has a beautiful pizzicato tone, but the E string is not exactly greatly resonant due to the very small size of the body.

The sticker in mine looks much different, but as was said above, Juzek didn't use that sticker until 1930. It's very intriguing, because Stradivarius never built a bass. Due to the similarity between our basses, these details might apply to yours as well.

Thanks for posting this. I actually learned a bit about my bass as well.