1996 Sulano, 40.5", $6000, Atlanta

[Circle K]

Double bass made by Rumano Sulano
Made in 1996
Guarniery Model, Gamba shape
String Length 40.5
Fully carved top and back. Laminate sides.
Ebony Fingerboard/tailpiece
Case not included
Price: $6000 firm.

On this bass, a full tuition scholarship was won to the Peabody Institute and then Yale School of Music. The bass won an audition to the Yellow Barn Chamber Music Festival. It has been used in Savion Glover's show, "Classical Savion," and had a solo mentioned in a major nyc paper. I'm saying all of this to demonstrate that it will get you where you need to go in these areas. Some bassists in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra use this Maker as their second instruments. For classical players - it will definately get the job done. For jazzers or pickers, you got to decide for yourself, but the fingerboard is set up so E-string pizz's don't buzz. Gets a very punchy sound, too.

If you're familiar with the market, you know that all basses have cracks, and it's just a matter of where. Full disclosure:
It's done "moving," which means that it has settled into it's shape and is quite stable. There are repaired cracks on the upper right rib and lower left rib. The top had a minor hairline crack, repaired by the maker. There is a chip off the lower left bout. NO MAJOR STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS, (cracks along the bass bar or sound post, a caving top, fractured neck and block, etc etc etc.) It has been through 10 years of winters in Atlanta, Baltimore, New York, and New Haven.

Please email or call for more information. Serious inquiries only, please. This is a perfect find in it's price range. I wouldn't selling it if I had the choice, but I just can't justify owning two instruments.


Kevin

Email for pics and any questions. Bass is located in the Atlanta area.

[Jake]

Hey Kevin, it's actually spelled Solano.

[.matthew e wengerd.]

Is it really ply back and ribs? I didn't think Rumano made any ply instruments and I know he doesn't (re)finish shop instruments and sell under his name.

[GriffithLea]

I asked Andy Moritz, who is familiar with Rumano's basses (he seems to be the go-to guy in Houston if you want to audition/buy one), and this is what he said:

Rumano has taken to doubling the ribs for strength. It's not plywood, it's two pieces of regular rib wood, and it helps to avoid the condition where you can press on the rib and see it flex. I have heard of other high end makers doing the same thing for the same reason.

Don't worry - no plywood!

[GriffithLea]

Here's more info on this subject. Andy writes:

UPDATE - I talked to Rumano about this posting, and he told me that he can and has made ribs out of plywood if the customer asks him to, and some time ago he did have some customers who asked him to do just that.

His typical construction method is single thickness ribs, usually 4 mm or so, but on a student instrument where extra robustness (in spite of the extra weight) is desirable, or if a customer asks him to do so, he can double the ribs (I'm guessing with a little thinner sheet of wood - say two pieces of 3 mm thickness) for added strength. Thirdly, he can use plywood for ribs, although this is by far not his preferred method of construction.

For your bass, I surmised that he is using single-thickness ribs with thicker wood. What I gathered from our conversation is that as you are an
adult, you'll know how to take care of the instrument, making the added weight and armor unnecessary. The ribs on my bass are also singles.

Hope that helps,
Andy