I got this bass as a temporary replacement for one that took a bad fall and broke a few months ago. That one is getting fixed now, so I'll have to sell this one.
It's (obviously) an Anton Schroetter bass from Germany. I don't know how old it is. It's not new, but I don't think it's
very old. 30 years? It has a very good setup that the previous owner had done at the Double Bass Workshop in Madison, WI. They replaced the fingerboard with an ebony one, gave it a new bridge (w/ adjusters) and generally set it up well. The quality set-up was one of the main reasons I got the bass myself. The strings can be set quite low without buzz.
The finish is good and I like the color very much. Minimal delamination - the worst of it is shown in the photo below. The only other "negative" is damage on a bit of the side. It looks like it ran into something and the plywood is pushed in a bit. It was like this when I got it. It isn't something that I think is worth the expense of fixing nor did the luthier when the setup was done (according to the last owner). It is still solid feeling if you press where the damage is - it seems like just the first couple of layers of plywood are cracked. See the photo below. I guess this is the sort of reason we use plywood instruments in the first place.
I drilled a hole in the end of the fingerboard to mount my magnetic pickup. The pickup will not come with the bass. The hole will not cause you any problems.
The sound: It has a very even and clear sound. By "even" I mean that as you play around the neck, the tone stays consistent. The tone is focused more in the midrange than the deep bass. It does not have that Kay-bass thump to it, and this is what I liked about it. It makes it more suited (to my ears) to a more modern jazz style and makes fast playing sound clear and not muddy. It is not particularly loud, but the setup it has isn't geared to loud acoustic volume either. I'm sure more volume could be had if different strings and bridge height were used.
I played every bass under $4000 in every shop in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Madison when I was looking for an instrument. This one not only sounded the best, but was among the least expensive. I would bet that this is still the case.
$2000
Thanks for looking.
