All solid-wood 3/4 size bass... for sale or maybe trade. I don't know much about it, other than it is European, and getting close to 100 years old. I've been told many of the features suggest German or Czech origin. There is a repair tag dated 1934, from a shop in Dayton, Ohio, but no other labels are visible through the holes.
The good:
Carved top, flat back, of spruce and maple, respectively. Jet-black ebony fingerboard, nut, tailpiece, and endpin plug. Very nice old brass machines. Top has repaired cracks, but all are stable. Nicely carved relief around the edges, plenty of arch.
The bad:
Back has stable repairs too, but the center seam is opening. Not critical, but will require a fix.
The ugly:
Neck was broken off high, the repair is not stable. Upon removing the fingerboard and shim, there are multiple dowels, but amazingly no screws. There is a strange, square maple plug too. Whatever they tried didn't work.
Ultimately, that's why I'm selling it... this bass sounded positively fantastic, with a great balance and lots of punch, but I could not get that neck to stay put under the tension of steel strings. It will need a radical repair graft, or possibly need replacement... sadly, either way it's a bigger project than I'm willing to take on.
I'm glad to take any measurements or detailed pictures of anything not included here. Also glad to exchange phone numbers privately for discussion.
$1500, or best (reasonable) offer, considering there are easily $600 worth of ebony parts and hardware here. I may be interested in a trade for a serviceable American-made plywood bass.
I'll drive 150 miles in any direction from Roanoke, Virginia - which is well within reach of Central-Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, or Southern West Virginia. If you're in Northern Virginia, we'll pick a good spot on the I-81 corridor, perhaps as far as somewhere around Winchester.
Thanks for looking, TalkBass!
