Hohner Black Widow Bass

[repoman]

Came very close to pulling the trigger on this one... https://reverb.com/item/180900-hohner-bartell-black-widow-fretless-bass-late-60s-natural . The music shop that has it up for sale is right down the street from me (well, about 35 miles away, but close enough)
I played it for about 20 minutes and really, really liked it's smooth fretless neck with the cheater lines on the side. I've never played a frettless because I would be all over the place with my intonation, but with the small dashes on the neck it let me hit the note pretty much on the money.
I liked the neck pick sound the best, very "acoustic" sounding to me.
Anyway, the guy a the shop says it is all original, but has the ash try pick up cover missing.
I want to make an offer...what do you guys think is a good price for this bass?
(and, please, don't go buying this on me before I get a chance.

 

[amerbs38]

I paid $950 for one a couple of years ago and sold it for $750 I think a few months ago. Real nice playing old school acoustic bass sound. Guitar market is pretty slow now so maybe 5-6 hundred depending on what he has into it. Nice bass and good fretless starter.

 

[Zentner]

Price seems fair to me at $900. Its a harder sell being that its fretless but in really nice shape. If he does drop the price it'll be because he can't find a buyer, not because there's anything wrong with the instrument like the cover missing.

 

[repoman]

After being listed for 5 months I'm thinking 900 bucks is way off. People must be offering very low bids on this or it would have been sold by now, no?
I'm going back to the shop on Friday with $700 and my fingers crossed.

 

[Gary D Jewell]

Found a fretted Hohner Bartell made in Western Germany at a garage sale for 10 bucks.