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Double Bass identify my bass

chris1125

chris1125

May 14, 2007
1,336
11
#1
I was at the local music store today checking inventory for a big sale later this week and just for fun went over to the stringed instruments section. I ran into a bass, which I guess is a German ply or something? There is some noticeable previose repairs, the biggest of which a large piece of wood that looks to have been replaced in the front. There is no actual endpin either and the bridge is a mess. The neck feels nice to me but somebody put cheap plastic dot inlays in it at some point :P
The bass right now is marked at $800 but from what I understand, the owner is pretty eager to sell it. It is also very buzzy and I suspect it needs a new nut.
So here is my quick run down of the repairs it needs:
New bridge-$300
New endpin- Already have one- Installation cost only
New nut-$?
If I was gigging this bass for beater jazz gigs (which is what I was planning on). I would be pretty embarased having those crappy unecessary inlays. What could I do about this? Most of them are on the side of the neck but there are some on the octave in the fingerboard. Maybe I could replace them with mother of pearl or fill them myself?
Pictures coming fairly shortly. I am wondering what kind of bass this is and all things considered, what would be a reasonable offer to be made. Some of the current repairs look somewhat sloppy and I would have to get my luthier to take a loom. I hope to give the guy a call tomorrow.
Oh yeah, and a general bass discription:
-3/4
-round back
-appears to be plywood but the scroll looks like solid
- may have had a neck replacement with the original scroll re grafted at some point, can't really tell
-has some kind of pickup on it
-atleast 2 big repairs by neck joint (in front) and by f holes
-sounds huge, plays nice except for buzzing
Oh yeah and it has real purfiling (don't know if I spelled that right)
 
#7
No tag, no stickers. I know the pictures are pretty bad but all I had was a cell phone and the lighting was very dim. The people at the store had no idea what they were talking about. According to them, the crutch tip was an endpin, they just don't know how to use it, it is a "4/4" size bass, nat a 3/4 lke I told them and you couldn't hear the obnoxiouse buzz in first positon. The bass is only buzzy in half and first, this is why I am thinking it needs a new nut. Maybe I could live with the bridge a bit to keep down on cost.
 
#10
It sounds like what you would expect any vinatage ply, big pizz sound, good sustain. It sounded like a nice kay but clearly needs a setup, it is very buzzy in first position. Pictures of the repairs (which look pretty poffesional to me) are coming soon.
 
#15
That might be a little problem haha! I would definately take it to Mike Magee before handing over the money anyways, he does great work and I am sure he can give me an idea of future repairs.
 
#17
I already said "It sounds like what you would expect any vinatage ply, big pizz sound, good sustain. It sounded like a nice kay but clearly needs a setup, it is very buzzy in first position." I don't really know what else to say right now. It felt like a normal 3/4 string length to me, certainly not as big as my gemunder. I would say it was probobly about the same length of a kay with a d neck. Any origin ideas?
 
#18
Those f holes look a lot like the late era Epiphones which is really cool. If it is an old Epi, It probably has a great sound but that sinking top looks iffy. Mollykay may be able to spot if it's epi or not by just a glance. I'm betting refinished epiphone or something else cool like plywood "eastern european" shop bass.

5809330861_d67e64eabd_z.jpg
 
#19
I never would have guessed this bas shas been refinished. It's possible. The repair actually looks pretty solid in person. I am going to try an dgo back tomrroe with a tape measurer, a bow and a high def camera.
 
#20
Thank you for the e-mail request.

I looked at the pictures and I agree with Rebop the shape of the FF holes are “Epiphone’ish” but nothing else on the bass says Epiphone bass. The scroll is too small and does not have the correct amount of turns. The tuners are not Kluson, the tall neck joint screams German or Czech, the loop on the back is the wrong shape for Epiphone. And I agree it looks refinished. The repair on top plate looks a little scary. The bridge has been raised with shims which tells me as the top sinks the bridge has been raised to compensate the string height. You can put on a new bridge, if the top continues to sink the string height will continue to sink as well.

When you go back to the store today take along a bright flash light and look around at the inside for failing repairs and drip marks that indicate a (sloppy) refinish job. If you buy it for a few hundred dollars and are not a DIY, be prepared to sink some money into it…buy wisely. :D

Best wishes!
 

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