Thank you Molly for your expertise on the subject. So let's say I did buy it and played it for a while as is, if I eventually had it restored would it be worth anything then? How much money would U have to put into this bass? How do you fix a sinking problem? There is a local luthier who I have seen do some fantastic restorations but would this bass be worth the thousand or so dollars I would have to put into it? Of I could get it down low enough, would it be unrealistic to make it a project and try to correctly refinish it myself? I assume a refinish alone would not help the sinking problem?
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Double Bass identify my bass
- Thread starter chris1125
- Start date
Walk away.
Someone has already taken the top off that bass, probably to fix a loose bass bar or whatever else could be causing the top to sink. The damage to the top by the neck joint shown in your first flikr picture looks like the top was damaged in the process of prying it off. Whoever did this job couldn't be bothered to reattach the broken pieces of the top or create patches to minimize the damage. Not a sign of good work IMO.
If the top was off previously to effect a repair, whatever was done to repair the bass failed, which leads me to believe that more likely than not you will be seeing a lot of your luthier if you buy this bass.
And just my .02: rosewood fingerboard on a German bass = cheapo.
Someone has already taken the top off that bass, probably to fix a loose bass bar or whatever else could be causing the top to sink. The damage to the top by the neck joint shown in your first flikr picture looks like the top was damaged in the process of prying it off. Whoever did this job couldn't be bothered to reattach the broken pieces of the top or create patches to minimize the damage. Not a sign of good work IMO.
If the top was off previously to effect a repair, whatever was done to repair the bass failed, which leads me to believe that more likely than not you will be seeing a lot of your luthier if you buy this bass.
And just my .02: rosewood fingerboard on a German bass = cheapo.
MollyKay
Supporting Member
So let's say I did buy it and played it for a while as is, if I eventually had it restored would it be worth anything then?
If you buy the bass it should be because it speaks to you as a musical tool…not a profit.
How much money would U have to put into this bass?
There is no exact answer to this question. You need to build a relationship with a trusted bass luthier. Complete restoration would seem unreasonable unless the bass is going to be your life long player.
How do you fix a sinking problem?
Again seek out a professional. The fix will depend on if the top is carved or plywood.
There is a local luthier who I have seen do some fantastic restorations but would this bass be worth the thousand or so dollars I would have to put into it?
A bass’s value has a lot to do with the tone and ease of playing. The bass will be worth what ever the seller and next buyer agree to. If you are asking if you can flip this bass and make money…keep looking.
Of I could get it down low enough, would it be unrealistic to make it a project and try to correctly refinish it myself?
Check out the threads on properly refinishing a bass. This is no small project and to do it properly requires patience and determination. If you pay to have it refinished it is unlikely you could recouped your investment.
I assume a refinish alone would not help the sinking problem?
Apples and oranges. Refinishing has nothing to do with the mechanics of the bass. The sinking on the top plate affects the geometry of the bass. The finish is an aesthetics concern. The two are not related.
In my opinion, if this bass was free you should love it for the sound and playability as a musical tool. If you are looking for an investment and have pocket, look at a better grade instrument that already has value and will increase in value. Only you will know what will satisfy your musical desires.
If you buy the bass it should be because it speaks to you as a musical tool…not a profit.
How much money would U have to put into this bass?
There is no exact answer to this question. You need to build a relationship with a trusted bass luthier. Complete restoration would seem unreasonable unless the bass is going to be your life long player.
How do you fix a sinking problem?
Again seek out a professional. The fix will depend on if the top is carved or plywood.
There is a local luthier who I have seen do some fantastic restorations but would this bass be worth the thousand or so dollars I would have to put into it?
A bass’s value has a lot to do with the tone and ease of playing. The bass will be worth what ever the seller and next buyer agree to. If you are asking if you can flip this bass and make money…keep looking.
Of I could get it down low enough, would it be unrealistic to make it a project and try to correctly refinish it myself?
Check out the threads on properly refinishing a bass. This is no small project and to do it properly requires patience and determination. If you pay to have it refinished it is unlikely you could recouped your investment.
I assume a refinish alone would not help the sinking problem?
Apples and oranges. Refinishing has nothing to do with the mechanics of the bass. The sinking on the top plate affects the geometry of the bass. The finish is an aesthetics concern. The two are not related.
In my opinion, if this bass was free you should love it for the sound and playability as a musical tool. If you are looking for an investment and have pocket, look at a better grade instrument that already has value and will increase in value. Only you will know what will satisfy your musical desires.
. . . errr, Chris . . . listen to Molly - she knows of what she speaks 
I thought of mentioning the heel of the neck as it looks a lot like my German/Czech hybrid bass - "Eastern European Bass"
And yea. Listen to Mollykay. She knows what she's talking about. Unless you are 100% sure this bass isn't gonna crumble like a house of cards, you'll probably not want to get into it.
And yea. Listen to Mollykay. She knows what she's talking about. Unless you are 100% sure this bass isn't gonna crumble like a house of cards, you'll probably not want to get into it.
Thank you again everybody. I have absolutely no interrest in flipping this bass. I just love playing and the bass really sounds fantastic besides the buzzing. I went to take another loon today an took a bunch of pictures. What I found:
The back- as perfect as your going to get for a bass of this age, minimal scratching
The sides- there are a few cracks, all 6-10 inches in length that have been professionally repaired and are barely noticeable, I couldn't even ge a good picture of them.
The front- the slopiest part of the front is around the neck. It is obviousely that the top has been off of this bass before. The patch actually looks prefessjonally done and solid. There was clearl some wood replaced at some point but it is very clean and I assume it was do e professionally.
The neck- I love the neck, d neck 42 inches. It really is a breeze to play. The scroll has two small cracks running up the back about 3 inches, they appear to have been repaired previousely. The dots are accurate at the octave but completely off on the side, not necessarily a big deal.
The inside- I spent a good twenty minutes looking in side the bass with a flashlight. It is very clean, no dripage and it looks pretty solid to me.
The finish- people keep saying that it is a refin but I can not find any signs of that. The finish is very clean and looks aged correctly to me. If it was refinished, it was done a long time ago very professionally.
Is there any chance that this is a carved bass? To me the sides make it look carved but I'm obviousely no expert. I notice the purfling is real and the bass seems to be in decent shape.
Let me reenphasise that I have no wish to flip a bass for a profit. I am a bass player at heart and love playing. I have been getting into more jazz and I am fasinated by vintage instruments. If I do buy this bass, it will certainly be in my possesion for years to come. That being said, I am a full time student and money doesn't come by often. I have set aside quite a bit of money in search for a new bow and me and my teacher came to the conclusion that I am not going to find anything in the $1000 price range that fullfils my needs. I am still looking, but I have always sort of dreamed of having an old German bass and I think this might be a decent opportunity.
Would it unwise to offer $500 for this bass?
The back- as perfect as your going to get for a bass of this age, minimal scratching
The sides- there are a few cracks, all 6-10 inches in length that have been professionally repaired and are barely noticeable, I couldn't even ge a good picture of them.
The front- the slopiest part of the front is around the neck. It is obviousely that the top has been off of this bass before. The patch actually looks prefessjonally done and solid. There was clearl some wood replaced at some point but it is very clean and I assume it was do e professionally.
The neck- I love the neck, d neck 42 inches. It really is a breeze to play. The scroll has two small cracks running up the back about 3 inches, they appear to have been repaired previousely. The dots are accurate at the octave but completely off on the side, not necessarily a big deal.
The inside- I spent a good twenty minutes looking in side the bass with a flashlight. It is very clean, no dripage and it looks pretty solid to me.
The finish- people keep saying that it is a refin but I can not find any signs of that. The finish is very clean and looks aged correctly to me. If it was refinished, it was done a long time ago very professionally.
Is there any chance that this is a carved bass? To me the sides make it look carved but I'm obviousely no expert. I notice the purfling is real and the bass seems to be in decent shape.
Let me reenphasise that I have no wish to flip a bass for a profit. I am a bass player at heart and love playing. I have been getting into more jazz and I am fasinated by vintage instruments. If I do buy this bass, it will certainly be in my possesion for years to come. That being said, I am a full time student and money doesn't come by often. I have set aside quite a bit of money in search for a new bow and me and my teacher came to the conclusion that I am not going to find anything in the $1000 price range that fullfils my needs. I am still looking, but I have always sort of dreamed of having an old German bass and I think this might be a decent opportunity.
Would it unwise to offer $500 for this bass?
I may look into taking it to Mike Magee before putting any money on the table. I think the obviouse game changer is how solid the patch on the front of the bass is. Even if it's solid as your going to get, this bass needs a setup or a new nut and an endpin and I'm putting $100 into it. Honestly, the top looks very solid in person. I noticed the nut is ebony while the fingerboard is rosewood so I do not think the nut is original (or is the fingerboard not original? Either way even if I only got a couple years out of this bass is it not worth a few hundred bucks? I don't know. I do know that it sounds awesome and the neck is wondeful.
For the sake of your wallet, please stop worrying about what is original and what isn't. Worry about the structural integrity of the bass.
If the top is collapsing as some of us seem to suspect it is, you would be wise to run screaming. I am in the process of bringing an old King with a collapsed bass bar and other structural problems back to life. It is a HUGE undertaking. Paying a professional to repair major problems costs real money.
If the top is collapsing as some of us seem to suspect it is, you would be wise to run screaming. I am in the process of bringing an old King with a collapsed bass bar and other structural problems back to life. It is a HUGE undertaking. Paying a professional to repair major problems costs real money.
Thanks for the info. I am still pondering over this. I gave the guy a the shop a call to tell him about these possible issues and he proceeds to telling me that the bass is perfect for it's age and just needs a basic setup. He seemed to be pretty rude on the phone. I was planning on making an offer but that sort of turned me away. I wish I could go through the manager or talk to the guy myself but apparently there are now other interrested parties (maybe I shouldn't have posted this find haha) and they seem to not really care about my interrest. I am going to make an offer anyways, through the manager hopefully and see what the owner says. I really like this bass, but maybe it wasn't meant to be.
Of course he was rude. You caught him. Save your money. Creeps who rip off college kids should be beaten, and hopefully the other interested parties are wise enough to buy on approval and bring the bass straight to a luthier.
MollyKay
Supporting Member
:scowl:KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Yes I know, I found this really dissapointing. When he was not in, I talked to the manager and he understood but this "bass specialist" was a little testy and told me he didn't want to "waste the owners time". I would think knowin that I'm an interrested party, the owner would be more then happy to answer my repair and history questions. If I had reason to believe that the front was recently professionally repaired, problem solved but he is not icing my that opportunity. I was considering applying for a job there but this guy clearly has no love for what he is doing, do I really want to work at a place like that? The rest of the staff seems great though. :/
Muddy Waters said, " If you got something good, keep it in your pocket and don't show nobody".
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