Double Bass Johan Rauner

[Jay Mendoza]

OK,
I stand corrected on who made my Bass. I contacted Roland Wilfer directly and he confirmed that it was made in his shop, just north of Nuremberg. He said he has a box of the old "Made In Western- Germany" labels that are identical to the one inside my Johan Rauner. The style and construction is exactly like their Gamba model, which is a model they still offer today. He also told me they made these same models for Juzek. Mystery solved. The importers really do not matter, as they were only middle men, but I'm very happy to own a genuine Wilfer bass, which is every bit as nice, if not better than a Hofner.

 

[Roger Mouton]

OK,
I stand corrected on who made my Bass. I contacted Roland Wilfer directly and he confirmed that it was made in his shop, just north of Nuremberg. He said he has a box of the old "Made In Western- Germany" labels that are identical to the one inside my Johan Rauner. The style and construction is exactly like their Gamba model, which is a model they still offer today. He also told me they made these same models for Juzek. Mystery solved. The importers really do not matter, as they were only middle men, but I'm very happy to own a genuine Wilfer bass, which is every bit as nice, if not better than a Hofner.View attachment 5000419

Jay, your standing corrected on who made your bass is appreciated. Referring to your contact with Roland Wilfer, the statement about your instrument, "a model they still offer today", chimes in with my interaction with Roland Wilfer at NAMM. Anyone reading this thread or the other thread(s), can rest assured that if they have a Rauner, whether Hofner or Wilfer made it, it's a very good bass.

 

[Jay Mendoza]

Thanks Roger,
and it is really nice to know I have a genuine Wilfer, as they are well respected, and mine sounds great. Roland said it is the same as their Gamba model. I just got a new adjustable bridge, a new soundpost, and a full set-up; it is a whole different experience, and I should have had this done years ago. Roland Wilfer sent me pictures of the clear lucite templates he uses to trace the blum patterns on the back, and it included the one that matches the Johan Rauner exactly! I wish I could find a set of replacement heart shaped tuners as one of mine is loose.

 

[Ben Esparza]

I had a Rauner that I bought for $800. It was an anomaly because the back and sides, while definitely laminated, looked like the pics above but with the outer veneer being flamed maple. Some wear and tear but nothing that wasn't repairable. The top was where the weirdness come in. The top had not grain whatsoever. As a matter of fact, it grain looked like a piece of CDX plywood from Home Depot. It was definitely laminated and made to be a bass top, but the grain did not do justice to the flamed, laminated sides.

It had a rosewood fingerboard which, more than likely, was a replacement. The scroll had at one time broken apart and was haphazardly re-glued back together. However, the pieces didn't line up. The luthier I took it to for a setup said the tuning machine plates would keep the scroll together but making it right would cost more than the bass was worth. He suggested keeping it and, in case it falls and there's a huge hole or crack on the top, than we can do something about replacing the top or carving a new top. I sold it before that ever happened.

I never took any pictures of it.

 

[dylanjohnson]

Thank you for all this, Jay. I recently spoke to the luthier who I purchased my Rauner from, and he told me that he did not refinish it. Mine looks to be much older than any other Rauners I've seen. I'm guessing it may have been an older model that got a Rauner sticker slapped on it at some point. It dates to the 60's.

 

[dylanjohnson]

Rauner update- Just got a gig teaching jazz ensembles at a local university (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), and there are 2 Rauner 171 basses in the music dept. Violin cornered, Juzek like, hammered, but functional. I haven't been able to check them out yet, but this town is about 3 hours north of LA, so it's very possible those basses were bought in the 60's in LA.