Double Bass Please help me identify...

[bassmandan81]

this bass! No label or visible markings inside. Came from an auction of school band and orchestra instruments in Baltimore. A Baltimore area bluegrasser nabbed it and is having me reset the neck and do a setup. The repairs are adding up, and we're wondering if it's worth it. Early results show a nice voice woth plenty of volume. Any ideas??

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

German shop bass probably. If the machines are correct and original it's circa 1900. Might be worth $8k. If it's as good as mine, it's worth saving.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Nice portrait of Bill Monroe, Dan!

 

[bassmandan81]

Hey Shawn- do you recognize these machines? They definitely appear to be original, as they fit the outline of the scroll perfectly. They definitely look old, but really 1900?!

 

[csrund]

The late Jerry Buffa of Lemur used to say that a once-piece forged tuning key was a mark for a pre-20th century bass. These look like forged keys with brass veneers. I was also guessing around turn of the century, fwiw.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Dan,

I've had a few people look at my bass, and the consensus seems to be that my machines are not original to the bass (they've been cut) but they are of a type commonly used in Saxony around the turn of the last Century. The machines on your client's bass are of a similar style, but not an exact match. I'm throwing spaghetti, basically.

 

[bassmandan81]

Thanks for the input guys. One other thing- the button appears to be unique on this bass. No I don't mean the hole drilled through it, but the profile and how it's not contoured to match the heel. Looks very similar to this bass [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Could my bass be an Andreas Morelli, similar to the one on A440?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

That's a Germanic thing. I've seen it before.