Hi,
Let me just first say the basses were made in Romania and not Bulgaria. There are a few people on this site who knew my dad - he was a pretty big player in the string instrument business and represented the Czech music industry for 25 years - any Czech bass that came to the US between the late 1960's - mid 1990's came thru my dad's business Ideal Music. This is no sales gimmick. He worked right up until the day he died and he bought until the day he died. I have hundreds of basses - and thousands of cellos, violas and violins. 99% of everything is European made as my dad was fluent in German and did lots of wheeling and dealing in Germany with Wilfer and Hofner and Semmlinger and a whole host of wood brokers, luthiers etc etc. He did deals where he had wood shipped from Germany to Romania which is how the Roma basses were made.
I am not now nor have I ever been working in the family business - more on that later. My mom who is now 82 years old does still work in the business which is considerably smaller now however its still a string players wet dream where everything from bass bibs, quivers, stands, tools and every kind of string ... is all there. My situation is simply this and a few on this site have been up to the shop so they can vouch for what I'm saying :
My dad had operated out of 25,000 sq ft on 23rd St for about 15 years and of course he was operating in that neighborhood for more then 25 years before that - since the late 1950's. When the dot com thing happened and rents went thru the roof his landlord tripled his rent and so he had to find new space. He was up against the wall and over 80 - so he found a 5,000 sq ft space a block away on 22nd St and 15,000 sq ft of warehouse space at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and then he died. I'm trying to get off the hook on the Brooklyn warehouse space. Anyone here from New York knows what 15,000 sq ft is costing me. I have hundreds of basses and thats just the least of it - the entire Czech music industry wasn't just string instruments. There was also all the Amati brass and wind instruments as well. And my dad didn't just handle the Czechs - he had a whole lot of other manufacturers that he traded with as well. I've only just finished selling the fluegelhorns ... try and imagine thousands and thousands of crates because that would be what I'm faced with. I have been approached by a number of people many people here would know who would like to take all of the basses off my hands ... and at some point I might just do it but in the meantime I decided to just cut the prices in half and then a little more and sell them directly. It drives dealers crazy and needless to say I know the rumours are flying about these basses but its all very real. I'm selling basses that would normally be a few grand for less then a grand or I have Wilfers that Lemur sells for twice what I'm selling them for. I have to do what I have to do ... which is to clear that warehouse within the next two or three years. Thats how long I figure before my mom decides she'd rather sleep late.
So if anyone wants to know anything about this they can contact me, go to the web site my email is there etc. I have German Eberle, Romanian Roma, I just found a Benedikt Lang which is German, I have E Wilfers and some Hofners. I have 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/10 size and I have laminates, hybrids and fully carved. Ever see a Wilfer ply ? Beautiful ... I have lots of these.
Any other questions don't hesitate to get in touch with me ... As for my own motives - I am not in the musical instrument business. I was a studio keyboard player here in New York and then did some arranging for commercials and then had a successful recording studio in Soho where I also bought the property, and I produced records including a few hits so I never wanted or needed to be in the family biz and I don't need the money (the commercial property in Soho takes care of that) so believe me this is NOT about making a profit which is why ... and the ONLY reason why, the basses can be sold for as little as I'm selling them for. They are worth more then twice what I'm asking. Another words, I'm no dealer, well maybe you could call me a temporary dealer but I like to think of myself (if anyone remembers) sort of the "crazie Eddie of double basses" my dad would be laughing if he knew ...
Steve
PS The Atlanta Ideal Music store which is owned by Eli Frisch & family who I know since I was a baby ... was named after my dad's Ideal Music ... they were and I believe still are customers as well as close friends.
PPS We change all the strings that are on the basses to either hybrids or anything in Pirastro or Thomastik ikn a similar price category. The basses are all also sold with a basic set up.
Thx
