Double Bass Venezuelan Bass?

[Rebop]

A musical instrument dealer that comes into my shop regularly looking for deals to resell. He scours music stores and pawn shops almost state wide to find cool stuff and I always ask him where any cool basses are.

He tells me there's a Kay right down the street from my house in a pawn shop for about $1200. Sounds about right but I don't need another plywood bass.

Then he says, "A pawn shop in Miami has a real old flat back for about $600. Real old, man." Then he says he thinks the label inside said Venezuela!? (as in Venezuelan made) I'm not familiar with basses from South America and was wondering how likely is it that his info is a bit convoluted or confused; or are there known South American shops? He did say it was a carved top (didn't know how to see if the back and sides were but I'm guessing fully carved, based on the "real old" description) so I'm definitely going to try and check it out on my next day off (Thursday).

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Auday-Giormenti is a maker in Buenos Aires.

 

[PRUNEFACE]

that's argentina I believe

 

[Rebop]

that's argentina I believe

Really?

 

[TroyK]

that's argentina I believe

I really hope you go to private school, because I hate to think my tax dollars are paying for your geography class.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

I really hope you go to private school, because I hate to think my tax dollars are paying for your geography class.

I took that to be PRUNEY's respectful way of pointing out to Eric that Buenos Aires wasn't in Venezuela, the country under discussion.

IMHO, YMMV, etc

 

[Matthew Tucker]

You guys are all completely caracas

 

[Eric Hochberg]

I took that to be PRUNEY's respectful way of pointing out to Eric that Buenos Aires wasn't in Venezuela, the country under discussion.

IMHO, YMMV, etc

The OP asked for South American shops.

 

[PRUNEFACE]

I really hope you go to private school, because I hate to think my tax dollars are paying for your geography class.

I dont get it.. It is in Argentina xP

 

[Rebop]

The OP asked for South American shops.

+1

 

[pollobass]

Hi !!! Buenos Aires is Argentina.We have some Luthiers here in Buenos Aires (Solari,Maglia,Anderi,Martorelli etc.) and Auday Giormenti,a small shop.Most of the basses are made with imported woods,and some are made of local woods.I have a nice 1999 Martorelli bass with Cypress top and local Maple back,ribs and neck...Marcos Martorelli is from Lago Puelo,in the Patagonia,the south of the continent...I have also an Auday Giormenti,beautifull too...

I dont know about Venezuelan basses!!!!

sorry for my english

 

[Rebop]

Thanks.

Hopefully I'll be able to get down to Miami tomorrow and see what it actually is. Finding a double bass here in South Florida is a bit of a rarity. Finding an old carved bass anywhere down here is a near impossible feat (I've only been able to put my hands on just a few basses in general down here and have only seen one or two old 'German shop basses' that are apparently quite common in other parts of the country; the first time I saw more than one bass in one place in Florida, aside from an orchestra setting, was in my living room when I bought my second one), so my expectations aren't that high. I may get a pleasant surprise though.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

The OP asked for South American shops.

Oh yeah - I guess I let the title of the thread distract me!

 

[TroyK]

Rebop, be sure to let us know.

 

[Rebop]

Rebop, be sure to let us know.

Will do. I'm kinda excited; hopefully I'll have the time tomorrow to get down to Miami. Maybe I should call first and make sure it's there. Wouldn't that be somethin'.

 

[Dr Rod]

Buenos Aires Argentina is about a 7 hour flight from Caracas Venezuela.

Venezuela is in the northern hemisphere, in the Caribbean, while Argentina is in the southernmost part of the southern hemisphere.

Sharing a language does not make two countries the same.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Huh?

 

[Rebop]

Got the bass!

It's a plywood flatback with a really nice solid spruce top.

I go into the pawn shop and it's up on a shelf with a $600 price tag. A couple belly cracks but nothing too bad. There is a crack just above the soundpost on the top but doesn't look too bad either. This bass was a steal for the price. Great ebony fb too. I pulled it off the shelf and plucked a few notes out. Within 5 minutes I knew it was coming home with me. Lots of bottom and sustain for days! Has a really nice growl to it for pizz too.
Just got home and tried out a few arco notes on it. WOW. This thing sounds really good.

No idea when it was from but here is the info from the label (some letters are obscured so this is my best guess):

Casa Cremona S.U.
CARACAS
Edificio "Cremona"
Salvador Leon A Socarras No. 77

There is also a repair label that says:

Restaurado por
LUTIER
Insrumentos de Arco
Prof. Jozoef Sudar
Caracas



And I know the rules... No pic; no bass.
I'll get to posting a couple pics in a minute.
In the mean time I need to wipe the pawn shop dust and schmutz off it and reset the sound post (it's off by about 10 degrees from 90)

 

[Eric Hochberg]

A couple belly cracks but nothing too bad. There is a crack just above the soundpost on the top but doesn't look too bad either.

Congrats...I would take the strings off and get those cracks looked at before they get worse, especially the one above the post...

 

[Rebop]

Agreed.

EDIT: Just inspected the inside of the belly with a mirror and there is one or two cleats along the soundpost crack which makes me feel a little better. Still going to get Joe Reichgott to look at it (who apparently cut the bridge on this thing at some point as it bears his signature).