Double Bass Worth restoring?

[834federal]

Hi all.
I bought this bass many years ago when I was younger and stupider than I am now. It has sat un-repaired for years now. I was wondering what people think. Should I invest in this bass? Should I sell it to someone who wants to do the work? How much money makes sense? I know, of course that without seeing it it's very hard to know but I thought maybe people would have some good guidance to offer! I believe it's a pretty old German bass.

 

[GretschWretch]

I don't see any real deal-breakers in the condition. The button may need some attention, but the worst I see on the body is some finish wear. Unless I am missing something, I would say get it set up and play it.

 

[Mike Saint]

I agree with Gretchwretch. I would set it up and see what it sounds like. It looks like a flat-back Bulgarian made? These can sound pretty awesome.
Does it have a sticker or printing on the inside?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

The generally accepted formula is that cost of instrument + cost of restoration < resale value of finished instrument = positive value, so restore.

The opposite equation is negative value, which means let some other sucker take a bath on it.

 

[Steven Ayres]

I think the answer depends on whether you want to play it, or sell it.

It looks like you've got pretty much all the parts you need to reassemble it if, as it appears, it's about to fall apart on its own. It might be a nice player once gone over, in which case you've made your value. Could you get a comparably nice bass for less than you'll spend on repairs? Yeah, maybe. It'll be hard to tell without fixing it. How much do you love this one?

If you want to sell it, just unload it as it is. I don't expect it's likely to gain enough market value to overbalance the repair cost enough to be worth the hassle.

 

[David Potts]

Or, depending on all sorts of factors including state of marriage, take it on yourself as a project with luthier help only when totally necessary? Just testing !!

 

[834federal]

I think the answer depends on whether you want to play it, or sell it.

It looks like you've got pretty much all the parts you need to reassemble it if, as it appears, it's about to fall apart on its own. It might be a nice player once gone over, in which case you've made your value. Could you get a comparably nice bass for less than you'll spend on repairs? Yeah, maybe. It'll be hard to tell without fixing it. How much do you love this one?

If you want to sell it, just unload it as it is. I don't expect it's likely to gain enough market value to overbalance the repair cost enough to be worth the hassle.

I think the answer depends on whether you want to play it, or sell it.

It looks like you've got pretty much all the parts you need to reassemble it if, as it appears, it's about to fall apart on its own. It might be a nice player once gone over, in which case you've made your value. Could you get a comparably nice bass for less than you'll spend on repairs? Yeah, maybe. It'll be hard to tell without fixing it. How much do you love this one?
That's the thing- I don't know if I love it! When I bought it it was in it's current condition. I'm really curious. It has some mojo IMO. What do you guess would be a fair price in it's current condition? Part of me thinks I should give a really good deal to some out of work bass repair enthusiast and let this bass shine elsewhere.
If you want to sell it, just unload it as it is. I don't expect it's likely to gain enough market value to overbalance the repair cost enough to be worth the hassle.

 

[834federal]

Or, depending on all sorts of factors including state of marriage, take it on yourself as a project with luthier help only when totally necessary? Just testing !!

Yeah, I'd surely destroy both the bass and my marriage! lol

 

[834federal]

I don't see any real deal-breakers in the condition. The button may need some attention, but the worst I see on the body is some finish wear. Unless I am missing something, I would say get it set up and play it.

Good idea! I'ma do it. I'll let you all know..

 

[834federal]

I agree with Gretchwretch. I would set it up and see what it sounds like. It looks like a flat-back Bulgarian made? These can sound pretty awesome.
Does it have a sticker or printing on the inside?

I need to look again for a label! This bass is from an earlier, dumber period in my life.

 

[Steven Ayres]

What do you guess would be a fair price in its current condition?

I don't have the expertise to make that guess useful. I'm sure there are others here with better eyes for this.

 

[eh_train]

This bass is from an earlier, dumber period in my life.

It ain't necessarily so! Especially if you didn't spend too much when you bought it.

From the pics, it's at least 120 years old, and maybe a few decades more. It was constructed with a block and it isn't in pieces. The full-on pic of the back seems to show some stress cracks which might or might not be a problem. It needs a new bridge, strings, and a setup to know what you've got. That's not a huge investment to see if you have a diamond in the rough.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Looks nice. Get it inspected by a pro with repair estimates. And eh trains post above.

 

[Mark_T]

It ain't necessarily so! Especially if you didn't spend too much when you bought it.

From the pics, it's at least 120 years old, and maybe a few decades more. It was constructed with a block and it isn't in pieces. The full-on pic of the back seems to show some stress cracks which might or might not be a problem. It needs a new bridge, strings, and a setup to know what you've got. That's not a huge investment to see if you have a diamond in the rough.

How can you tell about the block? I believe you, I just wasn't sure you could tell without a mirror looking into the inside. I am not a luthier but everything else you said coincides with my initial impressions - good bones, could be a nice player with a little love.

 

[eh_train]

Well, I wouldn't 100% bet the farm on it without checking inside, but all of the blockless basses I've seen have a "hump" where the ribs are bent and let into the neck (in an attempt to give some more strength to the area), like this:

 

[Mark_T]

I see what you mean, and I've definitely seen that shape on those old blockless basses, but I didn't realize that's what I was seeing.

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

It looks like an early 20th century German factory bass. I'd put money on there being a neck block.
Doesn't look like it needs anything major and you won't get upside down on it.

Fix it and play it.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

OP's bass is fully blocked.

 

[robobass]

It looks like a fine bass to me and doesn't appear to need much work.

 

[james condino]

Either way, it is worth about double what you have right now just by having a soundpost installed correctly and a bridge + strings up to tension on it. Take it to a double bass professional and have that done. Then, both you and any potential future owner will at least be able to evaluate it, rather than the current "bass shaped object" relying on intuitive guessing.

First half of the 20th century construction. 'Looks like there is a lot of potential. I'd like to find one like that. If you are going to sell it, remember that there are 40 million other unemployed right now all selling off their closet and old family heirlooms, so the price will need to reflect that. I'm averaging three unsolicited phone calls a week from folks all over the country trying to sell their basses to me- always cool, always overpriced, always broke, and always wanting me to drive 15 hours to their place to pick it up....

The reason blockless basses have the big bell shaped at the neck joint is because the ribs were secured into the neck at right angles to the outside of the neck. It is very similar to a traditional Spanish guitar where the ribs drop into a kerf in the neck; much easier than angling the ribs in at a 67 degree angle so the shoulders blend into the slope of the upper bout to look pretty....