cello...with bass tuners?

[Tomas Bouda]

i know, keep it to the basses...i get it. however, i've recently come across this cello with bass tuners on it and i've never seen anything like it before. basically i'm hoping that somebody here could help me put a date on this instrument. it is a fully carved cello, with lots of repairs. it has an ebonized maple fingerboard. no date/label that i can see. PLEASE HELP!

[Matthew Tucker]

basically i'm hoping that somebody here could help me put a date on this instrument.

And how do you think anyone is going to be able to do that?

[Thomas Erickson]

i know, keep it to the basses...i get it. however, i've recently come across this cello with bass tuners on it and i've never seen anything like it before. basically i'm hoping that somebody here could help me put a date on this instrument. it is a fully carved cello, with lots of repairs. it has an ebonized maple fingerboard. no date/label that i can see. PLEASE HELP!

I was going to make jokes, but then it didn't seem like very good sport.

Seriously man, how can anyone comment on an instrument we can't see? ;)

[Anselm Hauke]

1924


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[Tomas Bouda]

I was hoping that someone would prove to know something about cellos and when - if ever - using hat peg tuners was common. I also should have mentioned that the pics I attached were the tuners in question.

As a side note, why is the culture here so virulent?

[Anselm Hauke]

As a side note, why is the culture here so virulent?

sorry tomas, i should have added this: ;)

[Thomas Erickson]

I was hoping that someone would prove to know something about cellos and when - if ever - using hat peg tuners was common. I also should have mentioned that the pics I attached were the tuners in question.

As a side note, why is the culture here so virulent?

Nobody here is being mean or looking to take a shot at you. If you want opinions or comments on an instrument, just post photos of the thing and what you know about it.


I can't speak for anyone else, but to me a post with a couple of blurry cellphone photos asking for someone to "date" an instrument might as well say "I found this old looking thing at a garage sale, please tell me that it is old and worth a lot of money". :rolleyes:

[Tomas Bouda]

Here you go, everyone! Enjoy!

By the way, thomas - is that your GSD in your profile pic? Just adopted a puppy a few months ago myself!

[Tomas Bouda]

The instrument has a few open seams and was unfortunately repaired 'in house' by some previous owner!

[Matthew Tucker]

Nothing like a good closeup! But the two wide shots of the cello really show nothing useful.

The good closeup shows rustic mismatched machines that may or may not be original. Feels bavarian/tyrolian to me. Ebonised maple fb says inexpensive instrument. that's about all i can glean!

need more clues! closeups! closeups! Lots!

[Tomas Bouda]

well, its still the middle of the night/early morning for me. I'll head to the shop tomorrow and get some glamour shots for you guys - deal? You know, matthew i agree with you about its origins. I actually just picked up a tyrolean 'blockless wonder' that I'll be posting some pics of ASAP, and the machines are very, very similar. I can't add any pics of the bass because the resolution is too high! Wait, I'll try to take a screen shot.

[Tomas Bouda]

ok, here are some shots of the bass. follow up with cello pics later today!
thanks for looking, everyone!

by the way....89 nails in the back of that bass, with 4 screws holding each back brace on. what a mess.

[Ken Smith]

The nails might be reusable but the bass looks like toast!:eek:

I hope you didn't pay for this bass if is so, not much, A professional restoration will out cost its value by far, If this were a $50k+ value bass, I would say the restoration should be done.

I have a blockless bass in restoration but only because it's one of the older and better made ones with nice purfling, nice flamed wood, and as a good quality sound. If it were a plain janer, I would have never touched the bass much less put it in for a full restoration.

On the Cello, take it to a cello/violin shop and get a verbal before you spend a penny on it. It's probably some old German student grade model. I have only seen one Cello in my life on stage with tuners and it was a Prescott so it was excused in my book,

[Bryan Leinwand]

I've seen Cellos in Prague made by a violin maker from the Homolka family with geared tuners. Larger dimensions too. Well made instruments. Sold in the 2 - 3K euro range.

[Joshua phelps]

I know with classical instruments makers tend to stick to tradition of fine instruments made in the past, but something like tuners that don't effect the sound seems bizarre. My point being I've always thought machines on a cello regardless of how tacky they look would be a much more practicle way to go.