please help id this oddball

[kurt ratering]

hello all,
i have a bass in the shop right now, and id like to know a little more about it. the neck and scroll are not original (quite new actually), so i didnt bother taking pics of them. it has busetto-ish bumps on the upper bouts, and on the lower bouts they are not where they normally are. im also not sure if its the original varnish, as the touch up on a few corner replacements if far better than the woodworking. all in all it looks pretty factory in construction. there is a label inside (i will post pics of that tomorrow) that claims its from the 1870s i think. i highly doubt that is accurate...
the top and ribs have not a single crack, but the back is mess.
the arch is kinda french looking, long and flattish when viewed from the side, and very chicken breast-y when viewed from nut or saddles perspective. the top grain is very wide (5-6mm) in the center, and gets better as it moves to the edges.
any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. thanks
http://i56.tinypic.com/2w6rwhw.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2mzjq7b.jpg http://i55.tinypic.com/5non6e.jpg http://i51.tinypic.com/5v2k2q.jpg

[Ken Smith]

This is a new Bass. I would say Gypsy or something from Eastern Europe. Hungary maybe but can be Romanian, Czech or German. The Violin corners would never be on a bass with those indents/bumps like on an ancient Viol d'Gamba of which that feature is copied from.

You mention French on the Arch but forget that altogether. That rounded Neck block design is nothing French and the angle break Back is also never French not to mention the other odd features.

This Bass was made fairly recently and was probably antiqued to look older.

[kurt ratering]

thanks ken, i thought that it wasnt as old as it looked. the open cracks on the back are snow white, and the treatment on the inside is very funky, but doesnt look like real age. much appreciated.