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joelkelsey
04-28-2007, 07:10 PM
Hello Mr. Smith,

I have a flat back Juzek bass that I was told was from around 1950. Did met music import flatbacks post WW2? I was told that they didn't by someone on talkbass. Also, the label is signed John Juzek (I know he never made basses) and says Prague Checkslavakia( sorry about the spelling). Does this mean anything in relation to the bass's age? The seller told me the bass is from Prague, but I have been told that post WW2 Juzeks all came from Germany. I showed the bass to Nick Lloyd and at first he thought it was a post WW2 bass by looking at the tuners. He later told me that the tuners had been replaced at some point and that he did not know how old the bass was. I would appreciate any help you could offer.
Thanks in advance
Joel

Ken Smith
04-28-2007, 10:40 PM
Hello Mr. Smith,

I have a flat back Juzek bass that I was told was from around 1950. Did met music import flatbacks post WW2? I was told that they didn't by someone on talkbass. Also, the label is signed John Juzek (I know he never made basses) and says Prague Checkslavakia( sorry about the spelling). Does this mean anything in relation to the bass's age? The seller told me the bass is from Prague, but I have been told that post WW2 Juzeks all came from Germany. I showed the bass to Nick Lloyd and at first he thought it was a post WW2 bass by looking at the tuners. He later told me that the tuners had been replaced at some point and that he did not know how old the bass was. I would appreciate any help you could offer.
Thanks in advance
Joel

I remember this Bass and you from TalkBass last year with a similar discussion. The Bass looks like no Bass I have seen that was "imported' by Juzek and then again, the Juzeks were just that, "Importers"!

I read somewhere a quote from Kolstein about a model Juzek brought in that were Flatbacks. Who made them and where or when is a mystery as well as its truth as far as I am concerned. The Juzek family was from Prague and even after WWII regardless of the fact that the Basses were from Germany, some labels were Czech Labels but put in the instruments in NYC, not Germany. Dealers also put labels in to sell Basses and Juzek is a famous name, in USA only.

I would like to see the Label if possible but most Juzeks were supplied by the various generations of the Wilfer family. Other Basses were bought by them as needed when supply ran short and it didn't matter as much where they came from as long as the order (many from Schools in and around NY) was filled for as many Basses as needed (Violins, Violas and Cellos as well).

The area where these Basses were produced was near the German/Czech border far from Prague. Just because Juzek (John) was from Prague they used that on the Label but I doubt a single Bass ever came from there to the US and got a Juzek Label. Prague Basses look quite a bit different and better than the run of the mill Wilfer/Juzek and are not so common here in USA. It was not as big an export town as was the German regions from what I have seen for Basses.

Now, your Bass; Make believe it has NO Label at all. What does it look like without those machines? How old does it look? Does it look like German type work or Prague/Viennese eastern European work? These are the questions one must really ask when trying to make a discovery or disprove one.

Recently Arnold Schnitzer had a Bass in the Shop with a Juzek Label and like we do together often, we discussed its possibilities. We both agreed (me in on it by phone only) that the Bass and the Label led separate lives until someone put a Label in the Bass to give it a name, period!

The edges on your Bass look strongly pronounced with some re-carve but distorted by view by the flat just below the edge. We see something similar in French Basses at the turn of the century and quite a few Germans did well to copy them passing for French work by the less informed including several shops of which names are quite famous. Sometimes it's mistake in identity and other times it is monetarily driven as French Basses bring a higher dollar then most German work does. The Back looks N.German/W.Czech region and we see this work down south by Mittenwald as well but I suspect the North on this one.

Age? I would look at condition and try to trace its life and usage a bit. If well preserved, it could be pre-WWII but if normal wear only shows then I would say 1950s or so the latest. So, 1930-1960 is its range. IN 200 years, this will not matter but for now play and enjoy the Bass. It is as good as it sounds and there is no reason to get too involved with the Juzek thing if the shoe doesn't fit. Nice looking Bass, enjoy it. ;)

joelkelsey
05-01-2007, 12:54 PM
Hi Ken,

Thanks a lot for your thoughtful reply. I have tried without success to photgraph the label. Can you offer any advice on label photography. Also, are there any other photos you would want to look at? I really appreciate your time.

Thanks again
Joel

Ken Smith
05-01-2007, 01:06 PM
Actually I just spoke with Nick about this bass I think and he mentioned a separate label that read 'Made in Czechslovokia" besides the Juzek label. This means that it was a Czech import most likely b4 wwII but the Juzek label was added in the USA after it arrived of course.

A better pic of the upper back and the purfling on both top and back might help. The Juzeks bought mainly from the Wilfer family but the Lang Shop in Germany also supplied the Plywoods and maybe some lower level carved Basses. Either this was a bass they bought/imported for economics, or the label was inserted by someone else. Either way, the basic profile of the Bass is the same as the others they brought in regardless of the origin of the actually Juzek label. It would sound any better either way. Knowing the name of the shop that actually made it may not be of any importance as it could be a cottage industry type Shoenbach area Bass produced in part by various 'out workers' which was common then.

Brian Glassman
06-14-2007, 02:33 AM
Actually I just spoke with Nick about this bass I think and he mentioned a separate label that read 'Made in Czechslovokia" besides the Juzek label. This means that it was a Czech import most likely b4 wwII but the Juzek label was added in the USA after it arrived of course.

A better pic of the upper back and the purfling on both top and back might help. The Juzeks bought mainly from the Wilfer family but the Lang Shop in Germany also supplied the Plywoods and maybe some lower level carved Basses. Either this was a bass they bought/imported for economics, or the label was inserted by someone else. Either way, the basic profile of the Bass is the same as the others they brought in regardless of the origin of the actually Juzek label. It would sound any better either way. Knowing the name of the shop that actually made it may not be of any importance as it could be a cottage industry type Shoenbach area Bass produced in part by various 'out workers' which was common then.

Ken, I have a plywood bass that has a label that reads John Juzek Formerly of Prague Made in Germany. I've owned it since 1979. Arnold did a neck reset in 1999. Here are pix: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4364097&a=32540883&f=

What do you think? Is it from the Lange shop?

THANKS, Brian

Ken Smith
06-14-2007, 08:21 AM
Ken, I have a plywood bass that has a label that reads John Juzek Formerly of Prague Made in Germany. I've owned it since 1979. Arnold did a neck reset in 1999. Here are pix: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4364097&a=32540883&f=

What do you think? Is it from the Lange shop?

THANKS, Brian

According to Bobby Juzek the Nephew, the Plywoods and some lower grade models were supplied by the Lang firm. According to Steve Loeb (Green!) from Ideal Music (Importer in NY) they would on occasion sell some stock to Metropolitan Music (Juzek, NY) when they needed extra Basses for orders. All Basses were labeled then at 222 4th Ave, NYC. This was just a few blocks away from Ideal on 5th ave (21-22nd st.).

Lang may not have been the only Shop in Germany that made Basses and were purchased by Juzek one way or another. My first Bass was a Plywood Bass purchased directly from Juzek in 1966 when I just turned 15.

Brian Glassman
06-14-2007, 10:34 AM
According to Bobby Juzek the Nephew, the Plywoods and some lower grade models were supplied by the Lang firm. According to Steve Loeb (Green!) from Ideal Music (Importer in NY) they would on occasion sell some stock to Metropolitan Music (Juzek, NY) when they needed extra Basses for orders. All Basses were labeled then at 222 4th Ave, NYC. This was just a few blocks away from Ideal on 5th ave (21-22nd st.).

Lang may not have been the only Shop in Germany that made Basses and were purchased by Juzek one way or another. My first Bass was a Plywood Bass purchased directly from Juzek in 1966 when I just turned 15.

My first DB as well. Did yours look like mine?

BG

Ken Smith
06-14-2007, 11:38 AM
My first DB as well. Did yours look like mine?

BG

This was 1966! :confused: It had 4 strings tuned g-d-a-e. I don't think it was flamed on the Back and that's all I can remember..lol

Eric Hochberg
06-14-2007, 12:35 PM
I was at Rutman's Violin Shop in Boston last week and they had a nice sounding Flatback bass they said was a Juzek, from the 30's, I think. I didn't look to see the label. You might want to contact them with questions.

Ken Smith
06-14-2007, 02:47 PM
I was at Rutman's Violin Shop in Boston last week and they had a nice sounding Flatback bass they said was a Juzek, from the 30's, I think. I didn't look to see the label. You might want to contact them with questions.

Who are you suggesting to contact Rutman's and for what reason?

Eric Hochberg
06-14-2007, 03:54 PM
Who are you suggesting to contact Rutman's and for what reason?

Didn't get the fellow's name but I got the feeling he was an owner. Why contact them? Just to get some info or pics to compare the two "Juzek" basses.

Ken Smith
06-14-2007, 04:17 PM
Didn't get the fellow's name but I got the feeling he was an owner. Why contact them? Just to get some info or pics to compare the two "Juzek" basses.

The one listed above is a plywood model by the Lang firm most likely or similar. Wilfer made most of the carved basses for Juzek but I do not doubt for a minute that they may have or actually did contract other individual workers or shops to supply other models as needed to fill export orders. Not every Bass bearing a Juzek label actually went thru the Juzek warehouse in NY. Dealers often have put Juzek labels on other Germanic type Basses just to give it a name. Still, NONE of these are actually made by Juzek. At best, most of them were purchased and imported by them and Labeled here in USA before they sold them.

I have heard of several Flatback Juzeks that might date before or after wwII sometime but have not personally seen one. It does sound logical that they might have bought some to fill lower budgeted orders and as I stated here as well, the label could have been put in a flatback just to have something to call it or inflate the price if one would believe it helps at all money-wise.

Brian Glassman
06-14-2007, 11:24 PM
I was at Rutman's Violin Shop in Boston last week and they had a nice sounding Flatback bass they said was a Juzek, from the 30's, I think. I didn't look to see the label. You might want to contact them with questions.

My Juzek ply is a roundback, BTW. It may not look that way from the pix.
It has a really nice punchy sound w/surprisingly mature sustain for a plywood bass. My guess is that it's from the 1950's or 1940's perhaps. Ofcourse it's not close to my Prescott or even my German carved, but it's way better than most any newer plwood or hybrid basses I've tried and is very pleasing to bow as well. It has served me well over the years. Now I mostly use it for outdoor gigs or other potentially risky environs. I'm considering a foray into trying out more gut-like synthetic strings w/ it. It has a neck reset and beautiful bridge set up by Arnold that makes it easy to play and it sounds louder and more even than it ever was before.

What would be the range that a comparable instrument would sell for these days?

BG