Labels..
 

Can anyone make out either of these two Labels? Anything on them? Any thoughts on the style of script? Country, period?

John Flucher(n) or Stucher(n) ?? I'm sure you got that far yourself...

well..
 

I got Stucher on the bottom label but never saw the S as an F. On the top label it looks like it says Berlin on the end at the top but, looks like two script small L's after it so the Berlinll is confusing. The first word looks like Repair abbreviated, 'Rep.' so assumed it was a repair label. There are 3 other lables as well from the 20th century and from known shops/makers in the Saxon area of Germany, near were the bass was for the last 100 years with its two last owners.

The second name on the top label is confusing as well. I can't tell if it's a big script A or a CL. On the bottom label, bottom word looks like Pesc....

It also looks like there is writing under and around the faded words that is even more faded as if the velum (paper made from Calf skin) was written over for either clarity or re-used. Sometimes people write over original labels as well for repairs or modifications or in the case of my old Rivolta, awards. That bass was 1822 and the awards came afterwards. Added later on to the 1822 label was mentioned that he had won both a silver and gold medal as well as a message that he revived the modern school of Stradivari. A 1934 Rivolta has these awards listed on the Label but, from Rivolta, not a dealer afterwards to re-mark the label.

So, the Stucher name which is either Austrian or German (I think) does not show up in my German-Austrian makers book nor any other book ever printed that I can find beyond my own collection. It is either not that name or a repair person that never made it into the books to begin with. That label does not have a date that we can see because it is faded so much. The other from 1866 must be later as it looks like it was added on top of it.

..and the other 3 repair labels..
 

The bass has 5 labels inside it. The later three from 1929, 1937 and 1938 are all easy to read and are clearly from repairs. The older two look to have a faded Rep. written in them but it's barely readable. The bass was lase used for half a century in northern Germany near Hanover. Two of the labels are from that area with one of them from the Augsburg area about 300 miles south. Perhaps the previous owner traveled and had to have it fixed down there. With the 1937 and 1929 label from the Hanover area, it shows that for the last century or so, this bass has been in the same area with both its owners in succession.

Here are the other 3 labels and some shots of the inside as well as some initials over one of the repairs in the Top;

Simba met Mufasa and..
 

Well guys, Simba met Mufasa and they have parted ways. Mufasa, the Bohemian Lion has been sold. Simba will go back to his daddy (Jeff Bollbach) this fall and get a long awaited C-Extension. This way, I can take him out more often. At eleven years old now, he deserves some travel time.. You think? ;)