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- German/Czech Shop Basses (http://www.smithbassforums.com//forumdisplay.php?f=17)

- - Bass id? (http://www.smithbassforums.com//showthread.php?t=2470)

Hi everybody and thanks for letting me be a member of this great forum!

I would like to know more about one of my double basses and hope to get some help here!

The measures are: string mensure- 42.7
Back including button-44,4
Upper bout- 19,9
C-bout- 13,8
Lower bout- 26,1
Ribs at c-bout- 7,2 and 5,3 at the neck.

I really don't know anything about the bass, but my best guess is that it's a German factory made bass so I'm posting this here!

Best regards, Hannes

Can't figure out how to post more than one picture at the time!
Maybe it's because I'm using an iPad?

Not much to ID here. It looks like a German/Czech type shop bass, first half of the 20th century. I am not so sure on the varnish as it looks newer than the style of the bass but the pics are not all that great. The back of the bass and back of the scroll/button would help complete the viewing but I doubt my thoughts will change.

Thank you Ken, that's also what I think after reading most of the Q and A:s here.

The bass has not a single crack in the top, witch is high arched and not very tight grain. But lot of old cracks at the ribs and some at the back. The neck and scroll is not maple but beech I believe.

Here is the back of the scroll.

Ok, so with the purfling that far in from the edge that means it is done for ease and not art. Probably a Czech factory near the German border is my guess. Clean but simple work. Are there any labels at all inside the bass?

No, only a repair-label from the guy I bought it from. But he had no clue at all.
I agree that it is a simple work, feels kind of ruff. But I like the way the bass sound especially with the bow, it's flexocor on now, but I vill try it with lower tension string and see if I got a better jazz sound as well!

Thank you for you interests and knowledge!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hannes Beyer (Post 26932)

Yes, for a jazz type set-up, most basses will not work with flexocor. Depending on the type of sound you are looking for, Evah Pirazzi from Pirastro might work. Most of my basses work with almost any string for any type playing but that is a combination of the bass, the set-up and my way of playing. I don't have to have Spirocores to play jazz but they do work best on some basses.

On your bass, these kinds of instruments were made all over central Europe, mainly Germany, Austria and Bohemia/Czech-lands. I have seen many of them labeled but most of them not. many of the labels however were brand names and not the actual maker or shop that supplied them.