Art Deco(?) Bass
 

Has anyone ever seen a bass like this? It looks like it could be from the 1920's or 30's. Highly stylized scroll and plastic edging similar to a guitar. Needs a lot of work but, it looks really cool.

The only tag I found was for a Musical Instrument Co. in West New York, NJ.; could not make out the name.

Solid spruce top, back and sides are poplar. The scroll says "Radiofix"?

Here are some pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3557759...7622580417580/

Thanks for the help, Craig

Whoa, I sure wouldn't mind having that baby in the stable, were it only in better condition. If I could find a gig bag that fits... It looks totally run down, but I could easily imagine it being played in a Las Vegas show band. Maybe you can find a sponsor for the restoration?? It seems to hold some novelty value... but what can you make out about the quality of the handiwork? Wood-wise, at least it's not ply...

My choices are, to restore it, or salvage the good parts (top, back, fingerboard). Some parts are just too far gone, or, were never made that well to begin with.

The c-bout ribs were made with stack laminations of solid wood, then cut out on a bang saw.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/...7fe98e9b_d.jpg

Stack laminations..? Never seen that... All right, seems to be a reason why it's in bad shape, then - maybe it simply wasn't good enough to care about. Still, the looks are cool, and maybe you could try and contact some casino or vaudeville theater or whatever place housing a show band, about having them buying and paying for it. Or is it a customer's bass?