Quote:
Originally Posted by Adrian Levi
Hi Ken , that was purely tongue in cheek , note the  icon on my previous post !!
But on a more serious point , I have unearthed several basses and some that appear to be pretty old instruments , but most of the worthwhile instruments always seem to have been %$#$ed with  , but I do believe that there may be certain gems around and I am hoping to locate them. Its just difficult to know real values seeing that I'm on the far side of the globe and that 'qualified' luthiers are a rarity here ! |
Let me say this then so you understand the underlying problem here. In the mid to late 19th century some Lutheirs in London started developing better repair techniques as they started restoring the old Italian instruments coming into England to be re-marketed. This was done mainly on the Violins thru the Cellos. The basses have not had the same level of respect over the years and even today suffer at the hands of butcher type repairs. There are however a handful of purists in the repair business that hold high regards and respect for basses as do the violin dealers for Strads and the like.
The problem is finding someone to clean up a bass and bring it back to enjoy the rest of its life, whatever is left of it. I have some detailed experience in reviving old basses coupled with a few selected Luthiers and each bass is a special project to restore. Commercial shops do not do this well or truthfully in my opinion. It takes an artist in the field time and patience to do things right. One problem is undoing bad repairs. Once stripped and refinished thought, it is too late to put back what is already gone.