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Old 06-25-2010, 05:04 PM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Join Date: 01-18-2007
Location: Perkasie, PA
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Cool humm??

Well, the first thing that puzzles me is the varnish color and texture between the Top and the Back (as well as the sides and Scroll.) Usually the Top would appear to get older looking first but in this case at least from what I can see in the pictures it appears that the Back is older.

Ok, ok.. varnish issues aside as we don't know what's original, gone over or re-finished even, the Bass itself looks German from the 20th century. I would guess from just the pictures 50-100 years old, no more, no less.

Basses like this that were used in schools rather than in professional orchestras or something in between may not have been cared for so well over the years and the repairs maybe less than Strad quality work to say in the least.

Basses from their size and make qualities (of lack of) can age quite fast. Especially being banged around and then patched up by some fix-it guy or with that mentality because of the value of the bass at that time.

Bass like this when made could have sold for under $50 new and up to maybe $100. Flat back with little to no figure were at the low end. Unpurfled basses even lower. I have some old copies of import catalogs from USA distributors and you would be shocked to see what some bass sold for. Sears had Blockless Tyrol/German? Basses for sale for $7. a month. Yes, SEVEN DOLLARS or $75.oo Cash if paid in full at once. That was in 1937 just before the War. In 1922 Wurlitzer, a more exclusive shop for fine Violin family instruments was asking $90 to $180 for the best quality for these Tyrol type basses, slanted ffs and humped rib/neck joint hence blockless. Go figure!

It is possible that some early repairer refinished just the top and left the rest as-is. I have seen many bass Tops or just Backs refinished after major repairs and I am not talking student grade German import basses here. I mean fine old Italian and English masterpiece basses in the 6 figures now in value.

So, looks like old German/Bohemian, Markneukirchen/Shoenbach, northeast German/Czech border area.

Is there any figure in that wood, back, sides or scroll/neck? Is the neck grafter or original one piece? Any purfling in the Top of Back edges?

Measurements? My DB web pages show the normal areas to be measured. Ribs are ribs/sides, measured themselves inside the top and back as made and not including them. Bout widths, top and back length, string length and rib depth. These are the main numbers. Basses were made then as 1/2, 3/4 or 4/4. There were no basses made in commercial shops as 5/8 or 7/8 size. That is only an interpretation used today for marketing.
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