[Ken Smith]

At first look, the bass looks fairly generic until, you look closer. The purfling, varnish and top wood used all seem superior and more interesting over any shop-type 20th century German or Czech bass. The interior work of this bass looks even more impressive. This one was made in Moravia which at the time was Czechoslovakia and now the Czech Republic. Imagine being born in one country and then it gets re-named and after you die, re-named again. It had just been re-distributed(?) politically from the Austrian Empire to the Austro-Hungarian Empire only a few years before he was born. I hope the bass doesn't loose its note memory as much as it's had its home name changed. The town is Brno, the former capitol of Moravia but the Germans call it Brunn. The maker, Josef Kreutzer just goes the other way and uses the Italian name Brunensis. He was a fan of the Italian work. Studying the origins of this town and its various ruling regions over the years is more European history than I had in all my years in school. Or at least, paid attention to!