[Brian Casey]

Thanks, Ken - as always.

To get photos I'll have to make another trip, but I'd better do it quick as the seller leaves in a couple days for a 2 week tour (during which he's at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall, Boston and a few other places...mentioned to help demonstrate the credibility of the seller...)

To answer what I know:

The stamp, as far as I recall, is simply Stowasser.
The ribs are flush with top and back - no lips at the edges, although the round back has the carved lip, as I recall without purfling.
The bass looks VERY old, with several repairs to the ribs and top. Older, plateless tuners, highly figured neck but all showing signs of advanced age. The bass is a round back with dimensions from the seller as being:
42" string length. Upper bouts 19 1/2" Middle bouts 14" Lower bouts 25 1/2"
The seller, who I trust nearly implicitly, as I've known him since childhood, described it as Hungarian, and did so on Bob G's classifieds back in September.

I'll see if I can get back over there to take some pictures before he leaves for his tour. Even after he leaves, his wife might allow me to come in and do so.

I must say that I played this side by side with a Herold Jaeger and a German Shop bass that he was also selling in my price range which were all setup by the same luthier and all with new fingerboards, and this Stowasser was heads and shoulders above the others.

Thanks again,

Brian