$16,000 and he doesn't know about basses? His playing dumb is a good weapon of attack. You get excited, sell yourself on the possibility of getting a steal on a Vuillaume and you end up with a modern Hungarian fake!
Hatpeg gears on a French basses? Never!
Come here in a month or so and play the
Mougenot. THAT is a Vuillaume model as he worked for the brother and used the Vuillaume f-hole pattern and bass model. I have seen a few Vuillaume basses and basses from makers that built basses for Vuillaume. This may be a nice bass but nothing like a Vuillaume from what I have seen.