#1
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back to life?
Hello all.
I have a few questions for the experts and knowledgeable about a bass I recently picked up. Let me start by saying that i'm guessing that it is either a Tyrolean blockless or Bohemian, from 1850-1900, it is unlabeled other than a mark saying it was restored in 1925. I'm probably way off about the region and i'm fully prepared to get flamed. In the side by side pic you can see it is a smaller scale than my 1930's German, in fact the scale is only 39" so it's either a 5/8 or 1/2. The body is also smaller but not hugely so. Right now i'm planning on having it looked over and setup to play as is, but I have this crazy idea that it would be neat to have a new neck/block installed (scroll retained) to lengthen the scale to 40.5", have the bass bar replaced if it is integrated, new fingerboard and bridge as well. Is this something that is common or is a silly idea based on the smaller body size, which would probably limit it's appeal to many players? Opinions? Thank you. D |
#2
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???
[quote=wayne holmes;21106][/qoute]
Replying to some quotes from Wayne; Quote:
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Wayne, I am sorry to disagree with you so strongly but in my world, if it ain't right, make it right. My personal blockless bass is in a top mold right now getting pressed out. It will get everything I suggested to him and more but with the exception of the neck lengthening. My string length is actually 43" so it will get shortened. Same scroll, repaired as needed, neck graft, neck block, fingerboard and all else including back repairs, rib repairs, corner block repairs, etc. Cost? I will be lucky to get away with anything near $10k in the retail world, probably closer to $15k. Being it's a 7/8ths bass (or full 3/4 or full size back then) and having a huge and sweet sound beforehand, this bass will be made Orchestra ready and will have a much higher value than the 1/2 sized version of other similar old blockless basses. Otherwise, I would have never bought it in the first place. Word to the wise here. If you don't know what a bass needs, how much it will cost to get it professionally restored including modifications and what it is worth when done, then don't gable with old broken basses. Buy stocks! At least then you're in the same boat with all the other winners and losers and not alone with a single project. I don't know stocks so well but I do know basses. I will pull money from my mutual funds to buy the right bass but I will not sell off basses to buy mutual funds. Do what you know. It's safer.. |
#3
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Measurements
Thanks Wayne and Ken for the excellent responses.
Yes the bass is small but it has a very nice shape and the top has a much larger bulge than my larger German shop. The wood is also quite thin, back 1/8", top is .25" at the edges. It has thin purfling on the top and back. From the outside the sides appear to have flame but I can't be 100% sure i'm seeing the flame on the inside of the ribs. Body length-40.5" Top bout-18.75" Bottom Bout-24" Depth-7.75" In any case I didn't spend too much, $700 including the bridge and a ancient bow which has had a really odd repair and pretty much unusable. The shape and size is very nice, cosmeticaly not so much. The fingerboard paint (yes it was painted) is flaking off as well as some of the finish. There are a few cracks here and there but nothing open or terrinble looking to my untrained eye. Anyway being a jazz player (of sorts) I would really like to get this bass playing again and I know it will not be an inexpensive task. |
#4
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Assuming there's nothing seriously unhealthy going on, you should be able to get it playable enough to see if you like the bass without breaking the bank, even if you have someone else do it for you. |
#5
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Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm thankful for this wonderful forum, the advice and offers.
Sorry if my posting raised anyone's blood pressure today, surely was not my intent. Okay I know this bass wasn't made by a master craftsman but I love it regardless, it has character in spades, is in great shape, and deserves better than to languish unplayed as it has for the past 50 years (or so i'm told by the seller). As I mentioned before it would be great to have all the work that Ken mentioned done (even though it would exceed the value), but I think the 1st step is to have it inspected, set-up and playing to get a sense of the tonal quality. Thanks to all! |
#6
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I agree that you should get a test of the tone but in my experiences, the post-restoration tone is usually different. The bass is currently in a state that it's been in for the longest time and I refer to this as its 'relaxed state', good or bad. I will mention a few basses of mine that I was able to play before it was restored or modified. Some of them I played for awhile as-is and some just a few minutes as it was ready to explode with the strings tightened. My Blockless sounded good but was in bad shape internally as it was made. It is still in repair. Two others include my Hart, and Gilkes basses which are both classics. One was in the same condition for more then a lifetime and getting worse while the other was falling apart and barely playable. After both restorations, it took about 2 years in my opinion till everything settled and gelled back to that old relaxed sound it had before, only better. I have several more basses to discuss if asked that are both post restoration and still on the bench but will save that for another time. If you like the bass and see its potential, do the work, all of it. In the end, the sound of the bass may easily exceed its pedigree or lack thereof. |
#7
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Cleaning..
Ok, I am deleting and cleaning up this thread ridding it of off topic and off color comments. Those that quoted any of the comments and replied I deleted as well to keep it clean and on-topic for the original poster Derrick.
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