Wreck of an old Yankee

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Shawn Charniga

I have photos and measurements on the way. The clerk I spoke with claimed it had been "verified" (as what, he declined to say) and dropped the asking price by almost a grand during our five-minute phone conversation.

Looks like a neat little old bass. If only the decimal place in the asking price wasn't so far off to the right...

Ok, a bass in this condition that is also a small bass has a lower commercial value than if it were a regular 3/4 sized bass.

From the pictures I can't tell if it's Yankee or Bohemian bass. I have not seen many Yankee basses with a round back. That wood also looks more European than the maples I have seen on Yankee Basses. I don't know what it is but looking at the condition, I can tell you that it is more expensive to restore than it might be worth in the end if done properly. If it was a small Italian bass it might be worth it, but it's not Italian. Buying an unknown Germanic style instrument (Yankee or Bohemian) of a small stature in poor condition can be a huge risk.

Spending money on basses like this can turn deep pockets into no pockets as well as loosing your shirt, not just your pants, so be careful!