My New German

[Brian Casey]

Flatback - of course.

I found an interview with Frank Evans Coulter from 1939 done in his Portland shop - which certainly seems to validate that he was working as late as 1939, at least:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....-folklore.html

The pictures I took happen to be very flattering. In person it looks pretty beat up, with many varnish touch-ups with bad color-matching.

My luthier, Pete Lampe here in Portland, was familier with the bass, having put a new bridge on it within the last 5 years or so. He went through it and gave it a clean bill of health. The former owner didn't play it much. As I said this is one of 4 he's currently selling, and he's got a Juzek Master Art and a couple other nicer basses, including a 7/8 Pfretzschner that I would have considered if the price was about 60% of what he was asking.

Anyway, I've only played it a few days and I'm happy enough with it to buy it. I don't think this is a lifetime instrument for me, but it's a definite step up until I've got better than $15K to spend on what I really want.

Thanks for your prompt reply to my post, Ken. I'm very serious when I say that I've learned most everything I know about early 20th c basses from you in your writings on this forum, and others.

brian