Juzek Basses...(aka Lang or Wilfer or?)

[Eric Hochberg]

My new bass is kind of an oddball with highly flamed ribs, mildly flamed back, a dovetail mortise and, an integral bass bar. My luthier told me the dovetail made it more Czech than German school.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

My new bass is kind of an oddball with highly flamed ribs, mildly flamed back, a dovetail mortise and, an integral bass bar. My luthier told me the dovetail made it more Czech than German school.

Many many basses from Germany were made with dove-tail joints.

In talking about Czech basses, there is a HUGE difference between the ones made and imported here and the real in-land Czech basses from Prague. The basses here are all Germanic in style made on either side of the Eastern German border or from down in Mittenwald.

The only big factory in the Czech area was the Lidl factory that 'was' in Brno/Moravia, way east of Prague but later moved up to the German border area. After the War sometime it was moved to Luby and combined with Strunal, Dvorak and Lidl. Josef Kreutzer was one of the masters in the original Lidl factory. A bass of his that I have looks to be a mix of German (construction), Italian (model) and Germanic-Czech (scroll).

The Bass I mentioned that looked like a Morelli with a different label has similar internal construction to my Kreutzer whom also trained in Germany. So it seems as if these basses vary mostly by model and grade of woods. The construction varies less than does the models they produce. It is all basically Germanic in style and make, a-la-shop/factory production.

I have owned a few older and possibly more hand-made Germanic type basses in my time and they sound only slightly better. But, re-graduate and restore an old German/Czech factory-type bass with good wood, figured or not and you will have a fine bass made with German wood. We have done this as well with excellent results.

On the neck, the dovetail is the old guitar method once again. Better than blockless but not as good as a mortise.

[Ken Smith]

For you Juzek fans, THIS is what a Master Art Juzek/Wilfer bass looks like. It was the last 3/4 they had there in NYC and I had my eye on it for years. Robert Juzek {Jan's/John's brother that ran the business) had a fit when I came in to buy it as they only had 2 of them in the vault, this 3/4 and a 4/4 (7/8) model left and there were no more nor would there be anymore being made or imported. Bobby Juzek, his son took care of the sale with me and because his father was upset about the bass being sold, I paid slightly more than the old catalog price had it listed for. BUT, they did not dare to paste a Juzek Lable in the bass over the original Wilfer label inside. It was not dated but it was 1966 when I first saw the bass years earlier so that date is on the label in blue pen by my own hand, written in thru the f-hole as a reminder. It is older than that though.



This picture is from early 1972 in the studio, recording with Buddy DeFranco/Glenn Miller band for Columbia House. I was a bit dressed up that day because I had a trio gig that night at the Pierre Hotel on 5th Ave. Central Park East. 'My Early Days'.. Very Early!

[Mark Stefaniw]

Hi Ken, I recently came across a 1956 juzek MA violin cornered 41.5" that needs top-off repairs and I'm trying to get a sense for its value in its current condition. Here are some pix.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JJViumQHieJUWp797

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Mark Stefaniw

Hi Ken, I recently came across a 1956 juzek MA violin cornered 41.5" that needs top-off repairs and I'm trying to get a sense for its value in its current condition. Here are some pix.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JJViumQHieJUWp797

First off, I don't think it is a MA model. The 'Copy of' and the 905' are Violin #s and Label. Often seen in basses. The Basses never had 'copy of' and were 405 (I can check the old Catalog next week) for a MA bass IF it was labelled as Juzek as usually they left the Wilfer label in. Also, the MA model did Not have plate tuners but individual chrome french style Rubners. Here is a pic of my MA model with only the Wilfer label and the owner after me and still as I sold it in 1974/75 to him.The label torn off has a faint 4 at the end. Probably was your correct label. Also, your sound post repair needs to be done again with a proper post patch inlaid, feathered in, not cleats. So, depending on who does the work, you are looking at $2000 and up. So maybe $8-12k repaired, possibly more if the sound is killer. Rough estimate but it is not a MA model, but close. So many Juzeks are mis-labled and are far far off from a MA model and not even a Wilfer, who made them.

[Ken Smith]

That label made in where? Is not correct with that date. After WWII, all instruments came from Bubenreuth/Wilfer and Mittenwald/Lang on the basses from my understanding. The made in Czech. area pre-war was walking distance to Germany. Prague was only Juzeks birth place, Nothing they ever sold in basses came from Prague, nothing. Prague-made basses look nothing like these German style basses. It's amazing how much mis-information is used to sell Juzek-'BRAND' basses.

[Ken Smith]

The maker of that bass by the way is Wenzle B. Wilfer. Juzek was not their only customer,