Italian or fake (hungarian)

[Anselm Hauke]

hello gunther,

interesting bass. would you tell me who is the seller?
pm would be ok. thanks.

[Gunter Grass]

sorry for the late reply. the seller is private, although he sells more often basses and sends me emails if he offers one. i could ask him if its ok if i send you his contact info.

regards

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Gunter Grass

sorry for the late reply. the seller is private, although he sells more often basses and sends me emails if he offers one. i could ask him if its ok if i send you his contact info.

regards

There are many people around the world as well as shops now trying to pass off these fakes as real. I was just offered several basses from Italy and each of the basses claiming to be old Italian were in my opinion new Hungarian or slightly older Hungarian or German. Not one was Italian or near the age claimed.

People can make a business selling new basses as old. I have several NEW basses in stock that were made to look old and I sell them as new. I also have some that were re-built with some old parts like original top and back and new ribs and re-built scroll or pegbox from other basses. These we call Composite basses with mixed parts new and old. I can sell them as all old and original but that would be a lie and no one would know but me and the maker. Only an expert or many of them together can map out the forensics of what this bass is an was. I have the recipe from the people that sold me the basses so it is passed on honestly and without deception. Be careful with people that always have old basses without cracks and distress from age.

[Pino Cazzaniga]

[quote=Ken Smith;26737]There are many people around the world as well as shops now trying to pass off these fakes as real. I was just offered several basses from Italy and each of the basses claiming to be old Italian were in my opinion new Hungarian or slightly older Hungarian or German.


I hope that there is no italian luthier involved in this kind of deal, which is unfair to both musicians and makers.

About three years ago a customer of mine bought one of these basses from Hungary, which he found on the internet.

The seller said him that it was old, "probably" italian, found in a Church. The musician did not tell anything to anybody, went in Hungary and bought the bass, for a very low price.

The instrument was new and quite heavy, but the sound was good enough to give it a try.

We did some minor repairs and waited an year to be sure not to waste time, then I did some other small repairs and a massive set up work, and at last the bass was good.

So good actually that the musician wanted to contact the seller to let the original luthier make another one, new, not antiqued, and with his label inside.

Now, the musician is a good and well known one, so there was an opportunity for the luthier to get a better market and develop his work.
Well, once he was contacted, the seller disappeared, no more email address, no phone number, nothing.


The musician is still playing that bass, but he paid it much more than its market value, if you consider repairs, waiting time, set up, travel to and from Hungary. Besides, the sound is luckily good, but the bass is heavy to carry around.

The original maker earned, I think, a fraction of the original low price, and did not have or even know of any chance to develop his work.

So, nobody is really happy with that deal.