A Pfretzschner in the hand...(AKA the Farm Wife)

[Mark Plummer]

Those of you that frequent the "other" bass discussion board know the story, for those of you that don't...

This bass was found in an Iowa road ditch by my father. It was undoubtedly a school instrument as it has a long defunct school name in marker on the side.

I've taken it to a highly reputable luthier and his take on it was..
German, WWI vintage, fully carved, not in bad shape at all, will make a terrific jazz bass.

I'm really excited to start the restoration.

Discuss!

[Ken Smith]

To me, that Bass looks to be a Wilfer (Juzek brand labeled import) and not a Pfretzschner. In my readings I have learned that all the members of the Pfretzschner family were Bow makers and not Violin makers with one exception and that was C.F. Pfretzschner I, II and III from the late 18th century on into the early 20th century. G.A. Pfretzschner is actually listed as a Bow maker only! I believe that his name was used for labels in instruments imported from Germany after 1900. Morelli and Juzek are two other 'import' names used as well in a similar manner.

Age wise as a Wilfer I would put that Bass after WWII and not WWI. The Purfling design under the Back Button does not look like the Pre-war Bass I have seen by Anton Wilfer bur rather the later ones I believe by Wenzel Wilfer a.k.a W.B.W.

How that Bass has a Pfretzschner label can be any number of reasons. Here is a picture of a typical Pfretzschner label from a Bass I once owned;




The design in the Back as seen here used by Pfretzschner is quite different that your Bass.



The Label pic you posted is not very clear. Please tell us exactly what it says. Mine says;
-------------------------------------------
Artist Deluxe Model (hand written script)
Andreas Morelli (printed in script)
Handmade Reproduction (printed in script)
Antonio Stradivarius (hand written script)
Trade Mark Registered
--------------------------------------------------

I have seen Basses exactly like mine in both 3/4, 7/8 and large 7/8 (4/4) that had either a Morelli label like mine or a G.A. Pfretzschner label inside the Bass.

[Mark Plummer]

Ken, Thanks for the input. Is it possible that a Wifler/Juzek would have come with a Pfretzschner label?
The label reads

Reproduction of Antonio Stradavarius 172?

Made By GA Pfretzschner

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Mark Plummer

Ken, Thanks for the input. Is it possible that a Wifler/Juzek would have come with a Pfretzschner label?
The label reads

Reproduction of Antonio Stradavarius 172?

Made By GA Pfretzschner

No, they don't come here with any labels at all except maybe origin like made in Germany or a real Wilfer Label on the better ones. The importer labels them here. No foreign made domestic product is labeled in English unless it is made for export to USA or UK but in most cases, they come unlabeled and the dealer/importer places the label inside the Bass, not the shop in Germany.

Repo. of Strad? Really? Like which Bass that Strad made is it a Repo of? ZIP!! Strad did not make ANY Double Basses at all, EVER! It is a Repo only of the last German Bass made the week before and nothing more.

I have a beautiful English bass from 1814 from a period when they were just starting to copy Strad as Stainer and Amati were still the known Kings. My Bass is a copy of a Strad Cello and with the exception on the slight shoulder cut of c.1870, it looks like a Strad Cello! If it is a copy of Strad, it would look like This!

The only part that is copied on these German basses from Strad is that they are made of wood, the have strings and they make some kind of sound. Other then that, there is nothing in the make or design of the Bass that is taken from Strad other than the spelling of his name.

[Mark Plummer]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

No, they don't come here with any labels at all except maybe origin like made in Germany or a real Wilfer Label on the better ones. The importer labels them here. No foreign made domestic product is labeled in English unless it is made for export to USA or UK but in most cases, they come unlabeled and the dealer/importer places the label inside the Bass, not the shop in Germany.

Please bear with me, I'm a DB neophyte.

So it's likely that this is a wilfer/juzek. Yah the luthier wasn't sure it was a Pfretzschner either. Interesting..
Do you suppose that the label (added by the importer) could be a violin, viola or cello label?

Whatever the maker, I think I happened on to a good instrument, the luthier was enthusiastic about it. He said, "It'll be better than you, or me for that matter."

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Mark Plummer

Please bear with me, I'm a DB neophyte.

So it's likely that this is a wifler/juzek. Yah the luthier wasn't sure it was a Pfretzschner either. Interesting..
Do you suppose that the label (added by the importer) could be a violin, viola or cello label?

Whatever the maker, I think I happened on to a good instrument, the luthier was enthusiastic about it. He said, "It'll be better than you, or me for that matter."

I would feel safer calling it a Wilfer (maybe made for Juzek, not sure). I understand you are new but even people playing 10, 20, 30 years still don't know this stuff about the makers and labels and the funny business. I don't know how it got the Label. Could be any reason listed including the Importer bought this or more basses from Germany and put the Pfretzschner lable in it because Juzek is a trade mark of Metropolitan Music (the Juzek family) and also because no one knew who Wilfer was then as his name was never marketed here. That's the key work here with the names, Marketing!

Some of these shop basses regardless of the label are very good basses indeed. Not necessarily professional orchestra quality but good for most other things professionally or otherwise.

Hey, I took one in on trade towards an Italian Bass, put almost 10k into the restoration and then sold it after a few concerts. It was good enough to buy(take in on trade), good enough to use in Orchestra and good enough to sell after all was said and done. The list of work done was huge but the results were worth every penny spent. I would do it again if the right Bass/deal came along. Actually, I just purchased an early 20th century French Bass not far off from the quality of an early Pfretzschner or Wilfer so that at least shows I practice what I preach, no?

Fix the Bass, play the Bass and enjoy the Bass. That's what I will suggest at this point.