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What is my bass
Hi can you tell me anything about my bass, when I bought it I was told it was about a hundred years old and was French, or possibly German
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#2
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French?
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Same gears as on this Bass? |
#3
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Hi Ken
The bass was bought from the violin shop in Glasgow a couple of years ago. The dealer said it had probably been refinished. The bass has solid top and back and probably sides. There is a significant amount of shrinkage that has caused the sides (at the bottom of the bass) to be level with the edge of the back. I dont have a decent photo at the moment but you can just make it out on the one that I have attached. Would this happen if the bass was modern? Cheers Dave |
#4
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yes..
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What are the Ribs measurements on the bottom block, lower corner, upper corner and middle upper bout. Measure ONLY the Rib wood, not the top or back. |
#5
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Hi Ken
The shrinkage does cause the back to separate from the ribs and I have to glue it down every so often. I will have to get it fixed eventualiy The Rib Depth (if I am measuring in the right places) bottom block 8" lower corner 8 1/4" upper corner 7 7/8" upper bout where neck joins body Cheers Dave |
#6
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shrinkage?
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Something like this but without the purfling frills. |
#7
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Nice looking handmade instrument!
My guess is that it is less than 10 years old. That is from the photos only. If I could smell it I would possible change my mind. Also if I could have a look inside I could tell more from the oxidation. The outside looks newly finished and could have been stripped and sanded, and if the inside looks well oxidized to a golden brown, then this would support that it has been refinished. Tuners look modern to me, like you can buy them from International Violin. |
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inside?
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While I don't have the amount of experience Ken does, I would also guess that is a faked Hungarian bass. I have owned 2. One I bought as a turn of the century german, the other I bought knowing it was a Hungarian even though it was sold as something different. Both were very well made basses with a great tone. If it sounds good, and plays great I wouldn't worry about it. However its always a good idea to get as many opinions on an instrument before you buy it as you can.
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I agree with you, it doesn't matter if the bass is a fake. She sounds and feels superb and was the best sounding bass in the shop. If it is a fake can anyone tell me what type of bass it is a copy of |
#13
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Fake?
I'm not sure that the description, "fake", applies to your bass. It's a very nice looking bass, new or not, and if it was made/antiqued/refinished in Hungary and sounds good, who cares (unless you paid French prices). It's only a fake if it purports to be something it's not. It looks newer to me, too. If you look at some old, well used basses, you'll get the idea. Maybe the dealer knew more than he was telling (making him the fake), maybe he didn't. If you paid too much for a new Hungarian bass (if it is one) of this quality, and with structural problems to boot, then I can see where you have a problem with the dealer, caveat emptor.
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#14
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no longer?
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I bought one bass like this and that was my question too until we took off the Top and saw this is one of the methods in making someone believe falsely that the bass is old. My bass was MADE NEW on purpose with the Back appearing to have shrunk around the Rib overhang. The Ribs were cut and shortened at the Block and all was fixed. My newish Car that I drove the Bass to the shop in was no younger than that bass was. The Hungarians are amongst the best antique artists in the world. Like Eric mentioned, as long as you pay for what you get, what they call it doesn't matter. If you get a 40k bass for 10k then the dealer will not stay in business long. Trust me on this. I am not guessing here. I have seen many of these basses made to look French and Italian (usually). The signs are there if you know where to look. To the naked eye, they look as claimed. One more story on this.. I subbed at a rehearsal for a singer one day with a 6-8 pc group. The regular guy has an old German/Viennese style Bass. The leader looked at me with my Hungarian-Italian wannabe bass and said 'that's one of those old ones, right?" .. I nodded and continued to play.. Fooled him!! In one of the Orchestras I played in, my stand partner preferred the sound of this to an older Italian Bass I also played there on occasion. The bass was well made and had a very good sound as I used it myself professionally. It just wasn't an Italian bass like it was labeled and sold to me as. I kept the bass only after adjusting the price with the seller/dealer for what the bass really was. I was fairly happy in the end. The dealer was not. |
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