Doubled up..

[Ken Smith]

I posted this in the OLD Basses section because at first we thought the Label inside was from a repair, now I believe it could be the maker.

Here's the Stuff...........
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Another Bass but maybe not so old.

I took this Bass in trade less than a year ago and since then and up until a few hours ago believed it to be a 19th century Bohemian Bass.

When I first examined the Bass there was a label on the center crossbar that said;
Frantisek Bilek
Zhotovil L.P. 1947

I assumed at first it was a repair label. Since then I bought a used set of Jalovec Books which concentrate more on the eastern makers than books like Henley. This still may be an older bass with just a repair from Bilek but we still are not sure.

Bilek was born c.1890 and died on 12/5/57. He trained with and assisted Josef A.Cermak in Kutna Hora (a pupil of Benjamin Patocka) and then for 9 years worked for Bohuslav Lantner in Prague(Praha). Bilek established his own business in 1917 and is listed in Jalovec as doing 'Modest Work'.

If HE is the maker then I was right on two things. The Bass IS Bohemian and made in Prague as well. I guess with better internal inspection the age could be closer guessed. Still, it will be restored after the Summer and then get a second opinion on its age and if the label matches the Bass after the Top is off.

Another name in this picture that makes a connection in my mind is a Maker/Repairer named Josef Karhan. Like Cermak, he was also a pupil of B.Patocka, worked as an assistant for Cermak and later worked for Latner as a Repairer. The latter two are the same Shops that Bilek worked and trained in.

Like I have seen with the London School, these Bohemians were well connected amongst themselves.
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I also posted it on TalkBass titled 'Date this Bass'.