Double bass 1950s Eastern Europe lots of mojo - *SOLD* £1000 Wells Somerset

[adriansmith247]

You will need to come and have a look and play. I am in two minds about selling this as it is my first bass and I have spent a lot on it. I have another bass and simply can’t play two at the same time

 

large 3/4 size

not German but valued by Caswells in Bristol as being as good build quality as a German bass. Insured for 3k

 

all wood 

no laminate 

 

gigged a fair bit and likely to have been a School bass in a previous life

 

Decent soft padded case included
 

Pros

new ebony fingerboard 

neck reset

new end ping and tailpiece 

setup for jazz, low action and good strings

looks lovely if you like the aged look

nice sound 

 

cons

Pins all around the top, but nothing to affect structural. Not worth taking out

lots of scratches and marks

bridge is good but you may want the replace if you want to bow

Small split in side, fixed

large size and seems heavy compared to my other badd, this may suit you

 

if you like it them I am open to sensible offers

Edited April 18, 2022 by adriansmith247
Sold

[Beedster]

Mmm, looking for a replacement 4/4 at present as mine is going to need some work that will take a while (cymbal stand fell on it). As a large 3/4 this might do it, can you let me have the dimensions of the bass? If the dimensions are OK, I'm not all that keen on driving a few hours to try out if you're in two minds about selling, can you clarify that comment? Thanks. Chris 

[adriansmith247]

I am definitely wanting to sell, so no problems there. I have had the bass for so long that I think I am just a bit attached, but I haven't played it for a while now. Here are some measurements

 

Flatback

 

nut width 4.5cm

fingerboard width at widest point 9cm

Nut to bridge length 106cm

Bridge to tailpiece 19cm

Body length 108cm

depth 20cm

Body width lower 76cm

body width top 53cm

Height from top to bottom of body 184cm

endpin extends 29cm

 

action E 9mm A 9mm D 9mm G 6mm

[Beedster]

Thanks Adrian, I'll get to the studio that afternoon and check those against my 4/4 (which is if anything a little bigger than ideal, so I'm hopeful). Cheers. Chris

[adriansmith247]

Some additional information about the bass that I gained from a guy on Talkbass around 12 years ago

 

Melodiya, Menges, Sloveniya, tovarna, glasbenih, instrumentov. 

 

Inscription means 'Melody, Slovenia, Factory, Musical Instruments'.

(Tovarna=Factory, Glasbenih=Musical, Instrumentov=Instruments)

"These were made in Slovenia from 50s onwards as far as I know. I don't know about DBs, but their guitars, basses etc were considered low-cost, entry-level instruments, similiar to Chech 'Jolana'. However, you should keep in mind that the quality of woods in that part of the world is quite high, that labour costs at that time were very low, and designs usually copied from outside."

 

______

Also worth noting that the valuation I gained was for insurance and reflected the amount I would need to spend to get a similar quality bass

 

I purchased a Stentor bass about 8 years ago and found that it was easier to play and more suited to me. This may very well be down to personal preference. On balance though I have also briefly played an orchestral bass that I found very difficult to play, despite the owner playing it with amazing dexterity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[adriansmith247]

I had a play in the bass this morning and fitted an old obligato g string as the thomastik was too bright. It has been a while since this bass has been played so I was happy to see it still sounds good and plays easily. Nice bright sound with some bite. Even tone and great fingerboard.
 

The E is a spiro mittel. Feels ok but not as bright as other strings . I have some old velvet strings that could sound awesome on this bass so I may try them soon 

 

the g string is noticeably lower than the others but still good to play. I would happily take this out on a gig if I didn’t have another bass. 
 

photos include close up of the crack in the back. Visible but glued and not rattling. I recorded a video to but only on my phone so it isn’t the best quality 

 

 

[Richard Jinman]

Pm’d