3/4 German Swell Back Double Bass c.1900 £3750 Eaton Bray

[sambecker1]

For sale is my lovely German 3/4 bass. I have owned this for 10 years and in that time it has served me very well playing everything from classical to jazz etc. 

 

It has had extensive work done to it whilst I've had it, including having the front off about 5 years ago by Laurence Dixon (Bass Place). He repaired a crack in the shoulder, added a new bass bar, improved any previous work as well as adding a new sound post, shaping the bridge, planing the fingerboard and giving the bass a setup. 

 

It has a set of Tomastik Bel Canto strings on it that have been used but still have life left in them. 

This bass got me into conservatoire and I played it for the first two years of my study before I decided I needed a change. 

It is very comfortable to play, with a warm, even tone. It is quite a light bass, so very comfortable to transport too. 

 

The bass is currently located near Bedfordshire but I can bring it to London too if needed. 

 

Please feel free to ask any questions.

 

Many thanks,

 

Sam

[joe_geezer]

Hi,

Is this a plywood bass or solid  (front, back & sides?) & do you have paper wor to give a bit of an idea where it was made ? 

Thank you

Edited June 7, 2022 by joe_geezer
typos

[NickA]

From before the invention of plywood.  Well, before its use in instruments anyway.  Ken Smith reckons the earliest laminate bass he's seen was from 1920/1930.

 

These 1900 or so German basses were hand carved from ( usually ) maple/sycamore with a pine/ spruce front. 

 

I've a 4/4 one that's similar but a bit older. I was told mine was from the workshops in Markneukirchen, but could be Dresden.  Both had big instrument businesses but the names of the individual makers have been lost in time.

 

Looks like the fingerboard is not original as they were made with solid very dark ebony boards ( it was easy to get, back then).

 

Seems a good price, obviously needs playing to be sure.

Edited June 19, 2022 by NickA

[joe_geezer]

5 hours ago, NickA said:

From before the invention of plywood.  Well, before its use in instruments anyway.  Ken Smith reckons the earliest laminate bass he's seen was from 1920/1930.

 

These 1900 or so German basses were hand carved from ( usually ) maple/sycamore with a pine/ spruce front. 

 

I've a 4/4 one that's similar but a bit older. I was told mine was from the workshops in Markneukirchen, but could be Dresden.  Both had big instrument businesses but the names of the individual makers have been lost in time.

 

Looks like the fingerboard is not original as they were made with solid very dark ebony boards ( it was easy to get, back then).

 

Seems a good price, obviously needs playing to be sure.

Thanks for that