| Broken in
(pre-owned) |
||
| 1806 French 7/8
Flatback |
 |
I am selling this Gem for a local
Symphony player. It may be that his 1850ish Prescott is superior, but
this bass is good enough to make the rest of my inventory seem weak
kneed. This bass is solid! $16,000 |
| European pre-war carved bass |
 |
So
hard to say what this is exactly, but it sounds great. It's been around
the block a couple of times, but it plays fine and needs nothing to go
to work tonight. It is fully carved and German or Bohemian, probably
just pre-war. On the other hand it will want a fingerboard if you
needed to change the set-up in any direction. The neck is
never broken, nor have the plates been cracked. Unusual for an older
instrument. Engraved tuners. Underpriced at $3400 |
| Johan Rauner 5/8
fully carved (Germany) |
Here's a great alternative for the
Smaller Bassist! I have been asked so many times for a 5/8 size bass,
and this is the first I've owned! I do not consider a 1/2 size to
be up to the job, but this 5/8 certainly is! I got it today, so
there are no pics yet. $4150 |
|
| Bluegrass/Rockabilly 1937 Kay |
The good news is that the box in the
best of health. No distortion around the ff holes, nor any noticable
sound post bump. There is a top quality ebony fingerboard, and someone
added good quality German tuners as well. That is most of the bad news
as well, and despite the fact that these are worthy upgrades, it is
less the completely original. also, it is refinished, though not over
sanded, and the neck has had to be reconstructed. Sounds/plays exactly
right, and priced at half the going rate for a perfect original
example. $2500 |
|
| |
Eastman Strings: | |
| Eastman #200 |  |
"Eastman"
is probably the best know of
the basses I've seen coming out of China.
They are actually handmade at a bench, as I would do it, and the look,
feel, and sound reflect this heritage. It is all quarter sawn wood,
ebony
fingerboard, high quality bridge, Rubner "French" machines, your choice
of
strings, and of course my best set up for your style of playing. $4500
(in stock) |
| Eastman #120 and #125 |
 |
This bass
replaces the Christopher 300 in Eastman's line up, and though I still
think the other is fine, this bass has a more sophisticated sound to my
ear, and also has a more handmade appearance, which it should, as it
is! A hybrid bass, this line has laminated back and side and a fully
carved solid spruce top. The ebony is of higher quality than I'd expect
at this price. The #125 is the same as the #120, but has an antiqued
varnish finish similar to that on Eastmans better basses. I would say
it is the same, and it probably is, but I don't actually know that. Call for pricing. At the moment I have a #125
with Violin Corners and Spirocores on it, ready to go. I have a #95 as well at the moment. Very similer to the #125, but plainer back and sides. Hundreds less dollars. |
| Paesold: | Not an Eastman at all, this is a
German made bass imported and sold by
Eastman. For those who insist on a traditional bass from European woods
this one will do the job. While I am certainly a big promoter of the
Chinese made basses, I have to admit that this bass has a charm all
it's own. It is very dark sounding, and has a bouncy dancing feeling
when I play it that is quite addictive. I love the irony of a Chinese
company offering a German bass, too. $7200
Currently gone, but to be replaced.! |
|
| Christopher's
Workshop Most models come
in three
styles: Gamba (*01), Violin (*03), and Busetto (*02). There are now 3
finish levels: Gloss, Satin, and Antique. Antique is new in '07, and
adds more than a touch of class. I always order these basses
with the optional German made tuners. Life is too short for inferior
machine tuners just to save a few dollars. There is a lesser
model, #100, but I don't see the value compared to the #200 for the
$200 difference, unless you are a school. Prices are rising after years
of being static. |
||
| Christopher's second level bass. Model 202; |  |
|
| Christopher's Hybrid Model DB303T. |  |
Violin
shaped (also available as a Gamba or a Busetto), fancy veneered back
and sides, but this one has a solid spruce
top. The tone and volume are noticeably (understatement!) better than
the all veneered basses. This bass would make most players happy enough
to keep on living, though it's still not up to the Eastman. Certainly a
more durable bass, as the sides are where the most travel damage
occurs, and these are several times more crack resistant than a solid
sided bass could be. This is the best choice for outdoor festival
use when tone matters. $2550 in the traditional finish, or
$2700 in stock in the new Antique finish. |
| Christopher's flat back, Model DB401T, |  |
All solid
wood except the sides (the most vulnerable part!),
contemporary shape, my best seller in 2001. $3200
There is also a fully carved version of this bass for $3200. I have
neither at the moment. |
| "Eminence" portable upright bass, | Which is an acoustic bass along the lines of a "stick bass" (Clevinger, Messenger, Steinberger, etc.). . If I were to play such an instrument, this one would appeal to me most on aesthetic principles alone, but it comes with a Realist pick-up system and is the most natural string bass sound I've heard yet on this type of instrument. Of course, unlike the competition, it IS a string bass. That's why this is currently the bass of choice in the world of traveling bluegrass bands where electric basses are not considered cool. retail is $3250 for the 4 string fixed neck, more for other forms. | |
| Christopher's 500 and 600 |  |
These are
fully carved and fully professional by my
standards. The 500 is medium flamed and the 600 a bit fancier, but
otherwise they are conceptually similar. |
| Xuechang Sun | ||
| Xuechang Sun 403 |  |
: Pictured is the 7/8 size bass of the highest quality made by Xuechang Sun's Workshop. It is of the finest workmanship , and the materials are nearly perfect (no flaws at all), and the sound is indeed noticeably richer than the otherwise nearly identical but less expensive 402 and 401 (both in stock, as the 403 actually is not! 401 has simple wood but the same craftmanship and the sound is great for $4K.) . I have put Rubner's "English" style tuners on it, which I consider to be their best, and a German made ebony tailpiece/French Aubert Bridge/Gotz Endpin/Thomastic Spirocore Orchestra strings. The included Cordura bag has full cut pockets/hardened bridge and head areas/backpack straps/good zippers/the right handles. $6800 I also have available a similar bass, their model 402 made from slightly less perfect materials, and finished out with less exceptional hardware and an antiqued oil varnish. When I say slightly, I mean it, this line of basses exibits the best craftmanship in the business, and sounds/plays at a professional level. $5200 I have 401, 402, and 403 at the moment, these are the great buy IMO. |
| I have the wood on hand to build a few basses, and wonder if you might be interested in talking about that? | ||
| I have some Pick Ups and Amplifiers for sale, too |
