Maple back, sides, and neck, Carved Spruce top, Dyed maple hatpeg tuners, Dyed Maple fingerboard, Ebony nut, Replacement ebony tailpiece, Old endpin, Nonadjustable bridge set up for jazz playing. Dimensions are: Top length 43", Upper bout width 19 3/4", Center bout width 14", Lower bout width 25 3/8", Depth at tail 8 3/8", Depth at upper bout bend 8", Depth at neck 5 7/8", String length 42 1/4". Many repaired cracks. Recent restoration included removing the original oxidized black finish and cleating and regluing old cracks and plate separations from the ribs. Attended to by many bay area repairmen opver the years, the most recent work was performed by the celebrated Allan Droyan. This featherweight bass from the prewar gut string age sings to the lightest pizz touch to the Spirocore weich strings. A really nice jazz instrument. With cover. I had Jeff Sahs plane the fingerboard, add bridge adjusters, and recontour and reslot the bridge. This bass now plays like a dream.

Made in the same Hofner factory as the current Paesold and Hofner 3/4 basses. Medium grain German Spruce top, German Maple neck, sides, and flame figured back, Upgraded Rubner engraved black and gold halfplate tuners, Ebony nut, fingerboard, and tailpiece, No bridge adjusters. Dimensions are: top length 44", Upper bout width 19 1/4", Center bout width 14 1/2", Lower bout width 25 1/2", Depth at tail 8 1/4", Depth at upper bout bend 8 1/4", Depth at neck 7", String length 41". This bass has seen a lot of use over the years and shows many repaired cracks and a darker brown overcoating of varnish, such as the late Noel Arrighi would use. It came in as a student orchestra instrument, but it sounds even better strung with D'Addario Helicore pizzicato strings for jazz. It has a loose, lively response and the old setup is comfortably low for easy play. A nice intermediate jazz bass. With cover.

This builder was my find of the 2006 NAMM show in Anaheim. An old German family business from Markneukirchen, this small shop builds basses characterized by excellent craftsmanship in the woodwork and finishing and for the big, even tone. This Maggini model features German Maple with a bit of flame figure in the back, sides and neck, Very even grain German Spruce with no faults of any kind, Gold halfplate Rubner tuners, a lightly applied fine antiqued brown finish, highest quality ebony fingerboard and tailpiece, and a nice Despiau bridge. Dimensions are: Body Length 44 3/4", Upper bout width 20 1/4", Center bout width 15", Lower bout width 26 3/4", Rib depth at tail 9", Rib depth at upper bout bend 8 1/4", Rib depth at neck 7", String length is a comfortable 41 3/4". This bass has a large, even voice with a bow or for playing jazz. Right now I have it strung with Flexocore strings for a big arco voice. With free cover. I got a great deal by taking this one home from the NAMM show.

European Poplar, European Spruce top. 40 3/4" string length. Brass French style individual tuners. Body length 43". Adjustable bridge, Wittner tailpiece, Gotz endpin. Upper bout width 20". C bout width 14 1/2". Lower bout width 26 1/4". Side depth 8 3/4" at tail, 8 3/8" at upper bout crease, 7" at neck, Reddish oil varnish over yellow ground. Beautiful crisp modeling. Very colorful, rich tone when strung with Flexocore strings. Currently strung with Spirocore orchestral strings for a solid but flexible jazz response. This was my favorite bass at the entire January NAMM show.

This bass looks to be built in the same shop as the Mathias Thoma MT-1 (Now MT-185 and MT-188)bass. Fine grain Carpathian Spruce top winged at the lower bout, Plain Carpathian Maple sides and 4-piece back, Comfortable plain Maple neck, Chrome German halfplate tuners, Ebony fingerboard, Wittner tailpiece, Adjustable bridge, Gotz endpin. Dimensions are: Body length 42", Upper bout width 20 1/2", Center bout width 13 3/4", Lower bout width 25 1/2", Tail depth 8 1/4", Depth at upper bout bend 7 3/8", Depth at neck 6 3/8", String length 41". Well maintained and kept very clean, this is a nice workhorse jazz or student bass. With free cover.

European Spruce top, Plain figure European Maple flatback, Mildly ribbon and flame figured European Maple sides with no exterior linings, Unfigured European Maple neck, Dyed Maple hatpeg style single unit tuners, Ebony fingerboard, Ebony tailpiece, New Gotz endpin, Bridge adjusters, Medium dark brown varnish. Dimensions are: Top length 43 1/2", Upper bout width 20", Center bout width 14", Lower bout width 25 1/4", Depth at tail 8 1/2", Depth at upper bout bend 8 1/4", Depth at neck 6 1/2". The medium profile neck has never had any cracks, breaks, or repairs. The back has 3 old repaired dryness cracks near the center line and just above the widest part of the lower bout as well as edge chips at the bottom centerline and about 6" to the treble side of the lower centerline. There is only minor concavity of the upper bout bend area of the back. The sides are remarkably clean and free of cracks axcept for a little tear on the treble side of the saddle area and an endpin crack that extends 2" into the bass side and about 10" of the treble side. The top has old repaired low humidity edge-to-edge cracks to each lower bout near their widest points, on either side of the tailpiece (3" treble side, 12" bass side), "9 extending below from the bass-side F hole, and a 2 1/2" wing crack extending up from the treble side F-hole lower ball to the center bout. The top edges show wear from moving the bass across many stage floors (Use a bass stand wherever you go, please!). I had Jeff Sahs install a new Gotz endpin, glue the open treble side wing crack, Plane the fingerboard, install a cable tailpiece wire to replace the stiff brass one, and recontour the bridge top for extremely easy low string height playing. This bass responds with a very even voice and is great for jazz pizz playing. I had Sam take off his pickup so that the new owner would have his choice of pickup type (or maybe they'll use a clip-on sax microphone like me). Formerly owned by San Francisco Bay Area bassist Paul Knight, Sam Grisman has owned and played this bass in concert (David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, Gypsy Kids) and on recordings (Sam and Dave, DGBX, Andy Statman's solo CD) for the last 4 years. With cover.

A fantastic example of modern German bass luthiery, this fairly lightweight and very responsive violin cornered instrument is my current shop favorite. Lightly figured German Maple sides, Outside linings of German Maple, Plainer figure carved German Maple back with black-white-black purfling terminating in a German sheild below the button, Medium grain width German Spruce top with black-white-black purfling, Rubner gold and black engraved halfplate tuners, Medium size scroll with nicely bevelled facets, Ebony nut, fingerboard, tail saddle, and tailpiece, Gotz aluminum rod endpin with ebony collar, Medium red-brown varnish lightly applied. Dimensions are: Top length 45", Upper bout width 21 1/4", Center bout width 15", Lower bout width 27", Depth at tail 8 7/8", Depth at upper bout bend 8 3/4", Depth at neck 7 1/2", String length 42 1/8". As part of the extensive setup, Jeff Sahs cut a new bridge with adjusters and made a new soundpost. This wonderfully easy playing bass responds with authority and sophistication when played arco or pizz. The bottom end has a rich, chocolaty quality that really fills the room. The upper end has a complex and mature quality that is rare in a new bass. With cover.

This bass is a dead ringer for the Hofner-made Paesold and Hofner brand 3/4 basses that I carry new. It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that the Hammig name is a house brand import name. Plain German Maple neck, sides, and carved top, Medium grain width German Spruce top, Brass halfplate tuners, Ebony nut and fingerboard, Adjustable bridge made by Alex Friedman, Ebonized tailpiece, Gotz endpin. Dimensions are: Top length 44", Upper bout width 19 1/4", Center bout width 14 1/2", Lower bout width 25 1/2", Depth at tail 8 1/4", Depth at upper bout bend 8 1/4", Depth at neck 7", String length 41". Origianlly set up by Alex Friedman and sold by my shop in 2003, this bass has had further setup and adjustments by Michael Olivola. Strung with Spirocore Orchestra strings, this bass plays like a dream and has a wonderful pizz voice for jazz playing. With cover.

This is an example of Upton's Romanian-made instrument obtained in the white that is regraduated, finished, and outfitted in their shop. Plywood arched back, Solid maple sides, Medium grain width solid carved Spruce top, Gold plated Rubner halfplate tuners, Ebony nut, Ebony soloist length fingerboard, Upton adjustable bridge, Ebony tailpiece, Kolstein endpin, Upton hand-applied dark varnish. Dimensions are: Top length 44 1/2", Upper bout width 21", Middle bout width 15", Lower bout width 26 3/8", Depth at tail 8 1/2", Depth at upper bout bend 8 1/4", Depth at neck 7 1/2", String length 41". Currently strung with Helicore Pizzicato strings, this bass has a lush, full voice for jazz playing. It came in with Spirocore strings and responded quite well to a bow. A nice large-voiced 3/4 bass. With Upton cover

Ca. 1960s Max Hoyer gamba shape 3/4 carved back

German Spruce top with wide grain at edges, German Maple neck, back, and sides, Nickel halfplate German tuners, Ebony fingerboard and nut, Dyed Maple tailpiece, Bridge with adjusters made by Alex Friedman. Dimensions are: Body length 42 1/2", Upper bout width 19 1/4", Center bout width 14", Lower bout width 24 3/4", Depth at tail 8 3/8", Depth at upper bout bend 8 3/8", Depth at neck 7", String length 41". Top cracks closed and fingerboard planed by Alex Friedman. Finish on edges nicked and scuffed from play and discolored on upper bout side from a small liquid spill (Seagrams 7 or Gilbey's?). This is a surprisingly responsive bass for this time period. It sounds lush and full with Spirocore weich and really big with Spirocore Orchestra strings. A great jazz gig bass or student orchestra instrument. With cover. Was a consignment and now a trade-in instrument for the 4/4 Hofner. I have upgraded the endpin to a new Gotz.