Mystery Bass

plopswagon · Post by **plopswagon** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:43 pm

my son's good friend brought this over last night for me to set up.

It's allegedly a Hofner though I've never seen one like it.

It's really well made, feels like a good piece of hard wood, fretless.

Any clues? I'm intrigued.

plopswagon · Post by **plopswagon** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:47 pm

Ok of course right after I post this it comes up in google

it's a Hohner Bartell Black Widow.

henkstroem · Post by **henkstroem** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:03 pm

Would've guessed central european origin, japanese designed zanyness tends to have a more molten character. Good to know it's Hohner, also good the same people didnt design the harmonicas. Or maybe they used their traditional attitudes and rulers on that department only.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:05 pm

Looks like a Hohner to me.

plopswagon · Post by **plopswagon** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:02 pm

it was actually American designed and built for Hohner. Paul Barth was the maker and designer, he worked at National, Rickenbacker and Magnatone prior.

here's the best website about him I've found.

henkstroem · Post by **henkstroem** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:09 pm

A fantastic read that was!

kingkiller · Post by **kingkiller** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:35 pm

Is the back of it padded??? Either way it looks really nice

plopswagon · Post by **plopswagon** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:47 pm

kingkiller wrote:Is the back of it padded??? Either way it looks really nice

easier on your ball rub

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:09 pm

Oh baby, I'd love a Black Widow.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 10:37 pm

I was going to guess Musima/Jolana

Are those markers or frets for just the E string?

kingkiller · Post by **kingkiller** » Fri Jan 15, 2021 12:03 am

plopswagon wrote:
kingkiller wrote:Is the back of it padded??? Either way it looks really nice

easier on your ball rub

*stands up, unzips pants, puts bass on shoulder*

sunshiner · Post by **sunshiner** » Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:23 am

Black Widow. Hendrix played a left handed guitar version of it

plopswagon · Post by **plopswagon** » Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:38 am

Nick wrote:I was going to guess Musima/Jolana

Are those markers or frets for just the E string?

Markers. Pretty cool.

I had no idea this was what I would be working on. 0 fret and the nut is metal with holes drilled in it for the strings. The bridge height Ã¢â‚¬Å“adjustmentÃ¢â‚¬Â� screws are both for mounting and height so you have to fudge around a lot to get them right but my favorite feature is the neck angle adjustment. The two screws in the back of the heal hold the neck in place and then the screw just behind the bridge pickup is attached to a long piece of the neck. Wild.