Whoops, sorry for the double post!
Thanks, Rod - I am glad you didn't take someone's buy-it-now offer or something, that's a real bummer on Ebay when someone pulls the rug out.
It is a VERY interesting bass, despite the construction weirdness. I'd sure love to know the history. Homemade bits and pieces, sweaty barroom corrosion, many similarities to Alembics which came later - it would be an interesting story to know what this started our as, and how it may have changed over the years.
Please keep in touch in the Club! We love mysteries.
EffClef