Thanks Ken.
First, I am only a hacker bass player. I can't be expected to be even a mediocre photographer too! lol
I see some similarities to your bass, but the button area is quite different.
The 3/4" diff in string length may well be due to the new neck being set higher, where the original may have been set deeper and Eb.?
I agree with you on the refinish but can't do much about that now. Maybe it had been refinished before, or too butt ugly to ever sell. I do know Anton believes that one of his big tone secrets is his ground and varnish. He told me that he's never seen a germanic flatback like this that sounds as good as this one and most of the reason is his finish. Who knows what to believe. I've played a dozen or so and this one just sings by comparison. Most of them sound choked or with a strong fundamental, but little else. This thing has a very clear, open tone that sings evenly from top to bottom.
I had been looking for something smaller than the big one I bought from them over a year ago and this fit the bill.
In the end, I don't think it matters much where it was made, as it is an unlabled shop bass. It was advertised as, 'German flatbackm 1880'. That guess is as good as any, it seems.