But Bassist Motives : No Strings Attached to Pole’s Plea

For the discriminating bass guitarist in Wroclaw, Poland, there is just one place to go to replace those worn-out strings: Sightsinger Music on North Tustin Avenue in Orange.

“These professional bass guitar accessories are absolutely unobtainable in my country,” said the letter from Jerzy Laba, address ul.Pereca 25m10, 53-430 Wroclaw, Poland. “Strings in my bass guitar are disrepair.”

The letter arrived Wednesday morning at the small shop, crammed full of high-tech guitars, synthesizers and sound systems. “Dear Sirs, I’m bass guitarist,” the letter said. “Please send me--free of charge--set Rotosound ‘Swing Bass’ RS 66 LD electric bass strings.”

Two Substitutes Would Do

Two other brands, D’Addario or GHS, would also do, Laba wrote.

“How this guy is so informed or knows about this store, I have no idea,” said store manager Dan Shattuck. “It just came out of the clear blue sky.”

Shattuck could not remember ever having a Polish customer in the store, although he did once sell a keyboard to a Swiss musician.

“The only thing I can figure is, we advertise in a free giveaway band magazine. Maybe someone from Poland was visiting and took it back, and this guy saw the ad and wrote to us,” said Shattuck, 36, of San Clemente.

Wroclaw, population 622,000, is in southwest Poland on the Oder River, about 190 miles southwest of Warsaw. When it was part of Germany, it was called Breslau. The first settlement there dates from the 10th Century. Many nations have occupied the city.

Shattuck said he either would send Laba some strings or contact the manufacturers and ask them to send him “a lifetime supply.”

A set of four bass guitar strings costs $25 to $25, Shattuck said.

Enclosed with the letter were six pins from Polish musician clubs, including the Country Music Assn. of Poland, the Heavy Metal Club of Poland and the Reggae Music Club.

“The guy’s obviously very industrious,” Shattuck said. “Maybe he defected from California.”