Pollmann Busseto.. (SOLD)
 

I just got in a beautiful Pollmann Busseto Bass with all the ornate carvings. I have played many Pollmann Basses in the past but this one is just about the best I have seen and played. This one may be a keeper for me. It's easy to play and pleasant to listen to. It's also beautiful to look at. I will get a Page up on the web next week and post a few pics as well over here.

Pics..
 

Ok, as promised here are some preview pics. The rest can be found on the Bavarian Beauty page.
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...lmann01_10.jpghttp://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...ges/fholes.jpghttp://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...lmann01_10.jpg
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...lmann01_10.jpg

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...lmann01_10.jpg

That's a beauty! Thanks very much for sharing the photos.

Nice scroll. Nice, light finish. I dig the lightweight tuning machines, too. The materials, fit, and finish look really high-quality.

Do you reckon that the carving was done by hand, all done by CNC router, or roughed with a CNC and detailed by hand?

Congratulations!

;):rolleyes::cool:
what do you think of honest bavarian craftsmen?:)

Well..
 

In speaking with Arnold Schnitzer recently he told me about his trip a few years ago to visit the Pollmann shop and met with Ralph & Michael Krahmer the makers. The man that has been doing the 'Ornate Carvings' on these Basses for the last 30+ years is getting very old now and it may not be going on much longer.

I borrowed a 5-string of this same model a few years ago but made by the father Gunter Krahmer in 1977. Tonally, it was not as good as this Bass. It was carved the same way. I don't know what type of tools he/they use for this but I have been told it's done by hand.

For educational purposes, email Pollmann and ask them about this special 'Carved' model and maybe they will explain it better. Report back with your findings, please!

I dig the lightweight tuners, hard. The obvious benefit of steel/brass, and a fine gear ratio without the dampening mass or weight to lug around. Reminds me of drilled-out bicycle components.

My creaky hat peg tuners are light and relatively non-dampening, but what a coarse, hateful, jerky, creaky action they have - ugh.

I love seeing such clever solutions! :)

Regarding the carving, it may well be a hand job if they have one guy who does it all day. In my business, high-end architectural woodwork and furniture, when I apprenticed, larger shops usually had one or more carvers, who did nothing but that. These folks were fast AND good...take a talented person and have them do something endlessly and they are bound to get good (or go nuts, or both).

I'll email the firm and see what they say, sharing what I learn, if anything.

ken, if you mean me to do this: sorry, no.
i did the same for david powell some time ago, and it seems to me that emailing and providing information is not the favorite activity of the kramers...:(

maybe you have more sucsess than me:)

Gunter, not Ralph :)

oops..
 

Yes, I fixed that with a quick edit. I posted Ralph as the father when it's Gunter.

Anything else to comment on in regards to the Carving work maestro?

Emailed Pollmann about the carving. If they respond, I'll share it...

It's all chip carving done with knives and gouges. Quite skillful but gaudy, IMHO.

Here's the response from Poellmann, confirming our assumptions:

"Hi Eric

Thanx for your mail.

We are a small Bassmaker Family and we do all our work by hand.
There is a special technique in this carving work.
If you have the possibility to see one of our ornamentation basses,
you can see in the details (and if you have a eye for thinks like this)
that the cutting are not equal and even. It's handwork....


Best regards
Poellmann Bassmaker
Ralph"


As a mechanic, I will leave my opinions on taste and the "assumed irregularity of handwork" out of the mix. I am grateful that they took the time to respond!

yes..
 

I think they are beautiful. I almost bought the '77 5er a few years ago but I had some issues with that Bass personally. The Carvings is what got me excited. This one I have now is the best Pollmann I have played for a model this size. Actually, it is the best I have had my hands on. Maybe some of the bigger Italian models are even better but for this German model and the other smaller Italian models they have made since the '70s, this is the best thus far.

I guess I just like fancy stuff. It's not for everyone.

The Eye of the Beholder
 

The "hollow key" tuner sure do look like they're gonna snap off the next time you bonk one. I dig the faux "plate" carving on the scroll a lot. That looks like fun . . . The extra carving on the ear of the scroll, OK, fun too . . . The ornate body carving in lieu of purfling has always struck me as over-the-top. It also seems to lack the benefits up purfling, i.e. a stop-point for edge-chips. Obviously we treat masterwork instruments with the utmost respect and do our utmost never to cause harm. Unfortunately, there are other people in the world -- and on the road -- and on the bandstand -- who might not rise to that standard.

n lieu of purfling
 

First off Sam, this Bass IS totally Purfled Top and Back just above the carvings into the curve of the edge in a masterful way. The inner edge of Purfling modulates into the outer edge of the carving. This work is beautifully done but in a subtle way.

Look closer in these Pics;
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...ges/button.jpghttp://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...lmann01_13.jpg

The sharp fine black lines that look like paint around the wood colored center is actually inlaid purfling, not paint. This Bass is built to the end.

The Tuner handles are sturdier than the thin flat club-shaped handles seen on 90% of the German plate gears of the 20th century. No Bass should get banged around, period.

I played this bass. It's really something. One of the best Pollmanns I've played. If it's the same one I played at Arnolds a month before it's the only Pollmann I've liked, if it's a different one I must say they are making better basses than they used to not all that long ago.

The carvings are astonishing but not my cuppa. The arching of the top, the flame in the maple, the little detail work is fantasticly done. Nice balanced player, has all the right stuff.

One of the best Pollmanns I've played..
 

This Bass was up at Arnolds around that time as he was finishing up the Neck Graft/string length modification. He does have a few other Pollmans there as well but this is the only one with the modified String length so it could be 'the one'.

I personally like it myself all around and that is the main reason I bought it. From time to time, I have what I call a 'secondary' or 'alternate Bass' around that I can take to Orchestra rehearsals, Concerts or Jazz gigs when I don't feel safe about bringing one of my 'Classics' out as far as stage size or venue. Basses get 'bumped' way too easy by 'non-Bass playing musicians'! I have in the past done this with another Pollmann I had, the Bisiach labeled Bass with and without C-extension, the Bollbach Lion, the 3/4 Bohemian, the Batchelder, Lombardi, Sirleto, and even the Loveri and Candi Basses which are fairly expensive Basses but still need to go out for that occasional ride once in awhile.

I did a test the other day with a listener about 30 feet away in the shop to see if he was hearing what I was hearing when I playing one of my 3 main Basses. These are the Gilkes, Hart and Martini. The results were almost what you hear on top of the Bass but carry power and depth is another thing. I always thought the Gilkes to have less power then the Hart or Martini but turns out they only have more depth and low end spread. The Gilkes is the loudest, the Martini the smoothest and the Hart in the middle sounding half Italian on the bottom and half English on the top. Perhaps he was a Pasta eater..lol. These differences (from one spectrum to the next) vary only about 10-15% between Basses on volume and tone depth. From the loudest to the softest or the deepest to the brightest it's a bigger difference.

Then, I decided to test the Pollmann Busseto to see where it would fit in that mix. I played the Martini first, then the Pollmann, then the Gilkes and then the Pollmann once more. The Pollmann is actually louder then the Gilkes but not as deep, smooth or mature. The Martini has less volume than both of them but still wins in depth and spread. The Pollmann needs another 150 years or so before it can compete with the Gilkes on tone but I have to say this. For a 7 year old Bass, it sounds good enough to sit in any orchestra with only that same 10-15% difference on the sound scale as tested. In a big hall, the tonal differences will be much less and the blend within the section will be just fine as it does have a smooth deep low end already. It just doesn't have the mature development to match the 1814 Gilkes.

When Arnold has some time for me (he has 2 other big projects of mine on his bench already) I will have him make a C-Extension like I have on my other Basses and get this 'puppy' set-up as my new 'alternate Bass'.

Also, I am thinking of making this into an Eb Neck to match the Hart. The Heel has plenty of room and for my taste, too much to get around. The Batchelder and Tyrolean Bass I have are Eb Necks as well and this is what I am most comfortable playing when changing registers from regular to thumb'. The distance from my Thumb in the Heel to my 4th finger on the F# varies on my Basses from 5 3/4" to 7". That's way too much variation when switching Basses. The Gilkes is the smallest but also a 41" string length and a D-Neck. The Hart is 6" but a 41 3/4" S.L. Eb-Neck. I would prefer that stretch closer to 6" (+/-) rather than 7" which one of my Basses measured. The D or Eb thing for me is less of a deal then the bigger stretch when moving into thumb position or just going for that middle ground between F and A. Once up in T.P. it's not a problem either way but getting there can be 'shaky ground' is the 'Heel stretches' vary greatly.

Bottom line, shes worth keeping!

Just out of curiosity Ken, why did you decide to change the tailpiece on your new Pollmann?

Why?
 

First off, the Bass is not new, it is from 2001. It is just new to me in case I wasn't clear about that.

The Ebony TP was on there when I got it. I think the Maple didn't look at that great and for Bowing, was too bright sounding. The Bass is plenty loud with the Ebony and bright enough.

I never played or heard it with the Maple Pollmann TP. Arnold may have before I picked it up. I left it to him to just 'make it right'!

Many of my older Bass have either their original TPs or an old replaced TP that is either black stained Maple or another hardwood that was stained. These include my Gilkes, Hart, Martini, 4/4 English, Storioni and Batchelder. My my Lombardi is Wenge, my former Bollbach was Walnut and my former Pollmann was Morado (I think) as is my recently acquired 19th century Gagliano school Neapolitan Bass and will get a custom made Cocobolo TP from Pecanic. My former owned Hungarian 5er had a stained Maple TP when it was a 4-string and it was replaced with a Macassar Ebony TP from Pecanic.

Percentage wise, about half the TPs on the Basses I've had came in without Ebony TPs and all but two were replaced. One (the Pollmann) because it came to me that way and I was told would be better with the Ebony TP and the 5er because we modified it from a 4-string.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I still have the Maple Pollmann TB so maybe one day, it will find its way back onto the Bass.

The Wenge on the Lombardi will stay. Maybe it will get stained Black just for looks. The Morado-type TP on the Neapolitan looks bad to me all the way around so it will get a Cocobolo TP that I had made for the 4/4 English Bass Because that Bass is getting its 3-string modified-to-4-string TP back when the restoration is completed.

Strings I often Change on Basses I have. TPs, rarely as well as Tail wires. Bridges as needed. Basses? Keep em commin..lol:D

and..
 

Ah, that thing sure is a sight. I am generally against brighter varnishes leaning towards blonde or honey, but this piece just melts in your mouth. This one (and Calvin's!!) almost makes me reconsider...

I know what Phil & Sam means... in the beginning, I was also strongly against the carvings, and when I borrowed the Bussetto I would later buy, I was almost a bit, you know, condescending when I spoke about it. I came to terms with it, though... after all, a model like that just wouldn't do very well without it!

(On a side note, if you want to know what's still grinding my gears, it's lion heads on the scroll; or any custon scrolls for that matter. Or, actually, I saw a Ganesha on a cello which was rather cool, and if I was to get myself a rockabilly bass, I wouldn't mind having Woody Woodpecker up there, but generally. That about that.)

if it's a different one I must say they are making better basses than they used to not all that long ago.
I was also under the impression that all Pöllmanns were quality instruments but nothing really special. That was until I got mine, which is from 1982, and I have played other 80's and 70's Pöllmanns of (almost! ;)) equal quality, but you do indeed have to be wary of some really boring basses out there. I am under the impression that Günther got lots of orders from orchestras and institutions which had to hold tight to their money, leaving him unable to use his best wood or put unlimited amounts of time on some basses, as well as not working in a (supposedly) inspiring relationship with a musician who's making the purchase of his life. His sons, on the other hand, seem to be able to make the most out of almost every bass they make.
Also, many of these basses owned by institutions have been terribly mistreated. I know of *quite* a lot of Pöllmanns (and basses in general) which just yearns for a little bit of love, and a proper restoration. All are mere shadows of themselves. You know that lovely Swedish bass at the Shoppe? I think the Academy that had it sold it for, like, USD2,000. After a detour to Eastern Europe and further violation of a wonderful bass, it is now on sale for about $90k. It's so UNNECESSARY you could cry (I almost do).

Now, I haven't yet tried a new Pöllmann, or any built by the sons. I REALLY want to, but it seems like there aren't many in Scandinavia; most are either conservatory basses or five-stringers owned by orchestras. Has anybody ever tried one of Günther's best ones, and how do they in that case compare to the new ones?

String Length change
 

Hi Ken,
I'm interested in why you decided to change the string length. I'm using 41.5 and was considering going for 40.5 on my next purchase. Why did you decide to change to 41.5 and were you happy with the results?
Many thanks Geoff

The Neck was broken when it came in and also by lengthening the new neck (graft) you also bring up the higher notes closer to the player. Also, the neck stand on new Pollmann basses and most all other new German basses is much lower like 25-30mm out from the top instead of 35-40mm. This way, the shoulders are never in the way and during the new graft job, you can pitch the neck as desired with the neck stand to get a higher bridge as well. This will help clear the bouts easier with the bow as well as produce more power in the sound. My Busetto was just about the best modern Pollmann I had heard. I am sorry that I sold it actually. maybe one day it will come back in trade.

better late than never.. lol
 

Joel, yours is the middle on in the rack with the bumpers, non Busetto?

oops.. (profile)
Your GearPöllmann Bussetto 1982Ok, the one lying on the floor? 2 more guesses and I will have it!.. :D

Thanks for your reply.
I agree the Pollmann looks fantastic. Very special bass.

and..
 

The other 2 reasons for making it longer are tone and marketability. Under 41" is considered a short or solo bass. Making it an inch longer also adds depth to the overall sound. That bass was deep and loud. I put some Guts on there and took it to an Orchestra rehearsal. It scared one of the Cello players in front of me.. "What IS that thing":eek::eek::eek: he remarked when he suddenly turned around a few seconds after we started to play. :cool:

A very welcomed reaction!;)