Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith
We will be in Room 117, near the Esber Recital Hall in the School of Music Building, sharing the large Room 117 with one, perhaps two other vendors.
This is not where most of the other exhibits are but it's near the Recital Stage area in an adjacent building. Maybe we will be able to use the Stage to demo Basses, who knows?
The line-up at this time is;
Samuel Gilkes, London 1814
John Thomas Hart, London c.1830
Attr. English Gamba, c.1780
Oreste Martini, Mantova 1919
Oreste Candi, Genoa 1936
Peter Hamilton-Box, Kent 2008
We will also show a collection of fine French model Bass bows as well as our affordable KSB Bows in French (stamped C.Loveri) and German (stamped B.Fendt).
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On the Gilkes, Tom Martin kept telling me to pronounce it
Jilkes as that is the English way so I have to practice that.. Jilkes.. Jilkes.. Jilkes..
All of the Dealers and players that saw the Gilkes loved it and commented on the sound and fantastic condition. Tom also mentioned that Gilkes (Jilkes) was the Customs Examiner to the Queen for instruments entering the country. Charles Harris, the teacher and relative of Gilkes is also listed as a Customs official. This Gilkes Bass by Samuel, the only one known to have been made by him (labeled and branded) as well as having that 7-layer purfling with the Diamond neckless of purfling under the button may have been a Royal Commission of some sort. I guess we will never know.
Leon Bosch commented that he wished he had use the Big Gamba for his recital. He was able to get around that bass like it was a solo instrument. What an amazing player he is.
Players had pre-arranged for instruments loaned out to perform on as many came without a Bass. Stefano loved the Candi but the Karr bass had been brought in for him to use prior to the show. He commented that when playing the Gilkes (Jilkes) up at the end of the FB on the 'G' that it was one of the best sounding basses he had ever heard.
Guys, these players I heard this week, up close and personal, can make a bass sound that is beyond words I can describe. I never knew how good the Gilkes or Martini was before hearing it played at this show. Most agreed that the big Gamba was a very special bass but there was one top dealer (not to be named) that said "I like the Gilkes best over all of them"..
My Wife today asked if I had told them that it was her that picked out the Gilkes over a dozen other basses for me to buy when I was shopping some 5-6 years ago for my personal bass. So officially, my wife Claudia is the one responsible for me getting the Gilkes.. There.. I said it..
