Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg
Any comments on these also for sale on the ISB site? I'm not sure if you saw them.
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Yes, I know of both those basses and I think I played the Baldontoni in 2009. It is a fairly small bass. I think my Marconcini bass is much better and better priced than either of those regardless of the past owner of the other bass.
If you are looking for an old Italian guitar shaped bass for a great price, I have it. Just come and play it. My bass is perfectly shaped for playing and is not a small bass by average standards. The new neck graft with a D-Heel and deeper block set brought it 'down' to 41 1/4" mensur from closer to 43" with an Eb neck when I got the bass. I have played mine in the Orchestra next to a full sized '80s Pollmann Maggini roundback used in pro orchestras and there was no problem hearing me with or over him doing Mozart 36. The Violas and Cellos around me (as I was tucked in between their last chairs) keep looking over at the bass during rehearsal and commented how beautiful the tone was. In the distance, it's as loud as my Hart/Maggini model bass and that's a professional orchestra pedigee classic. Many of the other smaller guitar basses are only suitable for chamber or solo work as they were originally intended for. This one of mine is as long a body length as any of my other 3/4 basses or even longer than some.
When Stefano Sciascia played it at this last ISB, he commented to me,
"don't sell this bass!". He played it the first day or the show and the last day as well when he came to try my Slaviero bow and picked the Marconcini model to try it in. With a smile on his face while playing it I asked,
"so how is the Bow?".. He commented,
"I am not listening to the Bow, I am listening to the bass". So in the end, he never told me anything about the bow I wanted him to test for me but did mesmerize us for about 15 minutes of ad-lib playing on the bass.