Pro's pick!

[Ken Smith]

Today Leon Bosch one of my favorite players, was here trying out some Basses in order to choose one for his Recital and Master Class at Rowen University in New Jersey tomorrow. Doug Mapp, a well known bassist in Philly and bass professor at Rowen made all the arrangements for Leon's visit.

Leon had asked me about 2 years ago before this trip was ever planned to try my Storioni when it came out of restoration. Now that it had been ready for about a year, I was prepping the bass with solo strings for his visit. Recently, that bass went out on a sale contract so it became unavailable. I then offered the Marconcini school bass, another old Italian recently restored and Leon agreed that would work just fine.

Today after playing the Marconcini he also tried the Hart, JB Allen, Tarr, Lamy and the Bollbach Lion, not in that exact order. In the end, for projecting power and tone combined and tuned up a whole step (A,E,B,F#) with Orchestra strings on every bass, not solo strings, he chose the Lion head bass by Jeff Bollbach to play on tomorrow.

I thought the Marconcini or the Hart would have been his preferred sound, but the modern 9 year old Bollbach was the chosen one over the classics and classic monster sized basses like the Tarr and Allen. Leon was able to play the harmonics past the fingerboard regardless of the size of the bass, but projecting sound being 'job one' the Lion won!

Now, I am having second thoughts of even selling this bass. Maybe if Jeff puts an Extension on it for me, I will be set for any job that comes up, classical, jazz or whatever!