Pro's pick!

[Scott Pope]

Curious -- after he chose the lion head, did you restring it with solo strings, or just leave on the orchestra strings tuned up the step?

[Richard Prowse]

Wow! This guy can play!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMUkpQVOApk

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Scott Pope

Curious -- after he chose the lion head, did you restring it with solo strings, or just leave on the orchestra strings tuned up the step?

It has old Belcantos on it, maybe 2 years old. I just tuned them up a whole step.

I was at the rehearsal this afternoon and watched him play thru the pieces over and over trying 3 different Bows that he brought over. He asked me as I sat in the back how each one sounded and at the Master Class and Recital, he had just one Bow on stage with the Bass. All the Bows sounded good but one sounded better than the others for the full range of that bass.

It was a good day. I learned a few things from watching him teach and play as well.

[Arturo Baguer]

I was just listening to his British Double Bass cd. Incredibly high level of musicmaking. It must have been a real treat to have him over playing all those instruments.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arturo Baguer

I was just listening to his British Double Bass cd. Incredibly high level of musicmaking. It must have been a real treat to have him over playing all those instruments.

Yes, it was. Knowing Leon is a treat in itself. Having him in the same room playing basses is a very uplifting experience.

[Ken Smith]

"It is only thanks to the generosity of Ken Smith that I was able to make the unexpected and particularly gratifying contact with the work of the luthier Jeff Bollbach.

I arrived in Philadelphia (3/20/12) a day before having to perform a recital at Rowan University, but without a double bass. Ken Smith offered me the opportunity to try every single bass in his shop and to use whichever bass took my fancy.

It probably took me an hour or more to work my way through Marconcini, Hart, Tarr and Lamy amongst others, before I unexpectedly, and much to Ken’s surprise, decided on the Bollbach.

A beautiful quality of sound, exceptional clarity, huge volume and enormous projection combined to great effect and the instrument quickly endeared itself to me.

By the time I had completed my first rehearsal with piano, I knew that everything was going to be just fine, especially when Douglas Mapp, who popped in to hear us, frequently found it necessary to ask the pianist to play up!

The performance was truly enjoyable and the Bollbach performed equally well in the music of Jenő Takács, Pedro Valls, David Ellis and of course Bottesini.

This remarkable instrument embodies all the qualities of a great instrument and is one of the finest ‘modern’ instruments I have had the pleasure of performing on, and whoever gets to own it will be a very lucky person indeed.

Leon Bosch – July 2012"