Pollmann violone

[David Powell]

Originally Posted by Anselm Hauke

david, i don´t want to derail your thread...but...
the pics reminded me of this: http://cgi.ebay.de/Kontrabass-Meiste...QQcmdZViewItem
bass. and i know, everybody here likes some special bass-pics.
the price went from 15.000 to 12.000 last two weeks.
and it already IS a doublebass

Thank you, Anselm. It puts the price in perspective doesn't it? I don't keep up too closely with the exchange rate and e-bay is such a strange market, but not irrelevant at all. And it offers an opportunity to discuss a somewhat philosophical issue. I don't want to dwell on it, but when you say, it already is a double bass.... I hope the point you are making is that if I want a double bass, I should buy something that already is one. I agree entirely.

Let me make it very clear: If I purchase that Pollmann violone, while I am it's caretaker, it will remain a violone, as intended by the maker. After that, someone else will have to recognize the value in that, regardless of the price of keeping it that way. There are many double basses Anselm, and Pollmann (this particular man) made many double basses. This might be the only Pollmann violone. It won a gold medal in Dresden in 1980. Those who judged it are far more qualified than I and which of them would sanction changing it ???

I already have a double bass that while it might not be the best, is fine for the expression of my poor talents. If a Kremona is good enough for Xavier Padilla, it's good enough for me. While the Pollmann violone might speak more loudly in the modern world as a double bass, sometimes there are things that we should allow to whisper sweetly. Who am I with a few foolish $$ to say this is not one of them? I would be satisfied with whatever sounds it makes as a violone. Put a good Neumann condenser mic in front of it.....