Pollmann Busseto.. (SOLD)

[Phil Maneri]

I played this bass. It's really something. One of the best Pollmanns I've played. If it's the same one I played at Arnolds a month before it's the only Pollmann I've liked, if it's a different one I must say they are making better basses than they used to not all that long ago.

The carvings are astonishing but not my cuppa. The arching of the top, the flame in the maple, the little detail work is fantasticly done. Nice balanced player, has all the right stuff.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Phil Maneri

I played this bass. It's really something. One of the best Pollmanns I've played. If it's the same one I played at Arnolds a month before it's the only Pollmann I've liked, if it's a different one I must say they are making better basses than they used to not all that long ago.

The carvings are astonishing but not my cuppa. The arching of the top, the flame in the maple, the little detail work is fantasticly done. Nice balanced player, has all the right stuff.

This Bass was up at Arnolds around that time as he was finishing up the Neck Graft/string length modification. He does have a few other Pollmans there as well but this is the only one with the modified String length so it could be 'the one'.

I personally like it myself all around and that is the main reason I bought it. From time to time, I have what I call a 'secondary' or 'alternate Bass' around that I can take to Orchestra rehearsals, Concerts or Jazz gigs when I don't feel safe about bringing one of my 'Classics' out as far as stage size or venue. Basses get 'bumped' way too easy by 'non-Bass playing musicians'! I have in the past done this with another Pollmann I had, the Bisiach labeled Bass with and without C-extension, the Bollbach Lion, the 3/4 Bohemian, the Batchelder, Lombardi, Sirleto, and even the Loveri and Candi Basses which are fairly expensive Basses but still need to go out for that occasional ride once in awhile.

I did a test the other day with a listener about 30 feet away in the shop to see if he was hearing what I was hearing when I playing one of my 3 main Basses. These are the Gilkes, Hart and Martini. The results were almost what you hear on top of the Bass but carry power and depth is another thing. I always thought the Gilkes to have less power then the Hart or Martini but turns out they only have more depth and low end spread. The Gilkes is the loudest, the Martini the smoothest and the Hart in the middle sounding half Italian on the bottom and half English on the top. Perhaps he was a Pasta eater..lol. These differences (from one spectrum to the next) vary only about 10-15% between Basses on volume and tone depth. From the loudest to the softest or the deepest to the brightest it's a bigger difference.

Then, I decided to test the Pollmann Busseto to see where it would fit in that mix. I played the Martini first, then the Pollmann, then the Gilkes and then the Pollmann once more. The Pollmann is actually louder then the Gilkes but not as deep, smooth or mature. The Martini has less volume than both of them but still wins in depth and spread. The Pollmann needs another 150 years or so before it can compete with the Gilkes on tone but I have to say this. For a 7 year old Bass, it sounds good enough to sit in any orchestra with only that same 10-15% difference on the sound scale as tested. In a big hall, the tonal differences will be much less and the blend within the section will be just fine as it does have a smooth deep low end already. It just doesn't have the mature development to match the 1814 Gilkes.

When Arnold has some time for me (he has 2 other big projects of mine on his bench already) I will have him make a C-Extension like I have on my other Basses and get this 'puppy' set-up as my new 'alternate Bass'.

Also, I am thinking of making this into an Eb Neck to match the Hart. The Heel has plenty of room and for my taste, too much to get around. The Batchelder and Tyrolean Bass I have are Eb Necks as well and this is what I am most comfortable playing when changing registers from regular to thumb'. The distance from my Thumb in the Heel to my 4th finger on the F# varies on my Basses from 5 3/4" to 7". That's way too much variation when switching Basses. The Gilkes is the smallest but also a 41" string length and a D-Neck. The Hart is 6" but a 41 3/4" S.L. Eb-Neck. I would prefer that stretch closer to 6" (+/-) rather than 7" which one of my Basses measured. The D or Eb thing for me is less of a deal then the bigger stretch when moving into thumb position or just going for that middle ground between F and A. Once up in T.P. it's not a problem either way but getting there can be 'shaky ground' is the 'Heel stretches' vary greatly.

Bottom line, shes worth keeping!

[Mike Cox]

Just out of curiosity Ken, why did you decide to change the tailpiece on your new Pollmann?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Mike Cox

Just out of curiosity Ken, why did you decide to change the tailpiece on your new Pollmann?

First off, the Bass is not new, it is from 2001. It is just new to me in case I wasn't clear about that.

The Ebony TP was on there when I got it. I think the Maple didn't look at that great and for Bowing, was too bright sounding. The Bass is plenty loud with the Ebony and bright enough.

I never played or heard it with the Maple Pollmann TP. Arnold may have before I picked it up. I left it to him to just 'make it right'!

Many of my older Bass have either their original TPs or an old replaced TP that is either black stained Maple or another hardwood that was stained. These include my Gilkes, Hart, Martini, 4/4 English, Storioni and Batchelder. My my Lombardi is Wenge, my former Bollbach was Walnut and my former Pollmann was Morado (I think) as is my recently acquired 19th century Gagliano school Neapolitan Bass and will get a custom made Cocobolo TP from Pecanic. My former owned Hungarian 5er had a stained Maple TP when it was a 4-string and it was replaced with a Macassar Ebony TP from Pecanic.

Percentage wise, about half the TPs on the Basses I've had came in without Ebony TPs and all but two were replaced. One (the Pollmann) because it came to me that way and I was told would be better with the Ebony TP and the 5er because we modified it from a 4-string.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I still have the Maple Pollmann TB so maybe one day, it will find its way back onto the Bass.

The Wenge on the Lombardi will stay. Maybe it will get stained Black just for looks. The Morado-type TP on the Neapolitan looks bad to me all the way around so it will get a Cocobolo TP that I had made for the 4/4 English Bass Because that Bass is getting its 3-string modified-to-4-string TP back when the restoration is completed.

Strings I often Change on Basses I have. TPs, rarely as well as Tail wires. Bridges as needed. Basses? Keep em commin..lol

[Ken Smith]

[Joel Larsson]

Ah, that thing sure is a sight. I am generally against brighter varnishes leaning towards blonde or honey, but this piece just melts in your mouth. This one (and Calvin's!!) almost makes me reconsider...

I know what Phil & Sam means... in the beginning, I was also strongly against the carvings, and when I borrowed the Bussetto I would later buy, I was almost a bit, you know, condescending when I spoke about it. I came to terms with it, though... after all, a model like that just wouldn't do very well without it!

(On a side note, if you want to know what's still grinding my gears, it's lion heads on the scroll; or any custon scrolls for that matter. Or, actually, I saw a Ganesha on a cello which was rather cool, and if I was to get myself a rockabilly bass, I wouldn't mind having Woody Woodpecker up there, but generally. That about that.)

if it's a different one I must say they are making better basses than they used to not all that long ago.
I was also under the impression that all Pöllmanns were quality instruments but nothing really special. That was until I got mine, which is from 1982, and I have played other 80's and 70's Pöllmanns of (almost! ) equal quality, but you do indeed have to be wary of some really boring basses out there. I am under the impression that Günther got lots of orders from orchestras and institutions which had to hold tight to their money, leaving him unable to use his best wood or put unlimited amounts of time on some basses, as well as not working in a (supposedly) inspiring relationship with a musician who's making the purchase of his life. His sons, on the other hand, seem to be able to make the most out of almost every bass they make.
Also, many of these basses owned by institutions have been terribly mistreated. I know of *quite* a lot of Pöllmanns (and basses in general) which just yearns for a little bit of love, and a proper restoration. All are mere shadows of themselves. You know that lovely Swedish bass at the Shoppe? I think the Academy that had it sold it for, like, USD2,000. After a detour to Eastern Europe and further violation of a wonderful bass, it is now on sale for about $90k. It's so UNNECESSARY you could cry (I almost do).

Now, I haven't yet tried a new Pöllmann, or any built by the sons. I REALLY want to, but it seems like there aren't many in Scandinavia; most are either conservatory basses or five-stringers owned by orchestras. Has anybody ever tried one of Günther's best ones, and how do they in that case compare to the new ones?

[Joel Larsson]

Maybe I ought to post some pics on mine... I've been nagging you too much about it already.

First, a comparison of four Pöllmann's. Guess which is mine.

[Geoff Chalmers]

Hi Ken,
I'm interested in why you decided to change the string length. I'm using 41.5 and was considering going for 40.5 on my next purchase. Why did you decide to change to 41.5 and were you happy with the results?
Many thanks Geoff