Pollmann Busseto.. (SOLD)

[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