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!

[Richard Prowse]

Gosh, that Bollbach certainly is a beautiful bass? How did you feel when he wound all those strings up? Have you seen this done before?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Richard Prowse

Gosh, that Bollbach certainly is a beautiful bass? How did you feel when he wound all those strings up? Have you seen this done before?

I did the tuning up myself for him.

Last week after selling the Storioni I had to get another bass ready for him. The next best choice I thought was the Marconcini school bass for a few reasons. It's Italian, it has sloped shoulders, it is old, it was made on a guitar form and, it sounds great. The problem was that I only had two solo sets. One was Original flat chromes but with an extension E/C flexocor as they don't make an extension solo string for that set and the other is Spirocore solos. I thought the Spiros would be too harsh since he mentioned he uses the OFCs on his basses. So, I tuned up the Belcantos already on the Marconcini and, it seemed fine. Today, I just tuned up a few of the basses and it was fine. The Lion also has Bel's on it but the Hart has Passione Starks but, they tuned up just fine as well. So, he will play Belcantos Orchestra strings tuned up one whole step as the bass is currently set at.

By the way, Leon used Orchestra OFC's on his Landolfi (and maybe his Gagliano too) and just tunes them up a whole step when doing solos. He says it's no problem so, you have to go with experience and try what the man says!

[Brian Gencarelli]

Ken-

After trying most of those basses this summer, I would say I probably would have done the same for the solo recital. Of all of your basses, that bass keeps popping back into my head. I think it is a good triple threat- good projection, good playability, and great looks! Very good crossover bass. Solo, Chamber, Orchestra and you can use the same bass! Mr. Bollbach did an incredible job on that one.

Now, if we were talking orchestra only, I would take the Tarr 6 days a week and twice on Sunday!

Best,
Brian

[Geoff Chalmers]

I was lucky enough to have some lessons from Leon Bosch and to see his recitals. I completely agree with Ken that he is one of the very best bassists. Such an inspiring musician and person.
I also asked him about solo tuning and he said the same thing about tuning up his OFC's for recitals.

I think the Bollbach looks amazing. I'm a big fan of modern makers and the craftsmanship on that bass is superb.

[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"