Kolstein Basses

E_bottom · #1 04-01-2002, 04:09 PM

Can any one provide any advice or feedback on the Kolstein Model B800-Pietro Guarneri Master Copy Bass or the Model B700-Solo/Orchestrial Amanti. Thanks to the information I received on the Wilfer Bass thread I am strongly considering a Kolstein bass and really just want to know if either of these can at all compare to the Kolstein Fendt.

David Kaczorowski · #2 04-01-2002, 04:39 PM

The best thing to do is to call Barrie and ask him personally about the differences. Obviously there is a price difference so ask what the differences are in materials and where the bass is made, etc.

vanderbrook · #3 04-01-2002, 05:26 PM

I, too, was quite interested in the Pietro Guarneri model, but it wasn't available at the time I was looking (last December) and I never received any updated information on its availability. I gave up on it.

Good luck.

DaveAceofBass · #4 01-15-2006, 11:24 PM

I just played the Guarneri and Fendt at the IAJE conference. I was more interested in the Guarneri. As one would expect, the Fendt has a bigger sound (it is physically bigger), but surprisingly, not by much.... I really dug the Guarneri.

Steve Swan · #5 01-18-2006, 11:32 AM

Barrie Kolstein will be at the NAMM show in Anaheim on Thursday with a Guarneri and a Fendt, possibly the same two basses that Dave saw at the conference last week. If I can get by to play them, I'll try to get a few minutes with them and give my impressions when I get back on Monday.

Steve Swan
Retailer for Paesold, Wilfer, Kolstein, Calin Wultur, Mathias Thoma, etc.

DaveAceofBass · #6 01-18-2006, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Swan

Barrie Kolstein will be at the NAMM show in Anaheim on Thursday with a Guarneri and a Fendt, possibly the same two basses that Dave saw at the conference last week. If I can get by to play them, I'll try to get a few minutes with them and give my impressions when I get back on Monday.

Steve Swan
Retailer for Paesold, Wilfer, Kolstein, Calin Wultur, Mathias Thoma, etc.

That would be cool

Steve Swan · #7 01-19-2006, 08:25 PM

Before the NAMM show officially opened this morning I was able to play the Kolstein Pietro Guarneri and the Kolstein Fendt with fingers only. There were no bows or rosin to be had in the booth. The basses were both strung with the Kolstein Heritage strings, which I've gotten to like in the last year.

I've had experience with two other Fendts and this one was a little disappointing by comparison. It has a big, dark sound, but not as big as I am used to with this model. The neck was also a fair bit larger in profile than the other two that I've played, which made it a little unfamiliar to get around on. The fit and finish, however, was quite nice, the top grain being quite even and the reddish tones of the varnish standing out even under the weird convention hall lights.

The Pietro Guarneri model compared quite favorable to the only other one that I have played. It has a nice solid sound for a bass of its size with the narrow upper bout and rather narrow waist. It worked well as a jazz bass for me, but I was hungry to try it with a bow. The Pietro Guarneri model bass has gotten good feedback as a solo arco bass. Maybe I can snag a bow on Friday and try it out.

I don't think that I'll have DSL access again until I get home on Monday, so I'll have to wait until then to report anything new.

Steve Swan
Retailer for Paesold, Wilfer, Gill, Kolstein, Calin Wultur, etc.

P.S. I ran into Ken Smith at his booth this morning as well. I reintroduced myself and he told me about a near brush with a tornado at his home recently. As a California boy, I'll take earthquakes any day!

DaveAceofBass · #8 01-21-2006, 02:49 PM

I'd like to know more about what you thought with the bow. Is the Guarneri very red in color with a little knot on the top? That's the one I tried at IAJE. I went into the men's room with both the Fendt and the Guarneri to hear them better, and I felt that the Fendt was louder by my ear, but the projection wasn't much bigger overall. Perhaps it had a bigger low end....I found the Guarneri to be surprisingly close to the Fendt in terms of projection.

Steve Swan · #9 01-23-2006, 03:12 PM

The NAMM Guarneri was a little darker in finish color than the one that I have, which has more of a golden color. I couldn't say much about the color of this bass in the exhibit hall because the lights are pretty weird for colors. It was one of the basses that I showed to Ken Smith when we went on a little bass booth walking tour together for about an hour on Sunday morning. I know that Ken brought a bow with him to the show, but neither one of us had a chance to use it on this bass before the show started on Sunday. I wish that I had picked this bass up at the show, but I had other priorities for instruments to take home. Sometimes you just can't take home everything that you want! I'm sure that this bass is going to make someone a really nice arco solo instrument.

Steve Swan
Retailer for Paesold, Wilfer, Gill, Kolstein, Mastri, etc.

DaveAceofBass · #10 01-23-2006, 07:37 PM

So, you don't think it would work as an orchestral bass?

jmpiwonka · #11 01-23-2006, 08:08 PM

what are the general sound differences in an orchestra bass and a solo bass?

ispider6 · #12 01-23-2006, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmpiwonka

what are the general sound differences in an orchestra bass and a solo bass?

They are usually different in sound and size. Orchestral basses will typically be larger physically with a bigger low-end than solo basses and are meant to blend with a section. With a solo bass you are going for a brighter sound with a louder high-end that will cut through any accompaniment.

Steve Swan · #13 01-24-2006, 12:52 PM

Ken Smith was with me on Sunday morning when we were comparing lots of basses on a little walking tour together. He'll probably be able to describe the differences in projection and proper application more completely and accurately than I could, since I'm not an orchestral player. He's probably getting settled back in to his shop post-NAMM. Maybe we'll hear from him today.

This is one case where it would have been nice to still be married. My ex-wife was an orchestral player and her high school orchestra played the Firebird at Expo 70 in Japan! It would have been fun to have her play some NAMM show basses with her trusty old french bow.

Steve Swan
Retailer for Paesold, Wilfer, Kolstein, Mastri, Hofner, etc.

KSB - Ken Smith · #14 01-24-2006, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Swan

Ken Smith was with me on Sunday morning when we were comparing lots of basses on a little walking tour together. He'll probably be able to describe the differences in projection and proper application more completely and accurately than I could, since I'm not an orchestral player. He's probably getting settled back in to his shop post-NAMM. Maybe we'll hear from him today.

This is one case where it would have been nice to still be married. My ex-wife was an orchestral player and her high school orchestra played the Firebird at Expo 70 in Japan! It would have been fun to have her play some NAMM show basses with her trusty old french bow.

Steve Swan
Retailer for Paesold, Wilfer, Kolstein, Mastri, Hofner, etc.

Yes, I ran into Steve first at the Christopher Booth. I borrowed a Bow from them to play a new Gofriller model thay had. I did not bring a Bow of my own to the Show. The new Chris/Goff Bass had a nice tone but the shoulders were too 18th century for me. I am 6ft tall and have long arms. I was on my toes to play the upper part of the FB and harmonics past the FB. That Bass needs a CUT out of the box for my taste but all else was nice about it.

I played pizz on both of Barries Basses and the Solo Bass had a nice tone. The bigger model as Steve says seemed choked somewhere as the sound is trapped in the Bass. That would be my choice for an orchestra Bass between the two but the Guarneri held it's own. I too own a cut down Loveri now and works great with an orchestra but my larger upper bouted Martini is 2x thicker on every note. There are Orchestra basses and there are orchestra Basses. Depends on where the Barometer is set!