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Double Bass Most Expensive Double Bass

#22
Calvin Marks said:
Ask any of the bassists in the Toronto Symphony, their instruments include:

1 Rogeri
1 Tarr
1 Montagnana
1 Panormo (owned by Dragonetti)
1 Busan
1 Gilkes

the other two basses are an old Lupo bass and a modern instrument by Peter Elias.

Oh and of course Joel Quarrington when he played with them used his small little Maggini.
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Dave Grossman's Panormo had a pretty impressive provenance and I recall (I think) that that was well under $100K.
No basses sold at $750K plus that I remember...
 
#25
Last year at David Gage's shop, while spending an afternoon trying out basses just for the hell of it (I had some time to kill), they let me try the "Dragonetti Bass".

I did not even think to ask the maker, or the year, because my jaw was on the floor when they told me it was $225,000.

They assured me that it was in fact the bass Dragonetti owned and played.

I will say it sure was alot louder than anything I was trying in the $30,000 price range.
 
#26
jsbarber said:
Master 18th century Venetian luthier Domenico Montagnana, who's 'cellos are considered to be among the best ever, is known to have only one surviving double bass:

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It sold 5-10 years ago at Sotheby's for about a quarter million US$. There may have been higher priced transactions since then, but at the time this was the record.

Jim
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I don't think this is true. A bassist from the Berlin Philharmonic, Pete Riegelbauer, has one.
 
#27
On the Montagnana mentioned earlier:

Another fine-instrument auction on March 16 was held by Sotheby’s, at which 70 percent of the lots were sold. A Domenico Montagnana double bass took the top price; built in Venice ca. 1747, it sold for £155,500 ($251,910). A violin by Nicolò Amati, ca. 1640, went for £128,000 ($207,360), and one made by Nicolò Gagliano in 1744 took £87,300 ($141,426).

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#28
http://www.smithbassforums.com/showthread.php?t=801

Ken wrote: "About 15 years or so ago I saw a bass for sale by some famous Italian maker like maybe Grancino and the price was $40k. I thought to myself 'never will he get that for a Bass'! Last year a Cremona Bass sold for more than 10x that amount. Two Brescian Basses sold as well in that same year just after the Maggini/d'Salo expo in Brescia for over $500k each. About 4 years ago while I was searching for Basses or 'the Bass' actually a guy in my section tells me that there is a d'Salo available for sale for $600k..."

On a related note, I have vague recollection that a lawyer in Japan owns a d'Salo. He is a private collector and amateur bass player.
 
#30
The other Montagnana is played in the Toronto Symphony by Tim Dawson. It used to be owned by Tom Monohan. Even when the orchestra is playing full blast you can still hear this bass. I got to play an open A once and it was stepping on the pedal of a huge pipe organ - the sound was everywhere.
 
#32
400$Bass said:
Without giving the specifics of anyone's personal business: What is the most money a Double Bass has sold for that you know of?

Again I am researching for a program I am doing on the Double Bass. Hence I want to make the program interesting and educational.

I ask the above question at a music store that sells lower end strings instruments and the salesman's answer was, "half a million," for a Double Bass. (Don't know any details)
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SKINNER AUCTIONS last year sold the "JAWS" bass (used in the Movie) for $163,000 with an added cost to the buyer of 17% sales commission and "minor" fees! SKINNER has another auction with closing date of March 2nd (today) and Auction on May 3, with viewing two days previous. I considered giving them my 1820 Prescott if I could realize at least $70,000, but they require "suggesting" the opening bid. Well, I do too! Photos below: #1 the "JAWS" bass (Gagliano); #2 My 1820 Prescott.

Don Carrigan
 

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#36
400$Bass said:
Without giving the specifics of anyone's personal business: What is the most money a Double Bass has sold for that you know of?

Again I am researching for a program I am doing on the Double Bass. Hence I want to make the program interesting and educational.

I ask the above question at a music store that sells lower end strings instruments and the salesman's answer was, "half a million," for a Double Bass. (Don't know any details)
Click to expand...

Click here for a collection of photos of the best double basses in the world:
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However, my 1820 Abraham Prescot Busetto 5 string (low B) isn't pictured! Boo Hoo!
So I've included an image here below. My father paid $80 for it in 1950 as a Christmas Present. I hated it because it "was as ugly as a mud fence!). You can have it for $70,000, unless you're a dealer, in which case triple that figure.
Don Carrigan
 
#40
I read somewhere before, while doing research on old instruments, that Stradivarius had made a bass, if the whereabouts of this were known, would it be up there?

Or does it not matter, as he didn't specialize in basses?
 

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