2011 ISB Biennial Competition Honors Double Bass Makers
Recently, a violin maker was overheard sneering, “Bass makers are just carpenters.” Not to insult carpenters, but if that was once true, the level of craft, skill, and gorgeous instruments at the 2011 International Society of Bassists convention held the first week of June on the campus of San Francisco State University made it clear that a full reevaluation is due.
The judges examined a record 25 instruments in the biennial Bass Makers’ Competition.
The competition’s coveted Gold Medal went to master luthier Daniel Hachez, of Wenatchee, Washington, whose double bass was selected for the top honor by winning Silver Medals (the top honor) for both tone and workmanship. Convention attendees were also invited to play and vote on their favorite entry and Hachez also won the “convention favorite” award. Silver Medals for Tone went to Bill Lakeberg, Nick Lloyd, Benedict Puglisi, and Aaron Reiley, while the Silver Medal for Workmanship went to the team of Joseph Grubaugh and Sigrun Seifert.
“For these makers, making basses is a real labor of love and this is the Olympics,” said violin maker Dustin Williams, who chaired the competition.
Simply put, if making basses is not in a golden age already, the dawn is coming.
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