Luciano Golia basses

[basstimg]

Hi all I am thinking about have a bass made by Golia. Has anyone tried his instruments or does anyone own one ? Would love to hear any feedback on the instruments.

I am a jazz player and play a lot of straight ahead stuff but I also particularly like a lot of the modern ECM, ACT, Hubro labels. Up until recently I was purely a pizz player but recently I have started getting classical lessons and getting into arco in a big way (still basic level).

I currently use a 1960s hybrid Czech bass with purple spirios and have a gk amp.

[bassace]

I lust after a Golia bass but as I've just coughed up a sizeable sum for a new Martin I'll have to leave it there. Mike Arnopol, a very accomplished player, plays one and rates it very highly. Luciano operates in USA and Italy so I'm not too sure how the logistics would work. Good luck in your quest.

[bassace]

PS If you'd care to PM me your email address I have an old email from LG together with pics of some of his basses attached.

[basstimg]

Hi bassace thanks for your message. I have been in discussions with Luciano and he seems like a really nice man and logistically it is possible and he has suggested a bass style etc to meet my needs.

I know Mike rates the instruments and also Rotaru but other than there feedback I've not heard anything else. Was wondering if anyone else had tried one !!!

[chrkelly]

Those look like very nice basses indeed but I'd be wary of stumping up that amount of cash when you haven't played any of his work before. There's a wealth of amazing instrument makers here in the uk. If I was in the market for a brand new instrument, I'd be talking to Roger Dawson & Laurence Dixon. There's also Martin Penning who's a bit closer to you in Somerset.

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Thanks for the reponse and I know what you mean which is why I put this thread on here to get more info and maybe even try a bass

I just missed a great deal on a penning due to bad timing love his work and would love a bass of his but to have one made for me would be over my current budget

[mtroun]

Hello fellow Cornish bass player! We've met, ages ago! If I were you I'd be checking out as many instruments as you can. The problem with buying a new instrument direct from the maker is the loss of value after you get it, as opposed to an older instrument.
That said, I got a Paul Bryant bass a few years ago and I rate it very highly for the money, certainly unbeatable price-wise among English makers. Martin Penning has done quite a bit of work on my Bryant as well which has made it more pleasurable to play.
Getting an instrument made for you does give you the chance to get exactly what you want from an instrument. Then again, I don't know if you're like me but it just has to 'feel right' rather than be a series of specifications. There seems to be something of a glut of affordable old basses on musical chairs these days so it may be worth checking out some of the instruments there.

I'm not convinced anyone in the UK has a Golia bass but I'd love to be proven wrong. Good luck on the search!

[basstimg]

Wait a minute we've met ??? When and where ? Are you in Cornwall now ?

[basstimg]

Nice to chat to a fellow Cornishman who understands the issues with buying a bass ha ha it's a nightmare down here as you know and I've noticed lots of great private ones but can't just drive off to every corner of the U.K. To look at one off basses both due to a busy working life, family and also financially it can get expensive !

What Bryant bass have you got ? I am hoping to go and try one in January and also pop into Tom martins.

Also what are your thoughts on Pennings work I just missed out on an amazing deal due to bad timing he's worked o my basses and is a great guy

Tim

[philparker]

Martin Penning also works on my DBs and I have been fortunate enough to see/hear a couple of his DBs when I attended a Workshop with Hagai Bilitzky a couple of years ago. The DB commissioned by Hagai was also being collected by him so had not even been played until he arrived at the Workshop and the sound was outstanding. Everyone got the chance to have a look over it and by coincidence another 'student' at the Workshop also had a Penning DB, the very one that was taken to a DB trade fair in Denmark that convinced Hagai to order one in the first place.

You rarely see any Penning DBs second hand and I'm not surprised as they are generally keepers. Although I now have a quality DB, if I was to get one new a Penning would be on the top of my list - and still good value for money compared to some of the T&G Martin ones I've seen. S/H wise, as mentioned, there's been a great choice on Musical Chairs for a couple of years now.

Anyway, good luck with your search.

[geoffbassist]

In the last year or so Musical chairs has had a small number of sellers passing off poorly made, modern basses as older, 'named' instruments. So, I would approach that route with caution if you are unsure, but there's also lots of genuine basses/sellers on there. It's a shame as there's traditionally been some great basses on MC. Like buying from eBay etc you just need to get checks done when buying older basses.

I would also highly recommend Martyn Bailey if you are considering a modern bass. I can't say enough good stuff about his repair/restorations and his instruments are incredible.

+ Golia and Penning are superb. There's a lot of great options for new instruments! Enjoy your search :-)

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Thanks Phil Yeah Martin is a great talent so annoyed I just missed one of his instruments just down to bad timing Incedently what are you playing ? And Geoff thanks for your message I had heard there were quite a few dodgy basses on musical chairs real shame as there is also some great stuff. I heard one dealer in definately worth avoiding !!!! Minefield !

How do you know Golia basses are so good ?

[geoffbassist]

I've not played one but he has a great reputation as a trusted luthier who's instruments are used by some top players. His basses look to be beautifully made so he's certainly worth considering.

[basstimg]

Thanks for that Geoff if i had the option for the penning now I'd go for it but alas that's not possible it's out of the country but this did lead to me finding out about Golia so maybe it's fate I know Mike arnopol and Rotaru play what other top guys play them ? The do look and sound nice on some of the clips Ive seen 🎶🎶🎶🎻

[philparker]

[quote name='basstimg' timestamp='1448566907' post='2916559'] Incedently what are you playing ?[/quote]

I've now got a 1920's Mirecourt DB by Gustave Villaume, which I gave to Martin Penning for a full health check and a set up to my requirements.

There are a couple of threads about Golia DBs on this forum, if you do a search, quite old now and the pictures are no longer available on the last one, which Geoff also enthuses about.

Yes, second hand can be a bit hit or miss and price is no equal measure. At the workshop I mentioned, one of the players had a £20k (valued at) old French Bass, but he fully appreciated that it was no tonal match for the DB that Martin had just made for Hagai - and I think he has since bought one. I've taken up orchestral lessons again (to finish off my grades) and my tutor has a T&G Martin DB, which does sound fantastic, but as they're probably more established than Martin Penning they're proportionately more expensive and I think a MP DB is still a good investment for somebody buying new. I'm certainly not ruling one out for the future!

[basstimg]

Thanks a lot for the message the villaume sounds expensive isn't that what Charlie haden used ? Yeah if I had the opportunity now i would grab it but at the time I was totally over loaded with gigs work and family stuff.

Intersted in the Golia too and still hoping someone might have one to try

[philparker]

[quote name='basstimg' timestamp='1448570114' post='2916593']
Thanks a lot for the message the villaume sounds expensive isn't that what Charlie haden used ?
[/quote]

Jean-Baptiste Villaume: from the same family, but much older (mid 19th century) and a lot more expensive!

[basstimg]

Ha ha thanks for correcting me