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Kontrabassbögen

   Zdzislaw Prochownik                             
   1050 The Queensway
 

   Etobicoke ON
   Canada M8Z 0A8    tel. 416 253 4433  
   email; prochownik@outlook.com   or prochownik@hotmail.com    

    Kontact:   Gisèle Blondeau
    Dattenfelder Strasse 8
    51109 Köln
     Germany      Tel: +49 221 5481 4438   Cell/Handy: +49 163 734 6484
email:    gisele_blondeau@yahoo.com

 

 

Sehr geehrter potenzieller Kunde,

 

Die letzten zwanzig Jahre verdiente ich mein Geld als professioneller Kontrabassist bei drei der groessten Orchester in Kanada. Seit jeher fasziniert von den Eigenschaften eines guten Bogens, begann ich mit verschiedenen Arten zu experimentieren und stieg endgueltig in die Bogenmacherindustrie ein.

Ermutigt durch zahlreiche Erfolgserlebnisse als Hobby-Bogenmacher, mein Interesse verstaerkte sich in 1991, als Resultat des Lernens vom Jean Grunberger in Frankreich.

Meine Boegen sind ein wenig anders als die ueblichen Bogen auf dem Markt.

Wenn ich einen Bogen mache, konzentriere ich mich auf den Fokus: klarer, durchdringlicher Klang, mit einer schnellen Klangwidergabe.

Fuer Kuenstler die normalerweise schwerere Boegen gewoehnt sind, koennen meine Boegen anfangs ein wenig ungewohnt erscheinen, doch nach einer kurzen Eingewoehnungsphase wird zu erkennen sein, dass schwerere Boegen normalerweise nicht die Sensibiliaet und sofortige Klangwidergabe haben    wie die leichten Boegen.

Warum die Erdanziehungskraft, die Geschwindigkeit, und eine Handverletzung riskieren wenn man mehr als das mit weniger Aufwand erzielen kann?

Alle meine Boegen haben ein grosses Bogengewoelbe und sind der Rolle gemäß sehr flexibel. So konstruiert, dass man den Bogen horizontal mit minimalem Druck ziehen kann, benoetigen sie einen kleineren Straffungsabstand zwischen dem Holz und dem Haar. Jeder Bogen ist gefertigt aus dem besten vorhandenen Pernambucoholz und wird mit Ultraschallwellen auf Kraft und Flexibilitaet geprueft. Die Funktionalitaet als Schwerpunkt betrachtet, die Boegen sind versilbert und individuell ausbalanciert fuer die bestmoeglichen Resultate , bietet jeder Einzelne exzellenten Kontakt zur Saite sowohl die Deutlichkeit im “Ohne Saite” Spielen. Alle Boegen im Franzoesischen Stil kommen mit einem Daumengummi um dem Spielkomfort beizutragen.

Beim Testen der Boegen empfehle ich den Vergleich mit anderen Boegen beim Spielen verschiedener schwieriger Passagen, sowohl, falls es moeglich ist, aus gewisser Distanz dem Klang zu lauschen zum Vergleich.  Bei der Herstellung meiner Boegen benutze ich nur das feinste Schweifhaar des Kanadischen Weissen Pferdes, welches den besten Griff anbietet. Alle Boegen warden in einem professionellem symphonischen Orchester getestet bevor sie zum Kaeufer losgeschickt werden.

 Zur Zeit stelle ich drei verschiedene Abweichungen des Bogens im Franzoesischen Stil her:

 

“Solo” - Haarlaenge um die 55 cm, ein wenig mehr gebogen und steiferes Holzstueck, starr, sehr klangintensiv und extrem reaktionsstark, wiegt dieser Bogen zwischen 125 und 130 Gramm. Sowohl das Haar als auch das Holz fuehlen sich sehr steif an, was der Regel nach sehr gut zum Spielen von Solos oder schnellen Mozart Passagen geeignet ist. Der Klang ist eher hager.

 

“General- use” -  Haarlaenge von etwa 55 cm. weniger gebogen und das Haar ein wenig lose, was einem ein wenig mehr Luft in den Klang ermoeglicht und ein Gefuehl vom groesseren Klang erweckt, jedoch ein wenig lose in der Schnelligkeit der Wiedergabe. Dieser Bogen wiegt zwischen 125 und 135 Gramm.

 

 “Sartory” – Diese Boegen sind etwa ¾ Inch kuerzer und haben mehr Abstand zwischen dem Holzstueck und dem Haar. Meine Freunde nennen ihn den “ Sartory mit Attituede”. Dieser Bogen ist sanfter und behutsamer und wiegt zwischen 125 und 130 Gramm.

 

  Die französischen Bögen - ähnlich Sartory- und Vigneron-Modellen (135-150 Gramme) gemacht vom Massaranduba Holz.

Alle drei Franzoesische Modelle sind hervorragend, doch es kommt sehr auf den Spielstil an, welcher Bogen fuer Sie geeignet waere. Ich bevorzuge den direkten Kontakt zu einem potenziellen Kaeufer und stehe gerne beratend zur Seite bei der Auswahl. Alle Deutsche Modelle haben eine Haarlaenge von 55 cm und wiegen zwischen 115 und 130 Gramm.

Preise: Bitte rufen Sie mich an oder schreiben Sie mir!

 

Alle Boegen meiner Herstellung garantieren eine bessere Handhabung als Ihr alter Bogen, oder Sie kriegen Ihr Geld voellig zurueckerstattet.

Meine Boegen werden zurzeit in zahlreichen grossen Symphonieorchestern in Nordamerika, Europa, Brasilien und Tasmanien benutzt, sowohl auch von vielen Studenten von Paul Ellison, Fracois Rabbath und vielen anderen anerkannten Lehrern.

 

Einige Auszuege der zahlreichen Empfehlungsschreiben:

Various Testimonials: 
"PHANTASTISCH!" - Ludwig Streicher 1994
"BRAVO! " - Francois Rabbath 1995

"I enjoy using your bow very much. Sixteenth-note passages seem easier to play with more clarity of pitch  and   articulation." - Clifford Spohr, Principal Bass, Dallas Symphony Orchestra 1993
"Bows which do all tricks." - George Vance, Washington
"Z. Prochownik understands bass and the bass bow. I've played at least fifteen of his bows,  both German and French   models, and many of them are as good as anything I've played on.  He understands balance and tension in the stick and how to fine tune an individual piece of wood. He reworked my award-winning Nuedorfer and actually improved its performance. My other bow is a Prochownik." - Eric Hansen, Principal Bass, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra 1994
"My other bow is a Sartory." - Stan Label, Assistant Principal Bass, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra 1993
"Your bows are the best new bows I've tried." - Betty Girko, Dallas Symphony Orchestra 1994
"Thank you for your incredible craftsmanship and most amazing German bow I have ever played." - David Moore,  Los Angeles, CA 1993
"The bow is beautifully made and I really enjoy playing with it." - Angela Schefield, London, England 1990

"The bow is well made from an excellent piece of wood, draws a fine sound, and has a very good response and  balance."   -  Jan Urke, Principal Bass, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra 1991
"I can't tell you how much I enjoy playing with your bow."- Jeff Hall, Dallas, TX 1995
"Thank you for the wonderful bow." - E. Browning, Perth, Australia 1995
"I like the bow and I am looking forward to getting another." - Thomas Lederer, Co-principal,  Dallas Symphony  Orchestra 1995
"It suits my playing and is a fun alternative to my Grunberger and Victor Fétique!" - Jean Michon,  Québec Symphony  Orchestra, double bass teacher at Conservatoire de musique de Québec 1996
"Good loud and full sound! Every note is easy to play, spiccato is perfect." - Barbe Thierry, solo bassist,  Opéra  Bastille, Paris 1996 

"The Prochownik bows which I use, and won a position in the Wiener Philharmoniker with, allow me the most detailed articulations, while guaranteeing a full sound and precise string contact in the most delicate musical moments. They are equally excellent in the large repertoire of the Weiner Philharmoniker from Donizetti to Berg." Bartosz Sikorski-2001

“I purchased a bow from you about two years ago. I am extremely pleased with it and everyone who tries it out thinks it is incredible”. Bill Bentgen Cross Junction, Virginia 2001

“The bow is fantastic.”  Enzo Figliuzzi , Vancouver 2002

“The tone that the three bows produced on my bass was amazing. The 126 brought the low tones out of my bass and did not over highlight the highs.  It all also sounded good in orchestra as well as solo playing.  I am very happy with it”.  A.J. Topp, Tampa FL 2002 

"I am really happy to inform you that after 4 years looking for a bow, I have finally found it! I really like the bows you sent me, specially one of them, so I'm buying it."   Jose A. Luque Osuna Spain  2003

" I still can't believe the tone it gets out of my bass.  It's like I went out and bought a whole new bass!"  Matt Stromberg   Kearney NE   USA  2004

"It has transformed my playing and I'm so happy with it, it's perfect for both solo and orchestral playing!  Best wishes and many thanks, Nicki Davenport"   UK  2004

"With my bass, your bow sounds wonderfully clear, I love the way it draws over the string, it feels amazing from tip to frog, it bounces incredibly and has a wonderful punch to it and the list goes on."   Jordan O'Connor  Toronto  2007"    

"The Sartory is simply a pleasure to work with, playing with it is  practically effortless! My bass has never sounded better! I will definitely be recommending your bows to my friends!"  Patrick A.  Montreal  2007

"Hi ! I'm still in the National Symphony here in Dublin, very pleased with the bow I purchased 2 years ago"..  Edward Tapceanu 2007   

"I really love it and it fits well in the hand and gets a great tone from both my basses! Thanks - it's really a great piece of craftsmanship." L. Fantasia L.A  USA 2008

"I currently use a "master" old French bow and to be very honest and serious your bows sound better and are easier to play"  Calvin Marks.   Toronto  2008

"The bow I like most is one of the most responsive and articulate bows I have ever played - bravo" - David Odegaard Texas 2008 

"As I thought, the bows are wonderful, the light one it's incredible precise and the 124-126 grams full of harmonics, all of them suitable for every piece, from solo to orchestra playing. Thank you very much for your excellent art."  il primo contrabbasso della "Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia" Spain -2009.

"I did a couple of Messiahs last week, and, apart from the aching back, enjoyed them thoroughly. Your bow worked marvelously, so much control, spiccato, even at the tip, the bow felt really long, which meant to me that it is much more usable at the tip. My long tones felt longer, everything is great. People even are commenting on the different sound. This is the sound as opposed to the Sartory I have been using for 38 years. Thank you so much for the beautiful hand made bow". Jack McFadden, Ontario, Canada 2009

" I gotta tell you, I immediately loved the bow.  It's made from beautiful wood and is much lighter than my present bow (153g).  From behind my bass, I thought it was quieter than my other bow. But, after my last orchestra rehearsal, our principal cellist came back and asked me if I was playing a new bass, because I sounded so much better.  I told him I was auditioning a new bow an he stood out front and had me switch back and forth between the 126g Purpleheart bow and my old one. Out front, your bow projected much more, was louder, had more harmonic content, sounded fuller, and made my other bow sound "nasal" in comparison.  I am quickly getting used to the lighter bow, and feel like I can play longer without fatigue, and that I can play challenging passages easier (I'm currently working on Beethoven's 9th)."       Russell Bergum Virginia, MN  2010

"I love the bow. It is a joy to play and exactly what I was looking for. Multiple people said if I didn't buy they would "     Steven Fox  Columbus OH.   2012

"A professional and accomplished colleague joined me to listen and play on bows. There were 6 bows in the mix- widely varied in size and shape. The Prochownik bow drew a sound similar in power and inflection to a bow that weighed 10 grams more- the biggest bow we had in the mix. As I was playing the Prochownik bow, my colleague described it as "Effortless!" Of all the bows I demonstrated, the Prochownik bow- and only the Prochownik- sounded effortless to the listener. I am sure that the reason he heard it as such is because the bow plays that way: of all the bows I have tried in my time, this Prochownik bow best allows me to draw a lovely sound with the least effort. It projects very well, too! Incidentally, my colleague said later that day, "If you don't buy that bow, I will."      Eric Seay      College Park   MD 2012

 "So the bow is great, i'm getting used to it very fast. The sound in the upper register is what I needed, clear and with a lot of projection… it's very comfortable and with a fast response. I'm, very happy with the bow, congratulations on your work! "     Alvaro Rosso Lisbon Portugal   2019 

Dear Maestro Prochownik, in February of this year I bought one of your bows from the Pollmann workshop and it immediately became one of my favorites (consider that I own twelve bows, including Bazin, Pfretschner, Massari, Morizot, Slaviero etc.).Lately I've been using only your bow; has almost become a drug !!! ... I love it! .I don't know if we will meet because I live in Italy and I no longer have a great desire to travel (especially with the double bass!); But I wanted to congratulate you because I had been looking for a bow like this for years.I am including a link where I perform the H. Fryba Gigue with your bow, hoping to please you.Congratulations again and good luck with everything.      

 Paolo Badiini  2022    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5bvFCTILcE

"I am very happy with this bow and I feel it has increased my playing potential exponentially. My teacher loves it and I had a great audition with it for my school orchestra to get principal. I find myself working so much less with your bow to get the sound I want with a very solid core tone. And just as you said, with a little attack at the beginning, the bow does the rest to carry the sound from the bass ".   Gene Waldron  Cincinnati, OH   2022

Dear Zdzislaw, I am writing to thank you again for the superb new 'cello bow that you have provided for me! The bow continues to give me great pleasure - even greater pleasure now as I get more and more used to it and what it can do for my playing.I take it to my quartet rehearsals, and we all agree: it draws the fullest and warmest sound out of my instrument - more than any of my other bows.You are a very fine maker! May you continue to provide the string players' community with your excellent bows! Best wishes for the Holiday Season, Denis Kulesha Toronto 2022

"Your  bow is the best one I have ever used. I can easily get clear articulation from it, and a big beautiful rich sound. The clearest improvement to me is the that I can really hear myself in a large ensemble, much more than I ever have been able to in the past. I can achieve all this with much less effort than I am accustomed to."       John Hyde   2023

    Copyright © 2024 Zdzislaw Prochownik.