Reviews

What will I like about this Hawkes Concert? In a word I'd describe this Hawkes as an imposing instrument. With it's violin outline, full swell back and outer linings - the model is grand and impressive. The instrument looks very pretty too. Yes it certainly does. The spruce used for the table shows a nice even straight grain. The maple wood used for the back and ribs is very well flamed and one can even see the grain lines running downwards. What about the sound – that's much more important to me? Simply huge - on top of which there...

What a tidy looking instrument. Yes - tidy is a very reasonable assessment. The instrument is in good overall structural condition and sports an attractive and well preserved original burgundy-red varnish over a ground of yellow-ochre. Are those the original machines? Yes. All the machines look identical to me. Was the instrument made as a four string? Yes it was. This is further supported by the fact that the peg box has not been altered in any way. How well is the instrument constructed? The instrument is constructed throughout with timber of quality and with carving that shows good attention...

I am searching for a professional quality 4-string instrument that won't break the bank to buy. What have you got? This superb looking, superb sounding Pöllmann is in our opinion a real winner. A winner - really? Yes indeed. An instrument similar to this highly ornamented special edition "Imperator" model - has in fact won numerous awards. Can you tell me what awards it has won? It won the prestigious Deutscher Musikinstrumenten Preis at the 2007 Musikmesse International Trade Fair in Frankfurt, Germany. What did the judges say about the "Imperator"? Reproduced from the Pöllmann web site; 'The price assigned...

Who was Corsby? There is relatively little information written about Corsby. In a chapter about Samuel Gilkes (1787-1827) the highly researched volume - 'The British Violin' published in 2000 by The British Violin Making Association mentions Corsby and John Morrison (1760-1827) in passing as indistinguished makers and dealers of the time. More substantial is The 'Dictionary Of British Violin And Bow Makers' by Dennis G. Plowright (Published in 1994 by the author.) who comes up with a paragraph (nine lines) on the maker. Plowright informs us that Corsby worked in Princes Street, Leicester Square, London between 1790 and 1830 and...