Marleaux Basses: I wanted to visit Marleaux Basses since a long time. Marleaux is located in a beautiful area here in Germany, which is called "Harz". It´s very rich in forests. Since a long time I´m studying the test´s of Marleaux basses ist the bass magazines. On July 23rd, 2002, Sigi and I drove to the luthiers Tilman Antons and Gerald Marleaux. I´ve got his O.K. by phone call some days before. Gerald Marleaux told me about a coustom lefty 6string which was just at this time there for some adjustable work. Tilman and Gerald are partners since 11 years!
I was surprised about their workshop. Wood everywhere! Great forests all around, a house made by wood, the workshop - walls and floors - made by wood, smell of wood all around.
Marleaux and Tilman are very busy luthiers. They have taken a lot of time for showing us his workshop and answering our questions. My special thanks I like to give his to Tilmann Antons. He has shown us all parts of the production, answering all our questions and he has given us a look into all rooms of

MARLEAUX BASSES

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Behind this walls you will find one of the famoust German luthier.

Gerald Marleaux get´s a lot of phone calls at his work.

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They allowed me to take a 6string lefty Consat bass.

These bodies are nearly finished. Each of this bodies is coustom made and their owners are waiting the get their masterpieces.

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Parts of a neck through Marleaux "M" bass.

Neck shaping on a workbench.

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Milling modells for Marleaux 4, 5 and 6 string basses. Tilman told me how much work it is to produce lefty basses.

Different necks are waiting to get their last finish.

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Set of tools.

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This is a lefty Consat 6string, owned by Marc Hohl. It´s a impressive instrument.

Gerald Marleaux insert frets.....

.....and abrade them.

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Stockroom with exellent woods.

Tilman is telling us how woods have to stoe up and the differencees of woods and sounds. It´s imported for Marleaux basses to know, where the owner is located:
If you are living in Europe, the neck will be a other one like you live in Japan. The reason is the humidity.

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Insite of his workshop you will find a "Glockenklang" stack for checking out the basses. Sorry for this pic, but I was faszinated about this amplification.

Part of the showroom.

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Gerald Marleaux sighned the bass. He and Tilman are both lefty bassplayers - playing righhanded!

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I thank Tilman Antons and Gerald Marleaux for their hospitality, their patience and their time showing us all the parts of the production of Marleaux basses. If you are a owner of one of their basses, be shure to have a masterpiece.