Testimonials

“Since 1967, I have commissioned over twenty doublebasses from various luthiers throughout the world. With each instrument I had strong hopes that it would satisfy my dream of the perfect doublebass. However, that dream did not become a reality until 1995 when James Ham presented me with his opus one. With this instrument, I found the perfect partner for which I had been waiting for more than four decades.Because of James Ham's remarkable innovations, his doublebass proved to be the most user friendly instrument I had ever played.

Also, it has a soaring voice that could be heard above the thickest accompaniment of a symphony orchestra. Because of the full range of color that could be drawn from my Ham bass, I stopped using my famed Amati in favor of the Ham for all my recordings and concerts since 1995. I feel truly blessed to have had the Ham bass as part of my life during the past 13 years. It has had a powerful influence on my playing that I have not witnessed with any of the other great instruments I have owned throughout my career. For me, James Ham is the most important luthier in the history of the doublebass."