Wilski

As a beginner I found a local shop (in my case a violin shop) and asked for advice. The guy in the shop was really good and recommended a certain brand (Stentor in my case). He advised against buying 'old' or used basses as this can be a bit of a minefield. When buying new, especially at the price you're going for, it is likely that the soundpost and bridge are likely to be 'cheap' and it is worthwhile investing in getting these replaced by a luthier. You may also want to put a decent set of strings on. I did as recommended by the guy in the violin shop, who did all the work, and the sound was simply fabulous (he re-worked my Stentor Arcadia). Hope this helps. Regards