Dazed Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) About 25 years ago I played an upright for 6 months. Recently I've thought about buying one. What does a novice look for when the general description is its about 10 years old, came from Czech Republic or America etc. i really know nothing about what's good or bad Where do you start....? Edited May 17, 2014 by Dazed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheG Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I remember asking the same question and eventually realising that because basses can cost from £50 to £100,000+ the thing you really need to start with is a price you are prepared to pay. Then you can see what you can get for your money. Once you can see what you can get for that kind of money then you can adjust accordingly up or down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 (edited) I think TheG has said it really It all depends what you want to pay..... Of course, the best thing to do, would be to try a few out But that's not always easy When I was on the lookout, there were absolutely none for sale anywhere near me (South Wales) And looking on ebay, I contacted sellers, who mostly seemed to want me to pay for the bass in full and meet in a carpark of a service station! Keep your eyes open here, in the for sale section (That's where I just bought my lovely new DB!!!) Good luck If you were anywhere near me, you could have tried my old bass..... Marc EDIT: I haven't looked back since starting on DB Trouble is, if you've got an itch, and there are none around for sale.... it's misery - groan Edited May 20, 2014 by Marc S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owencf Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 there is also Preloved.co.uk and Scumtree This forum is quite a good place to get a good bass, its just a matter of when and where they show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlandtrees Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Totally agree with this. With guitars and to a degree with ebasses you can almost be sure that a fender or a gibson or a gretsch are OK. I would also like a good DB in the future but realise that I may have to invest some time in it as well as cash. I have already decided how much I am going to spend but I firstly have not a clue whether I am getting value for money or being scammed in a cold sale and secondly whether that cash will still be in ma hip when the right bass comes along in 6 months time or a year or whatever. I got a DB from a member here a while back but it is a small bodied and I have GAS for the real thing. Think I am going to have to nail my GAS down and be patient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 [quote name='lowlandtrees' timestamp='1400653248' post='2455742'] .....Think I am going to have to nail my GAS down and be patient [/quote] Yes, that's the best attitude It's harder than it sounds though.... Be warned lol Good luck with your search Put your savings in an account, and leave the card at home, somewhere safe, and out of sight Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Oh, and don't look in any other bit of the "for sale" section on here .... just the EUB & DB's for sale! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazed Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 Thanks for all the replies and advice. I'm still on the fence and looking (but not exactly sure what for ) Any pros n cons on what size to go for? I'm 5'10" and average arms. I guess it'll only be used at home for sometime and I drive a Lwb van anyway so no worries about transporting it. I'm quite taken with this ..... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/242652-double-bass-for-sale/page__pid__2524807#entry2524807 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatgoogle Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 (edited) As you should be, it looks great. The best thing to do is find a teacher or local player who can come and check out the bass with you. I made the mistake of buying my first bass with out talking to my teacher, it was utterly useless. Since then i have always taken a bass on trial and would never dream of buying one straight out. Same with bows. There difficult things to steal and pass on so most people are pretty trusting. And in general Db players are the most trust worthy, friendly folk you'll meet. Edited August 12, 2014 by fatgoogle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazed Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 Thanks ,I have been thinking about going with someone who knows what they are looking at. Anyone near Exeter have the time check this out for me? . And then not buy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazed Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 (edited) So having looked into this a bit more I've found this same DB sold on BC earlier in the year ...... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/230424-sold-double-bass-34-hungarian-student-model/ With this in mind, does it still seem a reasonable price? Would the work described have been required and affect the price that much? Edited August 14, 2014 by Dazed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) Can;t comment on the ad, but the advice i got on here before I bought added up to the following: Older E. European can be good quality. Ply is robust - no worries about humidity control etc, Avoid Chinese. 3/4 is the size you want. Ebony board is best (other hard woods ok too, but avoid painted softwood). D neck is most common, Four string is maybe best for beginners as it's standard, but some folks do opt for fivers right away, You will change strings, so don't worry about them (good 2nd hand sets to be had on BC). BC sellers trend to be good to deal with. Getting a db player to check the bass out is good, but don't be afraid of buying without any special knowledge if you have good reason to trust the seller. Allow a couple of hundred quid for a setup and a pickup, If you buy new, Thomann and Gedo are good. I wouldn't go for anything that has been tinkered with so as to be 'non-standard' but that's just me. Good luck with your search. Take your time. Edited August 15, 2014 by fatback Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLoydElgar Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I know kent music council do rental scemes pay like £100 a year for a double bass etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 (edited) I can say don't get a new bass that is nothing but a CCSBO (Cheap Chinese bass-shaped object), or any other bass with a new price of less than £1000, because unless you have the ability and the tools to set it up properly and do everything necessary for a setup: nut shaping and notching, fingerboard dressing and scooping, bridge contouring and notching, tailpiece afterlength, soundpost, strings, etc., it will not be playable without a complete setup, and then you're talking about enough money that you're better off saving your money and purchasing one used from either this forum or from a boutique; and even if you do purchase one here on the forum, it may still need adjustments to the setup to conform it to your playing. I say this, because I did purchase one of the inexpensive ones. But I knew what I was getting into from the outset, as an intentional purchase, because I wanted to do exactly that: do all the setup, including reshaping the back of the neck with a modeling plane, in order to learn how it goes together so I can keep it maintained. I am about 300km from the nearest luthier that specializes in double bass, so once I determined that the bass I purchased had a good slab of ebony for a fingerboard, and enough glue in the body to keep it from flying apart, I went ahead and purchased it. And yes, I had to do all the above to it and more, including re-cutting the overly tall bridge down on my band saw. It took about a month and half of spare time on weekends to get it to where I wanted it, including installing a false nut, because my left hand pinky is so short and the pinky and index are both slightly curved in, so I have a reduced mensure from the standard "3/4 - 106cm - 41 3/4 inches" in order to make that 1/2 position index-to-pinky F-to-f octave on the E and D strings playable for me. Edited August 16, 2014 by iiipopes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazed Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) Thanks for all the great replies. Iipopes I salute your dedication! I would be very interested in learning to do my own set up but I imagine its not something you could just dive into without some knowledge of what's right and wrong. On the other hand i just want to start playing ! Having spent the last week looking through many classifieds I'm coming to the conclusion I'm looking for something a bit weathered / patina'd / battered. Shiny new furniture look puts me off and I think I'm happier with not worrying about it getting scratched etc. If something has lost it's varnish etc is it more susceptible to humidity or moisture getting into the wood? Are carved tops better than ply sound wise or more/less sturdy ? Edited August 17, 2014 by Dazed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1408280061' post='2528552'] If something has lost it's varnish etc is it more susceptible to humidity or moisture getting into the wood? Are carved tops better than ply sound wise or more/less sturdy ? [/quote] Ply is resistant to cracking. You can really abuse it without problems, so great for pub gigging, busking etc. I can't imagine the varnish would matter at all. With ply you lose some richness of sound, but imo you gain peace of mind over an expensive, sensitive solid wood bass. A compromise is a hybrid, with ply sides and back and solid top. So you get some of the sound benefits of the solid without the worries. i have one of those, and it sounds great. Eastern European, three or so decades old, ply or hybrid, and you're away. Edited August 17, 2014 by fatback Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aonindy Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 [quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1408049019' post='2526699'] So having looked into this a bit more I've found this same DB sold on BC earlier in the year ...... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/230424-sold-double-bass-34-hungarian-student-model/"]http://basschat.co.u...-student-model/[/url] With this in mind, does it still seem a reasonable price? Would the work described have been required and affect the price that much? [/quote] Yes I believe it does. The original price was extremely fair. The new price (ie: current owner) seems to reflect a set-up by a respected luthier, adjustable bridge, neck work to make it more comfortable to play, and includes a pickup should you wish to plug in ... seems well worth a look to me (oh, and it has hat-pegs! ... and patchwork mojo! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1408280061' post='2528552'] Iiipopes I salute your dedication! I would be very interested in learning to do my own set up but I imagine its not something you could just dive into without some knowledge of what's right and wrong. If something has lost it's varnish etc is it more susceptible to humidity or moisture getting into the wood? Are carved tops better than ply sound wise or more/less sturdy ? [/quote] Thanks. I only did it knowing I did not need the bass immediately for a gig, so I had time to sort everything out, and that I have tinkered with other instruments for decades, including the half-fanned P/J build that is chronicled in another thread on the forum. No, because the interior is usually not finished; it is bare wood inside. The finish helps prevent wear as much as anything else. Carved basses [i]can[/i] have better tone if done correctly. But you pay exponentially more for it. Ply is definitely more durable. My bass is ply, because 99% of what I play is jazz pizz on the occasional one-night-er gigs, and the bass, the amp, and all accessories have to fit in my rather small automobile. Edited August 18, 2014 by iiipopes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Just in case you don't see it I've advertised my Eastern European Laminate Double bass on here Sorry mods, if this is not the "done thing" I'll remove the post, if you like.... Anyhow, as others have said Eastern European Ply laminate basses are much better quality than the newer Chinese models I've seen a few Chinese laminates on ebay, with splits in the body joins, and the basses are apparently not that old! Let us know how you get on http://basschat.co.uk/topic/243458-for-sale-boosey-hawkes-artia-34-double-bass/page__fromsearch__1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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