What to look for when buying a double bass

[Beedster]

Folks

I had a rather sobering experience recently when a DB I had bought in good faith (as had the guy who sold it to me) turned out to be something of a ticking bomb. I took it to two luthiers who both said exactly the same things about the instrument in terms of the quality of previous repairs, and both indicated that what had happened was a direct result of the poor repairs in question.

So, in the space of about a month I found out that I actually know very little about the construction of DBs, what can go wrong with them, and the signs that indicate either that it has already happened or that it might be about to. I had a look through this forum and realised that there's not a lot on here either (or that I've missed it)

So, please share what you know, and don't be afraid to keep it simple, it's clear that I missed some pretty simple clues with mine

I should add that I'm now having to look for a replacement (the old one is being repaired to a point but I'm not quite so confident about it's potential longevity as I was), so I'm sincerely hoping that this thread over time will become a buyer's bible so to speak! Please feel free to add any pics to illustrate any examples

Cheers

Chris

[JoeEvans]

This book is really good and well worth buying if you're looking at purchasing a DB:
http://www.contrabass.co.uk/about_the_double_bass.htm

[sarah thomas]

What Joe said. Peter Tyler's book is a gem.

[Beer of the Bass]

It looks like it's a little cheaper straight from the author. Perhaps I'll check it out myself at some point.
[url="http://www.tylerbasses.co.uk/page4.html"]http://www.tylerbasses.co.uk/page4.html[/url]

[philparker]

I've got the book, which is a good coffee table book, but it won't prevent you from making an error of judgement when buying a new, second hand double bass!

I bought a 1920's DB earlier this year and took it straight to Martin Penning for a set-up and full health check so that I can be reasonably assured of longevity.

The only point that I can suggest is to confirm the history and credence of the instrument - especially if it has been regularly examined by a good Luthier.