Advice for first time DB buyer please- new or used bass?

[Matt Bass]

Hi there,
I'm looking for some advice on buying my first DB. I've been playing electric for roughly 20 years and have always had a hankering to get upright! I recently invested in an EUB but found it was more akin to a big electric in tone than the classic woody DB I'm after and so I swapped it for a Mayonnes Be4 (which is fantastic by the way). Tho I didn't have a teacher I spent a lot of time on youtube etc trying to get technique pointers and I'm not put off by the new feel or size, if anything I'm more keen now than I was.
Anyway, I've been looking at the classifieds and Ebay for some time, and have been doing my research about different types of DB, laminates, hybrids and carved etc, and was hoping to find an older instrument second hand, mostly because it seems that DB's will grow into their sound after a few years but after a couple of missed opportunities (these things shift fast don't they) I still haven't found anything after looking around for a while. I've been reconsidering and after reading a couple of threads on here have started to think about a new instrument and in particular the 2W TN from Thomann, for around £1300- I could probably go a bit higher but I want to get a decent bow, pick up and bag too. Does anyone have any opinion as to whether I'm making a good choice? Is going for a new bass a good idea or should I hang on for the chance of something older? And is this one comparatively well respected? I also looked at a couple of Dukes because they seem to get a lot of love, but I'll probably be looking at blues/jazz/hip hop type styles and they seem to more for the rockabilly folks and people seem to like to slap them silly (tho I'll probs try a bit of that too lol).
Here's a link to the bass if anyone's feeling helpful...
http://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_2w_tn_34_europe_double_bass.htm?ref=search_rslt_double+bass_264097_15
and any help would be much appreciated,
Thanks
Matt

[3below]

A good s/h db will be better value, someone else will have paid the initial depreciation and if you purchase wisely it will have been setup well at some point. The downside is that this bass takes time to find.

[Matt Bass]

Thanks 3below, that was kinda what I was wondering- but the time bit is hard y'know. Saw a couple of threads on here that made me think again because some others had positive experiences, but then again as newbies we probably don't have the experience to know when we've got a good bass....though I may be wrong of course.

[Burns-bass]

My suggestion would be to find a teacher and get some lessons. Most will have a DB you can use, and they can then help you to find an appropriate DB.

Don't spend a huge amount of money off he cuff (I say this as someone who did just that), have a chat with some people in the know.

Playing upright is a tough old thing to do, and you can get yourself into all sorts of problems if you don't do it properly.

If you let us know where you are perhaps we can help!

Once you get over the initial horror of learning what is in essence a completely new instrument you'll love it - I bet.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Matt Bass' timestamp='1465939137' post='3072357']
Tho I didn't have a teacher I spent a lot of time on youtube etc trying to get technique pointers and I'm not put off by the new feel or size,

after reading a couple of threads on here have started to think about a new instrument and in particular the 2W TN from Thomann, for around £1300
[/quote]

It's vital to get the basics sorted right from the start. Playing a DB is WAY more physical and engaging than playing electric bass, and you really should start with at least an introductory lesson to get your stance right and pick up a few simple tricks. YouTube tutorials vary enormously in quality, and some bits of crucial advice can only really be given by someone standing next to you and watching what you're doing.

You don't say where in the country you are, so I can't really offer any suggestions as to who you could use.

As to purchase, I started with a no-name Chinese DB which cost me £300 here on Basschat. It was a perfectly adequate learner instrument and I played my first two DB gigs on it too, before deciding that I was definitely going to get stuck in to DB playing. That was when I upgraded to my current Andreas Zeller which cost me £1000 pre-owned, also here on Basschat.

I wouldn't consider buying a new DB unless I had a very good reason to go that route. If you actually gig them, it is really very hard indeed to keep them pristine. Your brand-new £1000 Thomann is likely to be dented, scraped and chipped, and therefore worth £500, within a few months. That is not a dig at Thomann - I rate them very highly and buy a lot of stuff through them. It's more that the disconnect between price and audible quality is, if anything, even more marked in the world of DB than it is in the world of electric bass.

I know people who have bought £5000 flatback 1880s German DBs and found that they don't sound as good as the "cheap" DB they replace.

[Happy Jack]

In fact, you might want to take a look at http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Andreas-Zeller-3-4-Double-Bass-Spruce-Top-Maple-Sides-Used-Condition/262462159915?_trksid=p2045573.c100034.m2102&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D35377%26meid%3D078020885a1e4bbe8e79a3b511cc863b%26pid%3D100034%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D272265484332

[Matt Bass]

Thanks for the advice to everyone who took the time to answer, and especially Happy Jack for going the extra mile and providing the link. I think I will definetly hang on to get a used instrument now then. In regards to location- I'm in Llangollen North Wales which is a bit of a black hole for local DB players and teachers, though I'm only about half hour away from Chester and an hour away from Liverpool and Manchester, which I 'd be happy to travel to for a lesson, if anyone can recommend someone in these areas.

[JoeEvans]

If you get hooked, at some stage you are going to want to spend £2k+ (+++) on a decent solid wood bass, perhaps an older one that has settled in properly and been well set-up. When that day comes, you are going to want to spend a few hours in a room with a good number of nice old basses, trying them all to see which one is really right.
But to choose the right bass, you need to be able to play the damn thing reasonably well, so that you can get the best out of them and see if they can make the kind of noises you like making.
So you need a temporary bass, good enough to get your skill level up but cheap and battered enough that you can do pub gigs without getting stressed, and not new so that you can sell it for something close to what you paid for it after a year or two when you buy the really nice bass.
On that basis you might look for an older Czech or Hungarian plywood or solid top bass for under a grand - Golden Strad, Boosey and Hawkes 400 or similar, maybe.

[3below]

[quote name='JoeEvans' timestamp='1466026066' post='3072950']
If you get hooked, at some stage you are going to want to spend £2k+ (+++) on a decent solid wood bass, perhaps an older one that has settled in properly and been well set-up. When that day comes, you are going to want to spend a few hours in a room with a good number of nice old basses, trying them all to see which one is really right.
But to choose the right bass, you need to be able to play the damn thing reasonably well, so that you can get the best out of them and see if they can make the kind of noises you like making.
So you need a temporary bass, good enough to get your skill level up but cheap and battered enough that you can do pub gigs without getting stressed, and not new so that you can sell it for something close to what you paid for it after a year or two when you buy the really nice bass.
On that basis you might look for an older Czech or Hungarian plywood or solid top bass for under a grand - Golden Strad, Boosey and Hawkes 400 or similar, maybe.
[/quote]

+1 on this advice. You might also find that you have the initial enthusiasm, get reasonable (or even good) then as with many things interest diminishes. Every so often I get fired up with my DB, use it a fair amount, then get fed up with lugging it around (with car so not a real effort). At this point I realise I bought fairly well: hybrid Czech bass in fair condition at a fair price. I will have had my money's worth when I move it on, will not lose and have enjoyed it.

Edited June 15, 2016 by 3below

[JoeEvans]

If you're still looking, there's a good-lloking B&H for sale on this forum for £800 now, grab that then spend a bit more than you were planning to on a decent bow and some new strings...