ubassman

This was with Thomas Cooke airlines BTW

i just took a Stagg EUB away to Greece for a couple of weeks on holiday. The neck unscrews from the body and the whole thing packed relatively small. They checked it in as if it were a suitcase and part of my baggage allowance and I was prepared for it to go in the hold but they said that I could hand it to the baggage handlers just before I was going up the steps to the plane. Nobody checked though and I took it on board and put in the overhead luggage both there and back ( handlers just seem to be on the look out for buggies and pushchairs!). !

...Marc are you going to post some pics ? ( ..tis the done thing with a new baby in the house ) !

Welcome to the growing clan of DB players on BC !

[quote name='AndrewRichards' timestamp='1378818116' post='2205014'] [url="https://www.musicalchairs.info/double-bass/sales"]https://www.musicalc...uble-bass/sales[/url] 1st bass on the list £800, set up and ready to go. Looks like a good starting bass. [/quote] +1 ....something on these lines is where I would start too as a beginner ...not a rock bottom 'cheap as chips' bass but also not a 'performance' bass ...something that is tried and tested, has a good sound, a reasonable set up and can take the odd knock or two. I would spend the rest of the money on getting a decent pick up & amp sorted , new strings and have a luthier deal with any set up issues ...and to invest in some lessons - many things about the DB are specific to DB and have little or nothing in common with the bass guitar!

I have a Stentor and use it as my workhorse ( in the car out the car, in the car out the car, in the car out the car ....etc !) . Great all round bass with a lovely tone both pizz and arco. I have Kaplans which are similar to Bel Cantos which are great for orchestral playing and produce a mellow pizz - the bass seems to respond well to the tension.

[quote name='AndrewRichards' timestamp='1378761163' post='2204481'] Paul is still making basses, only the 'soloist' model (which is still fantastic) however he doesn't make them to order. So he'll make one, if you like it you buy it. If you don't, someone else will. I'm currently on the waiting list (which is quite long as far as i'm aware) he said to me he should possibly have one to try for the end of this year but more likely the start of next year. Depending on the people before me, if they buy one of not. [/quote] Thanks for that ...interesting! I was just talking to Paul yesterday on a luthier matter and that sums it up well . He was saying that he has retired and isn't taking any more orders . He is on a different timescale now and may make an instrument as and when / [b]if [/b]he feels like it and has the joy of a list of waiting customers to exhaust with any bass that may or may not come out of his workshop i.e. if you are IBTL then great... if not he seems to be wanting to draw a line so he can enjoy his retirement. I not so sure how easy it might be for Pedro to get onto the list but in any event there seems to be a healthy line of people in front ...so it may be quite some wait !

Paul Bryant has retired and sadly isn't making his wonderful basses anymore.

Maybe you don't need to spend your full budget? You can get a really decent bass for much less and if its your first venture into playing a DB it may be wise to get a good second hand instrument which may be already reasonably well set up? When I first started I inevitably had to get used to carrying the instrument and I have to say there where quite a few accidental taps and knocks getting used to its shape , weight and volume moving through doors, learning how to put it into the back of a car and out again , going up winding stairs etc. I also learnt the lesson the hard way that double basses don't like extremes in moisture or temperature and got a crack develop in the top after playing in the sunshine ! Perhaps a good thought would be to consider starting out with a bass that you don't mind getting the odd 'ding' or 'dent' on ! The budget that you have available is fantastic but it can be quite peculiar when it comes to reselling a bass worth £4.5k ( have a look at the DB for sale section on here and you will see that these hang around for a while) . You tend to find that more advanced players will be attracted to spending that kind of money on a vintage bass that has been 'played in' over many years and has a rich resonating tone ....or save up for a bass up at the £10k + range ! Most people who take up DB usually talk about a budget typically between £500 - £1000 and you can pick up a great Gedo for around £1200 ( or an older German or Czech ply ) ...and spend a bit extra on set up and decent strings + pickup . So, perhaps would be to look at maybe a Gedo or a Stentor (or an old ply ) which hold their value at around £1200 and will always be affordable to many as a re-sale ...and most importantly are also great instruments! Either way hope its not too one before you get your instrument - and welcome to DB fraternity on BC !

[quote name='sarah thomas' timestamp='1378491415' post='2201167'] Pmed. I have an Eastern European ply you might like a look at ... [/quote] ...there you go !! Sorted !

..anyway lets not get into that on Geoff's Thread !

yes thats what I heard since April

AndyBass maybe a Stagg would convert really easily - theres only really the stick in brackets that would need shifting around to the right positions.

[quote name='FLoydElgar' timestamp='1378483070' post='2201027'] I just practicing to get to Royal Academy = D [/quote] ...that's fantastic - all the best with that FLoyd !

...there so much to learn and explore on the double bass ! I think that's what Iove about it ...constant change and refining of ideas.

haha ...yes , +1 Geoff has got the X factor when it comes to delivery !

No matter how much you think you know there's always something new to learn - great set of videos Geoff - setting the standard in professionalism !! Hopefully will inspire others to put their stuff out there ....FLoyd .....? [quote name='FLoydElgar' timestamp='1378035668' post='2194892'] Geoff I was thinking you should touch on 3 octave scales it'd be a good lesson [/quote]

[quote name='AndyBass' timestamp='1377753004' post='2191293'] Thanks for the info, Bluejay! Sounds like its worth a word with a luthier to cost up a conversion then, as the cheapest LH models seem to be £1100+. Will let you know how I get on if I pursue it in case its ever useful for you in future! [/quote] The thing is to convert a bass into a lefty can be prohibitively expensive as involves taking the top off and removing the existing bass bar and carving a new one for the left hand side . You are instantly up at several hundred pounds. Then there's the nut to fix with gradated grooves in the right direction and a new bridge to carve. If you have a Rhomberg bevel on the fingerboard you are stuffed too with that. Expensive stuff but if you can buy a bass at the right price you can maybe just about break even after the luthier costs for alteration are added in.

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1376642681' post='2177151'] not only that but also... [b]Who: [/b][color=#0000FF]Edicson Ruiz[/color] [b]Why: [/b][color=#0000FF]Bassist with the Ber[/color]lin Philharmonic Orchestra and soloist [b]What: [/b][color=#0000FF]Masterclass[/color] [b]Where[/b]: [color=#0000FF]Royal Academy of Music, London on Thursday 17th October , 6.30pm - 9.30 pm[/color] [b]How much:[/b] [color=#0000FF]Free but tickets required.[/color] More info [url="http://www.ram.ac.uk/events?event_id=2032"]about the event [/url] More info on [url="http://www.edicsonruiz.com/"]Edicson Ruiz[/url] [/quote]and this!

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1376642266' post='2177140'] [b]Who: [/b][color=#0000FF]Dan Styffe[/color] [b]Why: [/b][color=#0000FF]Principal bass of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Professor of the Norwegian Academy of Music[/color] [b]What: [/b][color=#0000FF]Masterclass[/color] [b]Where[/b]: [color=#0000FF]Royal College of Music, London on Friday 4th October , 2pm [/color] [b]How much:[/b] [color=#0000FF]Free but tickets required.[/color] More info [url="http://www.rcm.ac.uk/events/listings/details/?id=216833"]on the event[/url] More info on [url="http://www.danstyffe.com/"]Dan Styffe[/url] Anyone else going? [/quote]Thought I would just bump this as its getting nearer

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1377686083' post='2190267'] should I ever decide to throw out half of my flat's furniture and get one [/quote] Sylvia, disgraceful behaviour! ...you must get rid of some of your furniture immediately ( maybe another trip to the Academy might tip the balance? ) !! Welcome GeorgeB - the search for a decent lefty isn't easy !

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1378469795' post='2200768'] Which is where Rabbath's method really scores. Only three arm movements to worry about mostly. [/quote] ...but remember the original post from Steve ...he is needing to get his thumb under his fingers - not so easy to pivot á la Rabbath if that all important thumb isn't in the right place ...but it could just do the trick !

[quote name='mtroun' timestamp='1378468251' post='2200737'] Everything I thought I knew about left hand technique was shattered in my first lesson with Tom Martin. I was trying too hard before! I would say one of my biggest issues on the bass is being able to relax (probably after a long time playing nearly unplayable instruments) [/quote] +1 learning to relax was a breakthrough moment for me too ...Murray Grodner made the great point that as bassists we tend to think about intonation as being a finger issue when in reality when we move up and down the fingerboard its also about the fluidity of the arm , shoulders and the relaxation of the whole body thing that's needed.

..when the other musicians say 'lets nip across the road for a pint after the gig - we can shove our instruments under the table if it gets too crowded ! '

...your car has broken down, its raining hard and every taxi driver you hail slows down but then accelerates away when he realises that the 'other passenger' isn't a person after all.