Bass Advice!

[Ramirez]

Hi,

I'm not a regular poster, but I'm hoping someone will be willing to offer me some advice regardless!

I've had a good search on older threads so I won't start yet another "best starter bass" thread, but I'm on the look for a cheap double bass, to play country/bluegrassy stuff mostly.

It'll have to be paid for on the "Take it Away" scheme as there is no other way I could afford one, so it rules out buying used off the forum, or from a store that does operate the scheme.

I found this while searching around:
[url="http://www.moseleyviolins.co.uk/double_basses.php"]http://www.moseleyviolins.co.uk/double_basses.php[/url]
specifically, the 'Baliol', which is the 4th bass down. That's around my budget, so I'm not hoping for something incredible, but would that be suitable for my needs? It kind of looks small to me (I'm not up to scratch on the size differences and their implications).

I'm not really in a position to go any higher than £800, and a pickup would definately be handy as an insurance for gigging.

Thanks for any help!

Aled

[fatback]

It doesn't say much about the Baliol. You might want to get an experienced player to take a look,a dn you might want to check how well they set up these basses before they sell.

Having been through the pain of researching to get my own first db, I'd say the following are the things to take into account:

Any 3/4 size is good.
Ebony (not 'ebonised') board is a must
All laminate is fine, especially if it's an old bass. Solid top is a bit better.

Strings - you'll end up changing them anyway eventually, but if you mean to play in a loud band you might want to think ahead to using a magnetic pickup rather than a Piezo like the shadow. If you do go that way, you'll need steel strings. Also, not all strings are equally bowable, so you might want to think about that if you mean to take lessons with the bow. Strings are pricey, so you might want to get the ones you want included when you buy. Don't agonise about this bit though. The strings/pickup quest seems never to end. If the bass is good, you can sort those things later.

Bridge: adjustable is great, if you can get it. If not, you need to be sure the action is ok for you.

Hope this helps.

Edited March 14, 2011 by fatback

[Bilbo]

Standard size for most musics is 3/4 so bear that in mind (this one is a 3/4 I assume because the others are labelled at 1/2 or smaller so the absence of a size would indicate it is standard). There is a lot of competing advice out there and the more I researched, the more I found it unhelpful - not because it was inherently wrong but because the available advice generally offered solutions that were always outside of my budget. This is worse for you because you need a certain sort of dealer to take advantage of a particular scheme. My advice is to go for it. A reputable company like Moseley's are not going to sell you a total dog. Its probably a trade in someone swapped for an upgrade and you may find you do the same over time. I say go along and play it - if it feels exciting, go for it. They have agreed to set it up so that's half the battle. As you know, you aren't going to get an Italian hand made bass - this is a 'let's get going' bass. Just get one and get started.

Good luck.

[Ramirez]

[quote name='fatback' post='1161936' date='Mar 14 2011, 04:03 PM']It doesn't say much about the Baliol. You might want to get an experienced player to take a look,a dn you might want to check how well they set up these basses before they sell.

Having been through the pain of researching to get my own first db, I'd say the following are the things to take into account:

Any 3/4 size is good.
Ebony (not 'ebonised') board is a must
All laminate is fine, especially if it's an old bass. Solid top is a bit better.

Strings - you'll end up changing them anyway eventually, but if you mean to play in a loud band you might want to think ahead to using a magnetic pickup rather than a Piezo like the shadow. If you do go that way, you'll need steel strings. Also, not all strings are equally bowable, so you might want to think about that if you mean to take lessons with the bow. Strings are pricey, so you might want to get the ones you want included when you buy. Don't agonise about this bit though. The strings/pickup quest seems never to end. If the bass is good, you can sort those things later.

Bridge: adjustable is great, if you can get it. If not, you need to be sure the action is ok for you.

Hope this helps. [/quote]


Hi, very helpful, thank you very much!

I rang them, and it's a 1960s all-laminate. The bridge is not adjustable, but he said the action was ideal for country/bluegrass stuff. As I'm not used to playing upright, I might be able to come to terms with the action however it comes>?!

It isn't an ebony board, however. The guy wasn't sure what it was, but thought it was pearlwood. How big of a deal is this?

Aled

[fatback]

[quote name='Ramirez' post='1161950' date='Mar 14 2011, 04:12 PM']It isn't an ebony board, however. The guy wasn't sure what it was, but thought it was pearlwood. How big of a deal is this?

Aled[/quote]

Best let a more knowledgeable bod answer this. I've never heard of a pearlwood board and Google doesn't seem to have either.

btw the business of 'action ideal for country' could mean anything, I'd imagine. As I understand it, the big difference is that if you're going to amplify you can use a lower action than if you play acoustically. High action = louder acoustically (roughly). Too high an action could put you right off the instrument, and if you need to get it adjusted by a luthier, it will cost you.

I'm sure Bilbo's right about a reputable shop not selling you a dog, but I would clarify that fingerboard material business.

Edited March 14, 2011 by fatback

[fonzoooroo]

Fingerboards:

Ebony is better. Agreed.

However, an "ebonised" board can be fine, as long as the chosen hardwood isn't[i] too [/i]soft. Have a look at the fingerboard under the strings in 1st position and check for wear. If it's a '60s bass, it's had a fair bit of use, so as long as there isn't a massive amount of wear, (like it needs a re-shoot in the nextyear or 2) it'll be fine.

I've re-shot lots of "ebonised" fingerboards, and the only snag is that it costs the customer a little more, as it needs re-finishing afterwards.

If it looks generally OK, go for it. You'll have to excuse me saying this, but: I'm aware that for [i]you[/i], it's a lot of money, but... for a double bass, it isn't.... so you can't go too far wrong. Especially from a decent retailer.

[Gareth Hughes]

Here's my stock reply for anyone seeking a good quality and affordable bass. I've been gigging mine 3-4 times a week this past few months and have several recordings lined up for it. It does all that it should, and so very much more for the price of it.


[quote name='Gareth Hughes' post='1067708' date='Dec 23 2010, 12:44 PM']....I would recommend you look into some of the basses available from Thomann. After playing a friends that was set-up professionally and played brilliantly, I replaced my €5000 bass from Ken Smith with one of these: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_kontrabass_22_02.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_kontrabass_22_02.htm[/url]

The Ken Smith was fully carved, while the Thomann is a hybrid (carved top, laminated sides/back) and to be honest there isn't a lot in the difference. My main reason for downgrading was to get an instrument that would amplify better than the Smith would. The carved body was a crazy feedback machine. So I knew I would be sacrificing some acoustic qualities in getting a hybrid. I can honestly say that after playing the Smith for over a year, and getting to know it pretty well, that I would rather have the Thomann. The Thomann bass is made by the Hora company in Romania.

Also, I was able to specify what set-up I wanted, so the bass arrived with the bridge set-up to my playing style. It also arrived with the soundpost still in place, so I was able to string it up as soon as I unpacked it and was playing in minutes. This saved the time and expense of going to my repair guy to get it setup. I've been playing this bass for almost a year now and have no problems with it at all.

With the free shipping from Thomann and the trial period where you can return it if you don't like it, this might be a better option for you. Maybe check with them about the procedure to return it if you don't like it.[/quote]