Bob G Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hi! As I said in my intro, I haven't played bass for a few years, but have over 30 years of playing bass guitar behind me (committed Fender player!). I am ready to return to bass-world after my sojourn in sax-land, and would like some advice please. Over the last few years I have really got into jazz music of all styles, and find myself listening increasingly to what the bass is doing, and thinking I could handle that! The question is where do I start? All I know is that jazzists seem to favour 3/4 instruments, but how much should I pay for one to get me started, should I go new or used, what brands are to be recommended/avoided etc etc etc??? I'm thinking of an acoustic rather than solid instrument, but beyond that have really no idea. Any help gratefully received. Cheers, Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLoydElgar Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 How much do you have to spend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 There are several threads already on here of this nature, Bob. Try these.... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/67545-no-pain-no-gain/ http://basschat.co.uk/topic/9103-double-bass-buying-guide/ http://basschat.co.uk/topic/171751-how-to-buy-a-double-bass/ THere are 55 pages of threads on Electric uprights and double basses here and most of what you will want to know will have been discussed in there. ALso, if you let us know where you are, someone will probably arrange a meeting with you so you can try a bass out etc. Nice to have another jazzer one here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobVbass Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 I have to say with an awesome name like Bob half the battle is won already. You can't fail Personally as a first instrument I'd go for a decent, in use, secondhand eastern european ply bass from 60s-80s ; Boosey and Hawkes, Framus etc. - around the £800-£1500 mark will get you something playable, then perhaps add in £200 for new strings and a decent setup when you're ready. all the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 If you can get a double bass player to try out any bass before you buy it then do. Most of the cheaper laminate basses available don't sound too great and if you can't really play it then you might not be the best judge. I would look at the lower end hybrid and carved basses sold by Thomann and Gedo-Musik, both seem to have good value basses in their ranges. There's probably not much point spending a lot of time hanging out for a used bass as good double basses don't tend to depreciate from 'new' like bass guitars do, or if they do it's because they're not very good or they've got problems that will be expensive to fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLoydElgar Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Name is right, the double bass will hold its "new" price pretty well! Thwaites have some available in watford even a rental is good start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 There's a lot to be said for getting a lesson even before you buy your bass. You get a feel for the thing, and you get the benefit of your teachers advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Welcome, Bob. As Bilbo has said, there is a wealh of information for beginners lurking in this forum and. as with most things, there are no right or wrong answers, just advice.... Bob Pickard is spot on with his budget advice. £800 - £1500 will buy you something very useable, either used or new. Your budget should also include around £100ish for a set up to get the bass (new or used) working well for you. Then there's pickups, preamps, strings.... though some of that can wait until you've got a few months playing under your belt. Regarding new vs used: Thwaites in Watford has a grerat selection of laminated basses around the £1000 - £1500 mark and is well worth a visit. You can get the same basses for less by buying privately, but unless you know what to look for in terms of potential damage and defects, spending the extra money in a shop which will have sorted these things out for you is probably money well spent. There are a couple of reasonably priced new basses that are well regarded. The Thomann 2E hybrid bass is a rebadged Strunal for a smidge over £1000. I'm very tempted to get one of these myself as the carved top will (hopefully) provide a bit more tone and sustain than my lovely old laminate. If you are looking at theThomann hybrid basses, make sure you go for somthing with a carved top rather than 'solid'. A solid top is a sheet of solid timber which has been steamed and pressed into a curved shape. This is cheaper than carving a top to shape, but it's much more likely to want to return to being a flat piece of wood at some point in it's life. The Thomann 1E basses are laminates, but could still serve you well, especially the Tineo wood model, which is apparently very resonant for a ply bass The Gear4music 'Archer' basses are used by a few people on here (Bilbo?) and have a good reputation. Of course, the problem with buying new from the big superstores is that you can't try before you buy, unless you're willing to travel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 [quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1357301129' post='1920555'] The Gear4music 'Archer' basses are used by a few people on here (Bilbo?) and have a good reputation. [/quote] Apparently they have the potential to be decent basses but they ship with a totally unplayable setup, and I've seen one with a bridge that was bent so I'd imagine changing the bridge might be a good idea too. To be honest from the examples I've seen and tried on their showroom floor I wouldn't touch one. Seems like a gamble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah thomas Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 If you're not too far from South Wales (Cardiff area), then you're welcome to come and try Bertha (Boosey & Hawkes laminate) and Geraldine (German flatback). Both were bought from this forum. Bertha for £1,000 and Geraldine for £2,000. Bertha needed new strings. Geraldine needed a new endpin, soundpost re-fitting, fingerboard shooting, new bridge, a bit of leather under the wire that secures the tailpiece to the endpin and new strings. If you choose second hand, you'll get more bass for your money but you should be prepared to travel. I was lucky with Bertha and bought her locally. For the beautiful and worth every single bit of everything Geraldine, I went to Harrogate. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob G Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 Thanks for all the help everybody! Plenty to think about, especially as I have just got back from seeing a piano trio featuring the utterly wonderful Arnie Somogyi playing bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 (edited) One thing to watch out for is the length between the nut and the bridge. 3/4 basses are generally in the region of 105cm. Many 3/4 lower cost basses have shorter playing lengths at anything from around 100 - 105cm because they are aimed at the student market. The shorter string length makes them very playable as you don't have to stretch as much between notes at the lower end of the register ( i.e. equivalent of 1st - 3rd fret on a bass guitar) and the string tension is also less. The shorter length instruments are a great way to get started but if you want to get a good sound they need a bit more care in terms of fitting correct tension strings otherwise they can sound lifeless and lame ( most strings manufacturers produce data based on how the string will perform at 105/106 cm and logically if you have a shorter instrument of say 100cm, the string doesn't have to stretch as far as the 'design length' and so doesn't 'sing'. Simple way to get around that is to go for a string tension that is 'high' and it will play like a 'medium' on a shorter length instrument. Personally I like Pirastro Obligatos and I have played them on a 103cm bass very successfully with a great pizzicato jazz sound and excellent bowed sound ). I would definitely consider going second hand and go for a bass comes from a good home in that it is well set up in terms of string height (otherwise it may feel like you are playing 'cheese wire' strings ), and also that the sound post and bridge are correctly positioned. Some new basses can be ok but many have the cheapest set of string on them and need to be set up my an experienced luthier as they come straight out of the factory with a high action so that this can be adjusted to suit the player and their style. My thoughts would be to get a good 'used' laminate bass which you can pick up anywhere between £500 - £750 and invest in some good strings which may set you back a further £150 ( but you can upgrade the strings at a later date after you have gotten used to the DB !). I say laminate simply because they are more sturdy and robust and ts unlikely that they will develop cracks . When learning its easy to be clumsy carrying the bass around and carved tops (at around this price) can become uneconomical to repair especially if the top needs to come off to stitch a crack in the top ( a student of mine left his Stentor DB in a car overnight, brought it inside the next day into a centrally heated house and got a split below the left f hole!! - you just won't get that problem with a laminate bass ( plywood) which will sound just as good and keep its resale value if you don't bond with the DB as an instrument). All the best with your quest ! BTW , I have a Boosey and Hawkes instrument that a student has asked me to help find a new home for - ticks all of the above boxes and might suit you really well? If you are interested PM me ! Edited January 28, 2013 by ubassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 [quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1357301129' post='1920555'] The Gear4music 'Archer' basses are used by a few people on here (Bilbo?) [/quote] Not me. Mine is from Gedo Musik. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 There is a lot of good sense there - sorry, not meant to sound at all patronising! In my early days I did a lot of gigs on my 'bought new' bass I thought I was doing well. But from time to time I would sit-in on someone else's double bass. Very few of them looked any better than mine but almost without exception they were easier to play. Of course, it was the setup - which supports the advice to get a second hand bass from a good home. I'm a lot wiser and considerably older now. That's a pity, the 'old' bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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