Some help for a new starter please

[matthabens]

Hello, I am looking at starting the Double Bass soon and wondered if I could get some help please. I live near Southampton and I am struggling to find many shops that sell DB's, could anyone suggest any shops up to about 100 miles of Southampton? Shops that do finance would be a bonus, I am not rich and can only go to about £1000 max. Also I am unsure of the size difference between a 3/4 and full size, I am 6' 1" so which size would be better for me?
Thank you to any help thats comes through.
Matt

[henry norton]

Well London's less than a hundred miles from Southampton and you have a choice of shops there. It'll be worth your while going somewhere like Thwaites in Watford to take a look and have a play of a few instruments. I don't think they sell mega-cheap laminates like you'll find on Fleabay but it'll give you a good idea what you could get for your money and also what you could trade up to when you've got a bit more experience/cash. I wouldn't necessarily buy one from a dealer as they all have a hefty mark up - it's also a good idea to set aside a couple of hundred from your budget to get the DB set up - that way you know you won't be fighting high strings, a flat board and badly positioned sound post. Getting strings to suit the style you want to play will help allot too. There are plenty of threads on here discussing the various virtues of different strings and setups.

Size wise 3/4 is pretty standard. A 7/8 or full size bass is quite rare, usually a fair bit bulkier, heavier, more difficult to play (longer string length and a larger body to get around) and generally used more for orchestral stuff. They may be more difficult to move on if/when you decide to upgrade too.