Looking at getting a new (read cheap/used) bass - help

[bassfunk]

Hey Guys

I'm looking at upgrading from my Antoni DB. While I like the sound of my Antoni the neck is a little chunky for my tastes. I also feel I've outgrown the Antoni. I also have a Stagg EUB to sell, so I've set my budget between £7—800
I play in 4 bands and work full time, so travelling around the country isn't really an option for me.

I play DB in a very quiet jazz quartet and a very loud Blues Band. So I'm looking for an instrument to cover both.

I've seen a couple of options.

The first is an Andreas Zeller: http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/double-bass/1077835288

It's had a neck repair, new board. And as I live in Manchester is pretty close to me. Also the price is good (too good?) if I bought this I'd have the money for either a) repairs or to keep my Stagg as a backup.

The 2nd is halfmanhalfdrums B&H 400. This looks, and after messaging him, sounds like a great option. But is a littl further away and right at the top of my budget.

Opinions, tips and rants welcome.

Thanks

Pete

Edited August 22, 2014 by bassfunk

[Marc S]

Hi Pete,

I'd just say, keep your eye on the For Sale section on this forum
I've bought several items - incl 2 double basses!, a bass guitar, and an amp
All the stuff has been great, and the BC'ers I've dealt with have been great
nice people, honest and a pleasure to deal with

As it happens (lol)
I've got one for sale at the moment too
Although it might be a bit out of that range, and I'm a bit of a trek from Manchester

Good luck with your search
Marc

[fatgoogle]

I can't imagine getting a huge improvement in this price range from your antoni. Could you have the neck taken down and chamfered a bit?

[Marc S]

[quote name='fatgoogle' timestamp='1408695742' post='2532540']
I can't imagine getting a huge improvement in this price range from your antoni. Could you have the neck taken down and chamfered a bit?
[/quote]

Good suggestion
I haven't played one personally, but Antoni's seem to be well accepted as a good beginners / intermediate bass
Finding a luthier you know you can trust is the key to getting that neck trimmed...
I'm sure there'll be plenty of advice on this forum, as to who is best to do that your area
Let us know what you decide & how you get on

[zero9]

I concur with fatgoogle. Money is better spent getting your current bass the way you like it. Spending 800 is not a real improvement over what you have and you may end up with something that may still need work to suit your playing. You should also make allowance for setup costs and replacing strings if your going to buy another DB, just to be sure.

[bassfunk]

Thanks Guys

Marc - Your bass is very tempting! But just outside my budget and a little too far. If you're ever feeling generous and in the Northwest give me a call

I do keep thinking maybe I can get the neck chamfered. It's a big ugly Orange box, but I get a decent sound out of it. I just lust after something with a proper ebony board and higher end fittings. I'm in a situation where I work full time at the moment and play most weekends, so the money is good. I've put a request in at work to go to part time working so I can concentrate more on playing, gigging and maybe teaching (a little bit of free time would be nice too). So while I've got a bit of spare cash I want to try and get the right tools for the job.

Does anybody know of a decent DB Luthier in Manchester? Most people tend to go to Tim Toft but even that is 2 hour round trip for me, and then I'd have to collect it.

I'm stuck and confused. Do I buy a slightly better cheapo and hope it's an improvement? Or pay out for some upgrades on my current cheapo and hope it's an improvement?

I have lessons from Steve McEvoy on here. I've tried both of his basses and they both feel a lot more comfortable and sound better than mine.

I think I tried your Bryant Fatgoogle when I went to see Paul (he lives up the road from my inlaws). I cheekily took the Antoni to him for a string change and set up. I felt like a pretender amongst all those beautiful basses - What a bass yours is!

Maybe I should think about taking it to Tim Toft to see if they can do anything. Oh I'm so undecided!

Thanks for the comments guys. It's good to have other opinions. The wife won't listen at all as soon as I start talking about basses!

Thanks

Pete

[Marc S]

Hi again Pete,

If you're getting a good sound from your Antoni,
then maybe it isn't a "pretender" among other basses at all....

I've said it before, but there is a lot of snobbery in this game
Much of it is self-imposed too
So often I've heard people say they love their Squier P or J Bass,
but they trade up for another, more expensive bass, then miss the Squier!

It's not about what brand your bass is,
it's about how it feels, sounds & plays

Getting the neck trimmed may be the best advice,
because you are already getting the sound
and it's a bass you know etc
So if someone can help make it a little more comfortable, then all the better

Another factor to be considered when buying a new, more expensive bass
is that you may end up being more "precious" or over-cautious with it
and even scared to take it out & about (I know, this has happened to me too!)

My wife won't listen to me talking about basses either
- but it's a good way of convincing her to go out & do some gardening or shopping,
when I want a bit of peace & quiet! lol

[malbass]

I recently upgraded from an Antoni to a second hand Strunal that I found on eBay. After taking the Strunal to a luthier for a new bridge, soundpost, nut and set up, I'd spent a similar amount to your budget. In my case I'd say that the upgrade was most definitely worthwhile. The Antoni is a great starter bass and definitely served its purpose and got me hooked on Double Bass but I'm not convinced that it would have been worth spending money on trying to improve it.

I'm sure if you're patient something will come up that meets your needs and fits your budget!

[keeponehandloose]

try Alan Gregory Music in Didsbury, ask for Bob.
Hes done wirk for me on a couple of occasions and he wont look down his nose at you because your bass isnt worth thousands.

[bassfunk]

Thanks for the comments guys

Marc - valid points again. But as Malbass has said the Antoni probably isn't worth spending the money on. While i have a good usable sound it lacks depth and character. I'm probably not goint to get loads of that in a budget bass but having played two of Steve's basses (both cost less than £500 and have had work done to them) I have an idea of what I want.

Artisan - tempting :-)

Thanks Keeponehandloose an old tutor I had said he wouldn't recommend them, but he was probably very fussy!

Thanks guys. Keep the opinions coming, forewarned is forearmed and all that!

[stingrayPete1977]

It is a tricky one because you know there is a really good used bass out there for the money in question but where? You could drive miles to get nothing much better than what you have or the bloke up the road might be selling a £2000 new bass used in good nick for £900.

I gave up and spent about a grand on a Gedo which I presume would be better than your current bass and other lower budget basses, G4M or low end Thomann budget basses. I went for a hybrid with a carved front and a real ebony board and adjustable bridge with the hope that I will not be in your boat as and when it needs work or my playing improves to a point where the bass needs tweaking as it should worth a pro setup and be able to take fingerboard work etc.

As a noob I dont really know what to expect from a bass and I am looking forward to the DB Bash at Derby to try a few nicer basses to see what I am missing, Jake Newman certainly makes mine sound good and has given it a clean bill of health as is with Spiro weichs and my bridge adjustments for now, I suspect with no more than say £100 having the bridge feet shaped better and the sound post positioning perfectly it could be a belter for £1100

[BassBags]

Hi Pete,

If you'd like to try a DB with a pro luthier setup to compare the difference you'd be more than welcome to visit us just north of Derby about 1hr 45min from Manchester via Buxton.

In addition to our sales stock, all of our hire basses have our pro setup so we've always got stock available to try.

If you'd like to visit just let me know and I'll put the kettle on.

David.

[bassfunk]

Pete - exactly what I'm going through.

Thanks Bassbags. If I'm down your end I'll get in touch.

[stingrayPete1977]

Hard to decide what to do isnt it? Ive no idea how much nicer better ones are or how much worse cheaper ones are, then is a badly setup expensive one going to be any use, can a cheaper one be setup easily and will it sound good even if it plays well, I give up, lol.

[Dazed]

Also still in the same boat!

Everyone I see appear for sale I think, is that the right one??
Trouble is as a novice (no experience) it's all pot luck!
I went into Forsythes in Manchester last week out of curiosity to see if they had anything in stock.
They had 3, a budget black thing around £800, a zeller/stentnor for £1250 and another one that on looks alone caught my eye but as always was way above my budget, priced £2-3k.
The DB's are kept in a private room with all their classical string instruments. The assistant couldn't leave you in there alone, which is fair enough but I couldn't pluck up the courage to test drive any of them as I wouldn't know where to start. I gingerly plucked the e on the cheap one and it sounded nice enough lovely acoustic tone you just don't get from an electric. I'm glad I didn't take any cash or cards with me as I could've been sold anything and still would have had a huge grin on my face.

Now a few days later I see a used zeller/stentnor on gumtree that seemed to be the same spec for half the price and part of me thinks, that's a bargain, on price alone, but then again is it? Especially when I keep looking on here and seeing others appear. There's a used Sam Shen for a grand on gumtree, now that must be an even bigger bargain, but again that's based solely on money.
I'm struggling to know what I want/need.
So ive come up with a plan......all you people selling DB's, would you mind all meeting up, leaving your basses set up, leave the room for me to fumble my way around them all and then come back when I've decided. Then you can all return and tell me what they're all going to cost?

Thanks

Edited August 24, 2014 by Dazed

[Dad3353]

[size=4][quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1408894267' post='2534390'][/size]
Also still in the same boat!

Everyone I see appear for sale I think, is that the right one??
Trouble is as a novice (no experience) it's all pot luck!
I went into Forsythes in Manchester last week out of curiosity to see if they had anything in stock.
They had 3, a budget black thing around £800, a zeller/stentnor for £1250 and another one that on looks alone caught my eye but as always was way above my budget, priced £2-3k.
The DB's are kept in a private room with all their classical string instruments. The assistant couldn't leave you in there alone, which is fair enough but I couldn't pluck up the courage to test drive any of them as I wouldn't know where to start. I gingerly plucked the e on the cheap one and it sounded nice enough lovely acoustic tone you just don't get from an electric. I'm glad I didn't take any cash or cards with me as I could've been sold anything and still would have had a huge grin on my face.

Now a few days later I see a used zeller/stentnor on gumtree that seemed to be the same spec for half the price and part of me thinks, that's a bargain, on price alone, but then again is it? Especially when I keep looking on here and seeing others appear. There's a used Sam Shen for a grand on gumtree, now that must be an even bigger bargain, but again that's based solely on money.
I'm struggling to know what I want/need.
So ive come up with a plan......all you people selling DB's, would you mind all meeting up, leaving your basses set up, leave the room for me to fumble my way around them all and then come back when I've decided. Then you can all return and tell me what they're all going to cost?

Thanks
[/quote]

Manchester..? You surely can' be too far away from a DB-playing buddy who could accompany you to look at any bargains..? No such BCers in that region..? [size=4] How's about attending one of the various Bass Bashes going..? I believe there's even a specifically DB one coming up. Could be opportunity there, no..?[/size]

[stingrayPete1977]

The derby bash would be well worth coming to if you are going to spend a few quid on a db, even if costs a few quid in fuel it could save you hundreds.

[bassfunk]

Yeah I'm thinking about it, but I have a wedding the night before and then work on Monday. Might see if I can blag a lift with somebody.

[stingrayPete1977]

It is 11 until 6 so not too early and not too late, plus you only need to be there long enough to see how much lighter your wallet is going to be in the near future You can get a good look at the 2 Gedo basses (mine and Zero9's) to see what you think of the build,sound and finish etc compared to what you have now, you will know if it is worth the small step up or if you need to either spend more or try and hunt down the elusive good bass within you existing target price, what is annoying for us all in this situation and I guess even people the next ten price bands up are the same boat to some extent is we know they are out there!

[fatback]

Sounds to me like you either need the security of new, probably a Gedo, or you need to buy from an experienced player you can trust.

I did the last, driving a 700 mile round trip to buy off a guy I didn't know. I'd only ever had one lesson at that stage and never held a bass otherwise. I decided to trust the guy, A because he played jazz, and anyone so other-worldly could hardly be a cheat, and B he was a true craftsman, and in my experience craftsmen are invariably honest.

It all worked out really well. The setup was atrocious, but the bass was great after a couple of hundred spent at the luthier and a second hand set of strings.

Take your time. The right one will come your way.

Edited August 25, 2014 by fatback

[fatgoogle]

Another thing, since the very first bass i bought (a cheap laminate that wasn't playable) i have never bought a bass outright without taking it on a trial and would recommend that no one does either. Two weeks to a month is generally accepted as good trial time. Some pro's have taken bass's on trials for a year or longer just to make sure its the right one.

[artisan]

anyone wanting a cheap but very good bass should seriously consider this beauty http://basschat.co.uk/topic/243751-strunal-504-double-bass/#entry2533716
ok its a shameless plug but hey it is a bargain (as long as you like blue)

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='fatgoogle' timestamp='1408965170' post='2534938']
Another thing, since the very first bass i bought (a cheap laminate that wasn't playable) i have never bought a bass outright without taking it on a trial and would recommend that no one does either. Two weeks to a month is generally accepted as good trial time. Some pro's have taken bass's on trials for a year or longer just to make sure its the right one.
[/quote]
I have been playing mine for over a year now but I still would not be able to tell if a bass was any good really, I know what you are saying but it only works if you can already play fairly well, most people in this situation as I was are beginners or maybe the next step up, taking a good player along might be better but not everyone has a local good player to hand with the time to go and look at basses often 100 miles away do they? If I was a pro that warranted a year long trial of a bass I doubt I would be looking at Gedo basses or G4M I can't imagine many sellers on gumtree or ebay agreeing to any trial other than a dabble in their front front never mind 2 weeks? So that puts us back to shops probably on a sale or return basis, anything even one step up from my Gedo in a shop is going to be £1800+ thats the shops that stock such things most items in that price range at a shop are bows!

[Dazed]

^^^^ +1

[Marc S]

I was in this situation a while back
I had bought my Stagg EUB, which convinced me to go ahead and get an acoustic DB

But none were coming up anywhere near me, in Cardiff
I searched high & low, and waited and waited, but I was getting impatient

Anything that turned up, seemed to be the other end of the country
and I wasn't very experienced, or even quite sure what I was looking for

I got very lucky with my Boosey & Hawkes, Sarah, who sold her to me
was obviously a very honest person, and good Bc'er
I took the plunge, and went for it, only to find 2 DB's come up for sale locally!!

The gist of what I'm saying, is that you just need to be patient,
It's difficult, I know - especially when the GAS is so strong
Try a few basses if, when & where you can....
If there are any other BC'ers near you, perhaps you can arrange a meet-up, if there's no Bass Bash imminent
Maybe you could arrange a mini DB bass-bash?

Have you discussed options with any luthiers yet?
Maybe the mods will not be as expensive as all that - it's worth a try....

Good luck in your search, and having been in a similar position, I really can empathise

For everyone else looking for a DB out there,
I always did like the look of Artisan's lovely blue Db
and another shameless plug - my Boosey & Hawkes is for sale on this forum
- it really is a beautiful instrument, with solid ebony fingerboard, and a lovely sound
apologies, but if you've got DB GAS - it's incurable


At least you have a bass in the meantime - and it has given you a good idea of what you want next....

Edited August 26, 2014 by Marc S