Duke Composite DB ?

[MOXYBASS]

I am looking to upgrade my cheap abused laminate DB.  I play in a rockabilly/rock n roll band so mainly slap style in loud venues and therefore use a krivo / shadow rb pickups. Sold lots of old gear and have appox £3k to "reinvest"   (reinvest is easier to explain to Mrs M = no money spent  🤣 🤣)

 

Anyway browsing the Thomann website I was looking at Duke two tone DB and GEWA DBs  and I came across Duke Composite SN Double Bass 3/4 .......... but cant find many reviews or videos for the composite DB.

 

https://www.thomann.co.uk/duke_composite_sn_double_bass_3_4.htm

https://www.thomann.co.uk/duke_two_tone_hyv_double_bass_3_4.htm

 

Anyone played, seen or heard a composite ?

 

Thoughts on Duke workmanship ?

 

Ta very much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Burns-bass]

58 minutes ago, MOXYBASS said:

I am looking to upgrade my cheap abused laminate DB.  I play in a rockabilly/rock n roll band so mainly slap style in loud venues and therefore use a krivo / shadow rb pickups. Sold lots of old gear and have appox £3k to "reinvest"   (reinvest is easier to explain to Mrs M = no money spent  🤣 🤣)

 

Anyway browsing the Thomann website I was looking at Duke two tone DB and GEWA DBs  and I came across Duke Composite SN Double Bass 3/4 .......... but cant find many reviews or videos for the composite DB.

 

https://www.thomann.co.uk/duke_composite_sn_double_bass_3_4.htm

https://www.thomann.co.uk/duke_two_tone_hyv_double_bass_3_4.htm

 

Anyone played, seen or heard a composite ?

 

Thoughts on Duke workmanship ?

 

Ta very much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've played bases made form plastic compounds (Bassix ones), alumunium ones, ply and fully carved ones. Personally, unless you need an ultra light bass that's resistant to changes in temperature and humidity (because you're gigging internationally) I'd avoid it. Instead, I'd buy a well cared for DB on here that's been well set up and sorted for a fraction of that price.

 

When you go to pick it up, tell your wife you negotiated a £250 discount which you're going to use to treat her.

 

Everyone wins!

[Beedster]

7 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

 

I've played bases made form plastic compounds (Bassix ones), alumunium ones, ply and fully carved ones. Personally, unless you need an ultra light bass that's resistant to changes in temperature and humidity (because you're gigging internationally) I'd avoid it. Instead, I'd buy a well cared for DB on here that's been well set up and sorted for a fraction of that price.

 

When you go to pick it up, tell your wife you negotiated a £250 discount which you're going to use to treat her.

 

Everyone wins!

 

All of that plus I'd be concerned that I'd struggle to find a tech/luthier to work on a composite instrument, from the tech's POV wood's easy and forgiving material, composite less so 👍

[Happy Jack]

Can't comment on the workmanship, but alarmed by the price! You can buy a helluva lot of gear for >£3k and you can get a very decent DB for rockabilly for less than a third of that price. 7.5-8.5Kg is deffo lightweight and I like that (a typical 3/4 plywood DB will likely be around 10Kg) but whether a 2Kg reduction warrants such a premium on the price is pretty debatable.

 

The Thomann listing stating "Rockabilly string action - not suitable for jazz and classical music" is an immediate red flag, too. The fact that they felt it necessary to put that implies that people have bought these basses for rockabilly and other uses and been disappointed. Personally, I'm not convinced that there is such a thing as a pre-determined rockabilly action. I play in a similar band to yours using one of four DBs (or similar - one is a KK BabyBass), each with a different action, different strings, different pickups. I'd be hard put to tell you which of mine has a "rockabilly action".

 

IME playing in a rock'n'roll outfit makes it unlikely that your bass will be cosseted and kept wrapped up in tissue paper. Buying a brand new DB and taking that instant depreciation hit seems quite unnecessary, which is why I've never yet bought a brand new DB. 

 

I'd second both @Burns-bass and @Beedster ... stick with plywood and buy pre-loved. If you really need to blow the rest of the dosh in a DB-related sort of way, then there are appropriate rabbit holes for you to fall into ... specialist DB amplification and selecting gut strings both spring to mind. 

[Beedster]

6 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Can't comment on the workmanship, but alarmed by the price! You can buy a helluva lot of gear for >£3k and you can get a very decent DB for rockabilly for less than a third of that price. 7.5-8.5Kg is deffo lightweight and I like that (a typical 3/4 plywood DB will likely be around 10Kg) but whether a 2Kg reduction warrants such a premium on the price is pretty debatable.

 

The Thomann listing stating "Rockabilly string action - not suitable for jazz and classical music" is an immediate red flag, too. The fact that they felt it necessary to put that implies that people have bought these basses for rockabilly and other uses and been disappointed. Personally, I'm not convinced that there is such a thing as a pre-determined rockabilly action. I play in a similar band to yours using one of four DBs (or similar - one is a KK BabyBass), each with a different action, different strings, different pickups. I'd be hard put to tell you which of mine has a "rockabilly action".

 

IME playing in a rock'n'roll outfit makes it unlikely that your bass will be cosseted and kept wrapped up in tissue paper. Buying a brand new DB and taking that instant depreciation hit seems quite unnecessary, which is why I've never yet bought a brand new DB. 

 

I'd second both @Burns-bass and @Beedster ... stick with plywood and buy pre-loved. If you really need to blow the rest of the dosh in a DB-related sort of way, then there are appropriate rabbit holes for you to fall into ... specialist DB amplification and selecting gut strings both spring to mind. 

 

This ^

 

And to reinforce Jack's point, the action is (implied to be) high to excessively high but with no obvious means of lowering it given it's a fixed height and composite bridge. Taking that to a standard wooden instrument luthier will be like taking a Landrover Discovery to your local MOT garage, they're either going to rub their hands with glee at the projected income or make a complete mess of it. Or both   

[Burns-bass]

I gig 3-4 times a month and my current bass is a £580 Musima German ply bass. It's perfectly robust, I don't mind it it gets bashed around a bit, sounds great and is set up well. It's ideal for my needs.

[Beedster]

41 minutes ago, Beedster said:

Taking that to a standard wooden instrument luthier will be like taking a Landrover Discovery to your local MOT garage, they're either going to rub their hands with glee at the projected income or make a complete mess of it. Or both

 

....which is quite amusing given the review says "Very cool part that you don't have to pay attention to, if it's damaged you go to the car repair shop". That's where I'd always hoped to be able to get my expensive musical instruments fixed, the car repair shop 🤔 

[TheRev]

I've (briefly) played a Duke Peacemaker and the build quality and sound was very good. If I was in the market for a new bass, I'd be looking at the Two-Tone or the Duke Special - I've not heard anything about composite basses that would encourage me to pay the additional cost.

 

If you need tough, touring workhorse....that's what laminate basses are for!  

[Burns-bass]

Bass cat.

[TheRev]

Is that your Musima?

Noice.

 

I have the cat installed on the treble side of my Musima - it's brings out the upper mids better.

[Burns-bass]

6 minutes ago, TheRev said:

Is that your Musima?

Noice.

 

I have the cat installed on the treble side of my Musima - it's brings out the upper mids better.

It is indeed! Took the photo while I was wasting time not working. 

[Paddy Morris]

If you do end up buying a composite bass, would love to know what you think of it, and hear some sample recordings.