Double Bass buying advice - plus any experience buying from 'The Double Bass Room' in Battle, East Sussex?

[SimBass]

I'm in the market to upgrade my Eminence (small bodied) double bass to a fully carved 3/4 size double bass, for use in Big Band and Jazz Quartets. I've been saving for a long time and lucky enough to have a budget of £3k-£5k.
Having done lots of research, visited a couple of shops (mainly with crazy valued basses of £8k+ which I can't afford), my next stop is likely to be "The Double Bass Room" in Battle, East Sussex. Having spoken to the owner on the phone he is confident he has a fair few suitable basses in my price range and that it is worth me making the multi-hour drive to go and see them.

 

Questions:

1. Any experience buying basses in this price range from 'The Double Bass Room'?
2. Most of his basses state they come 'professionally set up by Kentish luthier' - anyone know what sort of a "set up" I should expect? Should I budget to pay for my own setup for my specific genre needs (having not had a standard size double bass before I would find it hard to request any personal setup requirements beyond - "I want it to sound great for Pizz Jazz")
3. Any recommendations for places to get 'new to me, old bass' set up done (including potentially adding an adjustable bridge)
4. Any other recommendations for places to try multiple fully carved basses in this price range? (obviously I'm keeping my eye on the forums 'for sales' but really need somewhere I can try multiple instruments to get a real feel for what I like)

 

Any thoughts appreciated

[Burns-bass]

I think you're doing the right thing going somewhere you can test lots of basses. That's a healthy budget and hopefully you'll find a friend for life!

 

I'll leave answering the questions for those much more experienced in buying DBs to provide expert advice. If you can travel with a friend (even better a double bass playing one) they can advise on tone. I found it useful to have someone sit down and tell me which basses sounded good and those that didn't. I guess you have to suit the bass to the player. If you take someone who can play, you can also sit back and listen to how the bass sounds – which can be massively valuable. 

 

If you're looking to play live (which it seems you are) I'd factor in a set up, strings of choice and the other expenses (a good bag, pickup and pre-amp with a HPF or HPF) that you'll need to gig (amplified) with a bass. A good bag will be £150 or more, a pickup a similar amount and I use the EBS Stanley Clarke which is ace. Strings and set up can vary but £300 is a good ballpark. 

[petebassist]

I did look for an old & used double bass years ago looking round similar places.

One thing I found was that a lot of the basses I tried didn't sound good for pizz at all in the shops -  my budget and amateur playing technique aside, they typically had really old strings and were maybe set up to sound good played arco, I don't know I wasn't an expert so just my guess. But tone wise they were pretty underwhelming.

Just something to bear in mind.

I'd recommend getting an adjustable bridge if you can, makes changing string type so much easier. 

Best of luck,

 

[petebassist]

2 hours ago, SimBass said:

I'm in the market to upgrade my Eminence (small bodied) double bass to a fully carved 3/4 size double bass, for use in Big Band and Jazz Quartets. I've been saving for a long time and lucky enough to have a budget of £3k-£5k.
Having done lots of research, visited a couple of shops (mainly with crazy valued basses of £8k+ which I can't afford), my next stop is likely to be "The Double Bass Room" in Battle, East Sussex. Having spoken to the owner on the phone he is confident he has a fair few suitable basses in my price range and that it is worth me making the multi-hour drive to go and see them.

 

Questions:

1. Any experience buying basses in this price range from 'The Double Bass Room'?
2. Most of his basses state they come 'professionally set up by Kentish luthier' - anyone know what sort of a "set up" I should expect? Should I budget to pay for my own setup for my specific genre needs (having not had a standard size double bass before I would find it hard to request any personal setup requirements beyond - "I want it to sound great for Pizz Jazz")
3. Any recommendations for places to get 'new to me, old bass' set up done (including potentially adding an adjustable bridge)
4. Any other recommendations for places to try multiple fully carved basses in this price range? (obviously I'm keeping my eye on the forums 'for sales' but really need somewhere I can try multiple instruments to get a real feel for what I like)

 

Any thoughts appreciated

For setup, I can recommend Bassbags over in Ripley - they did my new bass when I bought it and it's been rock solid ever since.

[SimBass]

6 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

A good bag will be £150 or more, a pickup a similar amount and I use the EBS Stanley Clarke which is ace. Strings and set up can vary but £300 is a good ballpark. 

 

Good points,I currently run my Eminence through an EBS Stanley Clark into GR amp and Barefaced Cab so will be keeping all that! I was assuming I would get the standard Realist as pickup since it works will through my Stanley Clark on my current small bodied bass. (Although lifeline as opposed to copperhead to avoid damage to the wood?)

 

6 hours ago, petebassist said:

But tone wise they were pretty underwhelming.

Just something to bear in mind.

I'd recommend getting an adjustable bridge

 

I had noticed similar with other bass shops which had basses set up for orchestral playing - or no "setup" until the buyer chose how they wanted it set up. It makes it very difficult to differentiate between a bass that isn't right for you and a bass that isn't setup right for you??

Adjustable bridge was on my list - a did see a recent-ish thread about getting this fitter

4 hours ago, petebassist said:

For setup, I can recommend Bassbags over in Ripley - they did my new bass when I bought it and it's been rock solid ever since.

I'm Lincolnshire so that's much closer

Edited November 18 by SimBass

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, SimBass said:

 

Good points,I currently run my Eminence through an EBS Stanley Clark into GR amp and Barefaced Cab so will be keeping all that! I was assuming I would get the standard Realist as pickup since it works will through my Stanley Clark on my current small bodied bass. (Although lifeline as opposed to copperhead to avoid damage to the wood?)

 

I had noticed similar with other bass shops which had basses set up for orchestral playing - or no "setup" until the buyer chose how they wanted it set up. It makes it very difficult to differentiate between a bass that isn't right for you and a bass that isn't setup right for you??

Adjustable bridge was on my list - a did see a recent-ish thread about getting this fitter

I'm Lincolnshire so that's much closer

Sorry, I forgot the Eminence was a full fat acoustic instrument.

 

Means you’ve got a monster budget!

 

 

[philparker]

I think The Double Bass Room is probably one of the best places in the UK, if not the best place to try out different basses within your price range. Although I don't have direct experience, when I was looking to upgrade (quite a few years ago now), I regularly checked their stock and they had numerous fully carved basses for a very good price i.e. no more expensive than private or eBay for what you are getting.

 

A good set up is essential, as others have said, and a good thick padded case if you are gigging/travelling a lot. I have adjustable bridges on both my basses, but have never had to adjust once, through a range of strings, orchestral and jazz - although that might not be everyone's experience.

 

I hope you enjoy the process.

[NickA]

1 hour ago, philparker said:

that might not be everyone's experience.

Indeed. Mine goes up for bowing at orchestra and down for pizz with the jazz people.  I know it's not ideal as there is an optimum bridge height for the best tone regardless of type of music... but I like the warm muzzy sound you can get with an action that's a bit to low for orchestral bowing.

 

Btw...Bass bags is good for mid priced new instruments (£1500 to £7500) they rarely ever have old basses in stock,  but what they have are all well set up with good strings and ready to play.  No nasty surprises! No bargains either. And I find even the best Chinese basses a bit short on character (eg this, which I had a play on, is rather nice, but also a little dull  https://www.bassbags.co.uk/product/eastman-vb503-jonathan-li-double-bass/) . 

 

Trip to Hastings 👍

[Beedster]

I'm shallow, rather than spend a lot of time searching and trying, I tend to impulsively buy an instrument that calls to me - usually visually (although size is important) - and then spend a lot of time getting the set up and tone correct for me  

[philparker]

Quote

Mine goes up for bowing at orchestra and down for pizz with the jazz people.  I know it's not ideal as there is an optimum bridge height for the best tone regardless of type of music... but I like the warm muzzy sound you can get with an action that's a bit to low for orchestral bowing

 

Actually, I've taken extreme measures to get around this, by having two basses, one for orchestral and one for jazz. However, the strings are approximately the same height, but the strings are very different.

[Beedster]

9 minutes ago, philparker said:

 

Actually, I've taken extreme measures to get around this, by having two basses, one for orchestral and one for jazz. However, the strings are approximately the same height, but the strings are very different.

Two DBs is extreme? 😆

[Beedster]

10 minutes ago, philparker said:

 

Actually, I've taken extreme measures to get around this, by having two basses, one for orchestral and one for jazz. However, the strings are approximately the same height, but the strings are very different.

I do likewise, one with guts and high action, one with steels and low. The former is way better under the bow, which surprised me initially 👍

[philparker]

7 hours ago, Beedster said:

Two DBs is extreme? 😆

 Well, that's not including the very useful Chadwick I still have - strings vary on that bass. Great for taking away on trips.

 

7 hours ago, Beedster said:

I do likewise, one with guts and high action, one with steels and low. The former is way better under the bow, which surprised me initially 👍

 

Yes, I have Pirastro Oliv's on G and D (Evah Pirazzi's on A and E) and it bows remarkably well, but they are so nice for Pizz. 

[MJJS]

Malcolm Healey has a lot of good quality basses and makes them as well. A lot are above your price range, but he has many you could afford. I could imagine going to him and the double bass room from Lincoln in one trip.

 

http://www.healeyviolins.com

 

Good luck.

[JoeEvans]

I would really recommend the Double Bass Room. I've bought two basses there, both times the owner (whose name I forget) was very friendly and helpful and basically left me in a room for a couple of hours with twenty-plus basses to find the right instrument. I don't think there's anywhere else in the UK where you can try that many basses for under £5k, and it was worth the trip for that experience alone.

Realistically with any new bass you're going to end up getting some work done and maybe changing the strings, just to get it the way you want. So I don't think the set-up is super-important myself, as long as it's playable.