Spend or sell

[Burns-bass]

Hello!

 

I’ve got a conundrum. I have a 2002 all-ply Musima double bass. It’s in good physical condition, but it needs some work including a new bridge, nut, and swapping out the endpin and tailpiece (I have replacements).

 

So the bass is in good condition but this work isn’t going to be cheap. I reckon about £400 all in.

 

I could sell the bass as it is cheaply (£400-£500-ish) and let someone do the work or have it done myself and keep it as a spare for outdoor gigs or even lend it to someone. 
 

Head says to get rid of it, heart says get the work done. Wife and kids say “why have you got two double basses?”

[Beedster]

Buy 'The Book' and do it yourself mate, you'll get lots of help on this forum 👍

[Beedster]

[Happy Jack]

3 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

Wife and kids say “why have you got two double basses?”

 

And you answer: "Because I haven't bought a third one. Yet."

 

🤣

[Happy Jack]

Slightly more seriously, this sounds like a bass that can be customised in the process of 'fixing', wrapped around you and your playing style.

 

If you were talking £thousands then it would be another matter, but if it's £hundreds and you could end up with a bass that's a perfect fit either for your general playing style, or perhaps for a specific purpose or genre, then my feeling would be keep it and tweak it.

 

If you sell it and buy another, then Shirley you just go around the same loop again in due course?

 

[Beedster]

10 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

 

And you answer: "Because I haven't bought a third one. Yet."

 

🤣

 

A Zen Master at the top of his game 🙏

[Woodinblack]

3 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

Head says to get rid of it, heart says get the work done. Wife and kids say “why have you got two double basses?”

 

Answer: Why do we have multiple kids?

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, Happy Jack said:

Slightly more seriously, this sounds like a bass that can be customised in the process of 'fixing', wrapped around you and your playing style.

 

If you were talking £thousands then it would be another matter, but if it's £hundreds and you could end up with a bass that's a perfect fit either for your general playing style, or perhaps for a specific purpose or genre, then my feeling would be keep it and tweak it.

 

If you sell it and buy another, then Shirley you just go around the same loop again in due course?

 

I think this is the correct advice for me.

 

I really like the bass and it sounds ace and is super sturdy, which matters when you play the kind of places I do.

I don’t have the time, patience or temperament to do it myself and I don’t mind paying someone - especially if they are local and a great person as I know from my own bitter experience that money is tight.

Appreciate the feedback and advice.

 

[JPJ]

I’d say spend, it sounds to me that you have a cast iron reasoning behind keeping the bass, and as to the ‘do it yourself’ route, the cost of the book mentioned by @Beedster is almost 25% of your estimated cost to have the work done 😎

[Burns-bass]

Part of the reason for sale was that it’s a big thing and it gets in the way. But I’ve managed to hide it so we’ll you’d barely spot it.

 

 

[jonnybass]

Spot what?

[Beedster]

2 hours ago, JPJ said:

I’d say spend, it sounds to me that you have a cast iron reasoning behind keeping the bass, and as to the ‘do it yourself’ route, the cost of the book mentioned by @Beedster is almost 25% of your estimated cost to have the work done 😎

Yep but once you’ve bought the book you’ll be doing it for yourself for ever, frankly none of the jobs in question require much skill or even specialist tools, just decent materials and patience 👍

[JPJ]

Looks like your Yucca needs watering 😉

[Beedster]

Just now, JPJ said:

Looks like your Yucca needs watering 😉

That’s a Peruvian Yucca Flute, water messes with its core tone 👍

[Burns-bass]

19 minutes ago, JPJ said:

Looks like your Yucca needs watering 😉

It was in my studio while we were decorating. Think it may be done for but I’ll do my best!

[miles'tone]

1 hour ago, Beedster said:

That’s a Peruvian Yucca Flute, water messes with its core tone 👍

Yes it's all about the moisture content. 

[JPJ]

4 hours ago, Beedster said:

Yep but once you’ve bought the book you’ll be doing it for yourself for ever, frankly none of the jobs in question require much skill or even specialist tools, just decent materials and patience 👍

This was such a persuasive argument that I’ve ordered the Coda variant 😎

[TheRev]

I bought my late 60s Musima for £500 and over the years have spent about £400 on a finger board reshoot, full setup, new endpin & soundpost. It's perfect for me and I very much doubt I'd find a bass as good (for me) for £900*.

All the work was done by Bristol Violin Shop.

 

* Not including various experiments with strings and pickups, amps and cabs. That's a very different number that I don't want to talk about.

[Beedster]

20 hours ago, TheRev said:

* Not including various experiments with strings and pickups, amps and cabs. That's a very different number that I don't want to talk about.

 

It's OK, you're among friends, we all know the rules 🤔

[Beedster]

20 hours ago, JPJ said:

This was such a persuasive argument that I’ve ordered the Coda variant 😎

 

I had a soundpost go down in a rehearsal and couldn't find anyone to the work without a 4+ week wait, so I set about doing it myself. Not only did I do it and make a decent job of it (it's still up two years later), but I learned how moving it around changes the characteristics of the bass itself. Us UPs (Upright People) can (allegedly/so I'm told) spend a lot of money on strings, PUPs, mics, preamps, and amps in the pursuit of perfect tone, while in my case 4-hours with a pair of kitchen forks, some string, and an as it transpired completely unnecessary first aid kit, was an equally interesting and varied journey, albeit cheaper 👍

[Burns-bass]

I will buy the book Chris. It’s £25.

 

I remember when I used to pay someone to service my bikes and motorbikes. Pointless.

[DS287]

Try Tom Allen in Bath, he’s good and very reasonably priced.

[Burns-bass]

1 minute ago, DS287 said:

Try Tom Allen in Bath, he’s good and very reasonably priced.

This is where I’ll be at 10am tomorrow morning. 

[lemmywinks]

On 07/01/2025 at 07:37, Burns-bass said:

 Wife and kids say “why have you got two double basses?”

 

 

The clue is in the name - "double bass". Can only have them in multiples of two.