Where to start?

[JackLondon]

Hello chaps,

I've finally ventured in to the dusty sub-forum I was thinking about buying an EUB because my missus would chop my balls off if I'd bought the real thing so I was hoping someone can point me in the right direction for a first EUB! My budget with a big stretch is about £300.

Cheers
Jack

[TheRev]

£300 puts you firmly in Stagg and Harley Benton/Palatino (same bass, different names) territory. Both are fine as an introduction to upright bass playing but bear in mind that they sound more like a very big fretless bass than a acoustic double bass.

The Stagg and Palitino are of pretty similar quality, so which one you go for will depend on your own particular asthetic tastes. However, there's a hooooge Palitino modification thread on Talkbass which will tell you how to get a very reasonable sound from a Palatino for not very much money, so If I were in your shoes, I'd buy a Harley Benton from Thomann plus a nice set of orchestral Helicores or Innovation Honey strings and then fire up Talkbass & read the posts on sticking bits of bicycle inner tubes under the bridge.

Just my 2p.

Dave

Edited May 28, 2010 by TheRev

[craigonbass]

I've just joined these ranks and I went for the Stagg. I got a good second hand one from a fellow basschatter and its a very good starting point.

[TheRev]

Fate has intervened - look two threads down and buy Lemmywinks' Stagg. You'll have £50 left over to put towards a decent set of strings.