Advice on first double bass

[OliverBlackman]

Iv decided its time to start learning the double bass so for that i feel i need one. And iv been looking around and iv found i can get something like a second hand stentor or zeller DB for around £400-500. Or i can save up a bit and get a slightly older German DB for between £1000-1200.

Is it really going to benefit me as a begginner to go for the German ones?

Also are there any cheep DB's i should avoid?

Cheers, Ollie

[BobVbass]

Starting out I'd contact your local school and find out if you can hire one for a few weeks as they're totally different from a bass guitar.

Other than that thomann's basses are good - they're made by Hora and Strunel, Gedo-musik.de do some good ones (solids are Czech build, solid tops are Korean, Plys are Chinese but they all get good reviews)

Christopher's get great reviews but are a bit at the top end of your budget.

Secondhand a Zellor is ok - they normally go a little closer to £1000; 70's or 80's Boosey and Hawkes have a great reputation and normally go for around £800 ish. Keep a look out for Selmers (rebadged Kays)

One's to avoid are the gear for music ones for about $500 on ebay and (forgets the other make! d'Oh!) there's some other really horribly cheap looking ones about as well with the big polystyrene cases...

Bear in mind that unless you're jolly handy with guitars, DIY etc etc that you should expact to get a luthier to set it up for you - I'd aim for one with and adjustable bridge at first as well.

And also bear in mind that just because it's ply doesn't mean it's cr*p - some of the ply basses are better than the solid ones.

There we go - the full extent of my obsessive internet searching over the last 2 months!

[Major-Minor]

As with any first instrument purchase, it's always worth getting the best you can afford (not necessarily the most expensive although price will often be an indicator of quality).
If you like the sound and feel of the bass, you will want to keep playing it, so you will get better at it (hopefully). If however you don't love it, you will stick it in the corner, not play and it will gather dust.

Also bear in mind that quality basses will keep their value and maybe even appreciate in value over time. So it can be a good investment. A cheap bass will always be a cheap bass !

The Major

[OliverBlackman]

Its a good point about trying them out first, do you know of any good string shops that stock cheaper DB's? in England

[fatback]

I'm at the same stage as you. After picking a lot people's brains here (for soo much help many thanks), I realised it's worthwhile to think of how you're going to use the instrument. In my case, i envisaged some busking, a lot of transportation and possibly some slapping.

The first two meant that all ply was going to be best for me because humidity and temperature changes won't be as much of a problem as with solid or semi solid basses. Old ply is better than new ply. A new ply with solid top might be at risk of the top splitting if the wood wasn't well seasoned.

The last point (slapping) meant getting an ebony fingerboard, not 'ebonised'.

These points mightn't apply to you, but you get the gist.

Thomann codes are as follows (I forget which forum I got this from, but it seems accurate):

111 and Rockabilly basses: Chinese laminated basses.
1/2/3/4/5 basses built in Czech Republic.
11/22/33/44 basses built in Romania

1/11/111 laminated basses
2/22 laminated basses with carved top
3/33 carved basses with flat back
4/44 carved basses with swelled back
5 carved basses with swelled back and flames

E is for ebony fingerboard
W is for "washed finish" (looks somewhat antique)

All basses 2/22/3/33/4/44/5 offer an ebony fingerboard.

Thomann do offer a czech all-ply.

The consensus seems to be that adjustable bridges are worthwhile.

Hope this helps

Edited July 5, 2010 by fatback

[fatgoogle]

Id say saveanother 200-300 so you can spend the 500 on the bass and the rest on a new bridge, strings and having the fingerboard properly planed.