http://www.allansmusic.com.au/Product.aspx?c=0AFDEC25-8EAB-49B6-A076-6C00190245A0&p=45565

http://www.allansmusic.com.au/Product.aspx?c=0AFDEC25-8EAB-49B6-A076-6C00190245A0&p=147555

Does anybody have experience with these brands/models? Are they worth looking into? Or should I stick to my "Upton SS Blonde" intentions?

http://www.allansmusic.com.au/Product.aspx?c=0AFDEC25-8EAB-49B6-A076-6C00190245A0&p=45565

http://www.allansmusic.com.au/Product.aspx?c=0AFDEC25-8EAB-49B6-A076-6C00190245A0&p=147555

Does anybody have experience with these brands/models? Are they worth looking into? Or should I stick to my "Upton SS Blonde" intentions?

Neither. Friends don't let friends buy cheap DBs from online mass merchants or guitar shops. :)

I give up.

I give up.

:) Gotcha, Cliink.

When they say "bass outfit" does that mean that one could wear it as some sort of cold-weather or flotation gear? :)

:) Gotcha, Greg.

When they say "bass outfit" does that mean that one could wear it as some sort of cold-weather or flotation gear?

They mean that these are actually Halloween or Fancy Dress costumes.

LOL...:D Clink, I almost heard the sound of your soul deflating on that one.

"You can actually pinpoint the moment his heart breaks."
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fa/I_Love_Lisa.jpg/200px-I_Love_Lisa.jpg

No broken heart here. A quick survey of threads on page one will serve as exhibit "A" in an indictment of what this place has become. It's becoming a real drag.

.....It's becoming a real drag.

What was this place like "before"?

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/07_02/drag1MERCURY_468x653.jpg

I lol'd at the pictures. :)

But it's not actually an online store. I've been to the store, but they didn't have any double basses on stock at the time.

Bass, that's a nice pic of you. Don't you have anything to helpful to contribute? Seriously Caleb, there have been thousands of questions like yours. Don't buy a bass from a place like that. I can't believe there isn't a better place for you to choose a bass.

I'm wondering if I'm too old for all this *&^%.....................

Bass, that's a nice pic of you. Don't you have anything to helpful to contribute?...

I'm not interested in helping Caleb, because he is clearly not taking the advice offered in this thread (and the other one). If he had read the Newbie links, he wouldn't be considering purchasing a double bass at a guitar store.

So until Caleb demonstrates that he has read the newbie links, and maybe a few of the thousands of other threads, I won't be contributing anything of use to Caleb.

The picture may not be helpful, but it's not harmful either. It's just funny!

I get it. How long has it been since there was a truly informative thread here?

Caleb, there is a lot of junk basses out there. Kind of hard to distinguish between good and bad if your inexperienced. You'll find tons of brands that you could come back here and check on for feedback, but I'd recommend searching the threads for brands that are recommended.
There have been so many similar inquiries that there is a lot of good recomendations out there.

Good luck,
Dave

You don't seem to understand the situation in Australia (Well, the East where I live. South Australia is SLIGHTLY more accomodating, and Western Australia is slightly more so).

I'll be EXTREMELY lucky if I find ANY bluegrass instruments, let alone basses. And don't tell me that "Oh, it's used in more music than just bluegrass", because that doesn't change the fact that they are amazingly difficult to find. There's one shop which charges heavy HEAVY premiums on basses, much like paying for an American bass plus shipping, so I need to scrounge the entire Sydney basin for any trace of a shop that even occasionally gets a double bass in. This Allan's Music shop is one such "gem", but as I've plainly seen from the responses here, it aint no gem.

These kinds of responses as well as the doubts of conscientiousness from my parents makes me extremely stressed and upset. I'm sorry for changing the tone of the thread like that.

You don't seem to understand the situation in Australia (Well, the East where I live. South Australia is SLIGHTLY more accomodating, and Western Australia is slightly more so).

I'll be EXTREMELY lucky if I find ANY bluegrass instruments, let alone basses. And don't tell me that "Oh, it's used in more music than just bluegrass", because that doesn't change the fact that they are amazingly difficult to find.


First, I will tell you, "Oh, it's used in more music than just bluegrass." Looking to buy a ready-made "bluegrass" bass demonstrates what others have said, namely, you haven't been listening too well. Second, it doesn't matter where you are, buying from those shops is not a good idea. Again, it's been said many times in the threads here.

Omaha?
Where are you now???????

I don't want a ready made bluegrass bass. I want any good quality bass at a reasonable price. That's all I'm after. And as I've said, I can't afford the premium prices they charge at "The Bass Shop" in Stanmore. And they get away with these prices; they're the only shop I've ever been to and seen a DB for sale (Well, about 20).

I suppose I'll have to wait until I'm an adult.

A few extremely helpful links. If you haven't seen these before, that's where the problem is.

Link 1 (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43093)

Link 2 (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11902&highlight=Buy)

Thus far, I feel like all of your threads can easily be addressed by you going through those links. Link 1 being the primary option. I've said it in every thread of yours. Read the newbie links & get a teacher. That one phrase will take care of nearly every question you have while giving you extremely valuable information. You won't even need to ask about it, it's there for the taking.

Can't find a teacher? Find the nearest University that has a music program. If you can't afford the professor, grad students-if you can't afford a grad student, an undergrad.

Caleb, call around to your violin shops and ask about Samuel Shen plywood basses.
internet search shows there are some shops carrying them and they are good basses.

DAve

I don't want a ready made bluegrass bass. I want any good quality bass at a reasonable price. That's all I'm after. And as I've said, I can't afford the premium prices they charge at "The Bass Shop" in Stanmore. And they get away with these prices; they're the only shop I've ever been to and seen a DB for sale (Well, about 20).

I suppose I'll have to wait until I'm an adult.

There's got to be a way. Not to be a contrarian here, but getting a bass under your hands is more important than getting the perfect bass of a lifetime. The misgiving that a lot of people have is that for DB's, the value-to-price ratio can actually go negative if a bass arrives and quickly renders itself unplayable. And there seem to be dealers who are willing to sell such basses.

Is rental possible? Borrowing from a school district in your area?

How about talking your folks into a vacation to Sydney, with a bass-shaped space in the back of the car?

There must be at least one bass luthier in Australia. Maybe that would be a good start. Also, if you have to order a bass sight unseen, make sure that it is a recognizable brand name like Shen, and it needs to be set up too!

Maybe Lemur Music could ship you a bass. They have some good Chinese basses (I have two of them) and they do ship worldwide. They do great setups, as you like it, included in the price of a new bass, or part of the price really.

Very popular store in this area, too. There's always people there testing and buying basses anyime I drop in.

www.lemurmusic.com

Caleb,

If you want my advice, the answer is neither.

Buying a new bass under $2,000 AUD can easily be a waste of time - chances are it will be poorly set up making it difficult to play (requiring several hundred dollars worth of luthier adjustments), is poorly made and might fall apart in a year or so. Apart from that, the sound will be poor. While the basses in The Bass Shop might seem expensive, they will be a better long term investment if you plan to stick with DB.

If you are really serious about playing double bass, you need to be willing and able to fork out the required expenses. You will need to find a teacher, and they may be willing to help you find a suitable bass on a rental or purchase situation.

Failing that, do you know anyone who plays double bass? If you're keen on bluegrass, try to find a local jam or picking session, and go along for a listen. Check out http://australianbluegrass.com/ Try to get talking to the folks there, especially if there is a bass player. Most people in these situations are happy to point you in the right direction.... unlike most of the serious classical and jazz players on this forum!

Good luck.

PM sent

As usual, lots of great help for newbies, and not a hint of stuck-up attitude! :rollno:

We need to ad a disclaimer to the newbie links about ignoring the holier than thou attitudes this place absolutely reeks of on a regular basis.

People, you are not any better than anyone else just because you are "better informed" than someone else on a particular subject!

There will always be new people seeking information about double basses, that wonder in here and post without catching the newbie links. If you don't like it, why not just say "please read the newbie links, or just ignore it if you can't be nice?

This is not your personal social club folks, get over it.

Hey Gearhead and Dr. Piggery,

I see your points, but I also understand the frustration of folks like Marcus and Clink and dozens of others that over and over patiently try to point the newcomer in the right direction only to have their advice, gained from years of experience and likely many mistakes of their own, fall on deaf ears.

"Most people in these situations are happy to point you in the right direction.... unlike most of the serious classical and jazz players on this forum! " What the heck ??? :help:

We may all have different ideas of what makes a good bass or the best way to play one, but that's no reason to go cutting on the good people that spend a lot of time and energy trying to help out their fellow DB players on this forum :rollno:

This was the response to Caleb's first post in his other thread in this section. It doesn't get much more welcoming than this....

Welcome, Caleb. So glad you like the DB. Yes, there are links; hundreds of 'em. Here's a starting point:


http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43093

In general, as you open each sub-forum, there are "stickies" at the top, or newbie links, or both. Hours of entertainment there.

Again, we're glad that you're here. :)

Well said Shady.

I just spend 10 minutes typing a reply only to discover you beat me to the punch.

Caleb,
Welcome to the exciting world of the Double Bass. Notice the caps due to its esteemed place as the most magnificent instrument I know.
We all truly do wish you the best of luck in your quest. Choosing the right instrument for a successful entry into this world is very important; much too important to gamble on an instrument that:
A) might be difficult to play
B) might not sound very good
C) might need extensive repair shortly after your purchase

Your best bet in choosing a suitable instrument is almost always a shop that has a selection of basses and someone on staff capable of making adjustments to make the bass easy for you to play. Find the nearest shop that meets these criteria and go play some basses.

Sorry for the previous frustration. Many of us are "better informed" due to our experience with cheap mail order or guitar store basses. We don't want you to make a mistake.

Yes, this is a social club. The League of Double Bassists is an honorable club that all are welcome to join if they see the instrument as more than a stage prop and are willing to study it and learn to play it to the best of their ability.

Can someone close this thread? I think all that needs to be said has been said. I've received a very helpful PM. :)

Caleb,
Welcome to the exciting world of the Double Bass. Notice the caps due to its esteemed place as the most magnificent instrument I know.
We all truly do wish you the best of luck in your quest. Choosing the right instrument for a successful entry into this world is very important; much too important to gamble on an instrument that:
A) might be difficult to play
B) might not sound very good
C) might need extensive repair shortly after your purchase

Your best bet in choosing a suitable instrument is almost always a shop that has a selection of basses and someone on staff capable of making adjustments to make the bass easy for you to play. Find the nearest shop that meets these criteria and go play some basses.

Sorry for the previous frustration. Many of us are "better informed" due to our experience with cheap mail order or guitar store basses. We don't want you to make a mistake.

Yes, this is a social club. The League of Double Bassists is an honorable club that all are welcome to join if they see the instrument as more than a stage prop and are willing to study it and learn to play it to the best of their ability.

+1.

After getting a bass that plays and sounds good-I went to a Guitar Store the had a few DBs to check them out. Before I got my bass or even started playing DB, i had messed around with them [years earlier, for sake of reference I'm thinking 8th grade compared to senior year of high school]. My impressions before and after were polar opposites. Before I started playing and was messing around on them, I thought "this feels pretty, sounds good''...after, I was extremely thankful to have what I do. The only difference was experience and education. If being a bit of a prick steers someone in the right direction even if it initially upsets them, it's well worth it.

Caleb-I'm glad you're finding the information that you need.

hey caleb, there is a double bass lutherie near homebush in sydney, http://www.nevillewhitehead.com/ you can find all his contact details on his website, neville is an amazing person for double bass thangs, i cannot recommend him enough. much better than other ummm the bass shops in sydney, if you get my drift.
well best of luck
phill

It seems to me that newbie questions like Caleb's frustrate the more experienced players in this forum, to the point where some delight in putting down the newbies. While this might be fun, it's not particularly encouraging to someone who may be genuinely interested in taking up the DB, especially if they're young and inexperienced.

Perhaps a new forum category "Buying your first double bass" should be created right at the top of the list. That way the newbies can ask their questions there, and anyone not interested in helping them, can simply ignore it.

It seems to me that newbie questions like Caleb's frustrate the more experienced players in this forum, to the point where some delight in putting down the newbies. While this might be fun, it's not particularly encouraging to someone who may be genuinely interested in taking up the DB, especially if they're young and inexperienced.

That's kind of a strawman.

The preceding thread pretty much is 3 pages of constructive, welcoming, polite advice. (Heck, you were there!)

Seems to me, the pattern is for people to be welcoming here, and incredibly willing to give straight answers to questions. But you can wear your welcome out pretty quickly by either (a) refusing to put in a little effort to learn independently (using the people here as human google machines) or (b) stubbornly ignoring the advice that you asked for. Seems reasonable to me.

And in the last thread, there were 2 or 3 suggestions to read the stickies. This thread is an indication that someone didn't read those stickies...