Can anyone comment on this bass for me?

[sercet]

I am a bass guitarist looking to buy my first double bass. I played this today...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=017

It sounded and played better than the other basses I've played for a little more money. I know it's difficult to tell from the photos, but any opinions or comments?

Thanks

Steve

[toman]

as witnessed by the ebony reinforcing pins at the key joints to provide additional strength.

Huh? Pins, heck they should've used screws!

Seriously though, that sounds funky. For a good deal on a pretty nice bass, check out those Eberles that are being cleared out. Buy one of those cheap, then pay a luthier to get a great setup and some quality parts, and live happily ever after. The laminate is cheapest and should be indestructible, and I'll vouch for its pretty decent sound.

[Eric Hochberg]

Take it to a luthier to have it checked out and get an estimate for repairs, if any are needed. It could be a good one for the right price.

[Nico S]

fully carved basses can be difficult to deal with - they are much more sensitive to changes in humidity than plywood or hybrid (plywood with carved top). if you are just starting out on upright this might be more than you need - look into a plywood bass - lots cheaper, too, generally. even though the title may make you think that it would be cheap and not desireable, it's really quite the contrary - a good number, if not the majority, of the basses you hear in jazz recordings are plywoods. a lot of it depends on setup, strings, and of course, most importantly, your hands

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Nico S

a good number, if not the majority, of the basses you hear in jazz recordings are plywoods.

Hmm. Really? I gotta think about this one. I don't think it's true for the majority of the jazz I listen to. I agree with you though that there are many plys that are more desirable than than the novice might think.

[Keyser Soze]

[quote= a good number, if not the majority, of the basses you hear in jazz recordings are plywoods. [/QUOTE]

I guess that depends on which jazz recordings "you hear."

I've got somewhere between 100 - 200 recordings of Miles Davis' groups.

Would you care to tell me which ones have plywood basses on them? " A "good percentage" of them? No way. A few of them? Maybe, maybe not.

[Silversorcerer]

Sercet, that looks a pretty nice bass for that price. The ebony pins are unusual for sure, but not a reason to reject it. If you have played it and are confident of it's condition and like the way it sounds, I'd say go for it. An older bass like that in good condition is not an easy find and that one looks like a nice bass to me. All carved is good. All carved and aged a few decades is even better.

[bassist14]

i have seen/owned several german/czech/bohemian basses with pins like that.
afaik some hawkes basses (i mean the british hawkes, not the uptons) that were made for export in the british colonies with difficult climate had them too.