Can anyone reccomend a good Canadian DB?

Slaps McGoo · #1 03-30-2008, 02:21 PM

I'm in the market to buy myself my first bass and I've been struggling to find a Canadian based maker which I might be able to order from. Here in Montreal we have a couple of Luthiers I've discovered courtesy of Bob G's website, however the basses they carry are outside my price range. Local music stores are also lacking in selection. Unfortunately my credit card limit dictates my price limit ($1500) shipping included. I've been considering fretwell engelhardts as the lower ends come set-up and with the strings of my choice in the range I can afford.

Just a note, there's no need these basses need be Canadian-made, just a trustworthy and respected name with which a Canadian company deals.

**Francois Blais** · #2 03-30-2008, 03:12 PM

Did you go at Jules St-Michel's shop on Ontario street?

anonymous12251111 · #3 03-30-2008, 04:41 PM

for 1500.00 you can get something most likely lower end Asian, or a decent ply wood bass. Definitely nothing made in North America. Check out Ken Smiths website.

anonymous12251111 · #4 03-30-2008, 04:45 PM

http://kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/Euro/Euro.htm

This is probably your best bet....200 dollars over your price limit though but it seems like a very good bass for the price. You could check if your local high school has a plywood that they would be willing ti sell.

mapleleaf4evr · #5 03-30-2008, 04:47 PM

Here's a suggestion:

http://www.riedstrasviolinshop.com/index.html

or this guy, he deals with Upton's:

http://www.ghservices.com/

Cheers

Slaps McGoo · #6 03-30-2008, 07:27 PM

I've stopped at Jules St-Michel already, and their lowest price is about $2000 or more. And Calvin, the Engelhardts from Jerry Fretwell (ec1/em1) come at 1150, set up, strings of my choice from their supplier. With shipping this should be under 1500 and they are very well spoken of basses. Also a very nice hybrid, Carlo Robelli, at 1000$ from new york, they don't, unfortunately, ship to Canada. And there's always www.bassesonline.com who I've heard some good, and some bad things about. Engelhardt's are currently at the top of my list, despite lacking ebony.

martinc · #7 04-01-2008, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaps McGoo

I've stopped at Jules St-Michel already, and their lowest price is about $2000 or more. And Calvin, the Engelhardts from Jerry Fretwell (ec1/em1) come at 1150, set up, strings of my choice from their supplier. With shipping this should be under 1500 and they are very well spoken of basses. Also a very nice hybrid, Carlo Robelli, at 1000$ from new york, they don't, unfortunately, ship to Canada. And there's always www.bassesonline.com who I've heard some good, and some bad things about. Engelhardt's are currently at the top of my list, despite lacking ebony.

Slaps:

I bought a plywood Eberle from bassesonline 2 years ago and have nothing but good things to say about Ideal Music in NYC. I ordered mine at 10 am and it was in Toronto at 10 am the next day. You get your choice of strings and a basic setup included in the price. Wonderful people to deal with.
I replaced the end pin, bridge and tailpiece.....but that was just my choice being an inveterate tinkerer.
The Eberle, made by Musima in Germany is a well-built bass which will last you a lifetime if necessary. Like all basses, it can sound very good with the right strings and setup. I got it as a second bass but now it is my primary bass.
Unfortunately your 700 bucks will buy you (unless you find a steal on something old and good) the equivalent in quality of a Sears electric bass with a much bigger chance of it warping or falling apart within a year.

Slaps McGoo · #8 04-01-2008, 09:23 AM

Not sure what you mean by my 700 bucks getting me a bad bass. Willing to spend near 1500$. But I'll definately consider the eberle, I'd set it aside when I found Engelhardts from Fretwell, but the cost of the shipping has put me off quite a bit. And how did you have yours delivered, to residence, or to a shop? Having it sent to a shop saves some shipping cost.

martinc · #9 04-01-2008, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaps McGoo

Not sure what you mean by my 700 bucks getting me a bad bass. Willing to spend near 1500$. But I'll definately consider the eberle, I'd set it aside when I found Engelhardts from Fretwell, but the cost of the shipping has put me off quite a bit. And how did you have yours delivered, to residence, or to a shop? Having it sent to a shop saves some shipping cost.

Slaps: The shipping cost me around 120 bucks if I remember correctly. It would have been delivered to my door in Peterborough but I wanted to clear it through Customs in Toronto myself.
Call Canada Customs if you order a bass from the US and get a Customs category number that will allow the bass through duty free. It falls into special category. I called Ideal and had them put it on the shipping label. The whole deal with taxes, exchange and customs came to under 12 hundred bucks. That gives you a very playable bass but depending on what you need, you may want to have Mario Lamarre do a full set up at some time. A better quality bridge and soundpost would help. The bass is worth it. A well-known shop in the New York-area was selling these same Eberle's with a proper set up for around 23 hundred dollars a couple of years ago.
The Englehardt would be a good buy too as long as it is set up properly. It has a thinner neck that most other basses because its made from the old Kay equipment and was designed for students. Nothing wrong with that though.
Its hard to get away with under 15 hundred bucks for a decent, playable bass.
What I was getting at re your 700 bucks is that for that money, the only new bass you will find will be a cheap piece of Chinese junk that won't last very long.

Sahm · #10 04-01-2008, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinc

What I was getting at re your 700 bucks is that for that money, the only new bass you will find will be a cheap piece of Chinese junk that won't last very long.

I believe what the OP is asking is, where are you getting $700 from? He's willing to spend $1500, and no one has mentioned $700!

Jake deVilliers · #11 04-01-2008, 10:57 AM

I think the $700.00 was transposed from "Will and Matt" in a very similar thread.

martinc · #12 04-01-2008, 12:18 PM

Oops...

....my apologies Slaps. I seemed to remember a 700 dollar figure but did not re-read your original post.

Slaps McGoo · #13 04-01-2008, 12:21 PM

Haha yeah, that's what I was thinking, figured it was from that other thread. Thanks for the info, I'll probably be ordering from them with that advice.

hublocker · #14 04-01-2008, 12:24 PM

We have a dealer in Vancouver who sells the M1 Engelhardts for $1675.00

(I think they're called M1, or is it C1?)

Slaps McGoo · #15 04-01-2008, 12:30 PM

There are two different models. EM1 and EC1. Both more or less the same thing, just a different shape. And set-up, with shipping, from virginia USA, I'd pay less than $1675 ordering from Vancouver.

Jake deVilliers · #16 04-01-2008, 01:37 PM

Those Engelhardts in Vancouver also come without setup. They guy is just a seller, not a luthier.

Just so you know.

Slaps McGoo · #17 04-01-2008, 03:37 PM

Ha, also just called Steve's Music store here in montreal, might be familiar for some folks in toronto or ottawa. They want 2200$ for their eberle laminate, case/bow included. I tried telling them that I can order one for about 1/2 that price, I'll probably need to show it to them first. Chances are I'll order mine beforehand so they don't get wise and buy them out, or perhaps try and talk them down about 1000$

martinc · #18 04-01-2008, 03:45 PM

Slaps:

Just for comparison....here are my thoughts on the basses I have owned for the last 11 years.
I have had two Kays...a 1952 Swingmaster and a 1948 C-1. I sold them both and stayed with a 1937 King.
My Eberle ( an East German factory-built general purpose bass) is better built and after some work, sounds better ie: a fuller sound than either of the Kays which were set up very well with the best bridges, soundposts and strings. It sounds almost as good as my King...which is to say very good for a plywood bass.The King was the top of the line for U-S made plywoods.
Hope you find something you like and want to keep.

Slaps McGoo · #19 04-02-2008, 09:12 AM

Just got in contact with Steve Loeb from Ideal Music (re:eberle bass). He's offering me a set-up carved top for 1200+ shipping as opposed to the $1500 normally. Not sure if I'll take this or not, will probably just stick with the plywood and get a quote on set-up at a local luthier.

Sahm · #20 04-02-2008, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaps McGoo

Just got in contact with Steve Loeb from Ideal Music (re:eberle bass). He's offering me a set-up carved top for 1200+ shipping as opposed to the $1500 normally. Not sure if I'll take this or not, will probably just stick with the plywood and get a quote on set-up at a local luthier.

Hear that? That's the sound of the can of "carved vs. plywood" argument you just opened up!