Is this THE cheapest bass?

Anon2962 · #1 04-29-2006, 01:37 AM

From THOMANN

379 EUR/478.83 USD. THOMANN KONTRABASS 111, 3/4 size double bass. laminatedtop, back and sides, plywood fingerboard. Bag, bow androsin included. The string action will be individuallyadjusted for jazz, classical music or rockabilly.

I'm not thinking of buying it!

But it is alot cheaper than i expected. Are these basses even playable? Maybe suitable for beginnner?

gomez hacienda · #2 04-29-2006, 05:50 AM

PLYWOOD fingerboard?

gomez

Der Bluten Kat · #3 04-29-2006, 06:06 AM

lol i wouldn't buy it.. but play it and see how it sounds it might be worth it

mpoppitt · #4 04-29-2006, 06:25 AM

I think Maestrocase takes the cake:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Upright-Bass-wit...QQcmdZViewItem

He even has a best offer option.

I bought my first upright from this crazy guy almost 7 years ago, and it is literally falling apart now.

fingers · #5 04-29-2006, 07:29 AM

$195? Wow. I think my strings were almost that much.

mpoppitt · #6 04-29-2006, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fingers

$195? Wow. I think my strings were almost that much.

$195 is for the shipping, the bass is $285. I went and picked mine up, so I didn't have to worry about shipping.

It's truly a terrible bass, but I don't know if I would have ever gotten started otherwise.

wphantom · #7 04-29-2006, 11:21 AM

I haven't tested this bass but I own the Thomann Kontrabass 333 which was (it doesn't seems to be on their listings today) fully carved model with real ebony figerboard (bevel). I got it a year ago and I'm quite satisfied. The sound is good, it is really beautiful (with an "antique finish"). It is my first real DB. I have had 2 popped seams this winter. in fact I've found that my humidity level was often around 20% ! I bougth a room humidifier and everything is OK since.
For the bass from Thoman expect to spend around 400-500$ (350-400€) for having it set up. Thomann technicians know nothing in string instrument. The action was way too high (even if they have worked on the bridge), the sound post not in the good place and the strings are crappy.

A good setup & the bass was transformed!!
My Luthier told me it was quite good and he couldn't believe the price. I bought mine 1029 euros. add 85 euros for strings( superflexibles) & 250euros for setup (new soundpost, fingerboard planning, bridge & nut setup).
In his opinion the two weak points on my bass are :
- the neck angle that could have been higher
- the fingerboard a little too flat for a good bowing setup... He worked on it in order to have the whole thing bowable...

In his opinion it was a good bargain (less than 1500 euros for the bass & setup). He himself sells fully carved chinese bass that are better than this one (good neck angle, fingerboard) and that sound clearly louder around 2600 euros with strings & setup.

Sylvain Clement aka wphantom

anthem274 · #8 04-29-2006, 10:24 PM

...About the same price as decent firewood, but this burns nicer.

JimmyM · #9 04-30-2006, 06:08 AM

Marshall Lytle of the Comets bought one of those Maestrocase basses (the black one) and put a set of very thin weed whacker strings on it. It didn't sound half bad. Of course, he's a slapper, so it's not like he was going to be playing symphonic music on it, but it did the job. I think it would probably hold up if you put guts or weed whacker strings on it. Otherwise, I wouldn't get one ever.

Bard2dbone · #10 04-30-2006, 06:22 AM

I live on the BG side of the fence here. I have played BG for twenty five years, or so.

My favorite place in the world is a folk music festival in the hill country of Texas. But it is out on a ranch nine miles from town. I wuickly noticed pastures don't have places to plug in. So my Fender wouldn't be very useful. I considered an ABG but have yet to find one that sounds good enough to buy. That leaves me with an excuse to finally get a DB like I've wanted to for some time.

Now the catch: Any bass that I get to play at the festival will be getting played out in a pasture, possibly getting rained on or even rained in, subjected to drunks at close range...etc

In short, while I would love to have a DB to play at the festival, it would be a sin to take a good bass down there.

Maybe that is what this bass is intended for. There is a pretty good luthier here in Arlington specializing in DB's. Maybe here could do some good with one of these.

I know you're all laughing at me, but I may have to buy one of these.

edit:Aw bummer. I just clicked on the link and saw they are in Germany. That makes it unlikely they'll still be incredibly cheap over here. Add in shipping and it will probably be a mid-priced bad bass. For mid-priced I want a decent bass that I wouldn't want to risk taking out to the ranch. Maybe the maestrocase..."

*sigh*

mpoppitt · #11 04-30-2006, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I think it would probably hold up if you put guts or weed whacker strings on it. Otherwise, I wouldn't get one ever.

On mine, the seams are starting to open up, there is a crack in the top by the treble bridge foot, and the fingerboard broke in half!

I've seen and heard about a lot of these necks breaking at the heel, but so far mine has held up.

I casually offered Maestrocase $200 for a black one recently, and he turned me down.

Marcus Johnson · #12 04-30-2006, 04:18 PM

Wow. What a deal. Especially if you're practicing to become a bass repairman.

JimmyM · #13 04-30-2006, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpoppitt

On mine, the seams are starting to open up, there is a crack in the top by the treble bridge foot, and the fingerboard broke in half!

I've seen and heard about a lot of these necks breaking at the heel, but so far mine has held up.

I casually offered Maestrocase $200 for a black one recently, and he turned me down.

Glutton for punishment, M? I saw that pic of you playing the one with the snapped off neck. What kind of strings were on it when that happened?

I will say that in the DB world, you get exactly what you pay for. But if a Maestrocase bass was all I could afford, I would buy one rather than go without.

mpoppitt · #14 04-30-2006, 08:41 PM

I don't know that I would of bought it, I just wanted to know if you could buy a new bass for $200.

I was slapping some heavy-ass steels that I don't remember the brand of.

Here is that pic, in case your thinknig about slapping on a CCB:

ToR-Tu-Ra · #15 04-30-2006, 10:42 PM

Nice hat!!!

On one of my first gigs we all wore hats like that...

oleman · #16 05-01-2006, 12:16 AM

I don't think I would have ever taken up the UB it hadn't of been for the CCBs. It was a major pain to set up and make playable but it was actually a great experience into the fascinating world of lutherie. I had had some experience in building and repairing guitars and that helped a little. Furniture building may have been even more helpful.

Now almost a year later [susi wong] the bass sounds great, plays beautifully. Just in time for it to self distruct. I almost never play the BG anymore and have developed sort of a romantic attachment to susi.

edit to add, today susi started to come unglued. The romance has started to fade.