Which Christopher should I buy?

jonjo57 · #1 12-12-2008, 03:43 AM

I'm new to the DB and playing a cheapy Aisian at the moment. (Thomann Contra bass 111). I play bluegrass, country and folk. I cannot get that big round fat sound you hear on recordings. I have tried various strings....Thomastic Sripocore, Velvet Animas and weedwhackers. I am using velvet E & A and weedwhackers D & G with a Realist pickup. sounds reasonably ok. I'm playing it through a Acoustic Image Conra amp.
I'm thinking of treating myself to Chrisropher in the new year and looking for some advise. ie. solid or ply? model, etc. without going overboard on price as I mostly play for my own enjoyment and one session a week. I'm 62 years young and not turning pro.!!!!

. I have a Christopher Gig bag which I paid €200 for, All I need now is to fill it!!!!

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Jsn · #2 12-12-2008, 04:16 AM

Velvets and Weedwackers, eh? Interesting combo.

There's a short answer to the question of your next bass: get the best one you can afford. Only you can be the judge of what it means to "not go overboard" on price. Remember that a more expensive bass can actually cost you less in the long run, because its resale value might be greater. Might even appreciate.

Might I ask why you're focusing on Christophers? Other than the fact that you already have a (fairly expensive) gig bag from them (which would probably fit most basses), that is?

Congrats on taking up and enjoying the instrument in your sixties. It'll zest up the years to come. Personally, I think you don't need to be messing around with middllng instruments--reward yourself with a nice one, and enjoy.

jonjo57 · #3 12-12-2008, 04:58 AM

The reason I picked Christopher Bass is that they seem to be a good bass for the money. As I live in Ireland so the selection of music shops selling Double Basses are few and very expensive. I can buy one from Thomann who will set it up and deliver it free from Germany. Unfortunenetly I cannot try one out before I buy, So I depend on the manufacturer for consistancy.

AMJBASS · #4 12-12-2008, 07:13 AM

What is your price range? The Christopher line comes in a wide range of instruments from laminate to carved copies of master basses. I have owned 3 Christophers to date. The best one(which I still have) is the DB401 carved flatback. It is X braced, and has a really loud and full sound. However since all basses sound different, its best to try out as many as possible. The Concert series, and the Hybrids are really nice for the money. Depends on how much you want to spend...

marvin spangles · #5 12-12-2008, 07:16 AM

Hello Jonjo. What part of Ireland are you from. Like you I had to buy abroad.While it is risky business to buy sight unseen I was lucky however. I imported a New Standard La Scala from the states. By the time I paid flights VAT and customs it was pretty expensive. I have no regrets. I love to play the instrument. Do yourself a favour and get something half decent. You can always sell it on if you lose interest which is unlikely. I have a spare bass that I might sell to a good home. PM me for details. I am not bothered one way or the other cos I use one for classical and the other for Jazz.I hope this doesn't contravene the forum etiquette.

jonjo57 · #6 12-12-2008, 08:39 AM

I'm in Longford in the midlands. I would prefer to buy one that I can try out. My email is kilteel@live .com

hdiddy · #7 12-12-2008, 09:26 AM

Considering you aren't paying much more for a hybrid for than a 200 series lam, I would go with the 300 series hybrids at minimum if you can swing it. I've been pretty happy with mine unless you had extra $$$ to put into a 400 series. I tried a 400 series but found that the 300s were plenty good for my purposes and you had the extra durability (for whatever that is worth) of having a lam back. If you were playing classical, I would say go for the more expensive 400s but for Bluegrass and folk I would say the 300s are good enough.

Try before you buy is always good advice tho. I liked my 300 more than the 400 I tried.

PaulKing · #8 12-12-2008, 09:42 AM

I just passed on a rather nice Strunal 50/4 (laminate) to a chap of similar maturity over in Ireland. Thomann sell them too (as Thomann 1), though I don't think they stock them in blonde, or with ebony fittings, like the one I had.

Perrhaps you could try his out ... though I've no idea where he is. Good European basses for very reasonable price.

Thomann also sell the higher spec Strunal basses. Their various models named Thomann 1, 2 and 3 are all re-named Strunals: laminate, hybrid and fully carved in that order.

You can also buy direct from the Strunal factory, cheaper than Thomann, with a gerater range of finishes and accessories that available at Thomann.
Shipping to UK is only about £70. Mine arrived beautifully crated.

LouisF · #9 12-12-2008, 01:16 PM

Have you looked at Stentor basses? They're pretty popular in England - chinese made but pretty good, consistent quality.

There's also this: http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2749.htm

Good luck

Louis

seafarer_paul · #10 05-31-2009, 01:55 AM

I own a Christopher 3/4 ply bass, with a two piece neck. I bought it at a violin shop in Laguna beach Ca. back in 03. The shop owner had taken it in as a trade because it had a very focused, rich tone, which he thought was quite unusual for a ply bass.
I paid about $800 for it and felt it was a steal at that price. It was made in 1998 and dispite my relocation to a very humid climate (Kauai) it has not shown any changes since the day I brought it home. The only noticeable change is that it sounds much 'better' these days.
I believe the unique, two piece neck contributes to it's stability. Though it's a bit fat, it's easy to negotiate and feels solid as a rock.
I had spirocores on it, but I've been playing quite a bit of Hawaiian traditional music here on the island, which requires a more organic 'gut' sound.
My good friend and mentor Larry Taylor, bassist with Canned Heat and Tom Waits, recomended Rotosound RS4000s. I picked up a set from Lemur Music when I was visiting in Ca last week and was totally blown away over how they felt and sounded! These strings are amazing..
Anyway, I 'highly' recomend Christopher. For the money, you can't go wrong.

christ andronis · #11 05-31-2009, 07:45 AM

Although I own and am very happy with my carved Christopher 600 series, like many others have already said, don't get hung up on a name and make sure you try before you buy. Yes, Christophers have a good reputation but they also vary, like many others. I also have a relabeled Strunal that has that "thump" you may be looking for so there ya go. Be patient and you will be rewarded. Happy hunting!