Did TBDB influence your decision to buy a double bass?

D McCartney · #1 05-07-2010, 02:40 PM

Did you make the decision to buy a particular bass from information or recommendations on TBDB? How much influence did TB have on the process?

The intent of this thread is to find out how much influence TBDB has had in the decision making process to buy a bass. The poll will be geared towards the influence on the purchase of a new bass, but if TB has influenced the purchase of an older or used bass, or influenced your purchase in other ways feel free to post remarks. This is not to be an “A is better than B” thread.

I had not heard of TalkBass until Wil mentioned it when I was starting the process to get my Cleveland. So TB had little to no influence on my decision.

AMJBASS · #2 05-07-2010, 02:43 PM

I think in regards to electronics(amplifiers, pickups, etc) TB has been a great influence to me. However, I don't recall any of the basses that I have purchased having been a direct result of information I have found on TB. I do know of AES because of Talkbass though and everyday gets me thinking...

ahollowhd · #3 05-07-2010, 02:52 PM

I have frequented the Reviews forums when investigating basses, amps, cabs, and accessories.

I played an Elrick bass at Bass Central and was taken with it's sound, look, and playability. I went home and read up on it here. I went back and played about 1/2 dozen bought one which wasn't the original one I auditioned. It's my #1 bass.

When making any big purchase I think we are all influenced, good or bad, by others in the same field. Experience teaches us that we all need more experience. The more we can get from each others' experiences, the better.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #4 05-07-2010, 04:04 PM

I had not heard of New Standard basses or Nnick Lloyd before joining TB. My main bass is now a NS, and Nnick is putting the finishing touches on a second one for me as I write this. I had also not heard much about Shen basses before TB. Now I have several students playing them with great results, and have convinced the school where I teach to buy several for use with beginning students and methods classes.

tornadobass · #5 05-07-2010, 06:04 PM

There was very little in my area that I'd read about on TB and didn't want to buy without trying. I bought from an area shop after trying several instruments and had at least an idea of what I was after from my reading on TB.

fdeck · #6 05-07-2010, 07:49 PM

I don't think that I was steered towards a particular label, but the discussion on TB has taught me a lot about construction and setup, plus cleared up some misconceptions, making me more knowledgeable and critical. This led me to doing a better job once I was ready to embark on my bass shopping anabasis.

It seems like labels and brand names have always been less-than-perfect indicators of the quality and origins of "shop" basses. Even in recent years, new labels have emerged, and some old labels have changed where they get their basses. I think that the discussions on TB are helpful for keeping up with this dynamic market, to separate the turds from the treasures.

For me, TB has not replaced the old school rules: Play a lot of basses, and involve a trusted luthier in the process. But the favorable reviews of Shen basses gave me the confidence to expand my bass search to makers outside of the Old World, which I might not have otherwise considered. Those reviews have probably also helped dealers justify the investment in stocking Shen basses.

Roger Davis · #7 05-08-2010, 03:37 AM

The pound was strong against the dollar at the time so the risk in buying sight-unseen was 'manageable'. Based on endorsements in TBDB I imported an Upton Prof and a Wan Bernadel. I like the Prof very much - definitely a keeper - and I moved the Wan on for roughly what I paid for it. So as far as I'm concerned the exercise was a success.

Dealing with the respective parties was easy and a pleasure.

MIKMAN · #8 05-08-2010, 01:57 PM

Living in Europe i had access to various European luthiers and many times i found vintage instruments in reasonable prices. However the vast market in the States was unknown altogether.
The forum gave me a thorough insight in this market and enriched my knowledge about many wonderful instruments built all over the world.I feel privileged to be a member in this society,i made some valuable friendships through every day's contact and i have put in my GAS list some wonderful instruments.Too much for someone living in Greece where the double bass is not a mainstream choice.
Mike

JeffKissell · #9 05-09-2010, 11:21 AM

I discovered Talk Bass after I ordered but before I took possession.
-J

Eric Swanson · #10 05-10-2010, 04:16 AM

TB introduced and broadened some options of which I was either unaware of had only heard snippets of information.

The luthiers I rely on (for my modest, hobbyist needs), Jed Kreigel and Michael Hartery, I found through TB. A former bass, an Upton Professor, I first saw pictures of on TB. My upcoming, new bass, a New Standard La Scala, I heard of, saw, and read about on TB.

I never relied on TB to buy a bass sight unseen; I followed up on all hunches, ideas, and scraps of information/opinion with physical visits and/or actual conversations.

Bass · #11 05-10-2010, 07:07 AM

This is a very interesting poll. At the time I write this message there are 54 votes, which is a reasonable sized sample.

45% of the voters indicate the TB had very little to no influence on there bass purchase. Fair enough! There are probably a lot of very experienced bassists on this forum that don't rely upon the internet.

More interesting to me, is that more than half the respondents indicated that TB influenced their purchase decision!

Mind you, ask the same poll on a forum other than TB, and they might say that TB had very little influence.

For the record, I am one of the significant minority who voted for #1. I relied almost entirely on information on this site, studying posts and searching threads for a few months before reaching a purchase decision.

marvin spangles · #12 05-10-2010, 08:03 AM

Yes I bought a New Standard La Scala based on info from this forum.To make matters worse I bought it sight unseen. A big gamble I know. But it totally paid off.

Bruce Lindfield · #13 05-10-2010, 08:50 AM

I don't think TB influenced me in regard to particular brands - but what it did do was to influence me to buy a Double Bass!

So - before coming to TB I had been playing Bass Guitar for over 20 years and I never thought I would ever be able to play Double Bass and had nobody to help me understand how they work, what to look for etc. etc.

After taking part in many conversations over many years on TB DB, I was eventually convinced that not only could I play DB - but that I had to buy one !!

kmanley_29649 · #14 05-10-2010, 09:09 AM

It helped somewhat in deciding what was a good bass in my price range, but moreso in that I bought it off of one of the other posters here. In that sense, it helped immensely.

JayB · #15 05-10-2010, 10:11 AM

I wish I knew about TBDB before I ordered my first double bass, an Ergo EUB. It was a nice instrument, but I wish I knew some of the drawbacks of "stick basses" for n00bz. Can't help but think I lost some time on that one.

The second time around, I got a 3/4 Eberle ply that got good reviews on here, though I didn't buy it sight unseen. I'm happy with it, my teacher thinks its good for what it is, so I feel like I was pretty well advised.

Dave Irwin · #16 05-10-2010, 01:27 PM

I think I voted wrong. I did buy a used Gollihur 5 string after reading TBDB. It certainly influenced string, amp, and bow choices. And will influence future bass decisions just to narrow down the list of things I'd travel to see.