Fair price?

[tweyland]

Hello, all-

I'm a BG player looking to broaden my horizons and pick up my first DB. I've been reading through the links pinned above, as well as elsewhere on the net. I've visited most of the various bass shops in the Greater LA area, just trying to learn about the instrument, listen and play as many instruments as possible, etc. I thank you all for the advice and wisdom already collected around here.

I will be checking out a 2006 Upton Standard doublebass. It's all laminated wood, violin corners, appears to have the fingerboard extension, as well as a Fishman pickup, bag and bow. No idea what bow it is yet.

The seller is the second owner of the bass. I'm guessing the original owner paid somewhere around $3k all-in. The asking price this time is $1500. Does that strike you gurus as a fair price?

Of course, I will check it out as best as I can, both for tone and condition. Just trying to figure out if bass itself in good repair, is the price is in the ballpark.

Much appreciated!!

~Tad

[tomshepp]

Seems like you have a good idea of what you're doing. The price sounds reasonable to me, although I have not researched the used market for any good quality ply basses. One thing you might consider is showing any bass you're considering to a qualified luthier to be sure it's in good shape. And, the mantra around here is to start out with a teacher. Enjoy!

[MK1]

If the Upton is a 2006 then it's probably not a Standard, but instead it would be the Hawkes. As far as I know they didn't start making the Standard until 2008ish. If it is the Hawkes, then it is actually a Romanian made bass (Upton had them made to their specifications, and then upgraded various parts) and the extended finger board and violin corners were standard and the bass would have cost $1,800 new. If it comes with a bag, pickup, and bow I'd say its a reasonable price. I have a 2007 Hawkes and I love it, it has a deep woody sound, and is pretty bright in the top end. If you want to know for sure if it's a European made Upton all you have to do is look at the scroll. The Euro scrolls have 2 turns and the US scrolls only have one. Here is a picture of my Euro scroll.

[tweyland]

Thanks for the replies!!

Great to know that it's probably a Hawkes model. Not quite the same deal I thought I was getting. I suppose ultimately it's good that DB's in general seem to hold their value so well, even though I'll be paying a bit more up front.

I am planning to find an instructor once I acquire an instrument. Any recommendations in the Glendale/Pasadena/Burbank area? I'll probably be playing mostly pizzicato in a jazz/eclectic/pop type of setting.

Any other opinions or advice? Thanks again!

~Tad

[Ike Harris]

You're in a pretty well-populated area for shops - Stein on Vine, Lemur, I know there are some others. Take a day or two to play a bunch of basses, and drag along a friend or teacher to listen to them play and vice-versa. What you hear from the top won't be the same out front several feet away. It may be an eye-opener and you'll learn a lot in the process.

Ike

[ChuckCorbisiero]

If you go to Stein, Gary the owner will be glad to play them while you listen. He's not pushy. He likes to talk, play and hang. Great place to start looking.

[tweyland]

Thanks for the replies!

So far, I've been to FMI, Stein on Vine, World of Strings, LA Bass Works, and Metler Violins. Between all of them, I've probably played about 22 DBs, which is a fun process. It's definitely a challenge to figure out the differences, and what can be attributed to construction, materials, string choice, setup, etc etc. Unfortunately, thus far I haven't been able to drag a more experienced player along with me, but I usually ask a salesperson to play while I listen.

Lemur is a bit more of a trek for me, but I'd like to check it out at some point.

~Tad

[tweyland]

Well, apparently someone had responded ahead of me, and he ended up buying the Upton. My search continues.

But thanks again for reading and offering advice.

~Tad

[spoonido]

Tweyland, I think I've been following you around to the same stores these past two weeks. I'm looking for a fully carved, though. If you see anything for me, let me know!

[spoonido]

Tweyland -

I can wholeheartedly recommend Ruben Ramos for bass lessons. He's been doing this a long time. He really cares about giving you lessons that apply to your musical interests.

Here is his contact info:
626-833-0089
or email: musiclessons@rubenramos.net

Best of luck!

[tweyland]

Thx for the rec! I'll contact him soon...

[Matt Ides]

When you narrow the search see if a teacher or pro player will go along for their usual rate. It will really pay off big time.

Good luck!