First Bass for College

[powellmacaque]

I am entering my college's music program on bass guitar, but I will need to learn and master upright to continue with the program. I was thinking of purchasing a more factory bass for college and then if I get proficient enough, I intend on buying a better one upon graduation. So far I have researched the following companies as basses in my price range:

Engelhardt
Kay
Strunal

Any other readily available basses to recommend? I live in Florida, so store that offers good financing deals (like a SamAsh) would be of highest priority.

Additionally, what bow is recommended? I've played both styles and prefer German, but if that is not proper for college level, I would gladly switch to French, and I would like to get a quality bow.

[Andrew McGregor]

Which bow you want to use should more be a factor in choosing a college rather than letting them push you one way or the other... what can they effectively teach?

The standard recommendation on bows is becoming, spend a few hundred on a carbon fibre (NOT FIBERGLASS) bow. Carbon bows are good value for money, and the sample variation is very small, so you can buy one on somebody's recommendation safely enough... you won't have to play a dozen different bows and choose. Upton, Gage, and Coda are brands I can think of that are worth looking at.

Anyway, once you're out of the cheap Chinese junk, it becomes more important to have a good setup and strings than anything else... I'll let others chip in on basses having said that.

[txstatebass]

Ask the teacher at the college you will be attending for some recommendations, as well as bow choice. The above mentioned instruments are ok for starting out, but maybe you could consider a hybrid bass more in the Shen or Upton lines. I would rather spend a little more now and have a great bass than have to offload an instrument that might not be up to par (not that I have anything to say about Kays or Engleharts or Strunals).

Master the bass? Call me when you do.