Gliga Basses

[Colljo560]

Ohk, so, I'm gonna make the switch from electric to double (everyone tries it once in their life...)

I don't wanna buy something ****** to begin with, BUT I also can't justify spending more then $5000 on a new bass...

I have searched the forums, and tried some basses (being from Adelaide, Australia, we don't have much range...)

I didn't mind the feel of the Gliga basses, and the 3/4 French Style Bass is in my price range...

Do you guys have views on this bass?

[JtheJazzMan]

$5000 will buy you the Gliga flatback which is all wood. Its sturdy and IMO needs some heavy strings to get the top moving.

The sound has a very direct focused midranged-biased tone.

[uprightben]

You should do a forum search on "gliga", this topic has come up before. I have one, a carved round back I like very much, but it's not without its issues.

[MIKMAN]

My $0.02.

These basses are manufactured in Romania, in the Vasile Gliga's factory. They are rather heavy instruments, with thick plates and heavy back braces (almost all of them are flatbacks).
Gliga uses beautiful Carpathian tonewoods but some of these instruments showed cracks in the plates and the ribs. This fact usually (but not always) means "green" tonewoods, meaning not properly aged wood. The American representative stood behind the product and repaired them at no cost. In some European countries, this fact was not so simple, especially when the buyer ordered it unseen and had it delivered from Romania.

I laid my hands on two of these basses. They were very good instruments and the guys who purchased them were aware of these problems. They were kept in a controlled environment and they were in excellent condition. They delivered a deep, warm tone and they projected well in a concert hall. Both of my friends have purchased them from Thomman, in reasonable prices. They use them mainly for arco work.

IMHO these basses are a decent choice if you can have the proper guarantees from the shop you are going to buy them.

Mike