Going to see a bass...

[tinyd]

OK, my quest is nearly over. I have a budget of about 1300 euro for my first bass. I was going to buy a Strunal or Christopher online from Thomann but I'm very concious of the 'try-before-you-buy' advice that most people round here swear by. I've found a local luthier who has a Chinese laminate bass for 1000 euro and I'm going to see it in the next few days. I've dealt with the guy before when I bought a violin off him for my daughter and he's a good guy, but I'd like to make sure that I go and look at the bass with as much knowledge as possible. The first thing I'm going to find out is who the bass is manufactured by because even though he'll set it up properly, I still don't want to be stuck with an inferior instrument. Does anyone have any other advice for me before I go and see him? And am I better off with a well-set-up bass that I've tried out personally that's from an inferior manufacturer rather than a online bass that's from a better 'brand'?

As always, all advice is gratefully received,

Dave

[uprightben]

I think you are doing the right thing, if the bass is well put together and it sounds good and you like the way it plays, then I wouldn't worry too much about brand. You should be sceptical about the bass until you've evaluated it, however, just as a practical matter. You don't want your high opinion of the luthier to color your judgement of the bass, he didn't build it after all. Make sure you bring a small flashlight and really check out the inside of the bass. Things should look relatively clean, cleats and braces should look like they're glued flush with no gaps, and the ply shouldn't look too rough from the inside. Also try to sight the neck against the center seam on the top, they should be perfectly in line. Beyond that listen closely for buzzes and rattles, and if at all possible get someone who plays to play it for you while you stand back and listen. Good luck!

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by tinyd

And am I better off with a well-set-up bass that I've tried out personally that's from an inferior manufacturer rather than a online bass that's from a better 'brand'?

I don't think you want a bass from an inferior manufacturer. I think Aronold S mentioned green wood and poor neck joints as common features of many Chinese and other import basses. Your luthier won't be able to tell about the neck join but should be able to guide you on most other points, although since he's selling it, I would take it to someone else for a 2nd opinion. He should let you take it home for a week to live with, anyway, and you can have it checked out then.

The thing about Christophers and Strunals and some other "brands", is that they have reputations for making decent quality instruments, not junk. Many people on this forum seem to be happy with them.

[tinyd]

Thanks for the replies
When I said 'inferior' I guess I mean "less consistent". My feeling from reading TB is that DBs aren't like guitars in that (at the lower end) individual basses vary a lot from the same manufacturer. So while a good Strunal or Christopher is going to be better than most basses from a less reliable brand, a good bass from one of these 'lesser' manufacturers could still be worth having, especially when compared to buying something unseen online.

Anyway, thanks again and I'll report back when I finally buy something!