this a good bass to rent?

ireidt · #1 06-03-2008, 10:54 AM

Yea, last time I posted in the Double bass forums, I got bashed over asking a simple question, but here it goes again

Anyway: I want to learn upright bass, mainly because I think every bass player should learn upright, and I haven't yet! I found a rent to own program online, well, a few of them, but this site is the only one that I think has good uprights for a beginner ( remember, stand up newbie! )

http://www.quinnviolins.com/qv_beginnerbass.shtml

Now they have more basses than just that ( click intermediate and advanced tabs)

Any suggestions on the quality of these basses? Any better places that have a rent to own program?

Bass Barrister · #2 06-03-2008, 11:17 AM

I have had no personal experience with Quinn but have heard mostly favorable comments regarding their operation. The link you posted has almost no useful information on it. I suspect that these are basic entry level ply basses. For all I know, these could be decent, but I don't know anything specific.

According to your heading, you are in Florida and Quinn is in Minneapolis, MN. Who will pay to ship the bass back and forth? This could cost several hundred $$ each way.

FWIW, you'd be better off finding a local bass or string shop that can give you professional advice and guide you in choosing a bass. No one starting out knows much about basses - we all have to rely on more knowledgeable folk until we learn enough to decide for ourselves.

Eric Hochberg · #3 06-03-2008, 11:19 AM

I wouldn't worry about renting to own, try and find a rental locally that's set up well and see if you really want to play the beast. When you decide you do, start with the newbie links here, then find a bass you really like, then purchase it.

ireidt · #4 06-03-2008, 11:20 AM

crap, I knew i forgot something...distance! lol i feel stupid now

I was looking for a local bass shop actually, but havent found one yet...well Sam Ash has uprights, but I dunno if they have a rent to own program..hmm..maybe i'll call them up/

Thanks Barrister! Next time I will try to be a little more awake before I start posting

hmm i might think of that ehochberg. I Rather to a rent to own because I really dont have the money to put down even a grand in one go right now, let alone 3+ grand.

Eric Hochberg · #5 06-03-2008, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ireidt

hmm i might think of that ehochberg. I Rather to a rent to own because I really dont have the money to put down even a grand in one go right now, let alone 3+ grand.

If you're going to do that, at least find a bass that a teacher or luthier not connected with the seller approves of as a worthy instrument.

ireidt · #6 06-03-2008, 11:37 AM

Will do that Ehochberg. My community college actually has private lessons for the upright bass, so I might pull the teacher out and go "what do buy!"

Bass Barrister · #7 06-03-2008, 02:37 PM

Your local community college is a good place to start. They may even have basses standing (upright hopefully) in a closet somewhere which you might use if taking lessons there. The local cc a couple of blocks from here has 5 basses in the music room. Of course, three of them are rather dismal but . . . if you can play one of those, you can play anything. There's a young student there who uses their best bass but he's not allowed to take it out of the building. He just does all his practicing at school and is saving up his shekels to buy his own bass.

ireidt · #8 06-03-2008, 11:04 PM

Well, I dunno, I think my CC is kinda..destroying their music program. Was gonna sign up for classes today, and in the handbook says there are music theory classes, so I went to sign up for the first one, and it was missing from the list...so I dunno anymore <_<

uprightben · #9 06-04-2008, 09:48 AM

You should try to get the bass teacher's e-mail and contact him/her directly. Administrators at institutions of higher learning are only good at one thing, giving themselves colonoscopies with thier own heads, so going through normal school chanels is likely to only end in frustration.

Jim Carr · #10 06-04-2008, 10:07 AM

I recommend against "rent to own," for two reasons: you won't get a good deal on the instrument, and by the time you can really decide if the rented (or any) upright is for you, you are likely pretty much locked-in or may even have already purchased an inferior instrument.

A better bet is to find a good deal on a flexible rental with advice from a bass teacher. Later, with more experience under your belt and a better idea of your goals, you can purchase the right bass.

BTW, just because a course is canceled or a schedule is wrong, don't get put off. This stuff happens all the time at all schools and colleges. Scheduling classes is tricky and subject to a lot of uncontrollable variables: misprints happen, faculty changes, budgets get shifted, etc.

My advice to new music students can be summed up as: Do not give up easily or let observation of the world's short-comings be an excuse for inaction. Practice way way more than you think you need to.

Good Luck!