A good "hybrid"

bassgod94 · #1 10-24-2010, 12:04 PM

Wasn't sure what else to call it but here's the story: I am a Junior in High school and will definitely be going into music. I'm not yet sure what in music but it most likely will not be in performance. I find myself in need of buying an upright bass by then and want to start looking now. I need a bass that has a nice big round sound for orchestral works but one that's also good for jazz. At school I currently play on 2 different basses, one for jazz band and one for orchestra. Please help in my search!

shadygrove · #2 10-24-2010, 12:38 PM

1. Read the newbie links at the top of the Basses [DB] forum.

2. Let folks know where you are so they can give you some ideas where to look.

3. Be patient and play a lot of basses. Take another DB player or your teacher with you before buying to get a 2nd opinion.

Brand names and models mean less in doublebass land than they do on the electric side, but once you have your budget figured out the newbie links can give you some possibilities.

Good luck and happy hunting!

drurb · #3 10-24-2010, 01:19 PM

Excellent advice from shadygrove. What's your budget?

bassgod94 · #4 10-24-2010, 01:50 PM

Budget is 8K at the very most, would really be able to spend more around 4-5K, I'm on the East Coast DC area

drurb · #5 10-24-2010, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod94

Budget is 8K at the very most, would really be able to spend more around 4-5K, I'm on the East Coast DC area

You've basically named price-points that are a factor two apart. You can certainly buy a bass for $4k. You can buy a substantially better one for $8k. So, what are you actually prepared to spend? It seems like your comfort-zone is around $4-5k. There seems to be a "sweet-spot" around $6500-$7000. I'd shoot for that if you can.

John Sprague · #6 10-25-2010, 02:21 PM

bassgod94, I would recommend a tour of all the area shops. The best move is to become familiar with all that is out there, and to play enough instruments to know how the different options sound and feel. You're spending real money, and your options are many. Here is a list of nearby shops, my apologies if I miss anyone:

Brobst Violin Shop
Bob's House of Basses
Day Violins
Potter's Violin Shop
Wolf Instruments at The Schoolhouse

These are just the nearby shops, and there are many east coast shops worth checking out.

If you're spending that kind of loot on a hybrid, many will agree the hybrids to beat are Arnold's New Standard hybrids, at www.aesbass.com. Hybrids are a great solution for high school and college because they are very stable, and many can stand up tonally to their fully carved brethren.