Good starter bass for old guy

[daflores]

I'm 58 years old and I've played electric bass for over thirty years and I'm proud to say that I have maintained excellent technique and I try to stay current (within reason...I don't do hip hop). Lately I've been seriously considering taking up double bass. I think it would help me improve my musicianship and get more music work. My question is, what bass would you recommend for somebody like me? I would like an instrument that I can learn on and gig on. I would be self-taught and I wouldn't want to spend more than 1500 bucks. All suggestions welcome. Thanks.

[waleross]

I am close to your age and studied String Bass many years ago. I don't play or have one now but If you don't already have a Teacher then I would get one. Besides teaching Bass some have connections for used instruments in your price range. At the very least you will get good guidance . I'm sure you will get a lot of posts that will tell you where and how to purchase a string bass, but IMO its a lot more involved than getting started with the electric bass....Best of
of luck in this endeavor..........

[wdnewman]

First of all, welcome. Your interest is appreciated here. First however, please understand that there is little or no correlation between bass guitar and upright bass. The difference is like unto driving a car and flying an airplane. You can get by being self-taught driving a car, but would have a lot less luck being self-taught as a pilot.

You need a teacher. I would suggest that you rent a bass, find a teacher and take some lessons just to get the basics right. At some point you will have attained enough knowledge to know what you would want in a bass, and can start looking. Good advice would be to buy a name brand from a respected dealer, setup professionally by that dealer. Quite a few new ply basses that are not CCB's can be had in your price range. I would shun Craigslist and Ebay. Do not buy a bass
without playing it. Do not buy a bass that has not been setup correctly.

At the top of this forum are many, many post for newbies that give lots of good information for free. Read them all, for they will save you tons of time and money in the end.

Also fill out your profile. It will help us here if we know where you are.

[scottbass]

You want a double bass but you don't do hip hop???



What's the point of having a double bass is you're not gonna use it for hip hop?

(jk)

[daflores]

I live in what I call a musical wasteland. My best gigs are all out of town. I've done my research and the only DB teacher around here is the classical guitar instructor at the local college who knows a little bit about DB. I've seen him and heard him and I'm not impressed. I have a friend who is very accomplished who would be willing to give me pointers now and then but he lives a couple hundred miles away.

I have spent some time on a double bass and the differences between BG and DB haven't escaped me. It will surely be a challenge. I will continue looking into creative ways of getting some good lessons before I invest a dime. I also think that my years as a musician count for something. I'll complete my profile. Thanks.

[Ed Fuqua]

Feel free to do whatever the hell you want, but if the only reason you want to play upright is to "help me improve my musicianship", by what mechanism is that gonna happen? Playing upright does not immediately bestow some sort of imprimatur that will get you past not playing it well.
You don't want to study, fine don't study. But, as someone who spent a good 15 years pounding their head against a brick wall, having someone who has been through ALL of the trials and tribulations with this instrument is almost a necessity.

If you want to sound good. If you don't care about how you sound and just want the look, pretty much any piece of crap will do.

[catty]

Goodness, did the OP allude to these aspirations? I get a kick out of the indignation and curmudgeondom on TB.

True, DB is no dilettante instrument. And like parents, we want the best for aspiring players. But really, there is hope for musical accomplishment even for the DIY oriented (especially with this new computer/internet technology).

[daflores]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

Feel free to do whatever the hell you want, but if the only reason you want to play upright is to "help me improve my musicianship", by what mechanism is that gonna happen? Playing upright does not immediately bestow some sort of imprimatur that will get you past not playing it well.
You don't want to study, fine don't study. But, as someone who spent a good 15 years pounding their head against a brick wall, having someone who has been through ALL of the trials and tribulations with this instrument is almost a necessity.

If you want to sound good. If you don't care about how you sound and just want the look, pretty much any piece of crap will do.

Where did all that come from? I think I've been misread. I certainly meant no disrespect to those of you who have put your sweat into mastering a very challenging instrument.

As a musician, sounding good is of utmost importance to me. I don't think I said anything that gave the impression that I "want the look." Maybe you made some assumptions based on my first post and didn't read my followup.

Again, my apologies.

[MattyBass]

Hey Buddy, as they say around here "Welcome to the Darkside"..

After you filling out your profile<
I notice you have a lot of high end Bass Guitar gear...
I can tell your a man of taste...
Seems Like to me that you'd wanna invest in something decent in the Double bass world as well..
Especially since given your musical experience, seems like you'd ought to hold off and rent for a little while.. and save up some more moola.. and get something that you wont wanna get rid of in a couple of months or a year... also then you can make a more informed buying decision..

Get something that you'll be happy with and something you can grow with...

I'f I were you I'd rent for a couple of months while saving, looking and learning...
Then by that that time maybe youd have 2 or 3 grand which could get you something
youd be happier with..

Most people on here will tell you to rent and save, as most believe that with your current budget you'd be getting more of a toy/piece of crap... and most of them would be right...

Like I said I can tell you are a man of taste, so save a little and get something that you can cherish and grow on, rather than a instrument that makes you cryand you are tempted to turn into firewood...

So find a rental and get dreaming about what bass you are saving for..

Check the Newbies link.. It was such a fun learning experience for me...

I have found that youtube has many many videos on Instruction and what not, and is also a great resource for learning the DB..

Best of luck to you..

BTW...... We have the same birthday.... Random....

[PhiDeck]

Ed: that seems a little harsh. Perhaps the OP is proxying for the truck driver who killed Bob Bowen?
(Others: Bob Bowen injured, stay tuned for more )

On the other hand, since the first edition of "Walking Bassics" was ostensibly published in 1904, some crankiness may be expected, and forgiven
http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Bassic.../dp/B002IA1UEU

As I understood the OP, he'd take lessons if he could, but the nearest qualified instructor (that he is aware of) is too far away. Posting his location, as suggested, may ferret out those of which he is unaware. Unfortunately, it may also also identify and alienate the classical guitar instructor that he mentioned.

[daflores]

I would post my location if I could only find where. But here it is, I live in Laredo, Texas. Right across the border from where the Mexican drug cartels shoot it out with the Mexican army every day. If you google map it, you will see that I am pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Laredo is known as the largest city in the nation without a bookstore - no bookstore - that's right. No B&N, no Borders, not even a little B.Dalton, which closed down over a year ago. The nearest city of substance is San Antonio which is 150 miles to the north. San Antonio is about 100 miles south of Austin, the live music capital of the world. And I'm supposed to find a competent teacher here? I just want to do the best I can to learn a little DB with the years that I've got left with whatever resources are available to me. Not looking to join anybody's exclusive club.

BTW, I will rent a Double Bass in Austin when I head out there sometime next month.

[Jason Sypher]

Just get yourself a decent Kay bass from the classifieds or a shop in Austin. You may find one that is a little rough around the edges but still plays well.

[catty]

Originally Posted by PhiDeck

On the other hand, since the first edition of "Walking Bassics" was ostensibly published in 1904, some crankiness may be expected, and forgiven
http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Bassic.../dp/B002IA1UEU

Like I said, I get a kick out of it. Maybe crankiness is appropos for an "old guy" thread.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I'd find a Shen SB80 from the nearest luthier who sells them and get that. I haven't seen a bad one yet, and with bridge adjusters and a set of Spiros it's a great solution to your quest.

[pnut166]

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

Just get yourself a decent Kay bass from the classifieds or a shop in Austin. You may find one that is a little rough around the edges but still plays well.

+1

[daflores]

Originally Posted by pnut166

1nce at a gig i roxed the crowd so hArd that all teh gurlz were liek "i want u" an all teh bands were liek "u roxed evry1 2 hard" and i waz liek "yea i no cuz i am teh mastr uv base"

I almost fell off my chair with that one. It made the chewing out I got from Ed Fuqua all worth it.

[A. Munk]

What he said

"Just get yourself a decent Kay bass from the classifieds or a shop in Austin. You may find one that is a little rough around the edges but still plays well."

[bassics1975]

+1 on the Kay. I had one years ago in high school and it served me well until I went to university to study and before
I knew I needed a more serious instrument. You shouldn't have too much trouble finding one for your budget. Good luck with the search.

[MT Spaces]

Watch out here Mr. Flores from Laredo . Some Folks around here may pounce on you with your lame-rookie upright questions and tell you to go-back to the slab-bass .

As far as I'm concerned .... I bought a pawnshop beater '64 Kay 4 years ago that nearly killed my wrists and carpal tunnels. I never-ever played any kind of bass or any other stringed instrument .... But I liked all kinds of music. At the age of 55 I took-off on my own. I should have had "A Teacher" .... But Alas ....

After getting hooked on upright, I ditched the pawner Kay and now have two nice plywoodys (Kay and Epiphone) that are set-up real-well and play easily. Best teacher for me has been to play a-whole-damn-lot, study some music theory and chord progressions, and develop my ear.

Some day I will find a teacher in the backwoods where I live to show me proper fingering, stance, shoulder (and other body-parts) position, and how to arco ...

But so far, so good .... I listen to my pains, stretch, do yoga, and work-out regularly. I am making "music" and have Loads Of Fun.

Of course I mostly play bluegrass, cajun, old fiddle tunes, and old country .... So don't listen to me for Heaven's Sake !

P.S. I am not affiliated with "Catty" also from MT (but I will have to track him down sometime ). However .... TX is a sister-state to MT in my book. We can't all be from NY and have excellent jazz-moes and teachers falling out the fronts of swanky clubs to help us rookies .

P.S.S. The venerable TalkBass Folks like Ed Fuqua, Paul W, Toad, and many others (too numerous to mention) know Their Sh&t and they should be listened to closely. Really .... They aren't down on rookies ... They have been around the double-bass block 1000's of times and have something to say.

I think many of them don't care around here anymore since TalkBass has become somewhat of a free-for-all (and I haven't helped). I hope us rookies don't run off The Originals with our stupid questions and ..... Then the flame-throwing responses to honest answers from real-professional double-bass players .

Anyhow ..... Buy Ed's Book "What You Always Wanted To Know About B-Flat, But Were Afraid To Ask" (not the exact title ). I learned a lot and have more to learn from "Walking Bassics" even though I don't aspire to play jazz. I have learned new things about chord progressions and improvising, good for the brain / not-so-good for bluegrass ..... But It All Matters !

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by catty

Goodness, did the OP allude to these aspirations? I get a kick out of the indignation and curmudgeondom on TB.

And we geta a kick outta the indignated and curmudgeoned.

I'm with Matty on the rental and you seem to agree. Do that to see if you like each other.