I need a good Double Bass...

Mother_Plucker · #1 07-01-2006, 04:38 PM

Ok, So I'm an 18 year old electric bass player who is going to school as a voice major in the fall. I ran into a small problem because as a music ed major, with a consentration in voice, I need to have a major instrument and and minor instrument. The first of the two is covered, my voice, so im set there, but i need to be able to get a double bass so I can transition into it before fall semester. I need some opinions on good, college level, nice sounding, reliable double basses from some of you folks out there who are more experienced in this realm of bass playing. My price range is anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 but if I need to spend more I have the resorses to do that.

God willing, I should be ok transitioning into it. Any tips from those of you who have transitioned from electric bass into double bass would be much appreciated

Thanks in advance,

Zach "The Mother Plucker"

jonathan_matos5 · #2 07-01-2006, 05:26 PM

im also looking in that price range and it would also be my first double bass. they told me to read the newbie links which was verry helpful in what i should look for but due to lack of stores in my area i started looking online. so click on the ad up on top of this page those seem pretty good from what ive read so far.

gomez hacienda · #3 07-04-2006, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathan_matos5

im also looking in that price range and it would also be my first double bass. they told me to read the newbie links which was verry helpful in what i should look for but due to lack of stores in my area i started looking online. so click on the ad up on top of this page those seem pretty good from what ive read so far.

+1 on that...with a great set-up and the right strings, (arco & or pizz) you can get a killer bass in that price range. When I was your age good, affordable UBs were like 4 leaf clovers. Now with on-line shopping, they're everywhere.

ps. I have nothing against ebay in general, but I don't think it's the place to buy a UB...

gomez

uptonbass · #4 07-05-2006, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomez hacienda

ps. I have nothing against ebay in general, but I don't think it's the place to buy a UB...

gomez

Gomez, even though its seems to do nothing for us we have our basses on ebay....

Granted the other stuff up there is s........ crap

gomez hacienda · #5 07-05-2006, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uptonbass

Gomez, even though its seems to do nothing for us we have our basses on ebay....

Granted the other stuff up there is s........ crap

All due respect Gary, I'm really referring to the CCBs and all those other "200 yr old Italian" basses sold by private parties, that are mostly clever, and sometimes not-so clever fakes.

"...and we paddled a canoe, just like the indians", said the boy
"Actually, the indians used a different grade of aluminum." said Henry Fonda..."On Golden Pond"

gomez

Jazzin' · #6 07-05-2006, 07:58 PM

Find a good teacher.

panos · #7 07-06-2006, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

I also bought 3 Basses from Europe from pictures and emails only and they all worked out just fine. You need to know what you are buying on line or not gamble at all.

Ken, I'd like to ask you if you -or somebody else- have some experience or opinion about the Heinrich Gill DoubleBasses , www.gill.de. I don't know prices, they seem to be well made.

uptonbass · #8 07-06-2006, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomez hacienda

All due respect Gary, I'm really referring to the CCBs and all those other "200 yr old Italian" basses sold by private parties, that are mostly clever, and sometimes not-so clever fakes.

gomez

I know I was just playing

drurb · #9 07-06-2006, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

I would not include those "200 yr old Italian" in your 'not-to-buy' list on Ebay. Thought they are fakes they still sell for a fair price for a Bass of that level. The one recently that even I bid un went for a bit over 12k. With shipping and set-up it's about 15k landed. You can buy even a high end Shen Rogeri or Panormo and pay close to that. Arnold told me that at the last ISB convention a guy in the Czech republic showed a Bass that was completly antiqued, looked over 200 years old and sounded great. 25-35k is common today for a good handmade new Bass. A faked Panormo with a flat back sold at about 160k to a guy somewhere in Europe a few years ago and I heard he loves the Bass. I don't know if he realizes it's a new Bass and paid about 5-10x too much but he's a happy camper either way.

In the last few years I bought Two nice bows, one not so nice bow and a Bass off of Ebay not counting the Bids I lost. I also bought 3 Basses from Europe from pictures and emails only and they all worked out just fine. You need to know what you are buying on line or not gamble at all.

Okay, I've been keeping a running tally. Ken, I figure you now have 1,247 basses. What do you do with all of them? Mind you, given the love affair, I could see just looking at them while playing one of them.

gomez hacienda · #10 07-06-2006, 10:15 AM

The more I read this forum, especially Ken's posts, the more I realize just how much serious coin is being passed around the UB community.

....poor, poor, pitiful me.

gomez