Ideas about a new bass...

[zalemm]

I'm planning to buy a bass, and I'm in between a full carved bass and a hybrid. Probably, the most I could pay for it would be $5000.00- $7000.00, so that's the problem.

I've been thinking in:

1. Carcassi
2. Hybrid (Shen or Christopher)
3. full carved Christopher- busetto shaped

I don't know if any of you have something to say about this. I just graduated from college and I need something better.

[mburd]

We appear to be in a golden age; with many makers offering fine instruments fitting your criteria. You'll even find some of these top-notch luthiers hanging out here.

Another bass to add to your list would be the New Standard Cleveland or LaScala. Make yourself familiar with the forum's search utilities and you'll fin a ton of useful info on all that you mention and more.

[John Sprague]

At your price point, and if your future includes orchestral playing, I would say there are a whole slew of good carved basses in your reach. Instead of recommending a particular brand, I would recommend getting to a bass shop or two and playing a whole bunch of basses til you find true love. You'll find alot in your price range, new and old.

The shops I know of in your area would be The String Emporium in Phoenix/Chandler ((480) 940-1595), and Robertson's in Albuquerque (505-889-2999). I'll bet there are more nearby as well.

Good luck!

[jmpiwonka]

Originally Posted by John Sprague

At your price point, and if your future includes orchestral playing, I would say there are a whole slew of good carved basses in your reach. Instead of recommending a particular brand, I would recommend getting to a bass shop or two and playing a whole bunch of basses til you find true love. You'll find alot in your price range, new and old.

The shops I know of in your area would be The String Emporium in Phoenix/Chandler ((480) 940-1595), and Robertson's in Albuquerque (505-889-2999). I'll bet there are more nearby as well.

Good luck!

yeah, no doubt.
i'll say the shen willow is really nice ( have one), i bet their maple stuff is super is well, you could get 7/8 willow for that much easily....you could find an old german bass...i would for sure check out one of arnolds CARVED LaScala basses too, 7000 might get you there (oh no just checked, they start at 7600 although the hybrids are awesome too)
http://www.newstandardbass.com/lascala.htm

you have tons of stuff to look at in that price range, i wish i had that much to spend...but like i said before i'm real happy with my shen willow.

[bejoyous]

One of my students has a carved Peter Chandler bass, the other has the Chritopher Busetto cornered one you have your eye on. I often teach them back to back so I can clearly hear the difference between a fully carved bass compared to a laminated bass.

The Christopher sounds aweful and there were many setup problems that I had to fix. The strings that came with it sqeaked and squacked with every note you tried to play. I gave him my used Obbligatos which improved it somewhat but there are still notes that don't respond right.

If you've just graduated from college you should think about a professional bass to play. Try renting-to-own a good bass (as in $10-15000) or save up for a better bass instead of buying a cheap bass you can presently afford.

It's a good idea to play as many real basses you can before you commit to buying something just because it fits into your budget.

[jmpiwonka]

Zalemm, can you fill out your profile so everyone can get an idea of your background.
i'm guessing you studied performance in college?
what are you planning to do with the bass?

[.matthew e wengerd.]

who rents-to-own $10K-15K basses?

[jfv]

Originally Posted by bejoyous

One of my students has a carved Peter Chandler bass, the other has the Chritopher Busetto cornered one you have your eye on. I often teach them back to back so I can clearly hear the difference between a fully carved bass compared to a laminated bass.

The Christopher sounds aweful and there were many setup problems that I had to fix. The strings that came with it sqeaked and squacked with every note you tried to play. I gave him my used Obbligatos which improved it somewhat but there are still notes that don't respond right.

If you've just graduated from college you should think about a professional bass to play. Try renting-to-own a good bass (as in $10-15000) or save up for a better bass instead of buying a cheap bass you can presently afford.

It's a good idea to play as many real basses you can before you commit to buying something just because it fits into your budget.

Cheap??? He said 5K - 7K, that puts him WAY above cheap

My fully carved Hungarian is in that range and its all I
could want in a bass right now.

My advise: dont waste time thinking about abstract names,
go to a luthier and listen to real instruments, John gave
you some leads. If you're a beginner taking a teacher
along is a good idea, good teachers are always happy to
do this kind of thing.

Another thought: if you have an orchestral future DON'T forget
to leave money for a good bow, and shop for that the same
time.

Shopping is great fun, enjoy yourself

[zalemm]

Do you work at www.shen.com ?

If so, I'd like to e-mail you...

Thanks.

Originally Posted by John Sprague

At your price point, and if your future includes orchestral playing, I would say there are a whole slew of good carved basses in your reach. Instead of recommending a particular brand, I would recommend getting to a bass shop or two and playing a whole bunch of basses til you find true love. You'll find alot in your price range, new and old.

The shops I know of in your area would be The String Emporium in Phoenix/Chandler ((480) 940-1595), and Robertson's in Albuquerque (505-889-2999). I'll bet there are more nearby as well.

Good luck!

[zalemm]

I'm mainly classical player, but I've been thinking about going for some jazz/blues too... So something that fits both s kinda hard.

I don't write specifics in internet profiles... Sorry.

[zalemm]

Thanks a lot!

Btw, I love the quote... hahaha

[drurb]

Originally Posted by zalemm

I'm mainly classical player, but I've been thinking about going for some jazz/blues too... So something that fits both s kinda hard.

Au contraire! A properly chosen high-quality bass can serve all of those purposes quite well.