i'm thinking of buying my first professional bass. please help

[Toscanini]

Hi.
I'm a musician from canada and i'm thinking of buying my first professional bass. i've done some research and still have a few questions to ask you experts:

1) does if really matter if the back is one piece of wood or two?
and
2) is their a huge dirrerence between fully carved and hybrids or laminates.

My price range is from 5000-10 000 canadian dollars but if there is an exceptional deal between 10 000-15 000 i am willing to pay the price.
Some basses that i've been looking at include:

1)the contrabasse shope workshop bass for E. 8 500 http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2631.htm

2) the brian bomberg wood guersam bass for 8 000
http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/le...p?number=BA255

3) the emanuel wilfer conservatory priced at 6 500
http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/le...p?number=BA201

4) the upton bass professor model for 5 000

5)And la scala fully carved new standard bass priced at around 7500


please give me some suggestions in choosing these basses or others that you may reccomend

i thank you all in advance for helping me with this important task

[jallenbass]

Classical, Jazz or both?

If I were going to spend that kind of money I would be looking at old instruments. By all means check out the ones that you have posted but don't buy without playing them all. It helps if you can have another bass player with you to help out. Often what you hear when playing is not what the audience hears. Have fun.

[theshadow2001]

It seems to me that your looking for a recomondation for one of those instruments to buy online. This is the one thing you won't find here. First and foremoest I would check what you have available within Canada first. If nothing there then try some American states that are a bit closer (seattle?? I'm not great at geography) Forget about buying from england or anywhere in europe. So I would do a search looking for canadian luthiers and sellers. As was said play the instrument first.

[Toscanini]

see the problem is that i live in Edmonton where there is NO bass dealers or luthiers and only a few in vancouver which is a 14 hour drive. i've been to vancouver to look at the basses there and none of them are worth the price. so i guess the only solution is getting it off the internet.

these are some basses that my teacher reccommended to me.

[enigmabass]

search for a luthier on the forums or elsewhere and have them make a custom.

[bluegreenturtle]

You should never ever buy a double bass without playing it yourself, first.

That said, you might want to talk to this guy:
http://www.stringemporium.com/basscafe.htm

I have no dealings with them and actually had never heard of them before but it looks like they ship all over the place for cheap.

[theshadow2001]

Originally Posted by Toscanini

see the problem is that i live in Edmonton where there is NO bass dealers or luthiers and only a few in vancouver which is a 14 hour drive. i've been to vancouver to look at the basses there and none of them are worth the price. so i guess the only solution is getting it off the internet.

these are some basses that my teacher reccommended to me.

how do you know the ones on the internet are worth the price?

[.matthew e wengerd.]

You've got the money to fly to any city in the continent you want to check basses out. Plan a trip to NYC with some of that budget and check out what the New York shops have.

[TimoMetzemakers]

Originally Posted by .matthew e wengerd.

you've got the money to fly to any city in the continent you want to check basses out. Plan a trip to NYC with some of that budget and check out what the New York shops have.

+1. Well said.

[Snarf]

Yeah, major +1 on the New York trip.

And old basses are the way to go. Or Pollmans, I like those. But probably not the solo model.

[PB+J]

If I were you I would not buy a bass online--for the reasons other people have given and add another. I'd buy one from a local luthier, or whoever is closest to local. Your new bass is probably going to need some setup and adjusting and repair, either sooner or later, and it really helps if the guy you bought it from also does repairs and setup. You might want the soundpost adjusted; you might want more "scoop" in the fingerboard--any number of adjustments. An online dealer can't do that for you.

I love my Shen bass, but I bought it from a local dealer who, though he's a great player and was great to work with, isn't a luthier. I now need to fnd someone to work on it. It's not a big deal, but in my experience you get better work and a better work and a better experience if you already have a business relationship with the guy

[Jason Sypher]

Never ever buy a bass online, what are you crazy?! Get a cheap flight (jet blue) and come to NY, if not to buy, to try! Yes, trying as many basses as possible is the heavy lifting of aquiring a "life-partner", that is, a double bass. Prices are inflated here but folks like David Gage sell on consignment (and basses don't sell fast in that price range) so you can offer low and sometimes get the bass of your dreams for a reasonable price (I did). You are also within rental car reach of numerous fine dealers from AES to Naarman to Kolstein etc etc. Make no mistake about it, an investment like this is a lot of work. Be prepared to take you time, use your commonsense as well as your intuition. I found it so frustrating when I had actually aquired the money to buy a good bass and then couldn't find anything that moved me! (Some people have problems!). I eventually found something both earthshaking and emotionally connected at Gage, offered $4000 less than the asking price, and got it. You can do the same....

By the way, I may be able to hook you up with a cheap apt. while you are in NY, my inlaws let out their top floor sometimes to friends etc.

[neal davis]

I'm sure there is a luthier in edmonton, I had my bass repaired there while on tour. But whatever you do with that amount of money you are willing to spend try it first. Fly wherever you need to and hopefully you will find a great bass within your price range, I bought my first bass for 6000 in toronto and I still have it and use it as a touring bass and somewhat questionable gig venue bass. I know there will be instruments in your range just take the time and look. check out heinl music instruments in toronto if you are around here or give them a call they may be able to help you out.

[anon_6j591b0]

+1 that there has to be a luthier in Edmonton, possibly a violin maker, who does bass work. I'd contact the local players first though. Jan Urke, John Taylor, Janice Quinn, Rhonda Taft and Ioan Tetel are the bassists in the Edmonton symphony and Rubim de Toledo is a jazz player who lives there. For a number of reasons these are the people you want to start with.
A) they know what basses are in town and if you end up not buying locally (which you should try to do) they will be your best resource.
B) You can't learn to play the thing correctly by yourself and lessons are essential in avoiding bad habits that are a real bitch to break once in place.
C) It'll put you into the local DB community which anywhere ya go is a tight knit group that you will need to get gigs.
The Edmonton Musician's Union(ph. 780.422.2449) will have contact info for all these players.

[Toscanini]

Originally Posted by jbonny

+1 that there has to be a luthier in Edmonton, possibly a violin maker, who does bass work. I'd contact the local players first though. Jan Urke, John Taylor, Janice Quinn, Rhonda Taft and Ioan Tetel are the bassists in the Edmonton symphony and Rubim de Toledo is a jazz player who lives there. For a number of reasons these are the people you want to start with.
A) they know what basses are in town and if you end up not buying locally (which you should try to do) they will be your best resource.
B) You can't learn to play the thing correctly by yourself and lessons are essential in avoiding bad habits that are a real bitch to break once in place.
C) It'll put you into the local DB community which anywhere ya go is a tight knit group that you will need to get gigs.
The Edmonton Musician's Union(ph. 780.422.2449) will have contact info for all these players.

hey how do you know janice quinn? she happens to be my neighbour, her mom is my bass teacher. we have stores eg: bella, myhres and the band stand , but they have like 3-4 basses to choose from and they sound horrible.

[neal davis]

ask her then who works on her bass and where to look in edmonton, I know I didn't get work done on my bass in a long and mcquade or anything, there was a luthier near the club I was at. good luck

[Toscanini]

do you think the contrabass shoppe workshop bass is a good deal? do any of you own any of these basses?

[anon_6j591b0]

Originally Posted by Toscanini

hey how do you know janice quinn? she happens to be my neighbour, her mom is my bass teacher. we have stores eg: bella, myhres and the band stand , but they have like 3-4 basses to choose from and they sound horrible.

No, just pulled her name outta the symphony list. When I was starting out I bugged the hell out of the local pro players ended up with a really good bass so I thought I'd throw the idea out. Sounds like yer on top of it though.

Seems a shame to have to buy a bass without playing first. And speaking of Long & McQuade what about them? They may not have anything in stock but the Hastings St. store in Vancouver always has several basses in stock and often some very playable ones. It's not at all the typical L&M but actually specializes in orchestral instruments and sheet music. Bet if you went in with your teacher they'd take you seriously and bring something into the Edmonton store for you to try with no obligation. They just did that for me with the new NS cello bass (which I really hated). They seem really good about that kind of thing. I gotta get another spiral bound manuscript book in the next couple of days and that's the closest place. Want me to play what they have and report on what's in stock? You play mostly pizz or arco?

[Toscanini]

i've decided that i will go with the All carved LaScala. but before contact Arnold i want to inquire about the sound quality of the (all carved) Lascala. is it loud and does it project well? i've only played the hybrid

[philip sirois]

Funny, you asked people's advice, but didn't pay it the slightest bit of attention. Like everybody screaming down a deep, deep well.