Knowing when its right

najcross · #1 02-06-2011, 12:03 PM

I just started shopping for my first bass yesterday. I probably played between 12-15 basses in my price range. Some I liked more than others but nothing really jumped out at me or felt "right". I've read all the newbie buying a bass threads but I haven't seen one that solves my perticular problem. So question is when buying a bass, do you wait for a specific bass that everything seems to fit you perfectly? Or, do you get the bass that is the closest to what you want and make compromises? Hope you guys can help me out here, Jeff.

dvmweb · #2 02-06-2011, 12:08 PM

Take somone along who knows about basses. And/or get it on trial, so you can show it to a teacher, etc.

Stand back and let someone else play it while you listen is very helpful too.

Take your time.

Good luck.

Jason Sypher · #3 02-06-2011, 12:13 PM

Shop wisely. I tend to shop with my head but buy with my heart. Ultimately what moves you personally is probably going to be the one you buy but make sure it's healthy so that the one you love isn't in and out of the shop constantly.

Paul Warburton · #4 02-06-2011, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by najcross

I just started shopping for my first bass yesterday. I probably played between 12-15 basses in my price range. Some I liked more than others but nothing really jumped out at me or felt "right". I've read all the newbie buying a bass threads but I haven't seen one that solves my perticular problem. So question is when buying a bass, do you wait for a specific bass that everything seems to fit you perfectly? Or, do you get the bass that is the closest to what you want and make compromises? Hope you guys can help me out here, Jeff.

I think your post says a multitude of things about you and your search, in that you seem to have a rare grasp on shopping for a bass for a relatve newbie. Yeah, I always went for getting as many things I really wanted and needed in a bass with a realistic view on the financial issues involved. As you seem to understand, it may take years to find that ONE or you may get very lucky. Keep up the good work in terms of shopping around and having patience. You've done your homwork for sure, IMO.
Good luck.

FMartin · #5 02-06-2011, 01:38 PM

I'd say the best way is to find a careful balance between being 'actively patient' (and by that, I mean to not despair and keep reading about basses and trying to make inquire intelligently, things you are already doing) and, on the other hand, keeping in mind that even a lousy bass is better than no bass at all.

That ONE bass that PW tells about, usually comes across your path, you do not find it when you're looking for it.

I'd say, then: walk around, try to get the best bass you can for the money you've got (you'd probably need some extra money for strings and pro setup), and start saving some money so when THAT bass come across you're not off-guard.

iri5h_punk21 · #6 02-06-2011, 01:42 PM

When you try out basses make sure to try it out on multiple rigs to see what tones are consistent with it. The rig affect the tone as well, so you also have to take that into account

drurb · #7 02-06-2011, 01:52 PM

You've been given some great advice so far and I agree with all of it. I think you would do well to keep in mind that it's important for you to develop your preferences before you can decide if a particular bass is right for you. What you are doing right now is the best thing I can imagine to reach that goal-- that is playing a bunch of them. As you develop your preferences and your ability to discriminate meaningfully among basses, it's likely that what may have seemed great to you a week or two ago, may not seem so now. Even right now, if a bass fell into your hands that you decided was "the one," you may not feel that way a few months from now. Don't rush it... listen and take it all in.

I think PW nailed it when he said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

...Yeah, I always went for getting as many things I really wanted and needed in a bass with a realistic view on the financial issues involved.

What's your price range? I think it would be helpful to know that because, depending on what it is, you may not expect one particular bass to "pop out" at you. If your price range is $25k, then that can probably be expected. If it's $2k-- well, not so much.

You asked:

Quote:

Originally Posted by najcross

So question is when buying a bass, do you wait for a specific bass that everything seems to fit you perfectly? Or, do you get the bass that is the closest to what you want and make compromises?

Unless you have the budget to buy your dream bass, it's the latter. More $$$ = fewer compromises.

FMartin · #8 02-06-2011, 01:53 PM

Just one more thing: be careful to not get misled by the "this one's right" feeling. Chances are the basses you'll be trying out won't be at their best of possibilities, setup & strings-wise, and, conversely, you may end up buying not the best bass, but the better setup bass.

If a bass feels right, or looks right (and you must look carefuly and inspect it for cracks, etcetera), or you have a sort of good vibe about it, try to get an experienced player (your bass teacher, if possible) or maker to take a look at it, as they may see the potential in it.

drurb · #9 02-06-2011, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FMartin

Just one more thing: be careful to not get misled by the "this one's right" feeling. Chances are the basses you'll be trying out won't be at their best of possibilities, setup & strings-wise, and, conversely, you may end up buying not the best bass, but the better setup bass.

Absolutely! Also, as part of developing preferences, think about how many newbies thought that a bass with a skinny neck profile felt right only to be plagued by left-hand fatigue later.

najcross · #10 02-06-2011, 02:09 PM

Thanksfor all the advice guys,

I am planning on having my teacher come with me once I narrow down to the ones I am serious about so i'm not wasting his time. Plus he use to be a quality comtrol tester for Shar so he should be a really reliable source.

As of now I am planning to spend between 5k to 10k on a bass. If I see something for 12k and its something special then I might bite but I don't see me going bellow what I am looking at now.

Fmartin- Great point about the set up. When I go to a shop, would it be rude to ask "Can you set this up to my preferences?". I like a really low action and a lot of the basses I tried had high actions up around 6th position. And sometimes the "one" does just come to you, it did atleast with my guitar.

I guess what I'm getting is get the the closest bass to what I want and need with in a reasonable price but don't lower my standards just to have a bass.

Marty Forrer · #11 02-06-2011, 02:20 PM

A bass in the shop is set up generically. When you try a bass you have to keep in mind that it will need to be further set up to suit you, e.g: better strings, lower string height, higher string height, softer strings, harder strings, take the finish off the back of the neck, etc, etc.

FMartin · #12 02-06-2011, 02:24 PM

I don't know if it'd be rude, but what I guess is that, if they could setup a bass properly, they'd do it before putting it for sale. But don't be afraid of talking with them about it!

I think it's important, really important, to invest in setup. You need to get the best out of the bass you buy (and, with a 10k limit, you should be able to get a nice bass!) but the luthier/ bass technician needs to combine that with your particular needs and preferences at this particular stage of your developement as double bass player, as you need to develope your bass sound as well as your hand strength a bit at a time.

drurb · #13 02-06-2011, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by najcross

When I go to a shop, would it be rude to ask "Can you set this up to my preferences?". I like a really low action and a lot of the basses I tried had high actions up around 6th position. And sometimes the "one" does just come to you, it did atleast with my guitar.

Okay, this is not a guitar. It wouldn't be rude to ask your question, but I don't know of any luthier who would or should re-do a setup just so you can try it out. Lower the string heights, sure. A setup consists of so much more, though (e.g., specific fingerboard camber and scoop, specific bridge arc, etc.).

Your preference for "a really low action" sets off alarm bells with me. Now, some quite accomplished and well-known DB players prefer and have preferred quite low string heights. Most newbies I've encountered who have a preference for low string heights have that preference simply because they don't know how to actually play a DB as the acoustic instrument that it is. I urge you to look to your teacher on that one.

A number of years ago, I was in the market to upgrade. I already had years of playing under my belt but was interested in branching out in terms of genres. I thought I preferred low string heights. I decided on a bass and asked the luthier to bring the string heights down to where they were on my previous bass. The luthier (a more experienced player than I was) told me to take the bass home for a few weeks. He was confident that I'd end up loving the string heights where they were. If I didn't, he offered to carve a new bridge and start over with the setup at no additional cost. Wow, was that guy ever right! Careful what you wish for!

Don Higdon · #14 02-06-2011, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by najcross

Thanksfor all the advice guys,

I am planning on having my teacher come with me once I narrow down to the ones I am serious about so i'm not wasting his time. Plus he use to be a quality comtrol tester for Shar so he should be a really reliable source.

As of now I am planning to spend between 5k to 10k on a bass. If I see something for 12k and its something special then I might bite but I don't see me going bellow what I am looking at now.

Fmartin- Great point about the set up. When I go to a shop, would it be rude to ask "Can you set this up to my preferences?". I like a really low action and a lot of the basses I tried had high actions up around 6th position. And sometimes the "one" does just come to you, it did atleast with my guitar.

I guess what I'm getting is get the the closest bass to what I want and need with in a reasonable price but don't lower my standards just to have a bass.

This post changes the picture significantly.
+1 on having your teacher in the process.
Your budget is higher than I expected. You won't be wandering in a wilderness of self-destructing "music store" basses.
At your budget, I would do some research (There's plenty of info here at TB) on New Standard basses. You can get fully carved NS's within your budget. Further, if you get it through Nick Lloyd or Arnold Schnitzer, the setup will be top-notch. See what other people have to say on other threads.
This is not to say you can't find a dream bass any other way.
I like the way you're going about this.

Greg Clinkingbeard · #15 02-06-2011, 03:10 PM

The advice to take a more experienced player with you is wise. As has been said, most basses will have a generic setup and quite possibly not the strings that would best suit a particular buyer's playing style. Someone with years of experience playing many different basses can have a pretty good idea how a particular bass would behave with some fine tuning.
When I found my current bass, it was strung with Helicore orchestra strings at a painfully high string height. The bridge adjusters were already all the way down so I really couldn't know how it would behave when set up the way I wanted. However, it still sounded really nice and I had enough experience to know what to expect so I grabbed it. It has turned out to be an incredible bass.
Look for a healthy bass that is as close as possible to the playability and sound you are after, but definately have some experience with you.

najcross · #16 02-06-2011, 04:03 PM

drurb- I have only been playing about 1 1/2 years. That being said I've been playing electic bass and guitar for most my life. I've been told that I seem if I have been playing for much longer. I've always perfered low actions and I have pretty small hands which a low action makes it a lot easier for me to play. But I'll talk to my teacher about it. (I hope I don't come off as dismissing of your comment)

Don Higdon-I have thought about goin down the route of having a bass built just for me but after the other day I may be to afraid to lay down the cash not knowing exactly what I am buying. I'm a big fan of Upton and the La Scala looks beautiful

My budget is pretty big for someone thats been playing such a short time but I am going of to college and will be majoring in Music Education so a proper instrument is crucial.

I realize that whoever I buy a bass from is trying to run a business and can't waste his time and money on setting up a bass specificly to how I like it. Is what I should be looking at fisrt is general feel, playability and sound? Worry about a professional set up, strings, bridge, etc after everything else seems right.

Eric Hochberg · #17 02-06-2011, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clink

As has been said, most basses will have a generic setup and quite possibly not the strings that would best suit a particular buyer's playing style.

Many basses for sale in shops are on consignment, set up to the current owner's specs, which mean they may have to be changed to your specs if you were to buy it. This does make it hard to make a judgement, but if you like the sound as is, that's a good sign. If you have a favorite set of strings, it may be wise to bring those and change the strings on the shop basses you are interested in. For instance if you are going to play jazz, and a particular bass is set up with orchestral strings, you may need to change them out to get a better idea of its sound and response as a jazz bass. This is a perfectly reasonable thing to do in your search and no shop should have a problem with it.

I took a student of mine to Cincinnati to look for a bass and the guys at the Basscellar went so far as to do a quick plane of a fingerboard on a bass he was interested in while we were there - he ended up buying that bass as that quick plane made a difference in playability.

Waltjie · #18 02-07-2011, 11:07 PM

IMO it's a very wise idea to take a teacher with, or even someone else who's very experienced. Few years back, when I started out on cello, I decided within a month of starting lessons on a rental, that I wanted my OWN instrument. I new nothing about tone, playability and all the rest of the jargon out there, so I asked my teacher (whom had already become a good friend by that time!) to come with. Well, in the end, HE decided which cello was the best purchase for ME. Subsequently, I paid more than I could afford at the time, but I was very glad I did... and he lusted over my cello every time I went for a lesson... :-)

jj4001 · #19 02-07-2011, 11:24 PM

Save up for your dream bass, regardless of how irresponsible spending that money may be. This way, you'll play the living **** out of it. You'll get good fast.

drurb · #20 02-08-2011, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jj4001

Save up for your dream bass, regardless of how irresponsible spending that money may be. This way, you'll play the living **** out of it. You'll get good fast.

Well... for many of us, this advice just isn't appropriate. For example, my dream bass would cost somewhere north of $40k. I'm not going to save up for it. For one, my playing ability doesn't justify it.

The bass I have is already better than I am, is an absolute joy to play, and would suffice just fine for the rest of my life. IMO, as has been pointed out here already, a dose of practicality seems wise.

My version of your advice would be that one stretch one's budget as far as possible-- perhaps producing a twinge of pain-- so that the best possible instrument can be acquired. Then, start saving for the upgrade.