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11-26-2009, 04:37 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Roseburg, Oregon, US | | | New Standard Ply vs. Carved
I've been doing a lot of research on basses in the 3-5k range and have been looking at the New Standad La Scala in Particular.
For a laminated bass, New Standards are pretty pricey; but, from what I've been told; are worth every penny. I've also seen a number of hybrid and carved instruments in that same price range (Shen, Upton, used instruments, etc.). I have not yet had the chance to play one of the New Standard instruments so I'm wondering what (if any) specific differences there would be between a carved instrument and a plywood bass of that quaility (or am I just fishing when I really need to be searching for a New Standard to try).
This is for a 50/50 orchestra/jazz player.
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11-27-2009, 08:29 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: London, UK | | | I know of one person who plays a Cleveland New Standard.
He rates it pretty highly, certainly a league above Shen / Engle etc.
But against carved bass ... well there are carved basses, and there are carved basses. A Cleveland is almost certainly probably better than a crappy carved bass.
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11-27-2009, 11:14 AM
|  | Student of Life Forum Administrator | | Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Louisville, KY | | I have a hybrid LaScala, and just sold a ply LaScala flatback to a student and am ordering another LaScala ply, this time a roundback. In my opinion, the NS ply basses completely hang with other basses in their price range, whether ply or carved. John Goldsby has borrowed the flatback for the past few summers and even recorded an album on it. He could probably give you some more comparative info that's a bit more objective than mine, including observations about arco playing. |
11-28-2009, 07:20 PM
| | | | I now have an all-ply Cleveland and it's great. Don't spend money on a cheap carved bass-I did 4 years ago when I didn't have time to wait for one to be made and regretted it all along. Buy the New Standard, gig, and save your money for higher quality carved bass if you like. I know $4000+ seems like a lot but for a working instrument, it really is worth it. |
11-28-2009, 08:39 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Boston, MA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald  I have a hybrid LaScala, and just sold a ply LaScala flatback to a student and am ordering another LaScala ply, this time a roundback. I | I am curious...why are you trading your LaScala ply flatback for a roundback? |
11-28-2009, 08:49 PM
|  | Oracle, Ancient Order of Rass Hattur | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Connecticut | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Pat Glynn I now have an all-ply Cleveland and it's great. Don't spend money on a cheap carved bass-I did 4 years ago when I didn't have time to wait for one to be made and regretted it all along. Buy the New Standard, gig, and save your money for higher quality carved bass if you like. I know $4000+ seems like a lot but for a working instrument, it really is worth it. | I agree that "cheap" carved basses are rarely worth the money. There is, however, a middle ground. There are some quite nice hybrids out there in the $3-5k range.
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11-28-2009, 09:21 PM
|  | Official Forum Flunkee | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: San Francisco, CA | | | NS Carved/Hybrid. Buy as much as you can afford.
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11-28-2009, 10:39 PM
| | Oracle, Ancient Order of Rass Hattur | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Connecticut | | Quote:
Originally Posted by hdiddy NS Carved/Hybrid. Buy as much as you can afford. | For $3-5k?
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Famous last words: And with that- Im gone. You will probably read in the paper soon about a deranged kid who burns his bass in front of a luthier. |
11-28-2009, 11:02 PM
| | Student of Life Forum Administrator | | Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Louisville, KY | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Leeners I am curious...why are you trading your LaScala ply flatback for a roundback? | PM sent. |
11-29-2009, 10:01 AM
| | crosswind downwind bass | | Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Tacoma WA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by drurb For $3-5k? | Only if someone desparately needs cash. The website lists Cleveland hybrid as $6,050. And they do seem to hold value pretty well.
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11-29-2009, 10:56 AM
| | Oracle, Ancient Order of Rass Hattur | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Connecticut | | Quote:
Originally Posted by D McCartney Only if someone desparately needs cash. The website lists Cleveland hybrid as $6,050. And they do seem to hold value pretty well. | Exactly.
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Famous last words: And with that- Im gone. You will probably read in the paper soon about a deranged kid who burns his bass in front of a luthier. |
11-29-2009, 12:27 PM
| | Official Forum Flunkee | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: San Francisco, CA | | Sorry, the title is confusing. If it's a NS Ply vs some other Carved... that's tough. Try before you buy then. 
The main reason why I got my NS Carved was more because it followed the American Standard pattern. Big box, bigger scale length. I played one of the originals and fell in love with it but HAD to have a carved bass. For my personal tastes, if I couldn't get a hybrid Cleve, I would prob get the ply Cleve, and original Am Std, or maybe one of Lemur's Jupiter basses.
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