Ok, so here’s the thing…
I’m searching for a bass; my first one. I gig regularly as a jazz vocalist (no flames, please!
), so I regularly get to hear basses up close, as well as plunk away a bit on them in the set breaks (WITH permission!). I’ve heard damn expensive all-solids that are reeeeally nice, others that are woody but honky and others than are kind of non-descript (disappointing for the money!). I’ve also heard plys that, whilst not as nice as the really good solids, are very good to listen to, as well as some total dogs. Playability has varied from instrument to instrument (as you would expect based on set-up etc); some really sing & communicate well with the player, others are like plucking on a slab of meat. Overall, I’ve developed a pretty good idea of what I’m after: nice tone, good sustain & playability.
So far I’ve been yearning for an all-solid, but I've recently come across a CCB ply bass that has me quite impressed. It’s new (in a general music shop, not a bass-specialist), but seems to be really well set-up (by fluke or otherwise), and plays really well. Although only a student bass (& marketed accordingly), it totally sings on every string and bows well; even the factory strings seem to work well. Sound is quite loud & surprisingly full of tone & character (rather than the muffled thudding that I've often heard in plys). Finish is by no means a fine varnish, but more of a light matte spray cost; certainly not the thick, glossy coatings you see on some. According to the distributor, the fittings are ebony, although a 'rub test' of the f/b revealed some stain. The f/b grain seemed relatively tight, though, but not as tight as on the tailpiece. The distributor also reckons they're a solid instrument in spite of the price (AUD$1400) with almost no returns (other than freight damaged ones), although they acknowldeged there are better (more expensive) other basses out there (as do I, but hey, for the money...)
So my questions are is; what's the catch? Am I missing something here, or is this possibly good synergies coming together to make for a better than average CCB? What issues might I face down the track with an instrument in this price range? Should I just assume the worst due to the price & the fact it's a student bass & therefore head straight for a more expensive instrument that also plays well? (Noting that my budget is pretty damn tight, so the price is pretty attractive!)
