Smokey Joe on BSO's, Redux

[smokey joe]

Originally Posted by smokey joe

I havn't had my bass but only 6 months and what I have done is mark where the bridge is positioned and also the sound post. Took a long pencil. I'm too lazy to go back and look but I think the strings had been replaced. The sound post may have become disloged. Also the new strings may have more tension than the old ones. I know my violin has a little "dig" in the wood to keep the sound post from slipping. I ve had to replace tail pieces that crack . The holes for the tail wire weakens the tail piece in that area. I'm talking violin and assume a bass could have the same problems.

I overheard a conversation about cremona basses( don't know what kind this was) it seems they have a history of tailpieces coming loose. They claimed no big deal and repaired it themselves. Perhaps this was the wrong place to seek advice since no one goes near these things like they are the plague. You have to mix with the less elite to find solutions such as this.

[HughFosterWood]

Originally Posted by smokey joe

I overheard a conversation about cremona basses( don't know what kind this was) it seems they have a history of tailpieces coming loose. They claimed no big deal and repaired it themselves. Perhaps this was the wrong place to seek advice since no one goes near these things like they are the plague. You have to mix with the less elite to find solutions such as this.

Quoting yourself to make a new post. Reason guys here don't go near them ain't cause they're elite. It's cause they have actual experience that tells 'em Cremonas are a waste of money and SHOULD be avoided like the plague. A noob won't usually know that the tailpiece could fly off and then be okay fixing it after it does. You said "solutions such as this" but I didnt see a "this" You gotta mix with the uninformed to find juryrig solutions for problems with junk. Here's a tip: "If it moves but ain't supposed to-- use duct tape... if it doen't move but is supposed to -- use WD40" Taken from BACKWOODS LUTHIERS HANDBOOK FOR CCB REPAIR

[Bass]

Originally Posted by smokey joe

I overheard a conversation about cremona basses( don't know what kind this was) it seems they have a history of tailpieces coming loose...

Do you recommend Cremona basses, as a wise purchase?

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by smokey joe

I overheard a conversation about cremona basses( don't know what kind this was) it seems they have a history of tailpieces coming loose. They claimed no big deal and repaired it themselves. Perhaps this was the wrong place to seek advice since no one goes near these things like they are the plague. You have to mix with the less elite to find solutions such as this.

Or take the (freely given) advice you will find on TB and avoid buying one in the first place!

It costs nothing to take good advice and it can save you a ton of money and hassle in the long run!

[smokey joe]

Originally Posted by Bass

Do you recommend Cremona basses, as a wise purchase?

I reccomend buying what you can afford and how serious your intentions are. I used my guitar and heavy guage string s and played with my thumb(with no pick)until I could afford a bass. My life doesn't revolve around the bass alone. If youre dedicated to upright bass then by all means spend 20 grand if you can. Why stop with the cheapies. I never did start out at the top. My dad loved boats. He built his first boat a jon boat. When he died he had a large cabin cruiser worth a bit of money. You start at the bottom and work your way up. If I had waited to buy a nice bass I'd still be waiting. Time waits for no man(at my old age)

[drurb]

Around and around we go. The reasons for not starting with junk have been detailed here in these recent threads and many times before. Staring at "the bottom" for a new bass means $1200-$1500. "Dedicated" players need not ever spend $20k to have wonderful instruments with which they can achieve success.

[SplitNick]

This is my experience, like anymore really needs to be said...Cremona basses are absolute crap, I owned an SB2, and have experience with others that have owned them, they are junk. That being said, if I was playing a gig on a blimp, and I was also using that blimp to move across the world where there were no banks, and I had all of my cash on me, and the blimp crashed destroying my Wilfer, burning up all of my cash, except for $500, and maiming me to the point where all I could do for money is play upright bass. Then I would probably buy another Cremona SB2 until I could afford a step up instrument.

[Eric Swanson]

One of the classic sales concepts is the difference between "price" and "cost."

The price of a poorly made bass may be low, but the ultimate cost of such an instrument is something else again. Expensive string experiments, hopeful trips to the luthier, monkeying with tuners, endpins, bridge adjusters, etc, etc. These all cost cash and time.

The most valuable things we have is time. This is our one irreplaceable commodity.

So, the issue is not just about low price, IMHO; ultimately it is about overall cost; in lost time (minutes or hours of life), thwarted talent, diminished enthusiasm, physical injury, bad habits developed overcoming poor equipment, etc.

We all make our own calls. For example, I am currently renting a Shen SB 150, hybrid. Its a decent instrument, that does a lot pretty well, easily, and isn't much more, new, properly set up than a Cremona. Its a Chinese bass, and it rocks. Being Chinese has less to do with the choice of an instrument than the manufacturer and distribution network, IMHO.

I am not saying anything new. Just another lap around the track...

[drurb]

Oh there you go injecting rationale and intelligence, Eric. You elitist snob!

[Nuno A.]

Originally Posted by smokey joe

I reccomend buying what you can afford and how serious your intentions are. I used my guitar and heavy guage string s and played with my thumb(with no pick)until I could afford a bass. My life doesn't revolve around the bass alone. If youre dedicated to upright bass then by all means spend 20 grand if you can. Why stop with the cheapies. I never did start out at the top. My dad loved boats. He built his first boat a jon boat. When he died he had a large cabin cruiser worth a bit of money. You start at the bottom and work your way up. If I had waited to buy a nice bass I'd still be waiting. Time waits for no man(at my old age)

I usually stay away from this flamin' threads , but honestly Mr. Smokey Joe, you are not doing a good job in here, the reason like we avoid this instruments like the plague, like many of others well said is that you have great chances of having a non playable instrument that will only give you trouble down the road and will make you spend lots of money in repairs, and even if you will spend a lot of money, you will never get it back, because these basses dont have a re sale value.
so, if we can save some novice trouble, i think we are doing a good service, i have seen many people who quit Double Bass simply because they couldnt play this POS basses, they were unplayable and so the novices got frustrated and move along to other instrument or just quit at all. when i started playing bass there was no internet and i got cheap bass for that time, fortunately it was a Czech made bass that got me going without major problems for the 1st years until i upgrade to something better. i really wonder why you cant understand this...

Nuno

[Bassmickeyd]

WOW! ....... So much for helping this guy out with his problem. ...... Next you'll be pondering the difference between nebulas and nemesis.
I haven't run across an upright bass yet that couldn't be tamed.

[HughFosterWood]

Originally Posted by Nuno A.

i really wonder why you cant understand this...

Thick skull?

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Bassmickeyd

WOW! ....... So much for helping this guy out with his problem. ...... Next you'll be pondering the difference between nebulas and nemesis.
I haven't run across an upright bass yet that couldn't be tamed.

Actually, the OP received a great deal of help.

[Eric Swanson]

Originally Posted by drurb

Oh there you go injecting rationale and intelligence, Eric. You elitist snob!

Dang. Forgot about droppin' the g's and the b's. I'll work on it...

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by HughFosterWood

Thick skull?

That cartoon deserves to close the thread - but it does seem strange that a person would have free access to the best advice available from the most knowledgeable people on the subject and choose to ignore it...

[Nuno A.]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

That cartoon deserves to close the thread - but it does seem strange that a person would have free access to the best advice available from the most knowledgeable people on the subject and choose to ignore it...

Strangely, lately all threads where Brandons Tuomiko twin brother posts soon or later are closed. Just a coincidence? i dont think so.

Nuno

[smokey joe]

Originally Posted by drurb

Around and around we go. The reasons for not starting with junk have been detailed here in these recent threads and many times before. Staring at "the bottom" for a new bass means $1200-$1500. "Dedicated" players need not ever spend $20k to have wonderful instruments with which they can achieve success.

Cmon now wouldn't you like to have a more expensive bass? Who suggested buy toyota not hugo? We have a sign going down a large mountain that says runaway ramp for large trucks and toyotos. I wouldn't buy a guitar at walmart for $99 either. but if some soul that never played guitar before wants to buy it to get his feet wet, I have no problem with it. Truth be known a lot people spend a lot of money on instruments only just to sit in the corner to gather dust. If you REALLY are serious then by all means get a good bass.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by smokey joe

Cmon now wouldn't you like to have a more expensive bass?

Not necessarily. I sure wouldn't spend any more on a bass. I'm very happy with the one I'm playing.

[HughFosterWood]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

That cartoon deserves to close the thread

For those who mighta missed it, the point of the cartoon is that those guys will have no effect no matter how many days they try.

[Bass]

Originally Posted by smokey joe

I reccomend buying what you can afford and how serious your intentions are...

So Joe, would you recommend purchasing a CCB (like a Cremona) if it is all you could afford, and you weren't too serious about playing bass (like just in nightclubs, not the orchestra)?