Does my son need two basses?

[Carol K]

Hello. My son Miles, 17, has a nice Andreas Eastman 305 bass which serves him well (first chair at Iowa All State orchestra, e.g.). He plays jazz bass even better. We just put hybrid "helicore" strings on the Eastman as a compromise: it isn't the best for classical or for jazz but at least it's playable for either. Opinion of bassist Volkan Orhon is to own two basses. In Chicago Miles played a "crapbass" Cremona and LOVED it, probably due to its set up by a jazz pro and (I'm guessing) Weedwacker strings. Soft nylon, easy to play, easy to get them to "buzz."

Serious bassists here seem to be death on Cremona or any Chinese bass, esp if less than $1000, and at least lukewarm toward "Christopher" in the $1500 range.

I haven't checked this forum for opinions on strings yet: $150 a set for German, nylon Pirastro vs $15 per set Whacker, e.g.; I've done no research yet on classical strings. We paid $200 for the steel hybrids last week. I know this much: a h.s. student who has orchestra five days, jazz 3 days, is not going to change out strings very often.

My husband says NO to a second bass; no more looting the college funds. My son played a loaner bass for a week, a Horst Grunert available for $12,500, and he'd love to trade his Eastman for it, but better yet, he'd own two basses.

Next year, college, and we hope scholarships, or how to pay for this stuff?

All advice and opinion from you is welcome! Thank you!

Carol