what strategy would you recommend?

[pie_man_25]

hey, yeah, I'm seventeen years old, in my last year of high school, and would like to study music at a university. The problem is that the university in my town does not accept electric bass, only double bass. Which is okay for me because I've always wanted to play double bass. My problem is the strategy for attaining one. There are no shops in town that have double basses in store, and I have a problem with ordering from out of town, given the sensitivity, and sometimes unpredictability of the instrument. I only really have about $2,000 Canadian to spend. I do have experience in the school of lutherie, from making a ukulele, and an electric and accoustic guitar. I was thinking that by using cedar for the top (which has the approximate density of spruce but has nosensitivity to moisture) and striaght-grain maple for body, neck, fingerboard and tailpiece woods, making strings from beefgut from my uncle's farm, and buying tuners, plans and a book with plans (http://www.violins.on.ca/bassbook.html) that I might be able to save some money. I have been able to leave name and phone number at music stores, so they'd inform me of any good used models for sale. I'm not purchasing over the internet, but I could use some guidance for good brand-names, what woods to use/look for (though I've not enough money for well-seasoned woods I am on the lookout at local lumberyards + tree-cuting services), and also what the best route would be.

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by pie_man_25

I do have experience in the school of lutherie, from making a ukulele, and an electric and accoustic guitar. I was thinking that by using cedar for the top (which has the approximate density of spruce but has nosensitivity to moisture) and striaght-grain maple for body, neck, fingerboard and tailpiece woods, making strings from beefgut from my uncle's farm, and buying tuners, plans and a book with plans (http://www.violins.on.ca/bassbook.html) that I might be able to save some money.

That is very ambitious and admirable. You'll not find your experience with Ukes and guitars very helpful in carving plates. It is a project better done under the supervision of one experienced in making basses. Moreover if your goal is to play bass rather than learn to build them then you'll find the process of making that instrument extremely time consuming, frustrating, and a lot more expensive than you'd think by the time you properly tool up. Ultimately it is more efficient in time and money to buy even in your price range than it is to build.

Making strings from beef gut while romantic or homspun is probably not practical either. Take a look at Gamut music strings website to see how it's really done and You'll find that a good set of steel strings much more practical and ultimately less expensive than what you are proposing.

Continue to approach any local (within several hundred miles) shops with your quest and see what they come up with.

You can usually buy a decent Joe German style plywood bass in that price range and I think that's pretty close the price of an entry level Shen plywood bass that is very good for the money.

There are several places that will ship you basses on approval as well if you can't find a local dealer.

[fdeck]

Uncletoad is right of course.

My own view is that you talk about the risks of ordering a bass from out of town, but multiply that 100-fold for making your own. Check Bob Gollihur's web site, because he has an exhaustive list of dealers, and there may be one close to you that you are unaware of. Also, browse the Basses forum, and a few names will pop up rather consistently as making plywood basses of respectable quality, such as Upton, Shen, American Standard, and Christopher.

I took a slightly different approach, but it's still not for the faint of heart, and my experience should be taken skeptically because of "survivor bias." I got a wreck of a bass and restored it myself. This still involved a fair amount of research and handiwork, but nothing close to starting from scratch. And it was still a dive into the unknown. Like you, the college I went to did not offer instruction in electric bass. Lucky me, I am now happily playing double bass as my main instrument.

[peetey]

I think you should listen to your Uncletoad.

Would renting be a bad idea?

[jallenbass]

See if your college of choice has a bass that you can use once you are enrolled. I didn't own my own bass until I was a college senior.

[PNeher]

I agree with all who have posted: If the goal is to play, find the bass that suits you. Making is admirable but usually done best after having been a player anyway. Keep your eyes open to local newspapers, Craigslist, and of course Internet sources. Robertsons Violin Shop in Albuquerque, David Gage in NY, String Emporium (Phoenix), Cincinnati Bass Cellar, Metzlers Violins (Los Angeles), and countless other string shops will ship basses to you. Undoubtedly there are reputable string shops in Canada. Making contact with luthiers and dealers will serve you well into the future. Don't discount the importance of this. Best to you!
PN

[pie_man_25]

Thanks a lot guys, I've still got some thinking to do, but you've shed a lot of light to the whole issue. I've found out that a dealer within a couple hours' drive sells stuff made by eastman, but I'm going to keep looking, and waiting for a used bass locally. I may even rent one to prepare for the audition. I' ll do some thinking, and act over the summer, to make sure that the best (in the long-term) decision possible is the one being made. I don't like to rush things, and I'm very patient.

also: I am about 5'8" tall, and very thin (125 pounds), are there any concerns for a guy like me using the standard 3/4 size bass, which is about 6' tall without the endpin?

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by pie_man_25

I am about 5'8" tall, and very thin (125 pounds), are there any concerns for a guy like me using the standard 3/4 size bass, which is about 6' tall without the endpin?

Nah...I'm 5'6", 300lbs and I play a 7/8 bass.

I can't see over the dashboard.

Buy what feels right.

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by pie_man_25

also: I am about 5'8" tall, and very thin (125 pounds), are there any concerns for a guy like me using the standard 3/4 size bass, which is about 6' tall without the endpin?

"Standard" 3/4 basses do come with varying upper bout widths and shapes, so you want to make sure you can easily get over the shoulders of the bass to play in thumb position. I have a 5'6" student who has turned down a few basses in his quest because of this problem. At my suggestion, he is now looking for basses with sloping shoulders <20" across. It's really important to feel comfortable with your instrument.