Newbie with no cash, advice please

[I'mnewsobenice]

I've been through the links page and couldn't find anything that really helps me out.

Basically I'm seriously low on cash but am desperate to learn rockabilly upright bass (maybe some jazz idk). I'm interested in a Gear4Music 3/4 size DB (in white obv). because I can't afford anything else really, this might be my only option.

I'd really appreciate anyone's opinions
this is the bass in question - http://www.gear4music.com/Woodwind-B...s-in-WHITE/8BV
thanks in advance

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Welcome to TalkBass

I'm no expert on uprights by any means, but I do have some limited experience with these cheapos.

It's what the experts call a CCB.
Now that can mean: Cheap Chinese Bass, OR Cheap Crappy Bass, OR .... You get the point .

I see the value of those basses in the hands of people who can work on them using the cheapo as a base for something better. Usually the woods are decent (for the money) but the construction and material thicknesses leave a lot to be desired. That IMLE means that they perform adequately, while they last. Which may not be a very long time, mid You. A warranty of some kind helps, but in this instance I see none???? ON Thomann for example, You'll get three years for all the gear IIRC.

A case, or a padded pouch is a definite +, that always costs dearly.

Is a used cheapo out of the question?
One affect that I've seen from the oriental invasion to the DB market is that the prices of the eastern block plywoods have come down considerably. Now those may not be any better playability- or tone-wise than the Chinese ones, but a few decades already under their belts sure counts for something?
To me anyway, I have one prime example of such a (un-identified) cheapo .

Regards
Sam

[PaulKing]

Hmmm. It is so very tempting.
And possibly, if you bought it, you'd love it, enjoy it, learn to play on it, feel happy.

Almost certainly you'd play a better bass at some point and wonder why it was so much easier to play, why you sounded better, it sounded better, and looked cooler. And you might well regret buying the white CCB (for that's almost certainly what it is.)

You can find much better old ply basses on ebay for not much more money - you just have to take your time, and take advice from people like here (and over at doublebasschat.com ... home of all the rockabilly bassists, check it out).
Even a battered old one is likely to play better and sound better and be MUCH easier to learn on than a cheap G4M bass.

Or you can find second hand CCBs like the G4M bass you're looking at for about £100-£200. So long as the neck hasn't come off you're better wasting less money on someone else's mistake than spending good money on your own mistake!

Or if you can just find a couple extra £100s, there are new basses out on the web (Strunal / Thomann) with much better reputations.

You checked Thomann? here

[bendennett]

I've had a Double Bass in my loft for twenty Years, it was restored after my grandfathers death,I tried to play but i was rubbish at it! I'm now considering selling the Bass, i'm trying to find out where is the best port of call. I've been advised it's a german 19th century bass worth 1500-2500 (contrabass photo est.) Is anyone able to help?

[I'mnewsobenice]

thanks, you guys are really helpful. I haven't seen that site before, I'll take a look through it. Looks like I'll have to wait a while to get a better one- most likely worth the wait I guess.

cheers
Rob

[T-Bird]

Hi Rob.

I wouldn't necessarily suggest waiting before starting to play, if that's what You mean. OTOH, if You're already playing with a rented/borrowed one, then by all means save for a better one.

I think Paul King summs it up nicely with "you're better wasting less money on someone else's mistake than spending good money on your own mistake!"

You'll most probably find a second hand bass, regardless of the make, for that £200 or so if you're willing to wait a month or a two searching. People tend to upgrade rather quickly from these cheapos or give up alltogether. Now the latter is unfortunate as the reason may well have been the unplayability of the bass, and a better instrument would've kept them in the hobby.

One positive side with any cheap instruments, not just DBs, IMHO is that as You have to be able to set it up yourself, so you will learn that side of the instrument as well.

Regards
Sam

[Jackkoon]

I haven't read the other posts but I recommend renting from a store nearby or in a next city over (at most 2 hours hopefully), and only rent from a store that has a renter's credit program where you can use so much of the time you're renting it as credit towards a purchase.

I'm in Tucson, AZ and I'm renting from South West Strings and the SAME bass I'm renting turned up for sale on Craigslist for $750. I gave him a $100 deposit and told him I'll by it by the end of the week, luckily I kind of knew the guy/he works at a railroad that buys chains and I worked at a chain and rope shop. On a side note, if you want to build hand dexterity do wire rope rigging. I got on an upright and I pwn it now, I never had to work up my strength because when you're bending steel with your fingers all day long as a job the strings turn into butter. I bought some heavy grippers and those actually DO help with my upright playing now and keep my strength up. I started off at 200lbs and that was just because of my job.

Anyways, to a rent to buy scenario and what you do is practice the hell out of it while searching for a bass, don't even bother for like 3 months, then at around 4 months when you have the playing ability go and search for your cheapo. You will benefit from having practiced and such for one and two, with that renters credit you can go and buy a decent bow for yourself or just buy something from the store and flip it back. You'll usually be able to sell most things for atleast half so all in all it's as if you're renting an upright for $20 a month at the end of it.

Those are my 2 cents. I've always had a good ear so getting back into playing one wasn't hard, it was harder just to acquire one that I liked at an affordable price.

The obvious word we probably all give, invest as much time and money you can into one. They're not like electrics where you can buy one, flip it and move on. Even if you had a decent Hans Kroger and sold it for 1/5th of what it's worth you'd still have some trouble just due to the fact of the smaller market.

Good luck in your search though, it's always a quest to find that one upright you'll fall in love with.

[sevenyearsdown]

The case is probably worth more than the bass.

And "ebonized" is not exactly the same as "ebony".

IMO - try to exercise some patience with regards to making a buy. It will serve you better in the long run. Do yourself a favor and start reading some of the newbie links as well. I would bet that those basses aren't very playable out of the box.