Double Bass 1st DB advice needed in the Pacific North West

[surfdog]

I'm new to the double bass but have had opportunities over the years to get my hands on a few. I had a chance to play a friend's Czech hybrid the other day that he purchased from Hammond Ashley in Issaquah, WA. I was blown away. I have never played a bass that was so well set up and so easy to play!

So a professional setup is high on my list. I am also thinking laminate because of the low humidity and extreme temperatures where I live. I am located in Winthrop in the Methow Valley in Washington, a 4 hour drive to Hammond Ashley in Issaquah and a 7 hour drive to Pete's Bass Shop in Portland. I'm sure anything I would buy from either of these two shops would be excellent.

I'm a bit wary of my ability to recognize a good setup and to see potential problems in basses I might find if I buy a double bass from a private party (except from Talk Bass members ), but I'm thinking about a private party listing of a Shen SB 80 that was purchased as rent-to-own from the Bass Church in Seattle. The Bass Church only rents basses and gives lessons. Does anyone know what kind of setup I could expect from The Bass Church? It's a 4 1/2 hour drive for me to put my hands on it.

What is the typical standard of setup for student rental basses as compared to what I could expect from professional luthiers like the shops I mentioned above?

Thanks for any input!

 

[BPM Strings]

I'm in the South East so I didn't know a thing about the shops you've mentioned. I can tell you that the economics of a rental instrument program means that the shop luthiers have to get the set ups done as quickly as they can, not necessarily as well as they can.

 

[jallenbass]

I live in Central Oregon and only have a plywood bass for the reason you mentioned about the climate. I didn't enjoy taking my antique carved basses up to Portland every couple of years to have cracks repaired.

You were impressed with the setup of your friend's bass, so it seems like you do have the ability to recognize a good setup.

How much do you have to spend on a bass?

 

[Ryan in PDX]

I only have experience with Pete (and all of it positive). He did my first setup when I was new to DB. He had me play for a while first, and dialed it in really well for my needs at that time.

You might try giving him a call, to ask what he's got in stock, his process and prices, and what he would recommend for you. He's a straight shooter, in my experience. I'm sure the other shops would answer the same questions via phone.

 

[JonathanPDX]

I'm in PDX and also fully endorse Pete. He's a solid guy and a true player. Give him a call and ask for his advice, I think he'd be honest about your options and whether or not it's worth the trek down to PDX to see him.

 

[Mark_T]

I'm new to the double bass but have had opportunities over the years to get my hands on a few. I had a chance to play a friend's Czech hybrid the other day that he purchased from Hammond Ashley in Issaquah, WA. I was blown away. I have never played a bass that was so well set up and so easy to play!

So a professional setup is high on my list. I am also thinking laminate because of the low humidity and extreme temperatures where I live. I am located in Winthrop in the Methow Valley in Washington, a 4 hour drive to Hammond Ashley in Issaquah and a 7 hour drive to Pete's Bass Shop in Portland. I'm sure anything I would buy from either of these two shops would be excellent.

I'm a bit wary of my ability to recognize a good setup and to see potential problems in basses I might find if I buy a double bass from a private party (except from Talk Bass members ), but I'm thinking about a private party listing of a Shen SB 80 that was purchased as rent-to-own from the Bass Church in Seattle. The Bass Church only rents basses and gives lessons. Does anyone know what kind of setup I could expect from The Bass Church? It's a 4 1/2 hour drive for me to put my hands on it.

What is the typical standard of setup for student rental basses as compared to what I could expect from professional luthiers like the shops I mentioned above?

Thanks for any input!

Howdy, fellow Washingtonian. I'll shout loudly so you can hear me over the Cascades. You live in a beautiful place that I love to visit.

I bought a Shen SB-80 from the Bass Church and it was set up just fine. Actually, I never loved the sound (for classical) but it played great. I don't think Anna does the setup work, I think she has someone doing it for her, but I might be wrong. I think of her as a fine player and excellent teacher, but not so much a luthier. I also bought a nicer bass from her once, but it was the sort that you invest in a having personal setup from an expert.

A hybrid might be okay for you, especially if humidification is an option. You can set up the internal Boveda packs like Nick Lloyd suggests, and run a humidifier in your house, and things should be okay. People play basses in dry climates and survive, they just have to take some care.

I have heard a couple of import basses set up by H-A before and they have been great. A section mate of mine has a no-name import that they sold and it sounds great. When I can arrange the geometry, I like having that bass and player in the second row right behind me so I can hear it.

Hammond-Ashley's main bass guy is John Koehler who's made some gorgeous basses, which are worth checking out on his website or Instagram (have a cloth ready, may induce drooling). John is a nice guy and he's here on TB from time to time) I don't know about his setup work from direct personal experience but I'd definitely trust him.

I know some other good luthiers in the Seattle area for setup work but I doubt they buy or sell basses that often.

Can't speak to Pete's but he enjoys a good reputation here as others above have attested.

 

[surfdog]

How much do you have to spend on a bass?

I'm estimating I'll spend $2500-$4000.

 

[LightForce104]

Anna's setup person was Geoff Cooke when I bought a bass from her a few years back.

Something I noticed when I played the basses in her shop was that they all had the bridge lowered as far down as they could go. Easy on the left hand and made thumb position a breeze, but it was a challenge to get a good pizzicato sound. I did end up purchasing a bass that I'm happy with, but when I took it in for setup work, we found a few issues that weren't apparent with the initial setup.

That said, I did enjoy the overall experience working with her. She was polite and friendly, but also left me alone when I was trying out basses. A very low pressure environment - much appreciated!

 

[Holdsg]

adjustable bridges have become an important DIY quick-fix for some setup issues. hopefully the bass you are looking for has one, otherwise, yeah, I'd take it to a luthier for sure.

 

[lurk]

Setup is everything. Budget accordingly.

 

[oren]

I’ll also report great experiences with Pete, and second the recommendation to call first to see what he has that might fit your needs and to schedule a time to visit when he can spend time showing you what’s available. I had work some on a bass at Hammond Ashley back before they moved up to Issaquah (they used to be down by SeaTac) and they did good work.

 

[Ben Rose]

I live near the Bass Church in Seattle. Last time I was there they had 6-10 basses in stock, ranging from laminates to Shens to a couple of older basses in the $10K+ range. Not sure what their stock looks like right now. Worth a call. If you are driving all the way out from Winthrop, might is well drive the extra 30 mins to also see what is at the Bass Church. My Shen SB200 is for sale at Hammond Ashley. It's a great bass, but it is fully carved, and you mentioned looking for a laminate or hybrid bass.

EDIT: Also, Pete's shop in Portland is good too.

 

[evanrunyon]

I'll third (fourth?) Pete in Portland. I once needed to rent a bass for a couple weeks for Chamber Music Northwest out there and called him up; he didn't have anything that fit the bill, so personally took it upon himself to reach out to locals and broker something that worked out. No way he made much money on the deal, just a super solid guy.

 

[TDAN]

Hammond Ashley and Bass Church are both great shops who will happily invite you to play the basses they have in stock. I haven’t been into Pete’s shop but he was great on the phone when I had questions and his online inventory listing is a lot more useful than the other two.

You end up paying premium to buy from a reputable shop compared to a private sale but you also get more of a known quantity and also the opportunity to play a lot more instruments back to back, which I think is really useful anyone and especially someone new to the instrument.

Even a nice plywood or hybrid bass is a pretty big expense for most of us. Worth it to play as many things as you can and make the best decision possible.

 

[Pings Bass]

If you manage to make it to Portland I might recommend Dan Schulte as an alternate to Pete; he's a solid player who also does setups and usually has a few basses for sale.

 

[Michael Glynn]

If you come into Seattle, definitely check out both Hammond Ashley and the Bass Church (which, as other have noted, does sell basses, not just rent). In my experience, both shops do good setup work. It can be a little hard to judge a shop's setup quality when trying basses because often the consignment instruments will not have had an "in house" setup, unless the consignor chose to pay for it.

That said, I've played several of John Koehler's basses and they are fantastic and set up really well. I've had Geoff at the Bass Church do good setup work for me, too.

People play basses in dry climates and survive, they just have to take some care.

This is worth noting as well. Your budget probably mostly puts you in the plywood/hybrid range, but I wouldn't be afraid of a carved instrument. Dan Hachez, who is considered by some to be the top bass maker in the world, lives in Wenatchee (his basses were $55K ten years ago...).

 

[surfdog]

I just got back last night from a 3 day 2 night double bass pilgrimage from my home in Winthrop, WA to Issaquah, Portland and then back home. 17 hours of driving.

My first stop was at Hammond Ashley in Issaquah. They had a room full of basses, but the least expensive was a Juzek Spruce Laminate for $4000, which would be $4400 with tax. Everything was beyond my preferred price range of up to $4K. The Juzek didn't really resonate with me anyway.

The bass that I did like was Ben Rose's Shen SB200 fully carved willow flatback (he mentioned it was there earlier in this thread). It just seemed right. Also, it was the first Shen I had ever played. But the price was $7K.

That evening I messaged Ben and told how much I enjoyed his bass compared to others I had played at Hammond Ashley. After I told him about the $7K price tag, he said that was outrageous, no wonder it hadn't sold, and that he was going to pick it up and sell it privately.

I'd planned on checking out The Bass Church in Seattle, but no one answered or returned my phone call.

So I endured Friday afternoon traffic heading south on I-5 and stayed overnight in Vancouver, WA just across the Columbia River from Portland.

The next morning I went over to Dan Shulte's house in Portland. Thanks, @Pings Bass, for mentioning him. He's a great guy and I really enjoyed spending time with him.

Dan had a couple of basses to show me in my price range. The first was a Kay with a replaced neck that he had just put an ebony fingerboard on. It sounded good but Dan said he needed a week to dial it in. He also showed me an old Roth hybrid that sounded great and had an excellent setup, but one of the plate tuning machines was funky, and I think I would have needed to replace the whole set before I would be happy.

After an hour and a half with Dan, I headed across town to Pete's Upright Bass Shop. I had quite a few possibilities at Pete's. First I played another Kay with a repaired neck and gut strings. Both Kays I played that morning (at Dan's and at Pete's) sounded good to me.

Pete also had a Gretsch bass (manufactured by Kay) that I really liked, but Pete wouldn't let me take it home because he had promised someone the chance to compare the Gretch and his Kay. So, that would mean another trip to Portland IF it became available...

He also had a Shen SB200, so I was able to play it and compare it to Ben's SB200 and to the new Shen SB88 he had available.

I ended up with the SB88, which is a full laminate with upgraded wood compared to the SB80. It sounded good to me. Its a new bass with Pete's excellent setup and was within my budget. I had him put a Fishman Full Circle pickup on it. I had a great time with Pete and I highly recommend him.

After leaving Portland and driving 4 hours before stopping for the night, I saw Ben Rose's message offering me his SB200 at an excellent price. Ouch! Part of me felt like I had missed out because I could have stretched my budget to his price. But, realistically I was shopping for a laminate or hybrid considering that I live in a dry climate with extreme temperatures.

I'm glad I didn't see his message until after I bought the SB88! I think the SB88 is going to be a fine bass for me.

So that's my story. I hoped you enjoyed it. Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

 

[TroyK]

Glad you got a bass that's going work for you. Too bad about Ben's, he's a good dude and I'm sure his Willow was in great players' condition. I tried to matchmake that bass for him last night to someone else who had just purchased.

Raise the endpin until the nut is at your eyebrows and then experiment just above and below to find your sweet spot. It's too low in the photo you posted.

Congrats on your new bass and welcome to the dark side!

 

[Ben Rose]

Congrats on the bass, Surfdog! Cute pup too (and thanks for the assist, Troy!)

 

[Pings Bass]

Congrats, looks great!