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Double Bass 2009: A (Chinese) Bass Odyssey...

#21
Ive purchased 2 new basses from them. They were the pricier ones though..... I wasnt at all impressed with the $2.5k offerings, but thats not the shops fault, thats just what the basses are like in that price range.

Ive had extra work done on the basses and had a repair done for free under warranty, no hassles.

If you buy a chinese bass from there I would suggest buying a good quality bridge from lemurmusic.com or similar and maybe a pickup while youre at it, and have the new bridge fitted instead of the stock one.

A setup and new set of strings should be included in a new bass price, so you may as well put on a decent bridge in the first place if theyre going to cut a new one.
 
#22
Oh and yes, avoid the basses you see in guitar shops/general music shops or violin shops.

Every single one Ive ever seen looked awful, plus youd still need access to a luthier.

At those prices you dont even get what you pay for. $1500 is an expensive piece of firewood
 
#23
JtheJazzMan said:
Without naming any names Id like to know some specific criticisms on "the sydney shop". The same luthiers are still there, so I wouldnt be worrying over changes in workmanship, but by all means double check any new policies with warranty etc.

They will cater for your budget, although I do wish they had more choice in the high end stuff. But lets be fair, this is australia, and theyre not going to shift a lot of stock in the high price brackets.

Theres another luthier in sydney, but youll be dropping a house deposit if you want a bass there.
Click to expand...

Concerns expressed have been about the experience that remains in the shop. I've been given the impression that the original luthier was no longer with them, but I could be wrong; again, only going off feedback. Nonetheless, I'd consider the sources of this feedback as well experienced, level-headed & not inclined to rubbish for the hell of it.

I think I know the 'other luthier' you refer to; yes, his own basses are quite expensive (and extraordinarily beautiful), but I've chatted with him & he has recently been sourcing some better Chinese basses for about $8K (not cheap, but not a house deposit. If it is, let me know where you can still buy a house for $80K*!). I've also heard & played examples of his work on other peoples' basses; not that I'm a great judge, but my impressions have not failed to match the endorsements he gets.


*That's not a thousand miles away from a major capital city, that is**.

**In which case, it's a shack, not a house... :p
 
#25
Thanks JazzMan for sharing your experience

I currently play Swing/Blues/Jazz professionally on EB but plan on swapping over to UB
So I will be mainly Pizz but do enjoy the Bow, so require a bass with ability to do both. I estimate spending around AU$5000 on an UB.

All my pro playing will be amplified, so don’t need a big loud acoustic sound, would prefer a more focused tighter sound that I am afraid will only be available in the high priced range. I don’t know yet if sound post adjustments will give me that focus (still researching that).
I am undecided on solid vs ply. I am sure I would enjoy the sound of the solid more, yet need the durability of the ply for all the bumps and rigors of the stage. In Cairns, the humidity changes in the summer monsoon season would be classed as extreme. Particularly while entering/exiting air-conditioned venues with the instrument, which gives points toward the ply again. I also figure (and hope) a higher quality ply (if there is such a thing) will be a better investment than a cheap solid. Yet I still think a solid will probably be the better sound so....

My lack of experience and the lack local instruments to try makes it harder to know exactly what I want from here, It will come down to trying out the in-store range on the day, and going from there. I am just not sure of what sort of range to expect in my price range.

Cheers.
 
#26
The Gliga fully carved flatback that goes for 5k is very punchy and focused sound.

Its great for pizz or arco, and has a very mid-range frequency oriented sound with a bow.

Ideally it likes some heavier string like spiro mittels, though I didnt like playing them arco on this bass. Possibly aim for some hybrid strings.

The construction is solid and should hold up to weather changes
 
#28
Thanks for that Jazzman, do you own one of these?

Its my understanding from this forum, that the carved and in particular flatback basses are more prone to humidity damage than a ply is.

I will be contacting both stores in the very near future, no point just yet as still fundraising and not yet sure of how much I will have to spend.

Cheers
 
#29
Yes I have one, in fact Im debating whether I should sell it, since I dont use it.

It has braces on the back of it so its quite strong, and I havent had any issues with humidity.

I really think carved basses are underrated, they are very strong. Maybe a more fragile vintage instrument is a worry but not new ones.
 
#31
Rastus_01 said:
Hi Jazzman,
So is this an endorsement? Have you had dealings with them?
As I say I am open minded and have to admit it will come down to who has the best range of instruments in my price range at the time. I would love to hear some factual endorsements or criticisms of any shops in AU so I can better choose.
The problem is lack of hard information. The most critical people usually base their opinions on hearsay or some weird prejudice and not actual experience.

I would actually be more comfortable buying in an UB shop, not a violin shop that has a few basses in the corner, so the two shops are still at the top of my list. Brisbane will be an option only if I don’t manage to raise as much money as I hope to.

Cheers
Click to expand...


I've visited the Bass Shop in Sydney (let's not beat around the bush here!!) twice in the last two years. On both occasions I stated that I was not in a position to buy a bass, but the management was friendly and more than happy to let me play a range of basses. The luthier was also very friendly and happy to chat about basses. Based on my experiences, I wouldn't hessitate to contact them again if I was in the market.

LouiseF - for what it's worth, I played a Ben Puglisi (Melbourne luthier) bass a couple of years ago. It was mighty nice!!
 
#33
Dr Piggery said:
I've visited the Bass Shop in Sydney (let's not beat around the bush here!!) twice in the last two years. On both occasions I stated that I was not in a position to buy a bass, but the management was friendly and more than happy to let me play a range of basses. The luthier was also very friendly and happy to chat about basses. Based on my experiences, I wouldn't hessitate to contact them again if I was in the market.
Click to expand...

It's worth noting that the changes have apparently been reasonably recent; the conversations I had then with Susan (Riley) a year ago were very helpful & constructive and they were my own first consideration. Budget (or lack thereof) was the main reason I didn't proceed.

Similarly, the sentiment in conversations about the place have evolved; at the time, the advice that I received from folk I would consider as being well-in-the-know was emphatic about going to them, but this is no longer the case. :(

I'm going off the feedback of people whose opinions I think are trustworthy, but who knows? Maybe you'll have a good experience. I hope you do. :)
 
#35
I tried the $6000 Salieri just over a month ago at the Bass Shop and it was lovely. He didnt have the cheaper ones at the time. Sadly I ended up not being able to raise nearly enough money so ended up with the Lachlan Parker from Bassworks and happy with it for the price.

Cheers
Rastus
 
#36
In case anyone's wondering, following on from my original post at the start of this thread, I've since found some Franz Josef basses in NSW and had the chance for a closer look. Both the hybrid (solid-top) & all-solid seemed fairly heavily built (thick tops/backs) with not much going for them in terms of tone or volume (although, pre-setup, hard to tell definitively). Cheap hardware: thin solid endpins, rattly tuners (both on a rrp $4.5K bass!:eek:), very loose-grained bridges. Evidence of gap filling around the neck joint on the hybrid with shim material. The end-pin housing on one I looked at didn't seem well fitted & was tilting forward a fair bit, putting the balance point too far back. On one, either the neck was misaligned or the bridge slots cut incorrectly, as the strings were far too skewed towards the E-side of the finger board with the bridge centred on the belly. Finish was ok and the solid was very pretty (but not worth the $4.5K RRP; not even sure it was worth the $2.5K price they had it on special at).
 
#37
Yeah, here in Australia, a decent new (solid) bass seems to start around the $6000 mark. Even then, you only have a few to choose from.

It’s a shame, as it makes a quality instrument that bit further out of reach.

You guys in the states are lucky in that respect. Possibly due to a higher turnover in the shops.
 
#40
hallmark said:
I just bought the sandner SB 2 which is on sale at the moment! You could probably pick the last one up from EBAY.com.au Australia for round $1600 aussie bucks. I'll let you know what I think.
Click to expand...

Cool! I've heard good things & been very keen to get an opinion on those (not that I need another bass (according to my wife!)).

Where did you get it on sale? And what's this about the 'last one'?
 

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