Double Bass advice on buying an upright

[goldengoose]

hello,
i play in a blues/country band ,i currently play bass and acoustic guitar but we feel the band would sound far better if I played a double bass.

Basically I know nothing about the double bass and am looking for some advice, do I look for full size or 3/4? I have seen a few for £350 - £400 will these be pants? are the add on pick ups any good? any good budget makes?

any advice would be greatly apreciated.
thanks.

 

[bassplayer48]

look for a good qaulity ply bass to start off, (fully carved solid wood are pretty expensive) best to go a luthier and see what what used basses they have and also a good place for free advice.
The setup makes a huge difference as does strings, string height etc etc. Pickups and amps are another hurdle to be cleared as well. if you do a search or have a look at the newbie sticky's that will give you a lot of info.

I would advise against buying off ebay you may think your getting a great deal but keep in mind most won't be setup to get optimum sound from the bass, so may sound like s**t. And may cost a whole lot more in setup etc to get a decent sound.

For whats its worth i started a couple of years ago i bought a used about 40 years old czech made bass from a local luthier solid top, ply back and sides after a setup and changed the strings to spirocores put a realist pickup on it works great.

Cost was around $1500.00 Aust dollars for the bass and about another $500-600 to get it sounding and playing good. Hope that helps

 

[drurb]

Welcome! Take a look at the newbie links. They contain a wealth of information for first-time buyers.

 

[bluegrasscat]

a 3/4 size should be fine!! and they seem the be the easiest to come by! price and selection!!
i know that some people cant afford a good playable bass to start with.. so some opt for a cheaper bass!!!
if it is what you want to try or learn on (upright) go ahead and try it!!! i would take a cheapass upright over a slab anyday..
but when you play a real playable upright.. you'll notice the difference right off the BAT! so thats why alot of people say wait till you can get/afford a better (more $$$) or more playable bass.. you do somewhat pay for what you get!!!! but thats life as we know!!

like someone said above! you can find decent plywood basses usually!! that can take abuse if you wish to put it through! but some are better than others!!! Kay's, Englehrdt's, American Standards and Epiphone's .. European plys and e.c.t all good basses to look for... it depends on if the price is right for you!!! good luck there.. post some pics of your new one when you get it!!!

 

[wangjianling]

what is your afforable double bass price level?