Double Bass Any Input on this Bass?

[damonsmith]

Shen's are solidly adequate and fairly priced - far from amazing. People recomend them because they are dependable, not amazing. The other thing is that it seems to easier to catch a used Shen at a great price.
None of these new entry level basses are going to have as much character and subtlety as an older carved or hybrid bass.
As nice as some are are, none of them are made of magic wood that ages a hundred years before your eyes.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

my clear experience was that the going price for a decent quality, decently setup old ply was in the range of $2500-3500 - most often in the $3-3.5k range.

That’s retail, which is defined by economists as “the price suckers pay.”

My second iPhone was bought from Best Buy at a loss-leader Christmas sale for $1.

A whole buck. Whichever corporate idiot dreamed that up lost their shirt, but I got an item with economic utility value that lasted me for years at a fraction of the cost a sucker was willing to pay for the same item on the same day. Advantage: me.

This isn’t to brag or claim I’m some sort of genius, but it’s how the big boys roll.

If you pay $3500 for a good Kay, for instance, instead of a grand for a shell with potential and another $500 for setup and strings, you unnecessarily put two large in somebody else’s pocket for a lifestyle accessory and will be lucky to break even if you sell the thing.

It’s simple arithmetic.

 

[Ed S]

That’s retail, which is defined by economists as “the price suckers pay.”
...
If you pay $3500 for a good Kay, for instance, instead of a grand for a shell with potential and another $500 for setup and strings, you unnecessarily put two large in somebody else’s pocket for a lifestyle accessory and will be lucky to break even if you sell the thing.
...

Thank you for clarifying where you are coming from.

I suspect that I am not the only bassist out there who is less than thrilled w/ the prospect of taking on a project, which might end up with just an average bass. And then there are the logistics of getting to the bass AND a competent luthier.

I have to admit that my ears have proven unable to discern between purportedly AMAZING and run-of-the-mill old plys. Such as when I played several old plys in the home of a pro, and he commented on one being one of the best he'd ever played. Would not surprise me to learn I have a tin ear/stone hands - but it impressed me as pretty similar to the others. And none of them impressed me as 3x as good as my Engle.

When I tried old plys, i was not impressed that they had better sound/feel than new ply - tho they do have the undeniable mojo.

 

[sean_on_bass]

I would normally refer to Fretwell Bass's website to see what old Kays are going for from a shop, but looks like their site has none listed at the moment. I think in the past, depending on the model, they would be somewhere in the $1.5K to $2.5K range. I need to get over there and try some, i've still never played a Kay before.

 

[Ed S]

I would normally refer to Fretwell Bass's website to see what old Kays are going for from a shop, but looks like their site has none listed at the moment. I think in the past, depending on the model, they would be somewhere in the $1.5K to $2.5K range. I need to get over there and try some, i've still never played a Kay before.

Fretwell's was the first shop at which I played a bunch of old plys - before I bought my 1st upright. I've never since encountered as many well setup basses in one place. My recollection was that the prices were closer to $2500-3500 - but that was 10 yrs ago. I bought my Engle at his recommendation - from the factory near my home.

No idea what the shop is like since Gerry sold it.

 

[longfinger]

About to pull the trigger, and it's down to a New Standard LaScala most likely, and something like this. https://www.gewamusicusa.com/item/.us403.750

PS Have not played this yet, but getting ready to take one home for a trial. It's a bit over my price range so determining whether it's worth the additional $1K for a carved back, especially given the strong feelings on the NS basses.

Browsing the GEWA website, they have numerous models. They are in MD, you are in MD, it makes sense to go over there and play a dozen basses and take home the one you like best for a home trial. They seem to have carved top and carved back basses at very low prices too, ($2200 , $3300 etc). I'm curious of the differences between those and the pricier ones.

 

[Len S]

Okay, so I'm auditioning this bass and wanted to get some feedback from you all. The dealer set it up with Pirastro Perpetuals, like I have on my current (cheap entry level 2001 carved) bass so I could A/B. I have never spent time with a "good" bass. Right away, I'm very happy...there is some depth and hugeness in the sound. My current bass compresses a LOT under the open D. This has a wonderful and warm low end. Attaching pictures to show a couple things, one that actually gives me pause. On the bass side upper rib, there is some warping. While I thought it could be design, it's not consistent on the treble side. There is a little warping on the treble side but it's lower on the bass than on the bass side if that makes sense. Is this water damage? Or is this simply a function of the thinness of the ribs. It's a brand new bass, and I like it, but certainly something like that, if not normal, would be I imagine prone to problems down the road. The bass has the "Berlin Antique" finish, which I assume means that they have these areas where the varnish is un-even (I assume on purpose). Some pix here are showing that. Warping is in the first picture. For reference, my current bass is built like (and weighs as much as) a tank and everything is thick.

 

[Len S]

I do plan to put it through its paces over the next few days. This is the first "good bass" I've spent time with and I'm glad I can do so.

 

[Len S]

Here are three more. You can see the warping a little more and also a pic of the back.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Where was it made? I'd be less inclined to purchase a new bass that shows a flaw like this. That being said, I've had my bass for 40 years and it had a bit of rib warp when I bought it, but it was already 25 years old then and was solid then and now.

 

[Len S]

It's a German factory bass: https://www.gewamusicusa.com/item/.us403.750

It sounds incredible. I just really don't want any construction issues.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Have a luthier look at it. Being German made, I'm inclined to believe it's probably solid.

 

[Len S]

And again, I wonder if the places where the varnish is "stained" is on purpose or whether it's just evidence of a water damaged bass

 

[Len S]

Here are more pictures of either "antiquing" or some type of water stains (?)

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Doesn't appear to be antiquing to me, but wood doesn't always accept finish evenly and with cheaper instruments less care may be taken. Just a thought.

 

[Len S]

Doesn't appear to be antiquing to me, but wood doesn't always accept finish evenly and with cheaper instruments less care may be taken. Just a thought.

Thanks, Eric. This is certainly not in the "cheap" realm, though certainly not the price of most fully carved decent basses. But this is basically a 7500 bass, and it's the top of my range. I will say sound-wise, it's wonderful, at least playing it for an afternoon. I'm going to play it for some time, and then if I love the sound, see if he can just get me another one from their warehouse...again, factory bass. I have tried a number of basses up to this range in price (Shens, the New Standard hybrid gamba, and a New Standard fully carved). This is up there with the New Standard fully carved which I would have jumped at if it were $3K less. This one feels great to play, but if I'm buying something new it really has to be issue-less for me to feel good about it.

 

[misterbadger]

I've got an '02 Paesold that has rib warpage like your pictures. Never been a problem.

 

[Len S]

I've got an '02 Paesold that has rib warpage like your pictures. Never been a problem.

Cool. I'm just a little hesitant on a brand new bass (and the warpage is on almost all the ribs)...I can't get over the sound on this thing though. It's huge.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

I would definitely take it to a luthier to inspect if you really like it. It may be fine, or maybe the ribs are just too out of shape for you? I think I would pass in that case, personally. The big sound may be partially due to too thin ribs, which is why they are warping.

I'm sure you can find another bass in that price range that will hit all the right buttons. I'd ask who made the bass. It could be a Wilfer or other known maker, in which case I would check out another of the same model.

Have you played a Wan Bernadel from String Emporium? And their Rogeri has a huge sound. They are excellent at $5k. Also Jay Haide basses can be nice. Chinese imports but good quality. You also may find a nice older instrument for $7500. I bought a wonderful old German bass for <$4k plus $1k for repairs and setup. Take your time.

 

[Ed S]

Have you asked the seller your questions?

I have no opinion whether the issues you raise are inherently problematic or structural, but I'd think long and hard before spending that kind of money on an instrument I had ANY concerns about (unless it was a $12k bass marked down to $7500). As another poster mentioned in another thread, once he noticed a flaw in the finish it became all he could notice.

The sound and feel SHOULD be the controlling factors. And I understand the factors that make you fall in love with whatever is in your hands at the moment. But for $7500, you should have plenty of great feeling/sounding basses to choose from. You should love your entire bass, rather than choosing to overlook what you consider flaws. And - if you are concerned with these issues on initial purchase, you can imagine they will be brought up by any prospective buyers should you attempt resale.

Good luck.