Double Bass Anyone recognize this bass?

[Thundercling]

Hi Talk Double Bass,
I’m coming over from the bass guitar side and would like to get on upright again. It’s been almost two decades…

Local seller has this bass up for sale for $900 and states “There are no markings on the bass as to model, age, or brand that I could find.”

Anyone recognize this make? Seems like a good deal to get me on the instrument again. Bass seems to be in good shape and has a beautiful back and funky bridge. Any thoughts welcome. Thanks everyone!

 

[Paps]

No idea. It seems to be in good condition and if you try it and like the sound, especially if it comes with that buggy, you have done well.

 

[eh_train]

Hey Thundercling,

It's pretty hard to know who manufactured that bass. The fake flame on the back suggests student model, trying to look more impressive than it is. The last pic says a lot. If I'm seeing it right, it shows the fingerboard is painted to look like ebony (another sign of a cheaper model, dressed up). I think there is also a repaired crack, right at the bend in the neck. It's about the worst place to have a crack, although the repair doesn't seem to be coming apart. Maybe start by asking when it was repaired, who did the work, and how it was done.

Nine hunded might seem like a deal, but it's a bad deal if the bass is going to keep giving you problems. For 2k, you can probably get something much nicer, without any pre-existing damage.

 

[Thundercling]

Thank you!

 

[Don Hergert]

Interesting config for the Bass Buggy... I've never seen one schlepped that way, mounted on the back; I've always seen them mounted on the side, wheeled on the side.

Does the wheelbarrow approach work well?

 

[SAlcott]

Interesting config for the Bass Buggy... I've never seen one schlepped that way, mounted on the back; I've always seen them mounted on the side, wheeled on the side.
Does the wheelbarrow approach work well?"

That's because it's designed to be mounted on the side, which should be obvious, even without seeing the instructions. I can't imagine that the "wheelbarrow" approach works at all, as there's no support under the bottom of the bass other than the bungee cord attached to the piece the endpin goes into.

Hard to tell from the photo if the mark at the neck curve is a crack or just grain; I'm inclined to think it's the latter.

 

[Ed S]

Looks like a typical inexpensive Chinese ply.

Could be playable w/ a decent setup, tho I'd suspect you could find something better for not much more. In another thread discussing plys, folk identified used Shen plys for around $1-1.5k - which I would expect to be far superior. And I and a few other folk are satisfied w/ Engles - again, around $1k. (Other folk disagree WRT Engles.)

If you are not experienced, you will likely have difficulty assessing the sound. Even a pretty crappy upright can sound pretty good by itself with nothing to compare it to. IME, many cheap Chinese basses have very uncomfortable, clunky necks. Again, not something a neophyte may be able to assess.

If I'm seeing it right, it shows the fingerboard is painted to look like ebony (another sign of a cheaper model, dressed up).

I don't think it is painted. From the front, it looks brown w/ visible grain. And even from the side, if you look closely I think you can see the grain on the top and even on the side. But maybe I'm persuading myself to see things that aren't there.

IF this bass had no obvious problems, and felt/sounded tolerable, I'd only make a lowball offer - likely around $5-600.

What do you consider "funky" about the bridge?

 

[eh_train]

Hard to tell from the photo if the mark at the neck curve is a crack or just grain; I'm inclined to think it's the latter.

Salcott, It's a very unusual grain pattern if you follow it from top to bottom. And, to my eye, it does seem to run from top to bottom - like a repaired crack. Also, that's exactly where cracks happen when the "maple" neck isn't cut properly, or dried properly, or carved properly, or fitted properly. Or, all of the above...

 

[SAlcott]

You're probably right. If it is indeed a repair, it looks like it went back together pretty well, but should be looked at closely by a luthier to confirm stability.

 

[eh_train]

... even from the side, if you look closely...

Ed, If you look closely at the last pic, you can see where the black dye or paint has scraped off, showing white wood underneath. Either that or some white substance has ended up on top of the "ebony". But my money is on scraped off white wood showing through. It's in keeping with the overall quality of the bass.

Also, streaks in the "ebony" can easily be streaks of white wood showing through the black dye.

 

[Ed S]

Ed, If you look closely at the last pic,

Right. I saw that, but I wasn't able to magnify the pics. I thought it appeared brown rather than ebony black, so I thought those might be the way chips in non-ebony might appear in the photo. To my eye, the full front image #1, and #3 near the nut make the FB appear brown, not black.

But, I will readily admit that I am most likely mistaken. As I said, it appears to be an inexpensive bass anyway, so I'm not sure how much ebony FB or not would affect my valuation.

 

[Alexis Duntov]

Hi Talk Double Bass,
I’m coming over from the bass guitar side and would like to get on upright again. It’s been almost two decades…

Local seller has this bass up for sale for $900 and states “There are no markings on the bass as to model, age, or brand that I could find.”

Anyone recognize this make? Seems like a good deal to get me on the instrument again. Bass seems to be in good shape and has a beautiful back and funky bridge. Any thoughts welcome. Thanks everyone!

View attachment 5295571 View attachment 5295573 View attachment 5295576 View attachment 5295577 View attachment 5295578


View attachment 5295571 View attachment 5295573 View attachment 5295576 View attachment 5295577 View attachment 5295578

In my experience, it’s never a good idea to try and get a deal with a cheap upright bass. If you buy this thing for $900, you might discover it needs hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to make it playable. You are better off spending $2k on something that does not have issues and which you can sell for close to what you paid for it. My first bass was a pos from China that was so poor quality that I didn’t stick with it or learn anything. Better to get a quality instrument. Find a reputable teacher, take a few lessons with them on their instrument and/or have them evaluate a bass you can afford and let you know if it’s worth the money.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Descending flame figure = made in China from wood stolen from Tibet. Avoid at all costs.

If there’s a Shen dealer nearby, call them to ask about renting and lessons.

 

[Thundercling]

Good info here. Thanks everyone!

 

[groooooove]

there certainly is a 1/10 chance it'll be a nice little bass for your needs.

but there's a 9/10 chance a used shen for under $2k will be superior from any perspective.

i've certainly come across student grade basses with fake flame, painted fingerboard, weird repairs, that are perfectly good. but they're so much the exception to the rule that i'd feel comfortable saying pass on that one and look for a reliable bass.

900 can turn into $3k really fast with repairs, and you'd still have an inferior bass than if you went with something more highly recommended around here.