Double Bass Best upright bass for $5K?

[MattyHoskins]

Hi all, I've had an old Kay that finally croaked when it slipped out of my hands and fell two feet and hit the floor. First time I've done that in 28 years. Same bass I've had forever. I'm an intermediate player. I used to play a lot more but now it's more for church and small gigs. I used to do a ton of orchestral but now I mostly do arco and pizz at about 50/50 ratio. I'm also wanting this upgrade to kick me into getting back into playing more, probably at a community symphony and some folk/bluegrass local stuff. I'm looking for the most versatile and reliable bass for around $5k. Any suggestions?

 

[Don Hergert]

Need more info...

Are you targeting to buy new or used?

Country of origin preference?

Do you want carved, hybrid or ply?

Lots of options exist, so a little more directional guidance would be nice.

 

[damonsmith]

Versatile and reliable is probably a new hybrid. NS or Shen would the best "brands" in that range, you can also really find a nice old European bass for that if you are patient!

 

[turf3]

Gosh, there are so many alternatives at that price point there's almost no way to guide. If you expand your scope beyond Shen and Upton and a couple other mass manufacturers that are highly consistent, there are literally hundreds of basses for sale at any given time ranging from new to 100 years old. And after a few years the personal history of the individual bass also enters into the equation.

It's not like cars where the brand name and model means a lot. Between two different 50 year old carved basses from Eastern Europe with labels applied by their US distributors, there's simply no way to evaluate other than playing them and investigating their physical condition.

 

[Adam Booker]

I just bumped mine in the classifieds.

 

[damonsmith]

I just bumped mine in the classifieds.

Yeah, anyone would be happy with that bass.
For Sale/Trade - Old German Flatback 00 OBO

 

[Dr. Love]

When you say your old bass "croaked" when it fell, what exactly got damaged? It's surprising what can be fixed on a bass and that may also be a viable option.

 

[MattyHoskins]

When you say your old bass "croaked" when it fell, what exactly got damaged? It's surprising what can be fixed on a bass and that may also be a viable option.

The neck and back cracked a bit. It can be anywhere from $500 to $1500 to fix it and frankly, I'd rather upgrade to something that's not plywood.

 

[MattyHoskins]

Need more info...

Are you targeting to buy new or used?

Country of origin preference?

Do you want carved, hybrid or ply?

Lots of options exist, so a little more directional guidance would be nice.

I'm not against used but really asking about new. No country of origan preference. Don't want ply but I'm interested in hybrid or carved.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

String Emporium Wan Bernadel and Rogeri model basses are excellent. Highly recommended.

https://stringemporium.com/bernadel.htm

 

[LouisF]

The usual suspects: Shen, New Standard, Upton, Gollihur, String Emporium, Romanian Calin Wultur, Lemur; also I've heard that the new, higher end Eastman's (605 etc) are pretty good, too. It's a much better price point for quality than it was even a decade ago...

...And of course, Adam's bass!

 

[Eric Hochberg]

I played some Eastmans and the high end one was very nice, but probably more than $5k? And yes to Calin Wultur, too.

 

[damonsmith]

@Chris Fitzgerald sounds great on his La Scala hybrid. You might be able to find a used one for 5k. 4 or 5k will get you a really great, dependable Shen.
In this price point, for new made in USA basses, a big percentage is going to just that. Since you said you are not concerned with country of origin, you are best off with a bass made in eastern Europe or China or a used instrument.

 

[LouisF]

I owned one of the first hybrid Upton Karr basses made, and I still think they are around $5K... but there is a lot out there.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Thanks @damonsmith . I would be remiss not to mention that my plan is to retire in 10-12 years, having played pretty much my entire career on a LaScala hybrid. They can be bought new for $6,500. I have played exactly three basses during this time that made me think about upgrading. They ranged from $28k on the low end to $38k on the upper end. I just don’t see the upside to that.

 

[210superair]

The neck and back cracked a bit. It can be anywhere from $500 to $1500 to fix it and frankly, I'd rather upgrade to something that's not plywood.

Sell it to me!

On a side note, the title of this thread alone highlights a major difference between UB and slabs! Lol.... Their threads are titled 'what's the best bass under 1k...'

 

[Mgaisbacher]

Thanks @damonsmith . I would be remiss not to mention that my plan is to retire in 10-12 years, having played pretty much my entire career on a LaScala hybrid. They can be bought new for $6,500. I have played exactly three basses during this time that made me think about upgrading. They ranged from $28k on the low end to $38k on the upper end. I just don’t see the upside to that.

I will second this, I've had a New Standard La Scala Hybrid for about 5 or 6 years now and the only basses that have made me truly feel like they would be a significant upgrade have been in the $25K and up range, and mostly in the 30K and above. Was just lucky enough to try two bass in the 40K+ range and while either would have been significant upgrades the LaScala holds its own especially when you consider the price difference. (edit/ clarification: by "try" I mean I spent about a month with one of them and about 2 weeks with the other)

Basically what I am trying to say is the New Standards are amazing instruments for the price, although a new hybrid is a little above the budget you stated. They are something you should at least strongly consider. If you're budget is firm at 5k then I will also suggest a shen, you can find these almost everywhere and if set up from a good shop they can be really great instruments for the money. I've never had experience with any of the string emporium or Lemur basses so I can't really comment on those but I am sure they are fine options as well.

 

[Les Fret]

String Emporium Wan Bernadel and Rogeri model basses are excellent. Highly recommended.

https://stringemporium.com/bernadel.htm

These look really nice. Wish I could try one but I live in Europe.

 

[james condino]

Immediate consumer purchase satisfaction will limit you to the obvious choices mentioned.

Patience will reward you with far more bass for far less money than you imagined, especially in this economy.....

 

[LouisF]

Les Fret... where in Europe are you?