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Double Bass Best upright bass for $5K?
- Thread starter MattyHoskins
- Start date
I dont know, Mark Sonsken doesn't have the price listed so I was just going by that. I mean i guess it isn't and people knowing it's a deal will probably only allow him to sell it faster so he is asking $8900 for it, which for a craved bass of that quality I think is a steal.
Buckthorn has a better chance of nabbing it than I do. He's in driving distance
But definitely interested in his take whether he grabs it or not, or anyone who happens to try it.
Buckthorn has a better chance of nabbing it than I do. He's in driving distance
Maybe not if @Mgaisbacher keeps advertising it.
I believe that's around what that model was going for new, but I could be wrong, and this one is probably broken in. The one I played was very nice. this could very well be the same bass.
That La Scala at Sonksen was high on my list as well. Great deal. Also, shipping via Southwest AirCargo is fast and not too expensive in the grand scheme of things. I just had a bass shipped from Chicago to Oakland for about $200. Shipped in the afternoon and I picked it up the next morning.
Very cool and good to know! I had been told previously that you have to be a 'known shipper' to use SW, but obviously not. Congrats on the new bass!
Quick update: I went to Sonksen Strings yesterday. What a blast, having racks of great basses right in front of you. I tried a bunch of basses in the $8-12k range (sort fo OT for the original topic of this thread) . All of them were really nice, very high quality -- mostly German. I liked all of them, which made my decision difficult (which maybe is not the worst problem in the world to have). In the end I did drive home with the La Scala for a weeklong tryout at home. Overall (sound, comfort, size, etc.) it just felt like the best fit for me. But I probably could be happy with almost any of those instruments. I also got a chance to try out some of the fantastic super basses, just for fun. They were just awesome. As for the La Scala, it's from 2011, but is basically new and little used. It feels really comfortable and user-friendly, and has a nice balanced mix of warmth and punch (Mark thinks that the bass will open up a bit more over time). I absolutely love the shorter string length, coming from a ~44 incher -- it'll take a little while to get used to it. Right now it has three Evahs (ADG) and a Spiro mittel (E), and a Realist (FCs in stock). So, assuming I keep it, trying out different strings (all spiros? spiro + dominants a la @Chris Fitzgerald.... ?) and PUs could be on the agenda. But right I just need to play the heck out of it; I'm hoping to to get our quartet to come rehearse in our barn this weekend, since even the driveway gigs (which have been fun) now seem like too much of a gamble. Out here in the boonies, the only audience will be the deer and the birds.
Congrats! I'm a LITTLE bummed because I would have considered that bass, but it really is out of my price range at this point. I've been in talks with Wil to try some of the hybrids soon, either at Gage or at his shop when he has a few together that I can A/B/(C)? test. I find I'm playing a LOT more arco than I thought I would. It's such a weird rabbit hole I've gone down. I've been playing electric for 25 years, and have taught a bunch and pretty comfortable in most pop/funk/R&B situations. With double bass, it was something I hardly got into. Needed it for my whopping one semester in a university jazz performance program and then it pretty much sat there. Now I'm using Vance, a bunch of DDB online courses, debating going all in with Rabbath vs Simandl in terms of drilling intonation, etc. But in that time, I've used the bow and found I want it to be a big part of my sound. Given my age and experience level, we're realistically not talking about spending my remaining days shedding classical repertoire for orchestral work. But using the bow in some jazz settings, and creating a bit more of a crossover voice is something that appeals to me. So while jazz/pizz is still going to be primary, I'm thinking of it more like an Adam ben Ezra type of experimentation with the ability to play traditional jazz repertoire. Anyway, long winded description there, but arco sound will be important. My next stop is Shank's Strings next month where I have an appointment to have my current bass looked over. My hope is he'll give me an honest opinion of its potential and at what point I need to decide to upgrade. In the meantime, I imagine Wil will have some inventory available that I'll be able to travel to try. Good luck with that bass! Sounds like you got an amazing deal if that is a fully carved version.Quick update: I went to Sonksen Strings yesterday. What a blast, having racks of great basses right in front of you. I tried a bunch of basses in the $8-12k range (sort fo OT for the original topic of this thread) . All of them were really nice, very high quality -- mostly German. I liked all of them, which made my decision difficult (which maybe is not the worst problem in the world to have). In the end I did drive home with the La Scala for a weeklong tryout at home. Overall (sound, comfort, size, etc.) it just felt like the best fit for me. But I probably could be happy with almost any of those instruments. I also got a chance to try out some of the fantastic super basses, just for fun. They were just awesome. As for the La Scala, it's from 2011, but is basically new and little used. It feels really comfortable and user-friendly, and has a nice balanced mix of warmth and punch (Mark thinks that the bass will open up a bit more over time). I absolutely love the shorter string length, coming from a ~44 incher -- it'll take a little while to get used to it. Right now it has three Evahs (ADG) and a Spiro mittel (E), and a Realist (FCs in stock). So, assuming I keep it, trying out different strings (all spiros? spiro + dominants a la @Chris Fitzgerald.... ?) and PUs could be on the agenda. But right I just need to play the heck out of it; I'm hoping to to get our quartet to come rehearse in our barn this weekend, since even the driveway gigs (which have been fun) now seem like too much of a gamble. Out here in the boonies, the only audience will be the deer and the birds.
Yes, it is fully carved. Based solely on my initial impressions, it might be worth more than the asking price. The competing basses I tried were more, not less expensive. But I'm really not all that well-qualified to judge bass prices. I think using more arco for jazz situations sounds fantastic (I still love Miroslav Vitous' bowing with a wah-wah pedal during the early Weather Report years --or at least that's what it sounded like); I wish my arco skills were better, and maybe I will have more incentive with a more handle-able bass. I think spending time in one or more bass shops with a luthier and trying out different basses will get you where you want to go. I was also considering a New Standard hybrid (albeit from afar) until I heard about this one. Right time, right place, a bit of luck, I guess. But I suspect there are loads of great instrument options for you out there.
Is there really anything to it other than deciding what you can/want to spend, and then just finding the one in that price range that feels/sounds the best to you?
Many people will tell you that my Englehardt is a piece of sh*t. Well, they don't have to play it. I've got it set up just the way I like, and I regularly get raves from fellow musicians and listeners over how it sounds. Many people who try it love it; a few hate it. Most often, when I've tried THEIR basses, I did not care for them, so obviously we are seeking something different.
I've played a ton of other basses. Some (not all that many) in the $2-5k range are just about as good - or COULD be with some work. But the only one I liked significantly better cost $10k. At the time, I didn't have the $. I still occasionally regret not buying that one... I've played some VERY expensive basses I did not care for at all.
Unless you are "flipping" basses as "investments", only you can decide what a bass is worth to you. And if you play it a lot and enjoy playing it - and you have a roof over your head and food on the table, then it is worth whatever you paid.
I strapped mine to the side of a 250CC motorbike!
Of course, it's an EUB, but you should have seen the look on my teacher's face the first time I rocked up to her place
What it's worth is what it sells for. It's a buyers market. Since you said you liked all the basses you tried, it seems you aren't to the point of really being able to differentiate, probably lack of experience.
Did you have Mark play the basses for you so you could hear how each sounds from a distance? If not, do that when you return. Also ask him for his impressions as a player on each. I bet they all sound different, have different string lengths, etc. Ask him of possible work needed on the older basses. All factors you use to decide which bass is right for you.
You can always make an offer, too, especially in today's market if you like one of the more expensive instruments. And, keep in mind that there are less expensive basses that may do well by you, as per the original intent of the thread.
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@Ed S, I agree with you 100%. What I had in mind was postings I've seen here and classifieds, etc., using such phrases as "great deals", "steals", etc. It's certainly not been a factor in my own decision-making.
Reminds me of the story when a shop owner asks a musician to try out a customer's fiddle. The player asks, "Am I playing for buying or selling?"
I only met Mark S once, but at the time he impressed me as a really quality individual. At that time, I was too early into my bass playing to be able to evaluate the quality of his offerings, and I was looking at a much lower price point. But I have NEVER heard a negative thing said or written about Mark S. My impression is that he wants to make, service, and sell quality basses, and he wants satisfied and return customers. So yeah, I have no reason to believe he would do anything other than offer his honest opinion - especially to a sincere customer (i.e., not just window shopping/wasting his time.)
One other factor is whether a shop has instruments mainly set up differently than the buyer wants. I'm basically bluegrass/oldtime. One time I went into a very reputable shop while travelling. He had several very pricey basses, but they were all set up orchestral. Really didn't appeal to my needs/wants - or even my knowledge base. (Full disclosure, tho. I walked in off the street, so he didn't have any opportunity to set anything up or anything. And I was more of the window shopper that day.)
Maybe buckthorn liked everything he tried because Mark S tends to set his basses up somewhat similarly, until a customer asks him to do otherwise... They were mostly German, in a similar price range. Just a thought. He DID say that he liked them all, but that he went home w/ the one he felt was the best fit - so he was obviously able to discern SOME differences.
I DEFINITELY agree on having the seller play it. I always am eager to let other people play my bass - so I can hear what the darn thing sounds like!
@Eric Hochberg , somehow I left you with the wrong impression. You never know how people are going to interpret what you post. Of course all of those basses were different. Mark and I both played them all and talked about them, the differences between them, etc. I was there for three-plus hours. It was great. And I took home the one that I felt was the best match for me. That said, I think your advice is spot on.
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