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Double Bass breakage come early?

#24
I think the right way to deal with Palatino / Cremona / eBay etc., is a compartmentalist approach:

1. If someone is considering buying one, provide pointers to relevant information and opinion about those basses.

2. If someone has bought one and needs help, provide help.

2a. All repair questions should be accompanied by pics.

In both cases, the desired outcome is the same: For someone to get the most possible enjoyment out of playing the bass! And as with any bass, there will be threads where the only plausible advice is that the bass is toast. But I don't think this particular thread has gotten to that point.
 
#26
Here are some pics



ForumRunner_20120307_064651.png
 
#29
fdeck said:
I think the right way to deal with Palatino / Cremona / eBay etc., is a compartmentalist approach:

1. If someone is considering buying one, provide pointers to relevant information and opinion about those basses.

2. If someone has bought one and needs help, provide help.

2a. All repair questions should be accompanied by pics.

In both cases, the desired outcome is the same: For someone to get the most possible enjoyment out of playing the bass! And as with any bass, there will be threads where the only plausible advice is that the bass is toast. But I don't think this particular thread has gotten to that point.
Click to expand...

As usual, a well-considered, rationale approach. I suggested earlier to the OP that he might not be fine until September. In the spirit of your post and Chris' about adding more useful information, it's true that, unless the OP can make a proper repair himself, then a luthier would be the wise choice. IMO, that would not be money well spent. Yes, it's most unfortunate that he ended up with a Palatino. It would be best not to throw good money after bad. The OP stated that he will be able to use some of his graduation cash to buy a more solid instrument. I strongly suggest that the time-line be accelerated and that every penny go toward that new instrument rather than toward a professional repair of a Palatino that could implode at any time as a result of some other flaw. IMO, the OP should leave it behind as a beater bass and move on. I hope he now understands the difference between a Palatino and a Shen. Just a short time perusing the threads here would make that difference quite apparent.
 
#33
drurb said:
NicholasF, what's your budget for a new instrument?
Click to expand...

When I graduate, sell my vintage USA Selmer, and get a few paychecks, my budget will be around 4k, I love plywoods, they require less maintenance and can handle the seasons better. I was thinking a 50s juzek ply on the upton bass used and vintage, I feel like something used will have some of the work already done, the wood isn't green, and its most likely been throught the extremes of hot and cold tempreture, plus old ply's can take beatings. The only brands I really know that make a decent ply is kay,old englehardt, and juzek, but I would like someone to educate me on the subject

I live 20 minutes from NYC(driving I can just hop the train)
 
#38
fdeck said:
1. If someone is considering buying one, provide pointers to relevant information and opinion about those basses.
Click to expand...
I bought a CCB, and I'm very happy with it. But, my eyes were wide open going in. I had two major constraints: 1) budget was practically zero, with being able to come up with $100 here or there, but never a full $1500 to $2000 to get a "proper" laminated bass from a "proper" dealer. It was this or none at all. 2) I wanted to see how it works from the inside out, set it up myself, and if something untoward happened, well, so be it. I've posted elsewhere all I did to it to get it playable, but here's a short list:
1) I got the real ebony fingerboard; no, not the best quality, but real (extra @$100); it needed smoothing, although they got the planing about right. I've only needed to very lightly scoop out only a couple of buzzing notes.
2) High action; over 10mm for steel strings when I got it. The nut needed significant work to bring it down to playable, and the top half of the adjustible bridge needed significant bandsawing and recontouring.
3) Aluminum tail piece changed out for ebony with an appropriate length tailgut.
4) neck was good and beefy, but almost 2 inches wide. I took a small plane and narrowed it to 1 3/4 wide at the nut, and smoothed the contour, taking as little wood as possible to maintain the thickness. I finished it with several coats of rubbed on Minwax Tung Oil "Finish" (not pure tung oil), and I'm very happy with the feel.
5) Strings were, of course, crap. I assembled a good used set of S42 Spiro Weich off the wantads here for a little less than 1/2 of current new cost. I expect them to last about a decade.
6) I trimmed several inches off the peg. Saved weight, at least, and it might sound a tad better.
7) The tuning machines hold tune surprisingly well.
8) I have a slight rise in response about midline open D, spread out over a few notes; the jury is still out as to whether it is: 1) a wolf; 2) just the characteristic of the bass; or 3) can be helped with a sound post reset. I've been lucky to have been rehearsing and gigging a lot, so I haven't had time to get further into it. So for now, I stuff a brown washcloth in the f hole closest to the amp to make sure to damp feedback along with the fdeck with the switchable phase, as I set up to gig and get on with it.
9) The neck does not have a good straight grain. It will need to be redone eventually. But with good gig money to set aside, that won't be an issue down the road, or if it's far enough down the road, maybe another bass instead. My wife is good to let me spend as necessary with earned gig money, so long as the household budget is secure with the day job.
10) Carvin makes a great doubler amp in their MB12, and is very inexpensive comparatively to the "boutique" amplifiers.
11) Full Circle, "upside down," gets a little more roundness.
11) Once I got everything sorted out, I have 4-5-6-7 mm action, I am gigging with two different jazz/dance bands, a country/rock band that has the occasional gig, and starting this week a Celtic band. Show up able to play, and you will get gigs.

Not bad for a CCB. The guys I gig with even like the cheezy factory varnish job fake maple tiger striping, a la the Fender "photoflame" of the '90's!

And yes, it is a CCB. If you aren't prepared to do all the above and then some, it's a horrible deal. If you are, it can be a really good deal and an educational opportunity as well to know what to look for in the next bass. I did everything one step at a time over the course of months as gig money would support it. I've had fun learning how DB works; it is worth it to me. So in the end I do have a few more $$ than rock bottom in it, but with the advantages of all the education, and it fits me and what I play perfectly, and I get to play as much as I want to.

Francis -- I hope this is the kind of thing you had in mind.
 
#39
For the amount of labor and $$$ spent to make a crappy bass sound better, I would've just spent the time working at job, saving up, and buying something decent from the outset.

Basses aren't like cars - you can only upgrade them so much before it's in the realm of diminishing returns. I learned that with my first bass. Time spent trying different things would've been better spent practicing and dumping a lesser bass at the earliest possible moment.

If you have zero budget well I guess that's understandable, but probably would be better off renting instead of buying something. Of course, renting is not always possible.
 
#40
hdiddy said:
For the amount of labor and $$$ spent to make a crappy bass sound better, I would've just spent the time working at job, saving up, and buying something decent from the outset.

Basses aren't like cars - you can only upgrade them so much before it's in the realm of diminishing returns. I learned that with my first bass. Time spent trying different things would've been better spent practicing and dumping a lesser bass at the earliest possible moment.

If you have zero budget well I guess that's understandable, but probably would be better off renting instead of buying something. Of course, renting is not always possible.
Click to expand...

Personally -- for myself, that is -- I agree with hdiddy, but I don't have strong DIY genes. I can certainly understand someone like iiipopes, with eyes wide open, getting an under-achieving bass for a song and picking up some repair experience and education along with converting his purchase to a working bass. A lot different from overpaying for a CCB and expecting a solid trouble-free investment.

Thanks,
Pete
 

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