• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Buy a cheapo and play vs. wait/save without playing?

Your opinion for a new rockabilly bassist.

  • Buy a cheapo (not necessarily a CCB) and play.

    Votes: 51 70.8%

  • Wait/save for a better DB without being able to play.

    Votes: 21 29.2%
  • Total voters
    72
T

T-Bird

Apr 29, 2007
8,850
268
Finland (Northern Europe)
#1
Hi.

This has been bugging me quite a bit.

I do get that in some parts of the world renting and leasing instruments of all values are a standard procedure but not everywhere. At least not for someone who likes to play rockabilly :).
For orchestral instruments I guess that option is available for majority of people who have internet access.

CCBs and other "cheapos" are usually POS for many reasons, but am I alone thinking that they're still better than nothing? I mean, people who are young and want to learn DB (mainly rockabilly), have at least the possiblity to buy something that at least resembles a DB.

Before the CCBs arrived here, eastern-block plywoods were the only option, costing much more than the CCBs from Thomann for example. IMLE not being too much better either.

Also, investment-wise, if a "rockabilly DB" costs, say, 400€ (3 year warranty) and have a resale value of 250€, wouldn't that be still better than to wait a year or so (or indefinitely) to earn enough money to buy a "better" DB that costs, say, 1500€ and which has the resale value of +/- 150€ of that?

I won't argue about the playability, my no-name eastern block ply smokes the ply CCBs I've tried, but the availability of those is next to none. At least over here.

What's Your opinion, is it better to buy and try a cheapo and start playing, or to save until something better can be bought?
Even if saving for the better one means that you won't be able to play, at all?

Regards
Sam
 
#3
That can be a tuff question! It makes sense to get SOMETHING in your hands and get started. It sounds like availibility of higher quality instruments is difficult in your area. You can get playing and hope the interest, money and right bass will someday come your way.
But then again...... I was in a GC the other day and a man and woman approached me asking questions about what would be her first bass (I guess I look like I know stuff). The man handed me the less-than-$200 bass they were considering and commented that a good bass player can make even a cheap bass sound good. I found myself contradicting him. Yes, a good bassist could possibly make an inferior instrument sound acceptable, but a good bassist wouldn't be playing such a bass. Though I do hold the belief that getting going with what you can afford is common sense, purchasing the best instrument you can find(even if you have to save up) will have a great advantage. You will not want to put it down.....You will want to practice harder, longer....a quality instrument is like a gentle push from behind that won't let you fall backwards.....you just want to play more, learn more. It's a sweet intoxication. The sound, the feel, the respect you have for your bass and soon the respect and pride for what that instrument can do in your hands!
My thoughts only guys.......no solid facts here. Just one lonely B string vibrating in the forest.
There, I've been of no help. Here I am in the land of plenty, where great instruments are popping up for sale by the minute. Let us know how you decide.......Bud B
 
#4
BigBud said:
.... I was in a GC the other day and a man and woman approached me asking questions about what would be her first bass (I guess I look like I know stuff). The man handed me the less-than-$200 bass they were considering and commented that a good bass player can make even a cheap bass sound good...
Click to expand...

Fo sho' Bud! If I had less than $200 I'd be getting an SX no doubt. Awesome basses for the money.

On the other hand, if I were interested in playing double bass, I would avoid cheap chinese basses even though they are very tempting.

PS - Hey. This is BS! I just lost my Avatar and my Inbox is suddenly full!!
 
#5
Hi.

Thanks guys, appreciate the opinions.

I might have not made it clear in the OP, it's not about me, but rather a opinion about the subject in hand in general.

I have my "cheapo" eastern block ply and I am quite satisfied with it.
Coming from the age group and part of the world where these kinds of deals (all MI, not just DB) weren't even remotely possible when starting out a few decades ago, I am overly curious about the negativity towards these cheapos which may well be the only options for some.

I have only limited experiences about ply CCBs, but all of them have been good. I have a little bit more experience about carved oriental basses, and those have been good too.

Please keep the votes coming, perhaps someone who's just starting out and wonders about the same thing can get some help from these opinions ;).

Regards
Sam
 
#6
I have a crappy Florea Recital ii. I love it. It may not get a loud, acoustically, but I play it electric mostly anyway. And most of my tone comes from my amp, strings and pedals, so one more reason for me not to worry about going big. The only problem with it that I have come across so far is that it wasn't at all setup when I got it. If you think about the roots of country and rockabilly, it came from the low income people, so it's totally ok to start cheap and climb up later when you have the money and know you're actually gonna use your awesome $3000 bass.

Also... Rockabilly boys have a tendency to be pretty crazy with their basses... Standing on them, slapping, throwing them around... Why spend that much money when there's a huge possibility it could get beat up? Jimbo from Rev Horton Heat, for example, has patches on his from sticking his foot accidentally through it at a show... I hope he didn't spend 3k on it..
 
#7
TheKevil said:
If you think about the roots of country and rockabilly, it came from the low income people, so it's totally ok to start cheap and climb up later when you have the money and know you're actually gonna use your awesome $3000 bass.

Also... Rockabilly boys have a tendency to be pretty crazy with their basses... Standing on them, slapping, throwing them around... Why spend that much money when there's a huge possibility it could get beat up? Jimbo from Rev Horton Heat, for example, has patches on his from sticking his foot accidentally through it at a show... I hope he didn't spend 3k on it..
Click to expand...

Kev, I think a lot of people miss that point.


I have a multi $k instrument (lucky enough to have inherited it). Seams are open, cracks all over it. It is currently being held together by blue painters tape to keep the seams closed. It is the only instrument I own, and if I don't have it, I don't work. I am waiting for a break, hoping I have enough $$ to get the thing fixed properly. I need to get a cheapo to play regularly, and keep the good one as back up before anything else happens to it.
 
#8
That's awesome. You got a pic of your bass? I would really like to check it out. Post it here or send it to me at [email protected]. I know what I said is blasphemy to many bass players out there, but we love those kinds of basses... They are almost like other entities to us... Not just tools we use to get our art out. The cracks and stuff are like the missing buttons, stuffing and whiskers on a toddler's stuffed rabbit.
 
#11
i started playing upright bass in 1979, in a rockabilly band and my first ub was a DDR one, the lowest price i found at this time.
I was 17 years old, no lessons, no teacher (no one was playing ub in my town).
it sounded very dull, strings were too high and as i couldn't buy another set (and have no idea of brands and tensions availables), it was a rude school for my fingers and arms to plya with factory strings.
Howewer, i always thought it was a good thing to start playing in a band, instead of waiting at home to buy something better.
Even if the fingerboad fall one day and was fixed with tape...

but time were differents...no internet, no such infos about basses and strings, and pu, of course (underwood was quite unknown here in France, the only one i found was a magnetic Schaller.)
Now we have choice, even in the low prices ranges...some brands are better and less worst than other...

Rockabilly doesn't need to be play on pricy basses, but solid ones, its probably the main problem. Some ccb fall in parts quickly, some not...in the other side, some higher ranges basses can, too, have neck problems, or others troubles...so...
 
#12
Buy cheap, buy twice...
I wanted a bass amp. I checked out every amp I could plug into and decided the Ampeg SVT was what sounded best to me. But...it was out of my price range. I kept thinking I'll just get the SS amp to get by till I could afford what I wanted. but every time I went to get an amp I pluged into the SVT, and continued to save my $$$. I'm so glad I waited. It took two years but it was worth it. I have no feelings of buyers remorse - no "I should have waited to get what I wanted" etc.. I can say it took a huge amount of self disipline to wait and keep saveing but it was worth it. Theres nothing as less satisfying then to play an electric bass unpluged - for two years. Now I'm in tone heaven with no regrets :hyper:
Wait it out - get an instrument that you'll keep, not one you'll end up trying to sell to get the one you wanted in the first place.
 
#13
i bought a cheapo and enjopy playing it, yes i will buy a nice one when i get the money. for now i am fine with what i have. i play drums as well and i stated on a crap kit at the time and progressed into a better higher quality kit as i got better.

i will say this though, some musicians enjoy some of the low end products that are out there. ex: i play sabien b8 symbols cause i like the fast bright sound they put out compared to the zildjens or paiste. i now play a pdp birch, which i down graded from a sonor 2003 series...
 
#14
gamma6 said:
i bought a cheapo and enjopy playing it, yes i will buy a nice one when i get the money. for now i am fine with what i have. i play drums as well and i stated on a crap kit at the time and progressed into a better higher quality kit as i got better.

i will say this though, some musicians enjoy some of the low end products that are out there. ex: i play sabien b8 symbols cause i like the fast bright sound they put out compared to the zildjens or paiste. i now play a pdp birch, which i down graded from a sonor 2003 series...
Click to expand...

My forte is bass guitar, and have owned Fenders and Rickenbackers, Sunn Coloseum amp. For the last twelve years my main bass has been a Squier through an Ampeg BA115. I have not heard one complaint about my tone from band mates since I have been using it. Used to hear it all the time using the high end stuff.
 
#16
nealw said:
Play, man, play! Life's too short! Today is the only day you can be sure of having.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more!

I am a crap player... and I play a crap bass.

BUT... I enjoy every second with my garbage intonation ...and my off tempo rhythm... and my no-name strings... and my off-tone... etc., etc.

The bottom line is that I play for MY enjoyment - I don't play to satisfy an ego trip... or to meet some ideal of perfection. I play for the joy of it

Sure, I would like to play on something fancy... But, for now, all I really need is something that goes Ba Doom Doom Ba Ba Ba Doom

Life is way too short to postpone this kind of pleasure - and experience is a great teacher... So don't delay in going out and getting some
 
#17
A beater today gets you playing NOW.
Wait and you might wait forever....life is VERY short.
Do get it checked out by a repairman though. It's easy to buy a cheap bass that after repair and a setup ain't so cheap anymore.
 
#19
Hi.

Thanks for keeping this thread alive.

It'd seem that with 910 views and 32 votes the majority of the voters would prefer playing to waiting.

Obviously with a 32/910 rate it's hardly science :).

Many people have brought up renting an instrument. Assuming that there's such a possibility, can You honestly say that if a young snot-nosed rockabilly player wanders to Your shop, you'd rent out anything even remotely valuable to them? I wouldn't.

What can not be expressed enough is the need for a good setup. A BG is easy enough even if the action is all over the place, but DB ain't, and that easily leads to injuries. Even better if the (young) player learns how to do the basic setup by themselves. It's not like they can damage a cheapo too badly.

And here's my cheapo, on the (sadly) only gig I have done with a DB.

DSC04644-1.jpg


Regards
Sam
 
#20
Hey Sam, congrats on finding an upright and a gig. I'd be interested in a few more details: what kind of bass, where / how did you find it, how does it sound / play, how much?

Did you take care of the setup yet? Your bridge is sitting slightly too high (maybe an inch above the f-holes). The bridge also looks warped, and not really sitting perpendicular to the face.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back