Double Bass Cheap/affordable double bass

[eerbrev]

I started with a very cheap laminated bass with crap strings and a fingerboard made of I don't know what. It cost £45 brand new, but that was in 1960. Because I didn't know any better and had nothing to compare the bass with I had enormous fun with it, did lots of gigs and eventually played with some famous names (I wonder if they realised). So my advice is that a crap bass is better than no bass if your budget could kill your aspirations.

If I calculated correctly, you spent £272 in today's money. still not cheap! glad you got enjoyment out of your instrument.

 

[Roger Davis]

If I calculated correctly, you spent £272 in today's money. still not cheap! glad you got enjoyment out of your instrument.

Yes, that's a reality check but it was a brand new instrument and I don't think £272 would buy too much in the way of basses over here today. My post sounded a bit intemperate perhaps but I do hope Josiah finds himself a bass to enjoy and than upgrades in time as finances allow.

 

[251]

To paraphrase an American Marketing paradigm from the 1960s;
Good basses aren't cheap & cheap basses aren't good.

Add to that, the cost of a set up & perhaps strings for whatever you buy.

Good hunting.

 

[eerbrev]

Yes, that's a reality check but it was a brand new instrument and I don't think £272 would buy too much in the way of basses over here today. My post sounded a bit intemperate perhaps but I do hope Josiah finds himself a bass to enjoy and than upgrades in time as finances allow.

I didn't mean to sound intemperate either. I honestly did the math because i thought it was cool. Of course, back then basses like Dodds and Magginis weren't quite as prohibitively expensive as they are now. From what I understand, the value of finer basses, and even lesser quality basses has skyrocketed in the past 25-30 years. Not that I know anything about finances.

eerbrev

 

[josiah goldfish]

Yes, that's a reality check but it was a brand new instrument and I don't think £272 would buy too much in the way of basses over here today. My post sounded a bit intemperate perhaps but I do hope Josiah finds himself a bass to enjoy and than upgrades in time as finances allow.

Thank you for your help! I've really wanted to play for ages but haven't been able to. I might be starting lessons soon too!

 

[paulh103]

Hey everyone, I'm new here, decided after years of guitar playing, bass and 6 string, to buy a DB. Looking at a Stentor Harlequin, or a Thomann 111E. Anyone got any guidance?
Thanks

 

[ErikvanD]

I am playing a Thomann 111 at my music school and I am not that impressed. I am the only DB student there (so in fact they bought the bass just for me...) so I am also the only one that plays it.

The bass is setup just as it arrived, my teacher only put the strings on. There is no money available for a proper setup. The bass played fine for the first few lessons. Then the bass suddenly developed a terrible buzz/rattle. My teacher and I looked if anything changed or came loose on the bass but we could not find anything. My teacher is pretty sure it is the cheap stock strings that are on it. Next thing he will try is fitting a set of other (used) strings to see if this cures the sudden rattle etc. It really is annoying to play and sounds crap at this moment...

Besides that the endpin sits crooked and the bass smells really bad, like it just came out of the paint shop. Since we are now storing it outside the cover the smell is slowly going away.

But still I am very glad they bought it! It saves me bringing two basses to class each time as I take lessons together with my daughter. And I do agree that with a proper setup this could be a good starter bass.

Just my (little) experience with this bass