Double Bass Cost of a good Double Bass Setup?

[TopMarc]

So I took my bass to a local(ish) luthier recently to have the action lowered and a general set up and once over as I haven't had it looked at since I've had it. The luthier had been recommended to me however the I didn't have the work done in the end due to the cost they quoted! All I said when I dropped it off was that I wanted the action lowering to make it a bit easier for jazz playing. I received an quite via email a couple of days later for a new fingerboard, new bridge, new tailgut, new soundpost and new strings, (the current strings are about 2 months old). The total cost was £1585! I'm pretty sure all that work isn't required just to lower the action a tad? Is it? What does everyone else pay for a good set up? I want to have it done by someone I know will do a good job and I'm sure this luthier would have done a good job but almost £1600 is a bit extravagant isn't it!? Opinions please

 

[Eric Hochberg]

A new fingerboard wouldn't be considered as a set-up item, IMO. Bridge, nut adjustments, minor FB dressing, stranded TP cable and a soundpost if the current one doesn't fit correctly. you could pay $3-600 around here, depending on work done. A new bridge with adjusters $450, although a former student of mine got reamed to the tune of $750... Ask them why it needs a new fingerboard, and all the rest of the items individually. A new bridge and fingerboard can run $1500 in these parts.

 

[Remyd]

I'm in the midwest USA and I got a set of new strings, a little work on the nut, adjusters, bridge work as per, and a soundpost relocation for a less than $300 (200 gbp). They didn't touch the FB, which could probably use dressing on the treble side, but is a minor problem that has never bothered me in a performance type situation I've never had to replace a bridge, or fingerboard, or soundpost on any of my basses. To lower the action (a small amount) all you really need is a couple of minutes with couple of files.

I would expect to get a fairly high quality used bass in toto, with appropriate setup already completed for $2300 usd, not just a setup by itself. That sounds like an awful, awful lot, even keeping in mind that everything is more expensive in the UK.

 

[JoeyNaeger]

+1

Just call the shop and have a discussion about the quote and what work you actually want done. It sounds like y'all just aren't on the same page.

 

[TopMarc]

Thanks guys, Joey I see where you're coming from but I said I had a budget of £400 max when I went in so......? To open another can of worms I was thinking of getting a Fishman full circle at some point. Do you guys reckon that if I got one and had it installed then I could make enough adjustment to the action without having to have any other work done? It only needs bringing down approx 2mm

 

[Eric Hochberg]

The point of talking with the luthier is to get educated about what's going on with your bass. Then you decide. Other luthier's opinions also recommended. You could get bridge adjusters installed for less than your budget, too.

Or, get yourself a rat-tail file and take down the bridge slots a swipe or two at a time if you want to try it yourself. Round the edges of each slot so the string doesn't catch (A luthier can probably describe it better). The strings should be a business card off the FB at the nut. Of course, you may open up a can of worms if the fingerboard is not capable of accepting lower string heights and working well.

 

[Martin Beer]

It was around 8 years ago now, but when I bought my current bass I had a new fingerboard, new adjustable bridge and new soundpost fitted, plus a seam at the back glued for somewhere around 1/3 of the cost you were quoted. The luthier who did the work was a chap who was the go-to guy for setup and repairs for most of the local jazz bassists, and was a qualified and experienced luthier but AFAIK not the sort of renowned builder who would charge a premium rate.
Perhaps there is someone who fills a similar niche in your area. Which part of the UK are you in?

 

[Mark Gollihur]

Or, get yourself a rat-tail file and take down the bridge slots a swipe or two at a time if you want to try it yourself. Round the edges of each slot so the string doesn't catch (A luthier can probably describe it better). The strings should be a business card off the FB at the nut. Of course, you may open up a can of worms if the fingerboard is not capable of accepting lower string heights and working well.

I'm no luthier, but feel free to email me off list and I'll send you a free copy of our bridge fitment tips, which covers a lot of this in a bit more detail.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

That isn't a set up, it's an overhaul!

What kind of bass is it?

 

[Ortsom]

Nice one.

I'm pretty sure all that work isn't required just to lower the action a tad?

Indeed, it is not. If that's all you want, buy a suitable file for about £3 at B&Q and go for it. Watch out the strings do not stick in the notches & lubricate w/ pencil lead afterwards. If you're very careful, you can also judiciously use 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 & 3.0mm drills, depending on the strings you use. Watch out you do not pull off splinters: always file/cut into the supporting side. And the wee ones break easily.

Yet after lowering string height, you may find that you actually wanted something a bit different... And then you'd be talking about adjusters, FB relief, curvature, instrument response, ..., so all the things he proposed.

I think your luthier thought you wanted more, like a 'general set up and once over by someone I know will do a good job'. And he also knows that for many people, if it's cheap, it can't be good. Of course that's good for him too. I think the issue you're raising is simply the result of various developments in society.

But why he would think that against your £400 budget I can't quite see. In the end it's you, the customer, who decides where the balance should be. If you don't want to pay that much, then don't. There are always alternatives.

 

[JoeyNaeger]

Just some thoughts. In some shops, there are sales people in the front and repair people in the back. In this type of setup, you may not be communicating directly with the person doing the work. Very easy for there to be communication lapses. I have no doubt a phone call could resolve this situation.

 

[james condino]

The main problem with just calling up someone and asking for a random setup price is that there is nothing related to playing or evaluating the bass that happens over the telephone. Almost every day of the year I get a phone call from some random person who claims their bass works perfect, they just need a nut slot filed down. Then when the bass shows up- they were correct- the nut does need a bit of work.... and the fingerboard is completely gone and half detached from the loose neck joint and the bridge is almost folded over it is so warped and the tailpiece is hanging on with some sort of folk art connection and the soundpost has been nailed in the wrong position and 3 linear foot of seams are hanging open.....oh yeah, and the nut needs a tiny bit of attention...and then the last time they had any work done was 1973 so they expect 1973 prices.....

Take an afternoon and show up in person with your bass. You'll develop a feel for the person you will be dealing with, you'll get to see everything going on with your bass from their critical perspective, you'll probably learn a bit from the process, and you'l know when you have found the right person to help with your bass and be able to play some instruments showcasing their skills. You'll also be able to see through the smoke and mirrors when someone is trying to sell you snakeoil or a new neck bearing or a tone filter or when your endpin needs to be harmonically balanced.

Good luck,

j.
www.condino.com
www.kaybassrepair.com

 

[Ortsom]

While I very much appreciate the importance of properly communicating and understanding between customer and client, and also recognise that his instrument likely needed more than just lowering the string height a bit, the OP did say he dropped the bass off in person. So he did take an afternoon and show up in person with his bass. This was not a telephone call. He was there, yet he did not get to speak with the guy doing the work, on the specifics of that work; instead he got the quote a couple of days later by email. There's a cultural difference. And this luthier was 'local(ish)', indicating the OP had to drive a fair bit for it: then leaving your bass behind implicitly places you in a biased position, which I don't think is a smart move. This way the situation gets implicitly biased towards the sale already having been made, resulting in an upwards pressure on the price. Finally, the quote included replacing 2 month old strings.

So I think there is a bit of both in here: the instrument needed more tlc than the OP thought, and the snake oil is on the counter.

One should live & learn. Make an appointment, discuss specifics in person, get clarity on what is required (in terms of cost & benefit), and then decide. Or choose to just buy what's being offered.

On that note: it is difficult to underestimate the value of harmonically balancing the endpin.

 

[Harry Monkley]

I had my DB given a full setup when I bought it in 2014 - new spiros, nut reshaped, fingerboard dressed and polished, bridge refitted, soundpost refitted, endpin and tailpiece refitted. Before committing I visited three local luthiers, and checked out their work, and went with the one I thought had the best attitude and highest personal standards with regards his work - he was happy to give my cheap ply the same attention to detail as he would an expensive carved bass, and he transformed the instrument - cost of labour £265, I supplied the strings myself as thomann was knocking them out way cheaper than the luthier could buy them in for from his UK based trade suppliers.