It's very meaningful if you travel on an almost daily basis on Subways and in taxis. My Czech Ease is lots easier on the subway than my big bass and makes taxi rides easy too. As to it's sound, I don't get any complaints.
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Double Bass Czech-Ease bass version advice needed...
- Thread starter Jeremy Morgan
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- big band czech-ease gage
I don't have any issue with Gage beyond the price-gouging of these not great basses. I know his repair work is well respected.
A better, more ethically priced travel at the moment these came out would have been helpful to me, so yeah, the fact that they are not great instruments and grossly overpriced is a sore spot for me. It was and obviously still is a cash grab for someone where along the line.
So, beyond not liking it I do think it is a product we should specifically not support.
A better, more ethically priced travel at the moment these came out would have been helpful to me, so yeah, the fact that they are not great instruments and grossly overpriced is a sore spot for me. It was and obviously still is a cash grab for someone where along the line.
So, beyond not liking it I do think it is a product we should specifically not support.
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should probably be careful about imposing your ethics on other people, certain dictators in Germany to that at one point I think. You missed the entire point of my previous post. There's only a 200 price difference between the two carved models and they are essentially the same thing except a different shape. the hybrid version of the gagr instrument is actually the Best buy of them all in my opinion because it's cheaper and sounds better, an extremely ethical purchase in my opinion
The C21 or the Suitbass fits in front of your knees in the backseat of a London cab in a flightcase no less. Takes a couple of minutes to unpack and assemble. Removable necks are the way to go.
There is about a 2-3k price difference between them and basic instruments they are made out of. Add a 4k flight case and you just spent nearly 10k on a portion of a $1500 bass.
Compare it to the Chadwick at $4200 including the flight case made out of a just as good or better low end bass - and the whole bass at that.
The other options out there are factory made basses, but much higher quality and end up around the same price as the Czech-ease.
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Why is Chadwick bass mentioned in this thread? Compact- or cut-body bass is not the same as folding bass. I would mention Gewa Ideale Jazz as an alternative to Czech-easy, but not Chadwick.
A removable or foldable neck bass is both more transportfriendly and they have an appropriately large cavity. That is why Damon gives his well informed advice.
I voted for vintage ply, but after reading thru the thread I decised to continue my jonesing for a hybrid. I haven`t tried a C-E, but Chris Wood, Esperanza and Dave Holland definently sounds great on one. My reasons for wanting one over a RN bass are gut strings and the hassle free " user interface ". I don`t need one for flying, but crowded public transportation and small trunked cars and busses. I feel that EUB is a different instrument all together, as is a fretless electric. C-E is still a acoustic DB.
I quite understand that. But the author is looking for the best compact bass, not the best folding full bass. Compact bass compact always. An expanded Chadwick is as big and as heavy as a standard bass. And he has the same feedback.
I keep the full bass in the pantry or leave it in the studio. Chadwick bass I have to fold. I can not take it "between times": I need to expand and tune it. I can leave a compact bass in the room and then at any time I can just play something.
When I go to a local concert, I don’t want to carry a full bass and certainly don’t want to unfold and tune anything. I want to get to the gig without any problems and play a couple of things without worrying about tuning, feedback and the lack of space on the stage...
Such ideas tell me that Chadwick is not always the ideal solution. Therefore, there are basses such as the CE, Kolstein Busetto or Gewa Ideale.
In the last posts since the OP clarified it was used as an example of a reasonable price for a modified student quality bass. The Chadwick is a far more extensive mod and comes in under the CE price (with no bag or case) with the flight case included.
The CE may fit the bill, but, for the price you can get a higher end option. In 2018 a much nicer bass designed from a the ground up with a reduced body or even a high end EUB would be the answer. Both can be had for the price of the CE.
What I will say is that the Chadwick fits in the trunk, without the case, of a Honda I borrow in Texas. If I want to go to a museum (Houston!) or record store (Denton!) before the gig I leave it folded in the trunk. It takes a few minutes to put together and tune (all basses need to be tuned at gigs) and it is fine after a few minutes of settling it.
I mostly use it with no amp.
I mostly use it with no amp.
I have eight gigs booked this week. Christmas is the golden time of year here in Hong Kong for guys like me who job around. Three of those gigs will happen on a single day. There's no time to deal with any sort of assembly of an removable neck type bass. I don't own a car, no need because the public transportation here is superb and affordable. Most of the time I play through amps that are permanently installed in clubs or backline is provided by the people who organise shows or functions so I don't need to bring one..thank God! It's rare but sometimes I do a gig that's no amp at all and I still can pull a big sound out of my bass. I have a very nice hybrid Chinese 3 /4 sized bass that I love playing but it stays home most of the time. My Czech Ease is a practical solution for me. It's paid for itself many, many times over. It just works, for me.
They are perfectly functional in a solidly adequate way and were the only real option for a certain period - no one is suggesting burning one you already own! In 2018, it makes very little sense to over-pay for one with so many better options in that price range whether removable/foldable full instruments for travel, or reduced body instruments to save space.
I've never played any other of types of Czech Ease basses. Only the standard plywood one that I own. I can't offer any advice on the other versions David Gave offers. I still like my standard model and it gets played very often. It's been quite a while since I've taken my normal sized bass out of the house. Most of the jobs I play are amped up so the Czech Ease is enough. By the way, I just had a Wilson K4 Pick-up installed. My Czech Ease has become hot rodded! Extra fun to play now!
