Difference Between Cheap eBay Basses?

Bass #3 doesn't come with a bass stand, and Bass #2 doesn't have a flamed back, flamed sides, no extra strings and no upgraded tuners.

 

...and now, what do they all have in common?

 

They all have double kerfing.

 

All three will steer people who think they want to be double bassists towards more financially rewarding careers. Exporting crap, perhaps.

 

They all smell really funky when you burn them?

Like Chinese cow pies!

 

They all suck.

 

If you intend to learn to play the instrument, please reconsider your requirements. A good set-up on a really cheap (read poor quality) bass will cost more than the bass and you will end up with a really cheap bass with a relatively expensive set-up, not necessarily a cheap bass that plays well. It simply doesn't work that way. Save your money until you can afford a "decent" instrument, e.g. one that is worth paying the money to have it set-up. If you absolutely can't wait and can't afford anything else, then at least buy one that you can play beforehand, not one from e-bay.

 

or find a place locally that you can rent a bass from.

 

Even a complete beginner will be able tell the difference between a well made and a poorly made instrument if they are able to pick it up and play it themselves. Go to a music, try some basses and pick one out. Decent quality basses for beginners can be had for around $200.

 

ducknturtle, you may be on the wrong side of the forum for the price point you're quoting.

 

I bought CCB off e-bay in August and it was crap. Today (thanks God!) I received my GOOD bass that i had to buy to replace the CCB. Buying a really cheap bass is a really bad idea. Do yourself a favor, get a good bass; I learned that lesson the hard way and wasted my money(with shipping i paid about 700.00 for the crap e-bay bass). I just bought an Eberle from Steve and his mom Kate at Ideal Music in NYC (http://www.bassesonline.com/) and now i have a very high quality German made laminate with a playable out of the box set-up for just $995.00. With shipping and a good padded bag I paid 1350.00 and change and this bass, built like a tank, will last forever. Call Kate and Steve before you buy off e-bay (unless it is a bass being sold by Steve @ ideal, there are a few on there right now). Check this out from Upton Bass, ""Eberle Double basses were made by the former Musima company in Germany. Well known for making solid double basses that last and last, the Musima company succumbed to the changing global instrument market in the early 2000's.
This bass was sold in 1999 by a double bass dealer/importer in Connecticut for approximately $3,000.00. It is extremely rare to find an instrument of such build and character to go DOWN in price in such a short amount of time, but that is what has happened. The fall of the Musima company found the remaining stock in the hands of a New York City based importer. This importer now sells the remaining stock of instruments BELOW what luthiers could buy them for. This has seriously devalued the Eberle instruments and accounts for the low sales price we have advertised. Do not let the low sales price fool you, this is a well made bass that will be on this Earth long after most of us have left it! "

 

Checking out Ideal is a great idea. I am also a very satisfied customer. Don't forget our own classifed pages as well. Right now, there's a Lewis laminate available in Chicago for not much more than one of the ebay basses will cost you, and there's also a German laminate somewhere in Tennessee for a bit more. There are basic level Christophers available in Chicago for about $1500, brand new and fully set up. Any of these will be better than anything you will get from those ebay merchants.

I'm sure most of appreciate the fact that many folks here do not have a lot of spare cash sitting around and are trying to get the most they can for it. Please trust us that most of us have enough knowledge of basses to know that crap is crap and that wasting $700 plus (it will always be plus) on crap is just not worth it.

 

While we're on the subject of inexpensive basses. I was just reading an interview with Stanley Clarke in the new Downbeat.
He talks about a new line of instruments that he's very heaviliy involved in. Both slabs and DBs...the acoustics coming in the future. The interesting part is that he addressed the lack of quality/budget-priced instruments for new players. While I doubt that he's got a "magic bullet" that guys like Gary Upton haven't found, it is good that a player of that stature is interested in doing something for new players looking for a good but reasonably priced instruments.

 

Buying a bass from a place called "Online Guitar" - must be the ultimate heresy!!

 

Marco the Roma Hybrid is a great bass for the money. I bought two, without setup, and I think they're going to sound really good when they're done. I've just roughly set up the one and its got good tone.

You would probably want Steve to have it set up before shipping as the basses came really rough. The bridges are very approximately fitted and very poorly cut. I'll be replacing them completely. The fingerboards need to be shaped properly; they're dead straight and have a bevel too. :/

That being said, the top wood looks good and the basic tone shows promise. They're not perfectly turned out but they're not $5000 either.

 

Honestly, the Ideal Music setup isn't good either. The strings tend to be high, the bridge feet are only occasionally flush with the top, and they don't replace the tailwire with a flexible cable. They're sort of playable, but you would have a really tough time playing them.

You would be better off saving the money and putting it into a real setup from a local luthier.

 

Agreed as to the need for setup work on the Roma basses. Mine needed a new bridge, new nut (the original was expoxied in), new tailpiece wire, new endpin (luthier installed a good used one), and fingerboard dressing. Mine is fully carved and cost $1300 - the setup cost cost about $1000. Nonetheless, where can you get a very decent fully carved bass for $2300? Unfortunately, I think all the fully carved Romas Steve had are gone.

 

The difference is what day they are going to break on.

(Trust me....I have a very good friend who found out the hard way.)