Double bass jump

[pipers dad]

I am very interested in picking up a double bass. A fella near me is selling a shen sb150 for $1500 which I think is a steal.

Anyway, I have only ever played electric. I love my fretless and it has made me want to go db.

Would you say it’s fun to play solo? Do you find yourself casually picking it up?

I know I could get a ton of gigs if I had it bc it’s in demand but I don’t really want to get it for that purpose.

Does it shake your bones (and heart?) in a deep natural way like I think it does?

Alrighty thanks yall

 

[Leo Smith]

It does all those things and more, if it's set up in a way that you find easy to play.

That price seems very good, especially if it is in good playing condition. Do you have a friend who plays upright? Take them with you to look at the instrument to get their opinion.

 

[Chris_will_do]

My band surprised me by getting me a db behind my back. Always played fretted electric and occasionally fretless. I still love my electric bassguitars but find me playing the upright more often since it feels more connected to me.

 

[pipers dad]

It does all those things and more, if it's set up in a way that you find easy to play.

That price seems very good, especially if it is in good playing condition. Do you have a friend who plays upright? Take them with you to look at the instrument to get their opinion.

Unfortunately I do not… I just spoke with him on the phone though and he’s not trying to rip me I feel quite confident.

It seems like the price is a little “too good to be true though” so idk it does scare me a bit. But we found out we live in the same neighborhood so he wouldn’t have far to run lol

 

[Jay Corwin]

That is a good price for a Hybrid. When I started out a brand new Shen SB-80 was 1500.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Definitely a good price.

The thing is, you have to WANT to play it, which is something I struggle with at times. I very (very) much recommend that you get some real instruction before you go too far. In fact, you won't likely go far casually without some instruction. Just knowing how to hold it, stop the strings, and get a sound requires a significant attention to your body mechanics. A good teacher can help you through that quickly, which makes playing a lot easier, more fun, and less frustrating. Be ready to put in a lot of time to get good enough to just enjoy playing it; otherwise, it'll be a frustration when you can't do anything musical outside of the simplest of bass lines - never mind pulling a good tone out of it (which is in itself a life-long endeavor).

If you commit, it's great fun and a worthy endeavor. If you don't commit, it'll be a sore spot.

 

[AK Bass Guy]

I had to sell my plywood Czech bass off years ago because I was moving around a bunch.
Played mostly bluegrass, country, and singer/songwriter stuff with it.
I still miss it but due to a left hand injury it really isn’t feasible for me to pickup another.

Will you like it?
Hard to say but one thing for sure there is nothing like playing a real DB.
I’d recommend going to a violin shop and trying one out first.
Maybe rent one and get some instruction.
You will know if it’s something you will want to take up right away.

Fair warning though they aren’t the easiest thing to fit into a car.
Inexperienced musicians will also treat DB is like a toy at times and once you have your instruments setup dialed in you won’t want anyone messing around knocking your bridge out of place or laying it on its back.




Good luck.

 

[pipers dad]

Definitely a good price.

The thing is, you have to WANT to play it, which is something I struggle with at times. I very (very) much recommend that you get some real instruction before you go too far. In fact, you won't likely go far casually without some instruction. Just knowing how to hold it, press the strings, and get a sound require a significant attention to your body mechanics. A good teacher can help you through that quickly, which makes playing a lot easier, more fun, and less frustrating. Be ready to put in a lot of time to get good enough to just enjoy playing it; otherwise, it'll be a frustration when you can't do anything musical outside of the simplest of bass lines - never mind pulling a good tone out of it (which is in itself a life-long endeavor).

If you commit, it's great fun and a worthy endeavor. If you don't commit, it'll be a sore spot.

Hey thanks for this advice. I definitely plan to get some instruction. The guy I bought it from turned out to be a real chiller and is connected with the orchestra here in town. He is going to set me up with this really great teacher.

Now after buying this bass idk how many lessons I’ll be able to afford!

It’s already tons of fun though. I think worst case I flip it and make $3-400

 

[pipers dad]

I had to sell my plywood Czech bass off years ago because I was moving around a bunch.
Played mostly bluegrass, country, and singer/songwriter stuff with it.
I still miss it but due to a left hand injury it really isn’t feasible for me to pickup another.

Will you like it?
Hard to say but one thing for sure there is nothing like playing a real DB.
I’d recommend going to a violin shop and trying one out first.
Maybe rent one and get some instruction.
You will know if it’s something you will want to take up right away.

Fair warning though they aren’t the easiest thing to fit into a car.
Inexperienced musicians will also treat DB is like a toy at times and once you have your instruments setup dialed in you won’t want anyone messing around knocking your bridge out of place or laying it on its back.




Good luck.

Hey so I pulled the trigger. I know I know nothing but I can FEEL everything. Real cool. It was a buy it now or I have 2 guys waiting to hear back. I mean the thing was flawless. He walked through how to hold, carry, take care of it. It’s 15 years old and no cracks which he explained is maybe better than a new one bc if it cracks a lot of times it does it in the first few years? Made sense.

Anyway I’ll get some pics up soon but I gotta find a way to explain to the wife. Currently hiding in my studio..

 

[pipers dad]

It does all those things and more, if it's set up in a way that you find easy to play.

That price seems very good, especially if it is in good playing condition. Do you have a friend who plays upright? Take them with you to look at the instrument to get their opinion.

U pulled the trigger! We had a mutual luthier and friends and it was flawless for an instrument that size of 15 years. Like so much cleaner than most. Also the fretboard had a nice figuring which I like. It was also hey I’ve got another guy coming right behind you so it won’t be here tomorrow. Anyway if I hate it I think I can sell it for 2k easy. Better than my stock picks….

 

[pipers dad]

I had to sell my plywood Czech bass off years ago because I was moving around a bunch.
Played mostly bluegrass, country, and singer/songwriter stuff with it.
I still miss it but due to a left hand injury it really isn’t feasible for me to pickup another.

Will you like it?
Hard to say but one thing for sure there is nothing like playing a real DB.
I’d recommend going to a violin shop and trying one out first.
Maybe rent one and get some instruction.
You will know if it’s something you will want to take up right away.

Fair warning though they aren’t the easiest thing to fit into a car.
Inexperienced musicians will also treat DB is like a toy at times and once you have your instruments setup dialed in you won’t want anyone messing around knocking your bridge out of place or laying it on its back.




Good luck.

Side note why is laying it on the back on carpet bad? He told me that’s the best way if there’s no stand but I bought a stand.

 

[bass12]

If you have a free corner in your studio you can lean it there (preferably in its case) so that it's upright but with only the upper bouts touching the wall (with the bass facing the wall). Or you can lie the bass on the floor on its side (if the bass doesn't already have "bumpers" you might want to invest in some).

Edit: just saw you bought a stand.

 

[pipers dad]

If you have a free corner in your studio you can lean it there (preferably in its case) so that it's upright but with only the upper bouts touching the wall (with the bass facing the wall). Or you can lie the bass on the floor on its side (if the bass doesn't already have "bumpers" you might want to invest in some).

Edit: just saw you bought a stand.

Yes thanks! Also I was tripping he def told me the side. Ha I’ll make sure to just keep it on the stand

 

[AK Bass Guy]

Side note why is laying it on the back on carpet bad? He told me that’s the best way if there’s no stand but I bought a stand.

Glad to see you took the chance. It’s a very different experience from playing BG, very organic feel.

As far as laying down goes AFAIK it’s better to lay it on its side. DB pros please correct me if I am wrong. Because on its back it puts stress on the neck joint and is less stable. It will wobble around.
On its side is more stable and you can usually lay it a way that the bridge is less prone to being smacked by walking traffic.

Take this with a huge grain of salt, my experience with DB is from the bluegrass festival side of things.
The most common way on stage or late night whiskey jams on the bluegrass side I saw was ona carpet on its side.

I would recommend getting a Hamilton type stand for at home because the DB can fir into a corner of the room and take up much less real estate in a room. Depending on the stand you use you might even be able to keep the end pin extended to your playing height while it’s in its stand.

Some other “toys” you might want to invest in is a pickup and preamp designed for DB.
For bluegrass a Bassmax and Fishman Plat Pro worked well for me.
But that was bluegrass and the jazz cats are probably going to go for something different.
There are lots of pickup and preamp options out there so shop around and dig around the forum here to see what the folks on the DB side are using today.

Good luck.

Post Edit:
You got a stand. Awesome.
Just had my eyes dilated for an exam and reading is a little bit of a struggle right now.

Here is a link to a great resource for DB needs.
I haven’t shopped with them in a long time but when I did they were any amazing company with great customer service.
This is not a paid endorsement, this is a personal endorsement from my experience.

News - Gollihur Music

Gollihur Music News

gollihurmusic.com

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Laying on it's side is perfectly fine - if it has bumpers. A corner may be the most stable and out-of-the-way, but laying on it's side away from traffic areas (near a wall, etc.) is a close second. A stand is good, even better if you can play it on the stand as an option, but it's generally not as stable as a corner. I've had a few close-ish calls with my bass in it's stand and my excited large dogs bouncing around it.

 

[pipers dad]

Glad to see you took the chance. It’s a very different experience from playing BG, very organic feel.

As far as laying down goes AFAIK it’s better to lay it on its side. DB pros please correct me if I am wrong. Because on its back it puts stress on the neck joint and is less stable. It will wobble around.
On its side is more stable and you can usually lay it a way that the bridge is less prone to being smacked by walking traffic.

Take this with a huge grain of salt, my experience with DB is from the bluegrass festival side of things.
The most common way on stage or late night whiskey jams on the bluegrass side I saw was ona carpet on its side.

I would recommend getting a Hamilton type stand for at home because the DB can fir into a corner of the room and take up much less real estate in a room. Depending on the stand you use you might even be able to keep the end pin extended to your playing height while it’s in its stand.

Some other “toys” you might want to invest in is a pickup and preamp designed for DB.
For bluegrass a Bassmax and Fishman Plat Pro worked well for me.
But that was bluegrass and the jazz cats are probably going to go for something different.
There are lots of pickup and preamp options out there so shop around and dig around the forum here to see what the folks on the DB side are using today.

Good luck.

Post Edit:
You got a stand. Awesome.
Just had my eyes dilated for an exam and reading is a little bit of a struggle right now.

Here is a link to a great resource for DB needs.
I haven’t shopped with them in a long time but when I did they were any amazing company with great customer service.
This is not a paid endorsement, this is a personal endorsement from my experience.

News - Gollihur Music

Gollihur Music News

gollihurmusic.com

He 100 percent told me to lay on side. Idk I was just excited yesterday. It’s so fun.

But yeah I laid it on its back for maybe 20 mins and corrected myself. I have a stand and a bow and a pouch and little funny belt cover for and extra $50 which I guess was probably fair. Anyway he’s also an amp tech AND I am running him some air fiber too (day job) so it’s all a win