• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Help! Looking to buy my first upright

#23
SG-Jazz said:
I really dont wanna have to buy another upright in the near future. So if I can I wold like to get one that can take me into the next few years with no worry. I am planning on playing and learning classical on it too but currently will be playing jazz on it with my band.

As a beginner upright player I am leaning towards the shen sb-80. I am very curious and would be patient, so I can save more money to get a Upton UB standard double bass or a hybrid shen SB-150.

Do you guys think for my applications and for future professional use, a hybrid or the more expensive uptone, would be better for me?

I havent had a chance to try out any uprights around me yet, except for my teachers, so bear with me til I can gain more experience. Any suggestions now are much appreciated
Click to expand...

You might want to save up a bit more to jump to the Shen hybrids.
 
#24
Using a very small sample size, one SB 100 in the same room with with three SB 80s, all strung with new D'Addario Hybrid strings, here is my own limited assessment of the sound and response differences between the two models as they stand here in front of me. The SB 100 is more lively and free sounding than the any of the SB 80s played arco or pizz. I think that the difference is primarily due to the oil varnish vs. lacquer, though the different mass of the tuners and endpins might be contributing a tiny bit to any difference in sound between the two models.

With plywood tops on the same model, ideally very uniform in stiffness and weight, the response should very similar in the three SB 80s. The wild card of the bass bar stiffness differences in each instrument is likely to contribute to most of the tonal and response variation. Each of these three SB 80s have their own personality in spite of being littermates. The oft repeated advice to audition your purchases in person is worth mentioning again. You are much more likely to find the closest fit to your playing style and tonal preference rather than making a decision based solely on specifications.
 
#25
Rent a bass for a month or two from a reputable Luthier/shop and take some lessons. Also play as many basses as you can regardless of the price. You'll be in a much better position to make a decision regarding a purchase when the time comes.
-J
 
#26
Okay So I have been taking lessons and playing my teachers upright whenever I get a chance. I really like how his carved bass sounds and know that they sound better then ply for playing arco. So I have also heard that the hybrids are alot better than ply for arco. Considering most of the carved sound apparently comes from the carved front belly.

I really am leaning towards a hybrid now. In particular the Shen SB-150, its at a great price point and I have heard great things about em. Im gonna go to fantastic musical instruments tomorrow to try different basses out.

For now, are there any other comparable hybrids for around the 2500 dollar range I should be aware of, that are known to sound as good or better?
 
#27
I'm a big Upton fan, I own 2 (one in each location, about 100 miles apart). However, I recognize the shipping issues etc. Try to find a good upright dealer in your area and check out what they've got. Shens, Engelhardts - there are a lot of good basses out there. Or if Upton has a West Coast dealer, maybe you can try one there. But it is worth the effort, as playing DB as well as BG really increases the gig opportunities as a bass player. :bassist:
 
#28
Okay new update! Thompsons RM-200 looks amazing and sounds great on the videos steve posted. I like the price too. By online research alone I am torn between the shen sb-150 and the thompson rm-200.

Im kinda leaning more towards the thompson now. Phoenix is closer to LA and its 500 dollars cheaper. Cant find too many clips of the shen SB-150.

Thoughts?
 
#29
SG-Jazz said:
... In particular the Shen SB-150, its at a great price point and I have heard great things about em...For now, are there any other comparable hybrids for around the 2500 dollar range I should be aware of, that are known to sound as good or better?
Click to expand...

I don't know of any. The SB 150 I rented for three months was phenomenal.

I thought long and hard about spending several times as much money for a more pesky, delicate carved bass.

I played a hybrid for many years, pretty happily, before I bought a carved bass. It would be hard to "miss" with an SB 150, IMHO.
 
#31
michaeln said:
I recommend you don't make your decision based on crappy internet video sound clips.
Click to expand...

+1! In addition, consider that most of the time people listen to those sound clips on equipment that hardly provides much fidelity (e.g., computer speakers). FWIW, I'm often reminded of how important it is to try to compare basses in the same room. Judging on the basis of video clips takes you several steps away from that ideal.
 
#32
drurb said:
+1! In addition, consider that most of the time people listen to those sound clips on equipment that hardly provides much fidelity (e.g., computer speakers).
Click to expand...

That's pretty much what I meant. I really didn't mean the videos are crappy, they are in fact really well done. But the whole signal chain is suspect when listening to them over the internet on a computer.

You *have* to listen in person, unless you are buying the bass to play it for people over the internet to listen to on their computer speakers. ;)
 
#33
michaeln said:
That's pretty much what I meant. I really didn't mean the videos are crappy, they are in fact really well done. But the whole signal chain is suspect when listening to them over the internet on a computer.

You *have* to listen in person, unless you are buying the bass to play it for people over the internet to listen to on their computer speakers. ;)
Click to expand...

Yup, we're in violent agreement. :) Even with videos that are very well done and even listening over fine equipment, I think it can be misleading. It's the room again which, essentially, is a physical tone-shaping device. One can make "pure" recordings of a given bass in different rooms and make that same instrument sound either beautifully resonant or hopelessly anemic. No, I'm not saying that one can make a cheap ply sound great but, given the wrong room one sure can make a great bass sound awful.

Even if one can't audition different basses in the very same room, one of the advantages of evaluating a bass in person is that people do take into account the acoustic characteristics of a room simply by being in, moving in, listening in, and/or talking in that room. That is, there's an inherent "compensation" that goes on. When you listen to a recording, you can't really adjust for the room. To offer a crude visual analogy, think about pictures you've seen taken (without a flash) in a room illuminated by incandescent lighting. They look really red. When you're in the room, it doesn't seem that way.

(Geek disclaimer-- Okay, the visual system shifts based on ambient illumination in a way not at all strictly analogous to what happens in the auditory system but the example is worthwhile intuitively.)
 
#37
The functional differences between the Shen SB 150 and SB 180 used to be greater. The SB 150 now has nicer tuners than it used to and an oil varnish finish instead of lacquer. The tops on the SB 150 are often wider grain and a little more flexible than the SB 180s usually are, allowing a rich pizz voice right away. Once broken in the, the SB 180s usually have a more colorful voice on the upper end of the fingerboard. Each bass is a little different, though, and there is a lot of overlap in response and tone.
 
#39
I play a Thompson hybrid that I bought in April. I am very happy with it. You might ask the String Emporium if they have a Shen that you might compare it to as I think he sells some used basses but I'm not too sure about that. My understanding is that some of the former Shen guys build Thompson. Ask String Emporium for the details. I'm a satisfied customer and would not hesitate to deal with them again if the need ever arose. I'm sure Shen is every bit as nice as Thompson. I think you would be hard pressed to find a negative first hand review of Thompson as well. Best Regards,
 
#40
hi guys.i've been playing the electric bass for abt 10 years now. it suddenly hit me for the past week that i should start playing the upright, i was thinking of getting a EDB mainly because of its mobility but my bassist dad strongly objected and insists on me getting the real deal. problem is, the only upright basses there is here in singapore where i'm livin are china and korean made, im not saying that its not good, but i dont know what to look out for. im currently playing top 40's on my gigs, but on a personal level i like jazz/fusion style. some help here guys...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back