Higher End Basses(double or electric?)

The better choice will be your choice. None of us can make that decision for you. It has to do with your future intentions and whether your current electric bass is sufficient for the time being.

 

hi,
it's been my experience that in most academic situations, getting a double bass would be the best. i say this because, in my own situation, when i got to college to major in music, i realized that as a bassist(electric), i was going to have to learn double bass in order to graduate. i'm a jazz performance major, but i'm required to study classical 50% of the time, as well as spend 4 semesters in a classical ensemble, and have half of my senior recital be classical literature. there isn't any classical literature for the electric bass. i still play electric and have no plans on giving it up, but i bought a double bass, and if i could have before i got to school, i would have. i figure when school's over, i'll work more if i play both, so that's my two cents. the decision is yours, it all depends on what you'd like to accomplish.
andy

 

oh yeah, sometimes you can use your student loans for instruments, if you work with your instructor to get his/her permission....the financial aid usually does that if you show it as a neccessary expense....

 

I've got to agree with Bob, the best choice is your choice.

As for needing a DB for college, there were instruments available for free (or at least cheap rental) at every school that I attended, from grade school through college. I'd also note that for an equivalent level of quality there's roughly a 5x multiplier in price for a DB (e.g., a $1000 DB is about the same quality level as a $200 BG. For something that's the same quality level as say a Musicman bass guitar, you can expect to pay $5000-$7500, at least.

Note also that people on this side of the board will probably be biased towards DB (for good reason ;-)

-dh

 

good point about the school having basses. i forgot about that one. my school has some. they're not super quality, and availability is always an issue, at least here, but i'm sure alot of places have a system of rental or at least signing them out.
my statement about the 'acceptance' of electric basses was based soley on my experience with the state university that i attend, i didn't even think about other schools like the players school or MI or anything....my bad...i think i'm pretty right on about having to learn double bass at the university level, due to the common requirement of classical studies, though, so that's a consideration. just go with what you really want to do with music, and don't think you've got to decide everything all at once....i used to play christian rock, now my love is jazz....it took some time to figure that out, and i've still got tons more things to get together.

 

"try not to let the totality of your experience become the totality of this wide and wonderful universe, eh?"...likewise...i don't think i ever did that, and my point of view isn't the only one...i guess i should just quit trying to contribute...i do play electric too, so i'm not putting it down, someone asked a question, i had a thought about it, end of story.....thanks for keeping it positive, by the way....

 

Obviously Bootsaco's first experience with being "Ed"-ited.

Boots, don't take it personally. We understand that Ed's bite is every bit as bad as his bark. Put a band-aid on it and carry on.

 

It sure is nice to see Ed.

 

This is from the North Texas Jazz Studies web site at:

http://www.music.unt.edu/jazz/


Ability to play both acoustic and electric basses is not required for entrance into the bachelors in jazz performance program but is part of the requisites for completing the degree. The greater the students' experience on both instruments upon entering the program, the easier the process will be.


It would be interesting to see a list of the schools that offer a degree for electric bass.

 

thanks, that's what i thought.
andy

 

The more diverse you are in music the more valuable you can be in a group or in a studio. Get the upright and learn about its tone, sound, intonation, how it speaks with the high notes and low. Its not an electric (gee, really??) but it is sooo much fun to play. You can still slap, pop and pull but comes out differently. I think its in the thump of each note and the resonance of the body. Listen to DB players from the early jazz years and today. I'm no great musician but I have a lot of different Basses, including an upright, an acoustic fretless nylon strings (big phatt strings, not li'l skinny LaBellas) and electrics strung with tapewounds, rounds and flats. All sound different and fit in better in the right songs. Hey - I love bass. But I really love the acoustic sound of the wood. Get the upright; diversify!!!