I'm officially in the market for a stellar bass

^ You've been here since 2001 and you're in Brooklyn? You know what my answer is, hopefully.....

 

Wow. There is a revelation.

That's a mighty fine hunk of lumber to cut loose of.

Are you sure?

Well...you know all the usual suspects. Hunting for basses is fun.

Take a player with you. It was a huge help to me to have Brian Glassman with me. A passionate player with gusto for basses and a clear head. Made it easier for me to do the hunt without going astray.

 

I see where KS has marked down some of his master basses. The two Italian basses that Arnold worked on look particularly interesting. But right now, there's a lot out there going for discounted prices. Happy Hunting!

Louis

 

If you visit Arnold I'm happy to meet you there and be your "listener." I'll take any excuse I can get, and I'm 30 minutes away.

Do you have a buyer for the old bass already?

 

Jason,
I don't have what you're looking for (small, easy-to-play bass with quick response and big acoustic sound? if you find it, don't let it go!), but I have something that could do exactly what you're looking for if you find that the right small bass eludes you. It's the bass I've been playing for this year while my own stellar, huge, hard-to-play-in thumb-position English bass is being repaired: an early 20th-century German roundback, 7/8 size but very light, 43" mensure but you'd never know it, changed my life as far as playing in thumb position goes and it's loud as hell. (Chris Fitzgerald can confirm the loudness/easiness aspects of it; Uncle Toad can't, because when he played it there were some really stupid strings on it.)
It's not a "stellar" bass; it's a bass that made me realize that I didn't need to spend stellar dollars to have almost exactly the same experience. I'll be selling it this spring when the broken bass gets fixed, and the price will be well under $20K. I'll be doing some recording at Systems Two in March, and I may bring it with me and leave it with Arnold or somebody to sell on consignment when I come.
Anyway, just a thought for you in case your search doesn't yield exactly what you seek.

 

Of all the places I went on my travels the best experiences I had in hunting basses were with Arnold Schnitzer and Ken Smith. Outstanding inventories and fair pricing.

The other NYC guys had great stuff, were very nice, but were priced a bit higher than everywhere else I visited.

 

I kinda wish I had this problem. That being aside, I think now would be a really good time to be on the hunt for a good bass. For most of the world, the acquisition of musical instruments is a luxury and not an absolute need, therefore resulting in fewer sales, especially during these tough economic times.

I hope you find your dream bass at a better than expected price.

 

hi jason
if you are in the netherlands again you could visit rene zaal.
he has some great basses and is a nice guy.

 

I dig that. Screws you up for good.