So, I realised I'd never find what sort of bass I really want by research, theorising, asking opinions on TB, looking at pretty pictures and trying the small handful of cheap 4-strings in my local shops. I packed the family up and drove over to Invalid Link Removed in Warwick (the town, not the bass company - ironically they only have one Warwick in stock). The plan was to wrap my hands around as many necks as possible to find out what I really like, and then either go away and buy used or leave the shop with my perfect bass. Part of me knew it was always going to be the latter.
After a few 4-strings that felt 'meh' I tried the Sterling SB14 and loved it, as I had when I tried one before. "That's it", I thought, "I knew what I probably wanted was a narrow-necked 4-string with a little bit of depth to it". The shop owner wasn't convinced that was where I should stop though. He put a 5-string MTD Kingston Heir into my hands. Wait a minute... this didn't feel like the unnamed 5er I tried the other day that felt so wrong I'd all but decided 5ers weren't for me. Then a Overwater by Tanglewood Contemporary Jazz 5 - also changing my views on 5ers. I don't know whether these two are particularly good 5ers or just right for my hands but I spent the next hour boucing back and forth between them. In the end, given they were both around £600, it was down to the 'Tanglewater' being a lot heavier and not finished as neatly (not surprising, given that the MTD should have cost £900 instead of £600).
So I'm now the proud owner of something I never expected to buy! If the pictures don't load properly, the link above is my actual bass.
After a few 4-strings that felt 'meh' I tried the Sterling SB14 and loved it, as I had when I tried one before. "That's it", I thought, "I knew what I probably wanted was a narrow-necked 4-string with a little bit of depth to it". The shop owner wasn't convinced that was where I should stop though. He put a 5-string MTD Kingston Heir into my hands. Wait a minute... this didn't feel like the unnamed 5er I tried the other day that felt so wrong I'd all but decided 5ers weren't for me. Then a Overwater by Tanglewood Contemporary Jazz 5 - also changing my views on 5ers. I don't know whether these two are particularly good 5ers or just right for my hands but I spent the next hour boucing back and forth between them. In the end, given they were both around £600, it was down to the 'Tanglewater' being a lot heavier and not finished as neatly (not surprising, given that the MTD should have cost £900 instead of £600).
So I'm now the proud owner of something I never expected to buy! If the pictures don't load properly, the link above is my actual bass.
