(not actually NBD today, but i'm still excited and wanted to share)
Hi folks! I'm new to DB, tried it out during a few bluegrass jams and decided to get my own. I bought a 1/4 size Engelhardt M3 in April, sold it two months later and rented a Shen, and now I've got a bass I think I'll be playing for a while. It's a 2015 Eastman VB80 with a Realist pickup. I paid $1000 for it, and put another $360 into it at Hammond Ashley Violins (closing a seam and loose fingerboard, plus new strings, new bridge adjusters, rubber endpin stopper). I had a couple days of anxiety because I hadn't noticed the open seam until I got it home with it, and was afraid I had significantly overpaid or bought a lemon. But now I know that it (along with the loose fingerboard that the luthier noticed) was a minor issue, and it's overall in solid playing condition.
It now has light gauge Eurosonic strings. I went with the Eurosonics because that's what our jam's default bass player has on his and I liked the feel compared with the other strings I'd tried. I'm very happy that mine ended up with similar feel and playability now that it has the Eurosonics; gives me some confidence that the instrument won't be my limiting factor any time soon.
I almost regret passing along the 1/4 size Engelhardt (sold for same price I bought it for, $150), but at the time it felt urgent to keep the instrument count from growing. It was harder to play and sounded worse, but easy to carry around and charming in it's own way, and served me well for getting started with the basics. But hopefully it's living its best bass life with the new owner.
DB is so fun! Wish I'd gotten started a few decades ago.
Hi folks! I'm new to DB, tried it out during a few bluegrass jams and decided to get my own. I bought a 1/4 size Engelhardt M3 in April, sold it two months later and rented a Shen, and now I've got a bass I think I'll be playing for a while. It's a 2015 Eastman VB80 with a Realist pickup. I paid $1000 for it, and put another $360 into it at Hammond Ashley Violins (closing a seam and loose fingerboard, plus new strings, new bridge adjusters, rubber endpin stopper). I had a couple days of anxiety because I hadn't noticed the open seam until I got it home with it, and was afraid I had significantly overpaid or bought a lemon. But now I know that it (along with the loose fingerboard that the luthier noticed) was a minor issue, and it's overall in solid playing condition.
It now has light gauge Eurosonic strings. I went with the Eurosonics because that's what our jam's default bass player has on his and I liked the feel compared with the other strings I'd tried. I'm very happy that mine ended up with similar feel and playability now that it has the Eurosonics; gives me some confidence that the instrument won't be my limiting factor any time soon.
I almost regret passing along the 1/4 size Engelhardt (sold for same price I bought it for, $150), but at the time it felt urgent to keep the instrument count from growing. It was harder to play and sounded worse, but easy to carry around and charming in it's own way, and served me well for getting started with the basics. But hopefully it's living its best bass life with the new owner.
DB is so fun! Wish I'd gotten started a few decades ago.
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