Hi everyone!
I'm looking to buy my first double bass. I have searched this topic to death but am still very unsure, so I hope it's okay to ask for advice here. All I figure is that it should be 3/4 size, and I want it to be good and easy playing so I will feel happy with it for a long time. I can get a professional setup done locally if needed. Strings seem like a whole big thing, but I will continue to search for topics on that separately.
I will be taking lessons from a jazz player (which I will also ask for advice on this, but would still love to here what you all think), but I personally lean more towards roots and folky stuff. I see myself mostly playing pizzicato, but will practice with a bow too. But the Pizzicato sound, playability and reliableness is more important to me. It gets ridiculously dry here in the winter and any "normal" sized room humidifier does little to nothing. Of course I can keep the bass relatively humidified in a gig bag, but a really good laminated bass would be ideal. Not a must though.
The only bass I can find locally, apart from some random vintage basses which I know nothing about, is a Gewa hybrid, the one made in Asia. I've read so and so about them and unfortunately don't have the experience yet to inform my own opinion. So I am leaning towards trying to buy a more inspiring bass online from some place in a EU country that will ship it to me. I've read good things about the Samuel Shen basses, but I can't seem to find one anywhere in Europe apart from The Double Bass Workshop in Ireland, and I don't believe they ship internationally. Anyone know another place that stocks them? The Upton laminated bass seems to get very high praise, but I don't want to wait for one to be made for me or have to pay a very high shipping and import fee to boot.
I can find Mastri basses, which look nice in the pictures, but I haven't been able to read anyones thoughts on them. Thomann sells the german made Gewa basses, Duke basses, which I don't really love the aesthetics of (which is fine if I believed they were good, but I don't know), their own branded Thomann basses and Höfner basses, which again are difficult to find impressions of. A violin workshop a couple hours away sells a bass they call PlyPro, which they seem to like, but I have no idea what it is. Other than those I have only been able to find less expensive basses which I believe to be lesser quality.
If anyone has thoughts on those mentioned above, or could recommend a specific bass that's actually in stock somewhere, that would be very helpful! I'm fine with either new or used/vintage, if it's from a reputable shop that has done quality control and setup. I don't dare buying a vintage bass from a private seller at this point in my journey. I have a couple high-end guitars I am about to sell, so I am fairly flexible on budget, but of course don't need anything extravagant. Just a good quality bass that won't make me start thinking about upgrading anytime soon.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as this has been very difficult to figure out myself, and I'm really looking forward to get going as soon as possible!
Max
I'm looking to buy my first double bass. I have searched this topic to death but am still very unsure, so I hope it's okay to ask for advice here. All I figure is that it should be 3/4 size, and I want it to be good and easy playing so I will feel happy with it for a long time. I can get a professional setup done locally if needed. Strings seem like a whole big thing, but I will continue to search for topics on that separately.
I will be taking lessons from a jazz player (which I will also ask for advice on this, but would still love to here what you all think), but I personally lean more towards roots and folky stuff. I see myself mostly playing pizzicato, but will practice with a bow too. But the Pizzicato sound, playability and reliableness is more important to me. It gets ridiculously dry here in the winter and any "normal" sized room humidifier does little to nothing. Of course I can keep the bass relatively humidified in a gig bag, but a really good laminated bass would be ideal. Not a must though.
The only bass I can find locally, apart from some random vintage basses which I know nothing about, is a Gewa hybrid, the one made in Asia. I've read so and so about them and unfortunately don't have the experience yet to inform my own opinion. So I am leaning towards trying to buy a more inspiring bass online from some place in a EU country that will ship it to me. I've read good things about the Samuel Shen basses, but I can't seem to find one anywhere in Europe apart from The Double Bass Workshop in Ireland, and I don't believe they ship internationally. Anyone know another place that stocks them? The Upton laminated bass seems to get very high praise, but I don't want to wait for one to be made for me or have to pay a very high shipping and import fee to boot.
I can find Mastri basses, which look nice in the pictures, but I haven't been able to read anyones thoughts on them. Thomann sells the german made Gewa basses, Duke basses, which I don't really love the aesthetics of (which is fine if I believed they were good, but I don't know), their own branded Thomann basses and Höfner basses, which again are difficult to find impressions of. A violin workshop a couple hours away sells a bass they call PlyPro, which they seem to like, but I have no idea what it is. Other than those I have only been able to find less expensive basses which I believe to be lesser quality.
If anyone has thoughts on those mentioned above, or could recommend a specific bass that's actually in stock somewhere, that would be very helpful! I'm fine with either new or used/vintage, if it's from a reputable shop that has done quality control and setup. I don't dare buying a vintage bass from a private seller at this point in my journey. I have a couple high-end guitars I am about to sell, so I am fairly flexible on budget, but of course don't need anything extravagant. Just a good quality bass that won't make me start thinking about upgrading anytime soon.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as this has been very difficult to figure out myself, and I'm really looking forward to get going as soon as possible!
Max
