Newbie with first Double Bass

Congrats on your new bass! It looks like a nice one. I would take it to a reputable bass luthier, and have them go over it top to bottom. A set of strings along with good setup will do wonders, and any issues will be disclosed. Best of luck with it, and wellcome to the forum.

 

That's an interesting combination of car and bass! Best way probably is turning down the passenger seat al the way and sticking in the bass neck first from the back. With the scroll where the passenger feet go it might just fit, but that's a really short car. Should be possible though: I've seen a 4/4 go into a old mini with the passenger seat removed.

The bass look Chech to me, but that's all I can say about it.

 

nice looking bass, good luck!

 

Hey! If you can fit it in, you're good to go. I fit my bass, a Carvin MB-12, an extension 1X15 cab on casters, a backup EB, stands, music, etc., all in a hatchback Chevrolet Aveo, also called a Kalos in other parts of the world and made in the old Daewoo factory. Of course, my seats do fold completely down.

Welcome to DB!

 

Congrats and welcome! Indeed, it would be best to get the bass to a luthier for a good setup including a new bridge. Looks like a ply bass. Value? Well, not going to go there. You mentioned that it's a 4/4. What is the string length? You measure that between the nut at the top and where the string crosses the bridge. Okay, I'll say it before anyone else. Get a teacher. This is important not only so that you develop good habits and progress quickly but so that you avoid injury.

You can learn a ton here via the search function within the various forums. As a newbie, the questions that will arise for you are likely those that have been asked and answered many, many times. Your fastest route to comprehensive answers is by reading the threads that are archived here. Pull up a chair!

Welcome to the dark side!

 

Nice looking bass. To my untrained eye, this bass appears to be made by Musima ( also branded as Eberle, and Meisel) in Germany. The 1/4 round outside lining is what makes me think that this is the case. To the best of my knowledge, Musima is the only maker that uses that type of lining. I would seriously doubt that it is a 4/4, more likely a 3/4, but hard to tell from photos. Post the measurements, and we can tell.

 

Congrats. As for the value, it's like a new girlfriends first kiss. Priceless.

 

Strings can be expensive thats for sure, and you will also want to budget for a bow. A fiberglass bow such as one made by Glasser is what many of us newbies use. Drurb's advice on getting a teacher is probably the first step one should take on this incredible journey of
upright bass playing. They can advise you on what strings to use,what style bow to purchase, along with the books or study materials they
use.I started playing upright less than two years ago coming from an EB backround of almost 30 years so I am by no means an expert..However after buying my bass the first thing I did was to set
up lessons with my current teacher. His advice, and guidance has really made the difference, and I think everyone here would advise you to seek one out before spending any more money.

 

Welcome to the club! I think that you will find "scanning" the string section to be an understatement. Spending days and days reading 3000 post threads about strings is the norm! However, many and many a great player just stick with Spirocores, and I would suggest starting with Weichs to give your hands a break. They sound great, aren't too stiff, and can be used in many different situations. They will also last for years and years. I just sold a set that I have had for 15 or 20 years! They can be a tad pricey, perhaps they are cheaper in Europe, but you only need to make the investment once. Expect to spend $500 US on a full setup from a luthier, which will involve planning the fingerboard, installing and cutting a new bridge, and buying the strings. Don't know the conversion to pounds or Euros but $350 for setup and bridge is what our local guy charges and strings could be anywhere from $100 to $200. Try to find strings that aren't too stiff and get the action on the low side. No point killing yourself with high action until your hands get really strong, and then maybe not even then! I have been playing since I was 15 and still don't like high action. Best of luck. Gettin into upright bass is like getting a girlfriend or a boat-no end to the amount of money you can throw into it-but it is worth it!

 

One piece of advice that I think's invaluable: don't do anything until you know how.
Basically, search the forums, do your research etc
Oh, and don't touch the sound post (wooden dowell inside bass) or remove all the strings at once etc.
Oh, and many people here like thomastik spirocores

 

plus a million to durbs advice about getting a teacher. Even just a few lessons on posture, correct hand position, and right hand technique and help your tone, and save you from tendonitus.

 

Drurb is right--get a teacher. You cannot learn this instrument by yourself. You may think so but once you start taking lessons from someone who has mastered it, you'll realize just how little you know and that you never would have figured out on your own.

If you're going to invest the time and money, do it right. This instrument does not give up its secrets easily, it takes a teacher to reveal them to you. And don't go to Expert Village on Youtube and think that you'll learn much. You can see how angry and frustrated the posters are on there because they can't do what the guy in the clip is showing them and he often isn't doing it that well himself. And especially learning to use the bow requires a teacher.

Even if someone shows you a good technique online, you need an instructor to tell if you're doing it right. You might think you are but you need to teacher to check your game to know for sure. Learning the proper way to walk a bass also requires a teacher. Some here might dispute this with me--I don't know--but that's my take on learning to play this instrument.

Looks like you have a nice bass so do it justice.

 

Finished neck is a give away that is came out of the Musima factory. Get it checked out, your bridge looks warped.

Congrats and Enjoy!

 

Also 4/4s are BIG basses. Not many people use them anymore. 3/4 is sort of an unofficial standard. I agree with another poster here that yours looks like a 3/4 from the photos. If that's so, count that as a plus. Frankly, I think a 4/4 is too big to learn on. Measure your scale length. 41 or 42 inches would indicate a 3/4. That's as big as I would go. When you hear these guys doing these fast runs up and down the fingerboard, they ain't doin' that on no 4/4!

 

Hi

Congrats on the new bass. I think you did well, price-wise.

I've just scanned over the posts quickly. Not sure anyone answered this: The 'crown' is usually called the scroll.

Re. your last post, the uneven-ness in the top is something that needs looking at. It's not too uncommon of an event, and might not be a cause for concern. However, the bass bar is in that area, and it could mean that there is a difficulty with it.

You, absolutely, need to take it in for a checkup. And then get a teacher....

Cheers,

Paul