Double Bass Questions from a would be bass player.

[calisquare]

Greetings,

I'm interested in learning to play bass and in doing some research on manufacturers I stumbled across this great site. I know nothing of music as it pertains to playing any sort of instrument or reading music so I apologize if my questions are dumb.

1. Who are some of the European bass makers still around today? I know a lot of vintage basses came out of Italy, Germany and France. Are basses still made there and if so how does one go about finding them in the US?

2. I have about $3,000 to spend. What sort of bass could I expect to find in this price range? Are there any manufacturers to search out or avoid?

3. I've heard the majority of basses these days come out of China and that they aren't all that great. Is the Chinese reputation of mass produced, low quality goods correct as it pertains to basses?

3.

I've tried a number of local music stores but have found them to be of little help in answering my questions. Any insight is much appreciated. Thanks

 

[bassistjoe93]

You should check the DB forum stickies at the top. They do a pretty good job of detailing what you can get at each price point, pros/cons, etc. But someone else will certainly chime in and answer your question I'm sure.

Welcome to TB!

 

[SVT4001]

Hi,

We can better help you if you fill out your profile a little more- I can see that you are a novice, but what kind of music are you considering pursuing, and where are you?

Here are some general answers to your questions:

1- As the Joe above has suggested- you may consider reading through some of the "newby" threads and stickies- lots of good info in them.

Where to find basses- European made or otherwise? You will want to find a bass shop/luthier near you- tell us where you are and we can recommend some places to check out.

2- 3k can get you a good starter bass- but you have to be careful- and part of that is being informed. They kinda start around a G or so- but it depends on what you want to do with it- classical, jazz, blues, what ever- it's best to approach your music of choice with a bass that is set up to do what you want to do. Don't forget to keep some of the budget money for a bow...and some lessons too!
Trust me on the lessons!
Even if it's just a few...

3- There are some fine basses coming out of China- there are also a lot of crappy ones...stay away from (buying) on the internets...by that I mean Evilbay and such- there are some good spots like Gollihur and Upton...

As far as local music stores being no help- not surprising unfortunately...again- let us know where you are.

Welcome to Talkbass!

Joe

 

[calisquare]

Thanks. I'm in Northern California. Sacramento specifically. I also travel down to Los Angeles about once a month so if there are reputable places down there please let me know.

I've added a bit to my profile and will be fleshing it out more later. I'd like to pursue jazz/blues.

Thanks again for the warm welcome and advice. Talkbass definitely looks like a great resource!


-Frank

 

[GrowlerBox]

Check out this wiki page on how to buy a bass, linked in the FAQs at the top of this forum.

Lots of very experienced people have contributed to this page, and I think it is among the most valuable resources out there for a new player.

You'll notice that there are several well-respected Chinese makers (e.g. Shen, Christopher, Wan Bernadel, to name just a few off the top of my head) as well as many American builders (e.g. Upton, New Standard).

Then you can get started on strings ...

 

[skychief]

Stein on Vine in Hollywood always has some wonderful instruments in the back room. They usually have 1 or 2 ply basses for under $3k.

A little further south in Long Beach, World of Strings on 7th St. will have some trade-ins to fool around with, but these are usually workhorses with alot of hard miles on them.

 

[Matt Ides]

I'd start with these folks:

Jeff Sahs Luthier in Sacramento
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] big selection of basses in SF
Link Removed in Berkeley
Ifshin in Berkeley

This should get you headed in the right direction

 

[drurb]

Welcome! If you haven't already, read this again and follow the link:

Check out this wiki page on how to buy a bass, linked in the FAQs at the top of this forum.

Lots of very experienced people have contributed to this page, and I think it is among the most valuable resources out there for a new player.

You'll notice that there are several well-respected Chinese makers (e.g. Shen, Christopher, Wan Bernadel, to name just a few off the top of my head) as well as many American builders (e.g. Upton, New Standard).

Then you can get started on strings ...

 

[LouisF]

I had a Shen hybrid on loan from FMI in Pasadena while my bass was being worked on (by another luthier). It's in the $3K range. I had the bridge replaced and reshaped while using it , so its in pretty playable shape. There's a lot of decent stuff in that range.

Louis

 

[El Thumpo]

Plus one on Matt's rundown of bass resources in the Bay Area. There's also Best Instrument in Oakland: Link Removed. And since you get down to SoCal on a regular basis, don't forget Lemur Music in Capistrano.

 

[Nagrom]

Howdy. IMO, the first question you should ask is, "Can someone recommend to me a good DB teacher who lives in my general area?" This is your best starting point, IMO.

 

[calisquare]

Thanks everyone for the awesome input and insight. You guys have given me a great deal of information and been exponentially more helpful than the few music store folk I've talked to in the past. Thanks again!