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Double Bass Rockabilly-Bass

T

tommythecat_22

Mar 26, 2005
2
0
38
#1
first I'd like to say hallo; I'm new in this forum
sorry for my horrible English- I'm Italian.

now my question:
I'm playing the E-bass now for several years, and I'm dreaming of playing the double bass. I love psycho- and rockabilly and the sound of the slapbass.
so now I'm looking for a nice bass, which is good for this music. the problem is, I'm a student and so I "want" to spend as little money as possible (up to 1000$).
a friend showed me the King Slapbass, but the shipping is to expensive (is there any chance to get one in europe?)
then there is the Engelhardt Em-1 Maestro or this one:
Invalid Link Removed

what do you think about it?
thank you
tommy
 
#3
Dig through the Newbie threads as well. There's a lot of information there.

Since it looks like you might be playing almost exclusively with the amp, acoustic properties aren't as important as it would be otherwise, but you still want something that is constructed well.

Also, you can probably get something that you're looking for by hooking up with a teacher (which you'll need anyhow) who can use his connections (student, luthiers, etc.) to find you a good bass in your price range.
 
#4
Although the bass you linked us to is $999, be prepared to spend another $200-$500 on better strings, pickup, possible new bridge, and endpin. This is all considered "setup" work, and is usually needed when you buy an upright for under $1000. I know they advertise "ready to play out of the box", but that is rarely true.

Are there any bass shops in your area?
 
#6
thank you for your answers.
yep, the right set up is another thing and It's clear that a cheap china bass is probably the wrong solution.
I was thinking about the Engelhardt EM_1 (1000$) at Gollihur.com, paying the set up (pick up...) would be ok, but not the shipping to Europe.
here in my area in Italy, there aren't many serious musicshops and I think it will be very hard to find an engelhardt or another "slapbass".
is there anyone, who knows where you can get such a bass for ca.1000$ in Europe?

tommy
 
#7
Figure out what it is that you want first (quality-wise). You can try the Italian and Austrian eBay sites to locate something, even if it is only a seller/shop. Locate a bass (or a shop) in Rome or some other major city (most likely in northern Italy or maybe Graz, Austria) and take the train there. Rent a car for the return trip. A bass will fit in a small car if you think about it and are very careful.

You will not save a lot of money, but you will get to see and play the instrument first to see if you are truly interested in taking it home. You will not have to worry that it will get dropped by some shipping monkey. You will be in control. This is important.

If the bass fails to meet your expectations, just come home on the train to save the horrible rental car price. If you reserved a car, make sure that you cancel the reservation properly or you will get a big, fat bill in the post one day.

I would personally take the train all the way to Vienna. The choice of instruments there will be the best and it is only 2.5 hours further than Graz by train.

If you can not drive, get a friend that does to come with you. You will have to pay for the tickets. Tell them that it will be an adventure. (It will be, trust me.)

This is just one method. It will not really save any money, but will make you happier in the long run. Take your time. I am suggesting this because you make it sound as if you are located in an isolated area. Most of Italy is serviced by a good train system, so I am assuming that you have a station near you. I know that rental cars in Europe are *very* expensive, as is petrol. But you will get a better bass and a pretty fun trip in the bargain!

Buy a used instrument. You will be able to get more for your money. You might locate a Kay cheap, used, and already more or less set up. Old Kays are very tough birds and can take a lot of physical abuse. They sound pretty good even when they need lots of work. They sound pretty okay even when run through an EB amp with a bad pickup. They work well in a variety of settings when in good repair.

Good luck.
 
#8
It doesn't really make sense to buy a bass of european origin in the USA and ship it to Italy ... you can get these entry-level basses in Europe less, and you won't have to pay 300 US$ or more for shipping. And don't forget to add the taxes (it's 4% duty and 16% VAT in Germany, should be similar in Italy).
If you don't know where to buy in Europe, contact some of the European players at www.rockabillybass.com and ask them about their experiences with certain models and retailers.
 

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