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Double Bass Shen Owner's Club

What's 1/32" between friends?

That bridge doesn't look right. It appears to be the stock Shen bridge, with the same adjusters my bass has, but to achieve the same string height that you have I'd have to dial my adjusters all the way down until wood meets wood.

Can you bring your bass by the shop you bought it from, explain the problem you're having, and expect them to fix it, even if it means fitting a new bridge? Not to be a jerk but it seems to me that a $2500 bass ought to play right.
 
I would give it a shot. I am not quite certain what is wrong. Too much was cut off the bridge and so it does not have the full range of adjustment that it should have? Currently the strings are as high as they'll go and I should have more room to spare?

That is also a big buzz on the E string at notes G thru Bb that I'd like to have fixed. In my excitement and naivete I did not really think much of it in the store.

Am I measuring correctly?

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I'm in too! Just ordered my SB80 from Upton, with upgraded bridge and fittings, strung with helicore hybrids. I can't wait to get my hands on it! Next couple of weeks will be torture. After playing electric bass for 13 years this will be my first real double. I had an electric upright Ergo, and enjoyed the feel but hated the sound.
 
Congrats. It is a lot of fun and challenging. I am a month in with DB having played BG for 31 years and I have to say your getting off easy with only a couple of weeks of torture to endure ;). But but I am finding it easier.

I don't think the club number giver is around anymore.

ernie
 
That's a shame. Here I am, thinking I'm joining the coolest Chinese bass owners club ever, and I don't get a number. Oh well. I guess owning the bass is cooler than telling people I own the bass.

Any recommended accessories? I got an Upton made pickup installed and have a cheap fiberglass bow to start with. I guess I should get a bow quiver. How bout a practice mute? Stand? Something else?
 
I disagree. My preference, and that of a lot of other players, is to lean the bass bridge-first into the corner, leaning on the shoulders with the neck pointing straight up.

Remember Murphy's Law. If you have a jones to spend some cash, spend it on lessons.
 
I disagree. My preference, and that of a lot of other players, is to lean the bass bridge-first into the corner, leaning on the shoulders with the neck pointing straight up.

Is a stand a bad idea then? And why? And why would you lean the bass in the corner bridge-first? Just to minimize potential impacts?
Just wondering. I'm waiting for my first Shen to be delivered and I already have an Ingles stand. Thanks!
 
Matt R. said:
Is a stand a bad idea then? And why? And why would you lean the bass in the corner bridge-first? Just to minimize potential impacts?
Just wondering. I'm waiting for my first Shen to be delivered and I already have an Ingles stand. Thanks!

What kungfu is doing is not something for the faint of heart, or those with stripped endpins. I bought a cheap stand online, I play almost any day anyway. I reccomend it because think about this, you will be less likely to play if your bass is in its case, because it is anyoing taking it in and out of the case, that goes for cleaning your instrument, because you won't want to play a dirty instrument. The stand makes it easy to just pick up and play, and when your done you just put it away. The stand doesn't have to be the most expensive but you'll want to play more.
 
Is a stand a bad idea then? And why? And why would you lean the bass in the corner bridge-first? Just to minimize potential impacts?
Just wondering. I'm waiting for my first Shen to be delivered and I already have an Ingles stand. Thanks!

I don't think stands are inherently bad, but they are fallible. I have an Ingles that my wife bought me, and while it's more solid feeling than a Hamilton or other bass stand, the corner of my music room is much more solid.

My Ingles is very good at shredding the edges of old plywood basses, especially when the back is purfled. That's most of the reason I stopped using mine.

You can stand the bass bridge-out but because of the geography of the instrument, it's not as stable as bridge-in. Bridge-in has the added benefit of protecting the bridge from passersby and pets.

One caveat: if your endpin tip is not rubber and your floors are not carpeted, your bass could slip.
 
Gotcha, thanks for the info.

I think I'll have little choice but to use the stand (if I want to keep the bass in my bass room) because of space. I also don't want to risk my dachshund marking it as his territory:spit:

Mine will be a Shen SB80, but it'll be a couple months still before it's built.
 
I have had close to a dozen various basses over the years, some VERY valuable, some old Czech and German shop basses, as well as a Shen Willow, a 190, and my current humble 150. I gotta say, my current 150 is quite an excellent pizz jazz bass. It's wearing a mittel e and a, and a weich d and g. Full Circle, and a Gollihur Series 2 pro bag and an Onyx endpin (considering a Marvin wire tailpice...I dunno). Anyway, an absolute blast to play, sounds great acoustic and amplified, and God forbid something major happens to it, I won't freak out. It's a GREAT tool that helps me make great music and sound my best!
 
I don't think stands are inherently bad, but they are fallible. I have an Ingles that my wife bought me, and while it's more solid feeling than a Hamilton or other bass stand, the corner of my music room is much more solid.

My Ingles is very good at shredding the edges of old plywood basses, especially when the back is purfled. That's most of the reason I stopped using mine.

You can stand the bass bridge-out but because of the geography of the instrument, it's not as stable as bridge-in. Bridge-in has the added benefit of protecting the bridge from passersby and pets.

One caveat: if your endpin tip is not rubber and your floors are not carpeted, your bass could slip.

Substantial risk pretty much goes out the window with a Hercules stand, especially if you back it into a corner. Now, if you have rambunctious kids and/or animals, that's another matter. The Hercules stand is also not tornado-proof. :)