I think the folks in Florida will get a bit upset if you get that wasted while driving and those sharp turns might still be a problem....
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Double Bass String Emporium Hybrid or Upton Laminate
- Thread starter Quap
- Start date
I think the folks in Florida will get a bit upset if you get that wasted while driving and those sharp turns might still be a problem....
I think the folks in Florida will get a bit upset if you get that wasted while driving and those sharp turns might still be a problem....
The sharp turns would be a problem regardless of my condition, but I doubt I would attempt it sober. Right now the worry of all of us from TX thru GA is the weather.
John Sprague
Sam Shen's US Distributor
- Mar 10, 2003
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A few thoughts:
Shipping is going fine, the LTL carriers are looking for more business right now. We're choosy about who carries our freight, and our two approved carriers are ready to go and on time.
From Lubbock, you're right between Dallas Strings, and Robertson's Violin Shop. Robertson's is very well-versed in long distance transactions, and is one of the major bass showrooms in this country.
Shipping is going fine, the LTL carriers are looking for more business right now. We're choosy about who carries our freight, and our two approved carriers are ready to go and on time.
From Lubbock, you're right between Dallas Strings, and Robertson's Violin Shop. Robertson's is very well-versed in long distance transactions, and is one of the major bass showrooms in this country.
I'm a native Texan and my high school girlfriend went to Texas Tech, so I made that drive a few times. If you haven't driven across Texas, I understand that the geography may not translate.
Lubbock to Houston is roughly equivalent to NYC to Charlotte, NC, but across a desert for much of the way.
I would check with the faculty at Texas Tech first, though and at UNT second. Ordering on-line should always. Be last resort. If you do want to order a new factory bass on-line, though, there will be no consensus on which model or shop is best. It's really pass fail at this price point. Serviceable instruments from good shops and BSO's to be avoided at all costs.
Lubbock to Houston is roughly equivalent to NYC to Charlotte, NC, but across a desert for much of the way.
I would check with the faculty at Texas Tech first, though and at UNT second. Ordering on-line should always. Be last resort. If you do want to order a new factory bass on-line, though, there will be no consensus on which model or shop is best. It's really pass fail at this price point. Serviceable instruments from good shops and BSO's to be avoided at all costs.
Though it’s always better to “try before you buy,” in situations where that’s not possible, I think you can be confident buying from Upton at the price you can afford (from personal experience!). Also, why should a “serviceable instrument from a good shop” be “avoided at all costs?”
I've been misunderstood, for the first time ever.
Let me try again - Your choice in this price point, when ordering on-line can be bifurcated cleanly into two buckets:
Bucket 1: Serviceable instruments from reputable shops.
OR
Bucket 2: Bass Shaped Objects (BSOs), which should be avoided at all costs.
I would like to strongly encourage this poster and other's like him to start with calls to local bass players and faculty to see if they have or know of available instruments already in your areas, adjusted to your climate, and known to people in your local community.
Let me try again - Your choice in this price point, when ordering on-line can be bifurcated cleanly into two buckets:
Bucket 1: Serviceable instruments from reputable shops.
OR
Bucket 2: Bass Shaped Objects (BSOs), which should be avoided at all costs.
I would like to strongly encourage this poster and other's like him to start with calls to local bass players and faculty to see if they have or know of available instruments already in your areas, adjusted to your climate, and known to people in your local community.
I've spoken with Dr. Morton already. He recommended Robertson and Sons which is a 5 hour drive so a smidge closer than Houston.
Lubbock is a weird place in a weird spot. And as I mentioned before Texas and New Mexico are both on Stay at Home orders so going anywhere moment isn't possible.
Until someone makes the drive from Houston to Lubbock they can't understand. I grew up in a suburb of Houston and went to Texas Tech for my undergrad. I know the drive very well.
I would bitch about a 5 hour drive to get a tooth pulled.
A 5 hour drive to shop for basses?
the shop opens at 10:00? Let’s leave at 5:00!
Call your best traveling companion. Pack some snacks and drinks, and a stack of music. And lots of coffee to keep the excitement flowing.
A 5 hour drive to shop for basses?
the shop opens at 10:00? Let’s leave at 5:00!
Call your best traveling companion. Pack some snacks and drinks, and a stack of music. And lots of coffee to keep the excitement flowing.
Also, you can play Charlie Haden’s bass. That alone is worth 10 hours in a car!
Road trip sounds nice after sheltering in place for a month. And then there is the issue of getting a double bass home across the Texas plains! Mail order sounds more and more appealing!
A couple of thoughts:
1. The odds of a bass being set up well out of a box are slim! So, you will probably be making a drive to a luthier either way! Best to settle into that and do it in one go.
2. Ply basses used to be the cheap option to start with. The many cheap hybrids on the market mean we don't need to suffer through that anymore. People who recommend plys to start on are two kinds of people, the "I walked ten miles in the snow" type that wants you to suffer through what they did, and the others are those who cheaped out on themselves and want to justify it. End of story.
I want people to play as well as they can, I want to see the instrument move forward, even at the hobbyist level.
Don't settle.
In any case, the ply you are considering actually costs more.
1. The odds of a bass being set up well out of a box are slim! So, you will probably be making a drive to a luthier either way! Best to settle into that and do it in one go.
2. Ply basses used to be the cheap option to start with. The many cheap hybrids on the market mean we don't need to suffer through that anymore. People who recommend plys to start on are two kinds of people, the "I walked ten miles in the snow" type that wants you to suffer through what they did, and the others are those who cheaped out on themselves and want to justify it. End of story.
I want people to play as well as they can, I want to see the instrument move forward, even at the hobbyist level.
Don't settle.
In any case, the ply you are considering actually costs more.
Oh, and:
3. The climate thing is really a non-issue. Basses get damaged through careless behavior, not climates. Take care of it, keep it inside with you, keep the climate comfortable for a person and you will be fine. You might need a humidifier, but that is it.
3. The climate thing is really a non-issue. Basses get damaged through careless behavior, not climates. Take care of it, keep it inside with you, keep the climate comfortable for a person and you will be fine. You might need a humidifier, but that is it.
Climate is a small factor I’ve considered. But I understand it may not be that big of a deal.
The humidity is very low around (20% on average) here so I will have to look into humidifiers.
As for university students selling instruments the school shut down around spring break and won’t be open again this year. I would guess a majority are back home with their potential basses.
That’s about 8 hours from here (Colorado Springs). If I ever find the funding for a new bass, I would definitely make that drive. Not just to see/play Haden’s bass, but I’ve heard lots of good things about their shop.
Although there is a very good shop (Bob Ross) in Denver. About 90 minutes away.
Well, I happen to own a Thompson hybrid and an Upton standard laminated bass.
Both basses came to me with fantastic set up work. Both basses play great and sound wonderful.....for their construction types. The Upton is a little louder than the Thompson but the tone of the Thompson is more...rich sounding due to the solid spruce top.
The Upton was built to be a solid and reliable bass and all the effort was put toward those goals. It is a very plain instrument and workmanship of cosmetics is so so at best. The Thompson has very pretty wood in it and is quite attractive. It has purfling and the Upton does not.
Yes the Upton is built in the USA and there is something to be said for that. I am confident you could order either bass and you will unpack a bass ready to play and not needing a luthier to correct set up issues.
I am in San Antonio. Come on down and give them a try. Lubbock is only 5 hours away.
Both basses came to me with fantastic set up work. Both basses play great and sound wonderful.....for their construction types. The Upton is a little louder than the Thompson but the tone of the Thompson is more...rich sounding due to the solid spruce top.
The Upton was built to be a solid and reliable bass and all the effort was put toward those goals. It is a very plain instrument and workmanship of cosmetics is so so at best. The Thompson has very pretty wood in it and is quite attractive. It has purfling and the Upton does not.
Yes the Upton is built in the USA and there is something to be said for that. I am confident you could order either bass and you will unpack a bass ready to play and not needing a luthier to correct set up issues.
I am in San Antonio. Come on down and give them a try. Lubbock is only 5 hours away.
Arnold Schnitzer, one of the premier luthiers/builders in the world.
I have a Thompson RM 200, purchased used, the original owner lightly played for 2 years then sold it to me. I found the bass to be "tight" so I did my own set up work on the bass to make it more playable - filed the string nut, replaced the tailpiece, light gauge strings, DIY endpin. It has a really nice tone now and plays really well. Any instrument takes some messing w/to get the best feel/tone.
