• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Thanks Talkbass! New Standard content...

esoxhntr

esoxhntr

Jun 21, 2007
6,362
12,674
Markham, Ontario
#1
Just wanted to thank the literally dozens and dozens of you who helped actively or inadvertently with the selection of a first bass for my son. I poured through a couple of thousand posts in the last few months - often leading to very irritated eyeballs - and after posting a couple of threads and getting insight from some very helpful folks we were able to make an informed choice of instrument that we are pretty sure will serve him in good stead for a number of years to come. So the winner is...

New Standard Pamplona!!! It's a new model, which is essentially a La Scala but in a gamba style. It came with Sloane tuners, and a really cool tailpiece. Also - as per Talkbass consensus - we made sure to have the pickup (Realist Lifeline) fitted properly by a luthier. I am coming to learn that even more so than on an electric, a pro set up is everything!!!
IMG_2684.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Chris Fitzgerald, peterpalmieri and adi77
#7
Gorgeous bass! Congrats to you and your son. If only more folks would take the intelligent, research-oriented approach that you did! Very wise, indeed.

Kluson tuners? I didn't know that they were still supplying DB tuners. Which luthier did the setup?
 
#8
Hey Drurb,

The set up was done by Zachary Martin in Pawtucket. I did a tour of the place while the Lifeline was being installed - very cool stuff going on in there. By the way, you should know I read a whole pile of your posts through this process - again I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge that you folks brought to the table.


It was quite an education, I now understand things like "body", "complex tone", "tailpiece", "D neck", and a whole pile other things that were a bit of a mystery. To those who have asked, I will post some more pictures, both of this bass, and the other basses that were under consideration - a laminate La Scala, a laminate 5 string Cleveland, and a hybrid Ruggieri. Each bass was pretty awesome in it's own way. Also, please don't be too critical of the photos, when I get a good picture it's usually an accident.
 
  • Like
Reactions: neal davis
#10
Great looking bass, I don't see this on the New Standard site yet,did you purchase from the factory and then have Zachary set it up, or does he also sell them? Curious because I also live in Canada and am thinking of buying one of these, was Customs a hassle or not.

Regards,
 
#12
[GALLERY=][GALLERY=][/GALLERY][/GALLERY]
50bass said:
Great looking bass, I don't see this on the New Standard site yet,did you purchase from the factory and then have Zachary set it up, or does he also sell them? Curious because I also live in Canada and am thinking of buying one of these, was Customs a hassle or not.

Regards,
Click to expand...

It's not on the website. This model is called the Pamplona. It is virtually the same as a La Scala, but in a gamba shape as opposed to a violin shape. Customs was a bit of an issue - the Pamplona was not listed on the New Standard website so they had questions about its actual value even though I had an invoice from New Standard. A phone call to Wil de Sola straightened that out pretty quickly.

Not sure how to answer your question about purchase. Wil makes the basses and takes them to Zachary for set up. As far as I know I bought the bass from Wil, since I was in contact with him initially, I went to Zachary's shop to pick it up since there were a number of models to try there. Wil met me there to conclude the transaction. If you need more clarification you might want to call or e-mail Wil, very helpful guy.

Zachary still has a couple of basses at his shop... the hybrid Ruggieri is a superb bass, sort of a "large and in charge" instrument - big, powerful, sound! If I were looking for a "combo" instrument that would handle bowing and pizz equally well I'd look no farther than that Ruggieri. Also, there is still a laminate La Scala there... I loved it for it's punch and clarity, and it struck me that it would be a fine jazz bass. I was seriously considering grabbing that La Scala on the spot, but decided against when I considered the almost certain myocardial infarction that my wife would have had on seeing two uprights enter the house at the same time.

Here is a shot of the basses we went to look at (it's not publication quality)... from front to back La Scala Laminate, Cleveland Laminate 5 string, Ruggieri Hybrid, La Scala Hybrid. I have no details regarding the basses standing up on the walls, other than that they are quite expensive.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0059.jpg
    IMG_0059.jpg
    62.9 KB · Views: 467
#18
Eric Hochberg said:
Unless something has changed, the basses are made in Germany, Wil varnishes them and in this case, at least, Zachary set it up.
Click to expand...

drurb said:
Indeed, and as I recall, there was "some assembly required" in terms of the neck sets, and fingerboards on the imported bodies.
Click to expand...

There has to be some assembly required since the guys were walking around with unassembled bodies (no necks) and fingerboards and such, but I am happy to defer to your greater knowledge of this operation. The basses certainly do come - in some form - from Germany... I have no idea how fully formed they are when they get here.

An example from last Saturday...
IMG_0068.jpg
 
#20
esoxhntr said:
There has to be some assembly required since the guys were walking around with unassembled bodies (no necks) and fingerboards and such, but I am happy to defer to your greater knowledge of this operation. The basses certainly do come - in some form - from Germany... I have no idea how fully formed they are when they get here.

An example from last Saturday...View attachment 424463
Click to expand...
From the former horse's mouth:
arnoldschnitzer said:
Just to clarify the post above, which reads in part, "from the workshop of Arnold Schnitzer...": New Standard basses are made in Germany. They are set up and varnished here in the USA.
Click to expand...
arnoldschnitzer said:
No, the Brandenburg is strictly a fully-carved bass. It is available in various grades of maple and poplar, always with a spruce top. It's made in Germany; the necks and fingerboards are set here, and we do the varnish and set-up as well.
Click to expand...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back