Double Bass The dreaded Cremona

[drurb]

...before I joined up yesterday...

That threw me because we have another active member who's name is seamonkey. This could get confusing.

BTW, +1 on what Bruce said. The Cremona discussions have been beat to death here. The best advice, a priori, is to steer clear of them.

 

[Sea Monkey]

I thought that might've been the case w/ the user name, but when I put it in, it came up clean.
crap...
(maybe I should just reregister w/ a different name)

 

[Brother Than]

So- with a quick name change (presto!), I won't be stepping on anybody's toes.


Behold my rampant mediocrity, ye mighty, and despair!

 

[dchall8]

My old neighbor used to like to dis my 1970s vintage Bose 901 speakers, too. They had water mark stains and sun bleached fabric. His speakers cost him $2,500...each. They looked like the finest polished grandfather clock you ever saw...plus they each had a $2,500 preamp with a $5,000 power amp. He had a catalog of equipment none of which had I ever heard of. Some people simply operate in a different atmosphere.

If you don't already have a bass and just want to see if something like that fits into your life, go for it. If it breaks, take a shot at fixing it yourself. If you don't like the color, get a can of Rustoleum or have some glossy house paint tinted to your specifications. It's a Chinese bass for cryin' out loud. Not a Strad. Make it a project. Make it fun to own. Just make it fun!

Besides that, when you take your bass into a shop to have it set up, who is really doing the work? Is it the luthier (if you are lucky enough to have one within 100 miles) or is it his Uncle Buck who he felt sorry for and gave him a job sweeping up?

 

[drurb]

My old neighbor used to like to dis my 1970s vintage Bose 901 speakers, too. They had water mark stains and sun bleached fabric. His speakers cost him $2,500...each. They looked like the finest polished grandfather clock you ever saw...plus they each had a $2,500 preamp with a $5,000 power amp. He had a catalog of equipment none of which had I ever heard of. Some people simply operate in a different atmosphere.

Sounds like your neighbor had high-end equipment that would be out of the reach of most. His disdain for your 901s could easily be seen as elitism. That's hardly comparable to the situation here in which folks, like myself, recommend against a Cremona. I don't own an elitist instrument and couldn't afford one. I recommend against buying a Cremona because I believe that, a priori, it is likely to be a waste of money.

If you don't already have a bass and just want to see if something like that fits into your life, go for it. If it breaks, take a shot at fixing it yourself. If you don't like the color, get a can of Rustoleum or have some glossy house paint tinted to your specifications. It's a Chinese bass for cryin' out loud. Not a Strad. Make it a project. Make it fun to own. Just make it fun!

Sounds good but poor instruments have a way of discouraging progress and making the venture far less pleasurable and fun.

Besides that, when you take your bass into a shop to have it set up, who is really doing the work? Is it the luthier (if you are lucky enough to have one within 100 miles) or is it his Uncle Buck who he felt sorry for and gave him a job sweeping up?

I don't know what bass shops you frequent but when one takes a bass to a reputable, specialty bass shop for set-up work, that work is typically done by a trained professional and not by Uncle Buck.

 

[Dubbin]

Drub:

Have you ever seen or played a Cremona? What I'm noticing is that those that own them seem generally satisfied with some notable exceptions.

 

[LouisF]

I bought one for my school a few years ago from my friend Tom at Fantastic Music Instruments. It lasted three years in the high desert under terrible conditions. It was set up reasonably well and was basically playable. When Gary Upton donated a laminated Hawkes to the school (thank you!) we traded the Cremona back to Tom for a cello!

So yes, all the rumors are true - they're pretty crappy, bad on the hands etc; but for the right reason (you want a bass in a cabin at 7000 feet), they're not so bad.

Louis

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

What I'm noticing is that those that own them seem generally satisfied with some notable exceptions.

But maybe that's because those people were new to DB when they bought it and have no real comparison - ignorance is bliss - as they say?

Whereas I know for fact that many of the people advising against - have huge experience of owning,buying/selling and playing many different types of DB over many years!

I'd sooner go with the latter's advice, over the former any day...

 

[Brother Than]

In my own case, it came down to a very simple decision- Either get the best cheap bass I could find, or not get one at all.
I lucked into 650$, had little prospects for more disposable income, and decided to go for it (knowing full well I could get really burned).
The way I figured it was that I didn't really know if upright was right for me, so this was a decent way to see if we were going to gel.
Turns out, I love the damn thing- though when it came, I was sure I'd been burned (luckily, I have a guy...) Now it sounds pretty sweet (all things considered).
My teacher doesn't think its a p.o.s.- when I get amazing, I'll convince myself to sell myself into indentured servitude for a fully carved wonder.
For real- I can't wait for that to happen...