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Double Bass Took the Plunge.

#41
Welcome aboard! Expect very helpful suggestions to follow. There has got to be several good luthiers in a city that size. And with your humidity, plywood is not a bad idea.

Let me clarify a couple of my suggestions. I don't like Helicores as much as Spirocores, but a lot of people happily use them. I don't like the K&K pickup as much as the Realist, but likewise, they work and some people prefer them.

Those 2 choices could save you, looks like around $200 if you're buying new and that money would be well spent on luthiery. If you're making financial tradeoffs, I stand by that suggestion. It's really tough for anyone to tell anything about the potential of that bass without seeing it, but some of those ply basses can really be good working instruments. If you've got tailpiece wire breaking, it needs help and it may well be worth it. You're on the wrong coast, but someone like Jake DeVilliers could probably make that thing swing. I've seen him turn around some real basket cases.

There is someone like that in Atlanta and someone here will know who they are. If you don't get a suggestion in this thread by say Monday, post in the "Setup and Repair" forum and someone there will help you for sure. There may even be a sticky with a registry in there. I never go there.
 
#42
I want to say thank you so very very much for all the help. The advice is very valuable.

Looks like I will need to get a good setup, strings, bridge, a case, and a pickup first and worry about the rest later. These things will at least get me going. Then I can look at a seperate Pre a little later and perhaps a nicer instrument down the road.

We may try to organise our sets so I'm not swapping back and forth from UB to EB. I was just informed we booked a gig at a Golf Club where I will be using the Upright only. That will make it easier. Gig is in 3 weeks.
 
#44
Oh no there I go again talking to my self. :D


I'm just not sure about all this Upright Bass stuff. I'm sure I'll learn the hard way like I do on evereything.


I may end up reselling this Bass at some point and just get something slightly nicer. Hard to decide.

Would a Luthier look at it and give a guestimation without charging anything? I would not want to pour a bunch of funds into this thing just to loose it.
 
#45
Yes, I think you could get a fair estimate from a luthier. Even the respected bass repair book by Chuck Traeger gives different advice for fancy and not-so-fancy basses. It's understood that those of us who play old ply basses need to know how much work is worth throwing into them. My luthier has also given me advice on how to do some repairs myself.
 
#46
I think I probably should not have bought this Bass, not to say that it will not work out but I think I could have done better.


I may think about selling it and going in another direction or who knows I may keep it.

I have it playing excellent now and it sounds good.
 
#47
If you have it playing excellent and it sounds good, then let go of the buyers remorse and enjoy it. If this is going to be something you do now, then it won't be your last bass. I don't still have my first bass, most of us don't.

Enjoy playing, there's a learning curve/adjustment period, make good use of her during that and then decide.

Buy the way, if you were to buy an expensive bass and gig heavily with her, guess what? You still need a luthier now and again (just got mine back from the shop), you will still need to buy strings now and again, you'll still need pickups and rosin, etc.

Just get her into working condition and focus on what you've started here.
 
#48
+1

Use it to build your technique (including bowing), and play for a while in order to develop your preferences for what you really want in a bass. That way, you will be able to give your next bass a more thorough workout before buying. Also, having a bass in hand means that you are not under time pressure to buy your next one, so you can be more choosy.
 
#49
+1. Focus on the joy and fun of it. Establish a relationship with a luthier. Most are good folks who'll give you solid advice and help you through optimizing the performance of the bass you have without over-spending.
 
#50
Yeah and luthiers are business people like everyone else. If they understand that you're in for life and this is your starter bass, most will be smart enough not to sour you on them over transactions with this bass.

Most of us have relationships with our luthiers...kind of like therapists...right Jake?
 
#52
Thanx for all the advice.

Oddly enough I can play UB with my eyes closed. I'm not sure how I was able to pick it up so fast.

Part of it is I have allways been a super strength type player, playing big necks and big strings 35 years. The stuff we are doing I was already playing on EB just had to move the tunes to UB. Anywho what ever the reason I was able to move to UB effortlessly.

The Bass is playing and sounding good. I can only imagine what it would sound like with a decent set of strings and a good profesional setup.

It does seem however, I know very little about the workings of owning an UB and all that goes into it. This is where I am a big ol dummy. :D

I really appreciate the effort you kind folks have put forth to help.

I had gotten a PM telling me I need to cut my losses and get a better Bass. Not saying I will not do that, it is just hard to know what to do. In this stuff I am a child.
 
#56
No one from the thread. I suspect he did not want to start a you know what storm.

I could honestly see how someone would see things from that point of view. It could be a mistake to go down the road of spending any money on this thing or it could be a great find.

I need to get it looked at. That would tell me more as I have no idea if what I have is wonderful or trash. It does sound good to me and I do have a good ear but it is real difficult to have a bassis for judging these things not knowing diddly. :D
 
#57
#58
TroyK said:
Yeah and luthiers are business people like everyone else. If they understand that you're in for life and this is your starter bass, most will be smart enough not to sour you on them over transactions with this bass.

Most of us have relationships with our luthiers...kind of like therapists...right Jake?
Click to expand...

"Mmm-hmm, I see. And how do you feel about your mother?" :D
 

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