Double Bass Upgrade Advice?

[Jay Corwin]

I'm starting to feel like I'm outgrowing my current bass, a Shen SB80. While there isn't anything wrong with the bass, I'm starting to get the feeling the my ears and ability are stearing me to look for something better.

I've been playing for a little over 3 years, semi-serious with study. I continue with book study, and plan on going back to lessons to try to dabble with jazz.

As far as tone, I lean on the side of old school gut. I'm not playing gut strings (yet), but I haven't used any steel stuff after my year of playing. I've been running through the options of synthetic cores and brands.

The gigs I've been involved with have been roots, bluegrass, swing, and rockabilly. My goal is to transition into jazz.

So are there any brands, sizes, features you guys would recommend for me transistioning from my Shen? There are just so many "vintage" basses and opinions out there, but I don't want to throw my money away for the cool factor.

I have a figure of $2000-2500 in my head depending on what I can trade the Shen in for. Soon I'll be heading out to begin playing stuff.

 

[TroyK]

There's a lot of advice on this forum about that first upgrade including a thread from last week.

Here's mine to you, though. get a luthier to set your bass up with some gut strings. Steel vs gut is a big transition in sound, playing experience, everything. There are basses that work better with gut than others.

Figure out if you're a gut player before you go shopping for a next bass.

 

[drurb]

I think Troy's advice is very wise. Just to be clear, is your budget $2000-2500 all in and including the trade-in value?

 

[Steve Swan]

As a gut string player, I've found that a string length of at least 42" works best for me. I haven't found a contemporary bass with a shorter string length that works the top enough with gut strings. An old King Moretone or American Standard will work very well for gut strings and the kinds of music that you play. Good luck!

 

[TroyK]

Good advice from Steve, IF it turns out that our man is a gut player. He should find out first, because if he's not a different bass may have been better for him.

Most of us fancied ourselves gut players at one time or another. Only a few commit to it, though.

 

[Jay Corwin]

I think Troy's advice is very wise. Just to be clear, is your budget $2000-2500 all in and including the trade-in value?

That's what I'm shooting for. If I start trying out instruments and find that number to be unrealistic for what I'm searching for then I will have to re-evaluate.

Just to be clear, I'm not hell bent on going to gut. I should have worded my OP differently. I've been playing synthetic stuff meant to get you in the ball park most of the time. My thought was that sooner or later I will probably give them a shot though given the sound I'm into.

 

[TroyK]

Everytime I listen to a good Sam Jones or Mingus recording, I feel the same way or when I'm in DC and get to hear Butch play in person. It's a really valid consideration. Read the gut string mega thread. Most of us try, a few of us stick with it. A lot of people do what you're doing, which is pick a string in middle somewhere.

Gut will change how you play. It will change how your instrument feels, sounds and behaves. Moving to a gut setup on your Shen would be like getting a new bass in a way. Stick with it for 6 months or a year and you'll know if it's for you. It might give your Shen new life or you could find yourself in the same position you're in now, shopping for a bass, but you'll know better what you're looking for and it won't really have cost you anything, so you might even have a bit more to spend. 2/3 - 3/4 of the expense of a failed gut experiment can be recouped in our classifieds. If it's a successful experiment, those strings could move to your new bass.

As for "what's the best upgrades from my Shen under $3,000. Read last week's thread. There's not a simple answer, but there's a lot of good advice in that and other threads.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

Hmmm.... I kinda like Troy's advice about trying gut now. I would also say that you should start putting feelers out there for old vintage basses in your price range. Personally, I'd go dig up an old American Standard if you can find one. Pair that thing up with gut and you got something real nice.

 

[Violen]

If i may chime in as i just went through the upgrade process,

Change your strings or your bass. Its a little more blatant then what the guys above me are saying, but its what they are saying.

I played 30-40 basses before i settled on the one i got. Get out there and play and play and play. A/B and shootout as many as you can find. When you find one you like, try it, put it down, compare it, and even if it "loses" a battle with another bass, if you end up migrating through 4 or 5 more basses, come back to it.

Its crazy. Everyone thinks that upright basses sound really similar till you can sit down and compare them.

Trying guts isnt a bad thing, but i really dont think you should change strings and basses at the same time, unless its like a thunderbolt hits and you go "damn, this is the one."

if that happens, figure out how to make your dream bass happen.

 

[Jay Corwin]

Just to clarify one last time....

I AM NOT CHANGING TO GUT AND BUYING A NEW BASS AT THE SAME TIME.

 

[TroyK]

I understand. Hopefully you get what I'm saying too. Playing gut is cool if you can do it. If that's the voice in your head, explore it on your current bass and see how you feel. It will help you make a better choice when you go bass shopping.

 

[AMJBASS]

I would also agree with the other suggestions of putting a set of gut on your current bass and seeing how you like it. It may really open up and you might find you don't need to upgrade.

One other point... at the price point you are looking at I honestly don't think you will find a significant tonal upgrade from what you have. You might find a good sounding hybrid that fits your budget, but you might be better off saving up for a fully carved bass.

 

[Hector Wolff]

I have spent a lot of time playing my daughter's bass which is a Shen SB100 (ply) and I play a Shen SB180 (hybrid). I have played the 180 in orchestra, jazz quartet and latin big band (salsa).

There is a significant difference in tone between what really is a nice entry level student ply bass (SB100) and my mid level hybrid (SB180).

The only difference I believe, between the SB150 and my SB180 is the flame in the outer ply of the back and sides, and in the flame of the maple neck.

That said the SB150 hybrid might well fit in your range and be a noticeable step up from the SB80.

 

[Steve Swan]

Not true of every last one of them, but most SB 150s have wider grain tops that tend to be more flexible and bassey in tone compared to the SB 180s, which are usually more complex in the upper midrange.

To add a little confusion into the mix, some SB 150s are made with a thin veneer of nicer looking spruce on the top. I wish that they would name it with another number to keep them straight. I specify the non-veneered SB 150s only when I place an order.

Happy hunting!