I am a music education student at UNC Greensboro and I am looking to buy a nice hybrid bass for around $2,000 - 2,500. I’m actually a trombone student who plays bass guitar as a secondary, but I played a little bit of double bass in high school. I’ve started playing bass with one of my schools string orchestras and I am tired of the old laminate bass that I am using through the school. I went to the Bass Violin Shop in Greensboro and played some nice Shens, but a new hybrid instrument is not in my price range. Any offers or advice would be appreciated!
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Double Bass WTB Shen SB150 or Similar Hybrid
- Thread starter Jbhopper
- Start date
I was going to suggest the guy in Cincinnati who has one in the classifieds but it looks like you’ve already seen that. You may have to get in the car and make a trek somewhere. There are so many DB’s around the country but never where you need them. I had to do some driving to get my SB100. It’s a ‘01, and sounds as good as any expensive bass I’ve listened to in the last 10yrs. My teacher had recommended one to me as the best bang for the buck and durable. After trying a ton of basses around the 3-4hr. driving radius I had completed, I wound up finding one on eBay in Columbus, OH, like 1.25hrs away. My wife and I both laughed and had fun on the search.
But seriously, why has no one made a deal with FedEx or UPS to do special pricing on shipping these things like BikeFlights for bikes. Anywhere in the country for less than $70.00. BassFlites. Has a ring to it…
But seriously, why has no one made a deal with FedEx or UPS to do special pricing on shipping these things like BikeFlights for bikes. Anywhere in the country for less than $70.00. BassFlites. Has a ring to it…
Please look at the String Emporium in Phoenix. I just bet you can get something better than a Shen shipped to you that is actually affordable. I have purchased a couple of basses from Steve and the folks there really know how to set up a bass. Besides, the videos page is awesome! I'm not making a commission or anything, those guys are my first choice. try www.stringemporium.com
take another look at that maple shen with the extension in the classifieds..
you may want to save more for that. i had one just like it (without C extension) i traded it in to a violin shop at a higher value than that seller is asking for...
other than that, if you really need to stay within budget look for a quality laminate you can afford. i'm always happy with my shen SB80, and i have a student who just got one that sounds absolutely killer.
you may want to save more for that. i had one just like it (without C extension) i traded it in to a violin shop at a higher value than that seller is asking for...
other than that, if you really need to stay within budget look for a quality laminate you can afford. i'm always happy with my shen SB80, and i have a student who just got one that sounds absolutely killer.
John Sprague
Sam Shen's US Distributor
- Mar 10, 2003
- 998
- 360
- 63
- Disclosures
- Sales Manager, CSC Products Inc.
JB, if you let Bob or Cody at the Bass Violin Shop know what your budget and desires are, they can keep an eye out for a used bass to fit your needs.
I just (yesterday) took delivery of a Shen 150 flat back that came off of their bench. My lord, Cody Rex and Bob do the best setups I have ever played!
The Shen 150 flatback hybrid is a very well built and thought-out instrument! John Sprague, THANK YOU for that model!!! It hits every need I have..flatback violin cornered bass with tons of low end, super-even, speaks well in all registers. The
Bass Violin Shop gets my vote and business!
The Shen 150 flatback hybrid is a very well built and thought-out instrument! John Sprague, THANK YOU for that model!!! It hits every need I have..flatback violin cornered bass with tons of low end, super-even, speaks well in all registers. The
You might want to consider working a "rent to own" deal with Bob at the Bass Violin Shop. I've had many students in GSO take advantage of that deal in the past few years and it's worked out well for them. Keep in mind that you have the advantage of living in GSO where if anything goes wrong with the bass or it needs setting up they'll take care of it free of charge. Bass repairs can be expensive. You'll also have the chance to live with the bass for a while to see if you like it in the meantime. Also talk to Craig Brown at UNCG and he can put the word out to his students and bass colleagues who might be looking to sell their current hybrids.
Jeez man, just take a road trip and get the SB-180 from the CCM student in Cincinnati who's posted in the Talkbass classifieds. It's right in your price range. 7.5 hrs to Cincy, I've made the trip many times. The case is worth $150-200 by itself and it looks like he's willing to throw in a decent bow too! Grab a 5-way at Skyline while you're up there.
Elberon...
I'm almost afraid to ask, but good lord, what's a "5-way at Skyline"!?
I'm almost afraid to ask, but good lord, what's a "5-way at Skyline"!?
I'm not sure about the 5-way specifically, but Skyline Chili is a big deal in Cincinnati. They put chili on spaghetti with cheese, oyster crackers, and onions (I guess those might be the 5 that make it 5-way?). Not really my thing, but worth experiencing.
I lived a long time in Dayton , Ohio, and spent a lot of time in Cincinnati. IMHO, there is no worse chili than Skyline. Perhaps I should be nicer, and say it's not to my taste.
I put Skyline Chili at the sweet end of the spectrum, not hot, spicy and chunky. Kinda bland. Like Cincinnati.
(Runs, ducks and hides...)
I actually went to Ohio University at the same time as Dave Messina, and we shared the same Pollmans. Great guy, great bags.
Lousy chili.
Dave made me a BEAUTIFUL custom bag for my new bass. The 500 bucks for his bag is an absolute bargain. Totally excellent on all levels!
I live in Dayton. Yep. This.
A 4 way if I remember is spaghetti, cheese, the meat stuff they call chili, onions and beans. Yes beans are extra. I can’t recall the 5th ingredient to make it a 5 way.
Anyways, this would be a great bass. If I had the money to spend on it and the space to keep it, it’d be my back up.
Spent A LOT of time in Cincy and Dayton for work. I LOVE chili in just about all of its forms - EXCEPT that cinnamon sweet dreck at Skyline. Seriously, if you consider yourself a chili lover, do NOT make the mistake of ordering a large before you've tasted it to see if you consider it edible.
(The ONLY portion of Elberon's post I disagree with!
)
(The ONLY portion of Elberon's post I disagree with!
)
Hey, it’s an acquired taste, what can I say. For anyone who’s grown up in Cincinnati, Skyline is where you go late at night after a gig or party when nothing else is open (except maybe White Castle). Just for the record, a three way is spaghetti + chili + cheese (kind of a fluffy texture and bright orange with absolutely no nutritional value), four way adds beans, five way adds diced onions.
And by the way, please don’t knock Cincinnati, great symphony, CCM (which is a hell of a conservatory), jazz artists like Cal Collins, Michael Moore, Ed Moss, Rosemary Clooney, Lynn Seaton (who frequently played at the Blue Wisp jazz club), and many others (Bootsey Collins too) as well as a rich R&B recording history made it not such a bad place to grow up. Yeah, it has its faults but you could do a lot worse. In any case I only get up there (live 5 minutes away from the Bass Violin shop in NC now) once every couple years but I stop at Skyline more for nostalgia’s sake than an excellent culinary experience. I admit that the first time I saw it (after moving to Cincinnati) it didn’t seem too appealing to me either.
And by the way, please don’t knock Cincinnati, great symphony, CCM (which is a hell of a conservatory), jazz artists like Cal Collins, Michael Moore, Ed Moss, Rosemary Clooney, Lynn Seaton (who frequently played at the Blue Wisp jazz club), and many others (Bootsey Collins too) as well as a rich R&B recording history made it not such a bad place to grow up. Yeah, it has its faults but you could do a lot worse. In any case I only get up there (live 5 minutes away from the Bass Violin shop in NC now) once every couple years but I stop at Skyline more for nostalgia’s sake than an excellent culinary experience. I admit that the first time I saw it (after moving to Cincinnati) it didn’t seem too appealing to me either.
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Oh JPHopper, sorry man for hijacking your thread. I actually know a guy in GSO trying to sell a 5/8 SB-150 that’s all tricked out with upgrades and an extension but I think he’s asking a lot more than your budget will allow.
