What Brand Of Double Bass To Buy? Options

[JuliaR]

Hi there,

I've been playing double bass for about half a year and are looking into buying one. I'm a piano and woodwind person, so I have an incredibly small knowledge about good quality but not overly expensive string brands (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

I'd like to buy one because I am already and will be for the next 3 years the double bassist in my school's string group and it would be nice to maybe mosey around the idea of buying one to continue playing after
I leave school (I play an old, chipped school one, beautiful but very student-worn).

Any suggestions that won't break the bank appreciated (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[elidatrading]

Hi there,

I've been playing double bass for about half a year and are looking into buying one. I'm a piano and woodwind person, so I have an incredibly small knowledge about good quality but not overly expensive string brands (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

I'd like to buy one because I am already and will be for the next 3 years the double bassist in my school's string group and it would be nice to maybe mosey around the idea of buying one to continue playing after
I leave school (I play an old, chipped school one, beautiful but very student-worn).

Any suggestions that won't break the bank appreciated (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The "that won't break the bank" qualifier makes it rather less than easy ... but it sounds as if you're not looking into buying for some time yet anyway?

Liz

[kenm]

I can't recommend a brand, but I will suggest some strategies:

1) Don't assume that you will buy an instrument on which you will play for the rest of your life. In my experience, the opportunities to play bass in ensembles are much more frequent than those on my other instruments, so unless you are of a much higher standard on one of your others you may find the bass taking over. As you play with other musicians of increasing standards, you may well want to get a better instrument than your first purchase.

2) An important aim, however much you spend, is to get good value. If you buy a second-hand string instrument in good condition, at a fair price, its value will increase thereafter.

3) Enlist the help of an experienced bass player, preferably your teacher.

4) String instruments come in an enormous range of prices. I bought my first instrument for £50 in 1976. I still have its bow, which is worth more than that now. My second cost £380, in 1983. I still have it, as my reserve instrument; in 2001 it was valued at £1500. My main instrument is of professional quality, but is over 100 years old and has been extensively repaired. It still makes a good sound and has appreciated from c. £3000 to £5000 in value over the last 12 years. Shortly after I bought it, I had an opportunity to play on a Testori, valued at £40000 in the early nineties. I found it very hard work, and made no better sound on it than on my own: it needed a better player than me, and if I could have afforded it, it would still have been a waste of my money, at least in musical terms. At a guess, the instruments in the bass sections of good amateur orchestras would typically range in current value from £1000 to £10000.

5) I suggest that you work to a budget. When you have decided the absolute maximum that you can afford, knock off 20% and take that as a starting figure for enquiries. Then ask as many dealers in string instruments as you can conveniently visit with your adviser whether they have any basses within that figure. It is unlikely to be convenient to have your school instrument with you when you try potential purchases, but you will remember what it feels like, and you should try to remember its sound quality also. If you can't afford anything better, then I suggest that you defer your purchase and start saving.

6) Think about bows. Depending on the quality of the one you use at present, getting a better one may be of more benefit to your playing than getting a new bass.

[AmandaL]

In my quest to playa all four bowed strings, I rented a double bass from a company called Signet Music based in Milton Keynes.

They offer a hire/buy scheme, whereby if you rent it for long enough the instrument becomes yours. After asking around and taking some advice from bass specialists, I chose a Stentor Conservatoire (which Signet Music ordered in for me specially and is a step above student rental instruments). It is a very good quality instrument, hand carved from solid woods - not laminated - and the varnish is hand applied. Depending on where you shop, they are priced to buy in the £900 to £1200 price range. It also came with a decent bow and a good quality padded case. The brass machine heads are good quality, but you might prefer to invest in having a better quality bridge fitted. I also asked for Pirastro Obligato strings.

I've been happy with it, and as a professional violinist I take some convincing over what's good when it comes to string instruments.

[elidatrading]

I chose a Stentor Conservatoire (which Signet Music ordered in for me specially and is a step above student rental instruments). It is a very good quality instrument, hand carved from solid woods - not laminated - and the varnish is hand applied. Depending on where you shop, they are priced to buy in the £900 to £1200 price range.

O, for that price I'd choose, um, another brand (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Liz

[Masur]

I have to start by declaring an 'interest' inasmuch as I am a luthier/repairer selling both new and used instruments. as with most professionals I have prefernces regarding branded instruments, for a variety of reasons.
Do not be put off laminate (plywood) construction even if the front is also laminate, a good laminate bass is better than a poor solid wood bass.
Be very careful regarding size and especially scale/string length, there are many basses being sold as 3/4 size, which is standard among most adult players, which are under size in all directions, this will cause problems with sound projection and most importantly if you play on a bass with a short string length when you move onto another instrument you will have intonation problems, however good your ears are. Stentor are one of many companies supplying such a bass, it is supplied as an unlabelled, solid woods, chinese bass.
Another problem which has come to my attention in the past 2 years is that the chinese have revived the exacrable technique of pressing flat timber into the shape of front and back archings gluing them onto a set of ribs and calling the result a musical instrument. These will lose their shape over time, the enormous pressures on a bass will cause all sorts of deformities on instruments made in this way.
Finally a list of brand names of reliable instruments;
Zeller, distributed by Stentor. The better grades of this brand are good but are made in the same factory as...
Poller, distributed by Beare & Sons. Again the better grades are good reliable instruments.
Musima, an east german company that seems not to have a UK distributor at present, but they made excellent instruments at good prices following German re-unification nad many of them are in the UK but only used.
Schoetter, distributed by GNC in the UK, this is Paesold's chinese division and the quality control and build standards are excellent.
Soundpost, distributed by Soundpost, they have specialised in bringing good quality chinese instruments to the UK and where the first to shake Stentor's grip in this area, excellent basses if you have over £2000 to spend but other brands compete equally on price and quality these days.
I have never seen a bass from Elida, but the violins and violas that have come through my hands supplied by this company have been excellent value, and no, I have no connection with them.
There are various other basses on the market but hopefully this will give you some idea of pitfalls to avoid,
also no two basses from any maker are identical try as many as possible. Ask awkward questions such as "can I have it on approval?", "do you operate a buy back policy?"( Don't expect 100% but most reputable dealers will offer a very good buy back price provided you purchased the instrument from them in the first place), " is there a 12 month(minimum!) warranty against defects in construction and materials?" this will not include strings and bowhair or accidental damage but should include tuning machines and the bridge.

hope this helps

[elidatrading]

I have never seen a bass from Elida, but the violins and violas that have come through my hands supplied by this company have been excellent value, and no, I have no connection with them.

Ah shucks, thank you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

We've only ever sold one and it was a half size - seems to have been very well received but then it should have been - we sold it rather too cheaply! It's great fun selling basses - we had to collect it from Manchester airport, that was "fun" to start with, you can't take them through customs yourself these days, you have to find a company to do it for you so there we were knocking doors all round the airport, then the freight terminal took AGES to produce it. Of course it was too big for the car so it had to hang out the back all the way home. But the best was yet to come: getting it shipped from us to Norfolk was more expensive than getting it shipped to us from Romania(!) so we decided to drive down with it - this in November last year - and of course it had to hang out the back all the way, some 4 hours or so. Brrrrr! At that point we promised ourselves that we'd never sell a bass in January! Have acquired a huge Volvo estate now, after the last car died a couple of weeks ago, so if we need to do it again it should be rather easier! Anyone wanting one on approval will have to be prepared to bring it back themselves though!!

I keep wanting to try some basses from our Chinese supplier - I like their cellos - but invariably we run out of budget on things we really know we need and can sell and the basses are the first thing to get cut from the Chinese order when my husband complains that I've ordered too much - sigh!

Liz

[Storini]

I was in Boosey & Hawkes at Britten's music shop in Wigmore Street in London today, and they've reorganised it and now have an impressively large range of string instruments on display: around 6 basses and 6 cellos, plus lots of violins and violas. They all looked pretty reasonable student-level quality, and there was a very nicely varnished Czech cello there which caught my eye. My tip is that there might be some good deals in a post-Xmas sale there. More at: http://www.brittensmusic.co.uk .

[frumpybabes]

I have used www.gear4music.co.uk for string instruments before. They sell Double bass for about £275+ but I dont know what quality they are, but I think they all come with a 14 day money back guarantee. PLus a year guarantee.

Maybe you should call them and see what they can do for you.

[Louigi]

well, chinese double bass is cheaper and you can get a really good quality chinese double bass juile.It will be really cool to own a double bass(C extension). I MIGHT get a viola next year!!

Amy(it will look really weird is you're carrying a bass in the middle of lynnmall (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) )

This post has been edited by Louigi: Dec 7 2005, 04:37 AM