Just romping my way through life. What else can you do?
Just romping my way through life. What else can you do?
Member since:14.10.2009
Reviews:8
It's difficult to buy a double bass in the simple way you might buy a good quality electric guitar or electric bass . For a guitar you can sort of decide if you're Fender, Gibson, Gretsch etc type of person by seeing what you're favourite players use on the telly and then trying them out in any good guitar store. But for the double bass we're in different territory all together and different rules apply.
If you try out the bass in a store or room that is stuffed with other double basses or even other wooden acoustic instruments its going to resonate a little in each of those instruments and lead you into believing you have a lovely sounding bass when you probably haven't. Some spaces can make an unamplified double bass sound great. I like to play mine on the lower landing of my stairwell - always sounded beautiful there. If you intend to play with a bow be prepared for some utterly glorious sounds and some hard work.
Then of course there are not so many easily identifiable brands for a double bass and not so long ago, and still today, basses were referred to in a very general manner as either Romanian, German or Austrian and this seemed to be enough to denote their general quality. With the rumanian models regarded as lower in the hierarchy but still capable of coming up with some worthy instruments. Obvious signs of quality tended to go along with the sound quality : rounded backs-for a fuller sound, quality woods and quality fittings and extra fanciness. And remember that the standard sized double basses that we all know and see in jazz bands and rockabilly bands are known as 'three-quarter basses': the full size bass is huge great rarely seen thing.
So you will need to do some research or find some who knows what there doing if your intending to buy one. Most basses are all quite lovely things and they are easy to fall in love with and you really feel part of the instrument when you play them. But make sure you really want one as they take up a lot of room and are hard to transport.
They don't really go wrong as all parts and fittings tend to be quite sturdy due to the nature of the beast. But the cheaper ones can split along the joins of the body as the years go by and the glue gives up after many seasons and changes in temperature - beware of radiators. Replacement strings are hugely expensive - though they obviously dont break as easily as a guitar's. And if you have to replace just one after years of wearing the others in it never quite fits in with the old strings.
If you by one you'll genuinely have a very special thing.
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Dampit Humidifier from Stentor. Long established and popular humidifying aid. Offers ... more
protection against cracking and warping. A perforated rubber hose (containing a water absorbing sponge core) is inserted through the instrument's soundhole when it is not in use. Includes a humidity level card which indicates when the dampit should be used. Recommended by many leading orchestral players.
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