Members funkadelic musicman Posted April 17, 2009 Members Share Posted April 17, 2009 I'm a dummy when it comes to upright basses. Im in the market for one and I just have no idea what makes a good bass and what the variables even mean from a sound prospective. ie; Origin - china, korea, etc. Plywood vs. real woodwhat are the sound characteristics of many commonly used types of wood? can anyone just give me a dummy's guide through double bass gear, or give me a link to a site that explains these things? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J the D Posted April 18, 2009 Members Share Posted April 18, 2009 I'd look at web pages by Bob GullihurDavid GargeShar Products Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bassius Posted April 18, 2009 Members Share Posted April 18, 2009 call lemur music ask for tammy tell her denson sent you... www.lemurmusic.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassman1956 Posted April 18, 2009 Members Share Posted April 18, 2009 Do a search. This comes up at least once a week here, and we really should have a FAQ posting for it. Not like anyone would look there, but then we could all post pointing to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sugarskull Posted April 18, 2009 Members Share Posted April 18, 2009 Mine is plywood. I had one made in China and it was fine. Now I have one made in America and it's great. All kinds of snobs and slobs will tell you all kinds of things. Your best bet is to just play a bunch and make up your own mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ToeJamFootball Posted July 7, 2009 Members Share Posted July 7, 2009 call lemur music ask for tammy tell her denson sent you... www.lemurmusic.com "Hi, Tammy? Yeah, Hi, Denson sent me here.... he says that your basses will make me play like he does..... oh that's a lie?..... Damn!, OK, well thanks anyway." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassman1956 Posted July 7, 2009 Members Share Posted July 7, 2009 "Hi, Tammy? Yeah, Hi, Denson sent me here.... he says that your basses will make me play like he does..... oh that's a lie?..... Damn!, OK, well thanks anyway." :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassthumpintwin Posted July 8, 2009 Members Share Posted July 8, 2009 If you plan on spending less than 10k, you're just wasting your time with toneless junk.... :poke: I kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members L-1329 Posted July 8, 2009 Members Share Posted July 8, 2009 All kinds of snobs and slobs will tell you all kinds of things. Your best bet is to just play a bunch and make up your own mind. True, but there are very valid reasons for a lot of the 'snobs' opinions. For someone using an upright soley with a pickup amped, there will be different degree's of what's important in it's construction/woods than someone looking at it as an acoustic instrument, if you follow me. I personally don't really mind too much if it's solid or plywood, mass produced or hand carved, but in nearly all cases of the uprights I've played, and I've played a lot of them over the years, the only ones worth owning happend to be carved solid wood basses. The rest were mostly garbage, and occasional ok examples. But, my purposes were for playing in orchestra's and symphony's, not miked up in a bar. I would play one and evaluate it's tone and setup. How well does it resonate, how easy is it to get a good sound out of it? The best basses I've played nearly played themselves with loud, lucious bass tone. The worst took a TON of effort to sound well, if they could at all. Is the setup playable and consistent? Are there any cracks in the seams, any seperations visible? Are there any abnormal rattles or noises when it's being played? Are the tuners hearty enough and stable? Is the bridge straight and not warping, the tailpiece solidly attached? Lots of this stuff can be resolved by a competent luthier (who will become your next best friend with an upright), but if the wood and construction just doesn't have the tone, it never will. I wouldn't ever buy before playing an upright, no matter what price point it is, since you can't ever know if one has the magic or not until you play it, and even with two identical factory basses, the difference between them can be staggaring. But then again, I might be an upright snob... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dDigitalPimp Posted July 8, 2009 Members Share Posted July 8, 2009 dont you mean a dawghouse? get with the times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassthumpintwin Posted July 8, 2009 Members Share Posted July 8, 2009 dont you mean a dawghouse? get with the times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dan450 Posted July 8, 2009 Members Share Posted July 8, 2009 Bottom line is that he's a beginner. A laminate/plywood job will do just fine for the learning process and not cost in the range of $3,000-$15,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members L-1329 Posted July 8, 2009 Members Share Posted July 8, 2009 Bottom line is that he's a beginner. The right laminate/plywood job will do just fine for the learning process and not cost in the range of $3,000-$15,000. Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sugarskull Posted July 8, 2009 Members Share Posted July 8, 2009 I wouldn't ever buy before playing an upright, no matter what price point it is, since you can't ever know if one has the magic or not until you play it, and even with two identical factory basses, the difference between them can be staggering. We agree 100%. You are a bass snob and I am a bass slob. I don't care if it was made out of cardboard and horse hooves and built by festering rats in a dungeon. If it sounds good and feels good, I'll play it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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