Members bassthumpintwin Posted April 19, 2008 Members Share Posted April 19, 2008 I've pretty much always wanted an URB, and after seeing several of them on TV in the last 2 weeks, my GAS is revived.... The only problem is, I really know NOTHING about buying a quality URB, and one more thing that will limit me is that I dont want to spend more than a grand. Now i KNOW that finding a quality URB for less than... say.... 15000 dollars is a little unrealistic, but I'm gonna try anyway. (I know, 15k is a terrible exaggeration, although I have seen URB's sell for this much, if not more) SO what can you URB owners/players tell me? What are things to look for? good brands? bad brands? I noticed a couple Englehardt (sp?) EM-1's for sale within 100 miles of me for about 12-1400. I might try to make a lesser offer, but I just wanted to get some advice/info from the all knowing HCBF. Thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassthumpintwin Posted April 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 bump? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members James Hart Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I noticed a couple Englehardt (sp?) EM-1's for sale within 100 miles of me for about 12-1400. That's what I bought.... love mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members L-1329 Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 This is something you are going to HAVE to go play and try out before you buy. No two uprights are the same, even if they are the same manufacturers model. Some basses just sing out and some sound like dead weight, and you're just going to have to play them first to see. When you look at one check all the glue seams to make sure nothing is seperating anywhere. Make sure there are no rattles or other noises when you play it. See how resonant it sounds when bowed and plucked on all the strings in all the ranges. Idealy a good upright plays very easily, and rings out crisp, clear and sweet sounding bass tone. A cheap (quality, not price) upright will not be so easy playing and not have that resonant bass sound. The best uprights I'd ever played just seemed to play themselves and sound great compared to me playing my own upright. You don't have to drop 15k to find a keeper, you just really need to go around to every place you can and play as many uprights as possible before you buy one. This is not an instrument you want to cut corners with, it's an investment that will also need great care and occasional upkeep over time. Buy a great one and you will have a much easier and more rewarding time playing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HumptyThumpty Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 Here are a couple of places that have received good reviews by the guys in the URB forum on Talkbass. TB URB forum is a great place to learn about buying one. Tons of threads and experiences. Nick LLoyd may not be too far away from you in Cincinnati. http://www.uptonbass.com/ http://www.nicklloydbasses.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members solderjunkie Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 Talkbass scares me I bought a 1974 Engelhardt M-1 and I have a blonde Swingmaster on layaway... plywood is your friend if you want a stable gigging bass and don't need a bow. Here's a pic of my 1974 to feed your GAS... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members coyote-1 Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I don't own one myself, but my bassist keeps his at my studio. Sounds great on its own; if it were being used with a bow in a classical setting it would be awesome. But it doesn't work that well for jazz, especially once mics & amplification come into the picture. That woody resonance that sounds so wonderful with the bow prevents this bass from cutting through, and its resonances produce low-pitch feedback that cannot be eliminated without dropping the bass volume too low for use in a drumset jazz ensemble. I can play pretty quietly on drums, but the bass notes can never be heard clearly. ... plywood is your friend if you want a stable gigging bass and don't need a bow. solderjunkie's advice is spot-on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bernie P. Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I would try to find an Engelhardt to check out.An area dealer has Cremona's SB3 in stock.He set it up with decent strings and it sounded pretty good but nothing to get excited about.The neck was pretty comfortable width/thickness wise but I hated the fretboard's shape.Way to much radius at the nut end and it had "shoulders" between the D/G and E/A strings running about 4-5" down to the end.Very weird!All the seams/joinery looked good but there were flaws all over the thing.Mostly minor cosmetic stuff and nothing that would cause it to fall apart as far as I could see but there's no way I would shell out the thou for it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members solderjunkie Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 Way to much radius at the nut end and it had "shoulders" between the D/G and E/A strings running about 4-5" down to the end.Very weird. That is a beveled fingerboard, it's quite common on "old school" European basses. Mine's been dressed with a beveled "E" string. It gives more string clearance without raising the action, which is good for intonation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catphish Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I have an engelhardt that I'm very very happy with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted April 21, 2008 Moderators Share Posted April 21, 2008 My adice: I'd find an instructor before I found a bass. Then I'd follow everyone else's advice above me, especially that unlike electric bass you can't just pick one out by make and model, you have to play them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassthumpintwin Posted April 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I have an engelhardt that I'm very very happy with. Hey, you're not one the guys on the Chicago craigslist selling their EM-1s are you?! Like I said.... there are a 2 Engelhardts for sale, but they are asking 1299 and 1400, which seems a little steep for a used engelhardt, considering I could probably get a brand new engelhardt for less than 1k brand new. I mean, they come with bags and bows, and the more expensive one comes with a realist pickup, but they are also USED. I dont know.... I just dont have enough experience with URBs to know EXACTLY what to look for, and I was more looking to teach myself than to find an instructor (dont have the time or the money, and it's doubtful I could find a really good one around here) I mean, if it's decent sounding, I wouldnt want to offer more than a grand. BUT, then again, I've also been GASing for a Lakland 55-02 for the longest time, and If I'm gonna shell out a grand, I might as well get one of those. Easier to pack around, less upkeep, more consistent.... and I KNOW electric basses.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted April 21, 2008 Moderators Share Posted April 21, 2008 Talkbass scares me Afraid they'd try to correct your technique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted April 21, 2008 Moderators Share Posted April 21, 2008 Like I said.... there are a 2 Engelhardts for sale, but they are asking 1299 and 1400, which seems a little steep for a used engelhardt, considering I could probably get a brand new engelhardt for less than 1k brand new. But then you need to factor in the cost of setup work etc. If you find a nice sounding and nice playing EM-1, including a bag, bow and pickup in the $1300-$1400 range you are probably in really good shape. Then again, it could be unplayable junk. How will you know whether it is worth the money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members L-1329 Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I dont know.... I just dont have enough experience with URBs to know EXACTLY what to look for, and I was more looking to teach myself than to find an instructor (dont have the time or the money, and it's doubtful I could find a really good one around here) If you think you are going to teach yourself upright save your money and don't bother buying one. If anything a competent teacher is the most critical thing for a first time upright bass player. You HAVE to be taught correct technique from day one or not only will you risk injuries, but you will never be able to get up to speed. Technique is what makes upright work, and much more so than with bass guitars. The forces on your hands are a lot stronger, and if you don't know how to position and hold the bass, how to properly finger it you will have very little leverage on the strings and even less finesse and dexterity. The doublebass is not just a really big bass guitar, it's an entirely differnt instrument and needs to be viewed as such. If you've never played one you are starting from scratch and need to be properly taught. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted April 21, 2008 Moderators Share Posted April 21, 2008 If you think you are going to teach yourself upright save your money and don't bother buying one. If anything a competent teacher is the most critical thing for a first time upright bass player. You HAVE to be taught correct technique from day one or not only will you risk injuries, but you will never be able to get up to speed. Technique is what makes upright work, and much more so than with bass guitars. The forces on your hands are a lot stronger, and if you don't know how to position and hold the bass, how to properly finger it you will have very little leverage on the strings and even less finesse and dexterity. The doublebass is not just a really big bass guitar, it's an entirely differnt instrument and needs to be viewed as such. If you've never played one you are starting from scratch and need to be properly taught. I agree. But, if you are buying the upright to be an instrument you mess around on to make some noise, you can do that on your own and, as long as you don't really play it much, you probably won't injure yourself playing. I just wouldn't waste my time with an instrument as big and as expensive as a double bass if it was meant for those limited purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RedsFan75 Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I've been thinking of an URB myself. One of the groups I play with does a local Bluegrass festival, and, this year it's no electric instruments at all... so I need a URB, or acoustic bass to play this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members solderjunkie Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I've been thinking of an URB myself. One of the groups I play with does a local Bluegrass festival, and, this year it's no electric instruments at all... so I need a URB, or acoustic bass to play this season. All that banjo-racket will certainly drown out any acoustic bass guitar... you had better go for the BIG FIDDLE!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Renfield Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 One question I haven't figured out yet for myself is what size URB do I get when the time comes? 3/4 or 4/4? And what/why would you chose one over the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassthumpintwin Posted April 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 !!!! I was originally considering a URB to play around with my dad and bro, as we are all from the south and love a good country/bluegrass/gospel jam. My dad picks a good "geetar" and my bro has a mandolin (and is quite the amazing guitarist himself). I bought a nice banjo a couple years ago, but the top strings machine head fell out of the neck (need to fix it).... I honestly have few doubts about pulling together enough resources to learn URB without a years worth of professional instruction, (youtube and google are a wonderful thing ) but I dont know..... I think for the money I would want to spend on a less than superb URB, combined with the hassle of lugging it around, maintaining, learning, finding people to jam with regularly, etc... I'm gonna see if I cant find a nice Lakland 55-02. Been GASing for one of those bad larry's for years. On a funny note, I did see a custome upright for sale in chicago for about 900 bucks. Yes, it was made by none other than wishnevsky himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BottomHeavyKate Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 One question I haven't figured out yet for myself is what size URB do I get when the time comes? 3/4 or 4/4? And what/why would you chose one over the other. 3/4 is the most common route. a bit more managable and you don't really have to sacrafice sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassthumpintwin Posted April 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 One question I haven't figured out yet for myself is what size URB do I get when the time comes? 3/4 or 4/4? And what/why would you chose one over the other. I believe 3/4 is the "standard" size. The man of average stature would probably play a 3/4 most comfortably. 4/4, (as I understand) being quite a bit bigger, are desired mostly for their "bigger/fuller" tone and volume, although some argue whether there is a big enough difference to justify the extra cost/pain of transporting it around. as stated before though, a quality 3/4 will beat a crappy 4/4 anyday, and vice versa. I was leaning towards the 3/4 myself, but as stated previously, I think I'll just shoot for a new electric solid body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RedsFan75 Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 !!!! Durn strait! Them banjer's can shore nuff drown out bout most everthang. I've played Mandolin and rhythm guitar with them many times but I'm much more comfortable on my bass, but the no electrics threw a monkey wrench at me... My P-Bass and little 20w amp didn't bother no one last year... I've not played URB in a group in years as I don't own one, so I was thinking a cheaper 3/4 since I'd only be playing that one venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted April 21, 2008 Moderators Share Posted April 21, 2008 One question I haven't figured out yet for myself is what size URB do I get when the time comes? 3/4 or 4/4? And what/why would you chose one over the other. These are my two favorite local shops:http://www.sonksenstrings.com/current.htmlhttp://www.allthingsbass.com/ Mark doesn't have any 4/4s and Michelle doesn't even list that type of spec. It is a highly misunderstood/controversial label and gets debated by luthiers and players more than it seems it should. When selecting my bass I found it best to look for the right bass regardless of whether it was 5/8, 3/4 or 7/8. I've personally never even seen a bass I would consider a 4/4, but like I said, the definition is a moving target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassist31588 Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 http://www.uptonbass.com/SB80-SHEN-BASS-Samuel-Shen-Double-Bass/ They'll get it set up and everything for you for the price you see. I know someone with this model and it's a nice bass for the price. I wouldn't overlook it, I think you'd be happy with it. Trust me when I say this, saving $200 on an upright bass when you're in this budget can mean the difference between wanting to play the thing and not wanting to. You're going to be very hard-pressed to find any quality in a new upright bass for under 1 grand. They might exist, but I wouldn't trust them. Look around, used upright basses are not a bad idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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