Hi all! Sorry you must have heard all this a million times :-( 
I am a dad of 5 dotters who play all sorts of instrs to a good standard. 
wife: piano 'cello, clarinet (voice, recorders, guitar - school music teacher).  
Dotters: flute, violin (X2), viola, piano, clarinet, voice and ~db ish! 
 - all grade 8ish. 
 
My request to all you enthusiasts is for advice re the upright db. 
This dotter is doing music at Christchurch Uni, Canterbury - mainly with clarinet and voice but she plays the db for the last 3 years  'cos few others do! - no lessons - nothin! 
 
I would like to get her a db to play at home with her sisters - the others make a great sound together any way - but she is out-of-it 'cos the clarinet does not fit! 
 
I see a couple of db's on Ebay  
a ply ~£125? 300444977444 
and a solid 290454027849 £1100 
 
Having successfully bought  2 cellos, 2 violins, and a viola direct from China - I am not an entire novice, but do not know where to go for a decent non-rip-off db. 
The Chinese supplier starts at £2k for their dbs!  
(Yitamusic) [url="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/yitamusic-violins_Double-Basses_W0QQ_fsubZ9QQ_sidZ162859301QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322"]http://stores.ebay.co.uk/yitamusic-violins...634Q2ec0Q2em322[/url] 
bit of a risk that! 
 
I note that ply student models are about £500 plus setting up, strings etc. 
How much do I have to spend to get better than this. 
As the family are so competent it seems poor to not get a decent instrument. 
Sorry about all the stuff, but I thought I might get better advice with a fiuller picture. 
Thanks, Les.