Krassin

I'm afraid I probably can't help you much with trying one out (I live in Bristol and am not very mobile atm), but I got an Ergo 4-string this summer. I had the same problem as you with the lack of opportunity to try one out in the UK, but in the end what finally won me over was a combination of positive vibes in the online forums, Jesse's friendly, helpful and genuine manner and the price. Importing it was a pain, it took ages to clear customs, there's a small import duty (about £12) and a big VAT bill (£60-odd) to pay and in the end I had to go and pick it up from some depot, but I forgot all about that when I opened the box. I think you might have trouble finding someone near you who's got one, not many seem to have made it over here, but if you ever buy something without trying it first, make this it. These Ergos are simply beautiful, they play really well and they absolutely sing. I mostly practice unplugged with mine, it never ceases to amaze me how a solid stick of wood can be so resonant and sonorous, but even through my far-from-ideal amp setup it sounds absolutely gorgeous. I'm a newbie in the world of upright basses myself, had a Stagg EUB for a year or so and thought that was OK, but the Ergo is just in another galaxy. I've also tried a silly-money Eminence semi-acoustic EUB and in my opinion the Ergo beats that too for tone and playability. It seems that there's a gap in the market for EUBs - there are some fairly cheap ones, like the Stagg, the Palatino or whatever it's called, the Aria etc, then there's loads of choice in the high-end market where everything costs several grand, but there's very little in between. I looked at the Steinberger Wav 4 which is a bit higher-spec than most sub£1000 EUBs, but I couldn't find anywhere to try them out either. Even with the extra expense of importing it, I reckon the Ergo is still maybe the fourth cheapest EUB on the market, and for that you get a great-sounding, very distinctive, high quality instrument hand-made from a single piece of wood by a master craftsman. None of the others can compete with that. Jesse is a nice guy, lots of helpful and friendly advice on all matters bass before and after you buy, plus he is interested in your needs and requirements. I was worried about the action not being adjustable, so I mentioned this to him and he included, for free, 2 additional bridges of different heights so I could try out low, medium and high actions. Currently on high and loving it, but it's good to be able to change if necessary. Hope some of this was helpful; obviously the only way to be sure is to try one out, but that is pretty difficult with these things, and I really don't think that, for the money, there is anything out there in the Ergo's class.