Rabbie

Import duty is a huge amount I'm afraid.
You are looking at 3.2% of the total price, plus shipping, plus vat 20% on this total. I am nearly sure of this because I am currently going through this process myself. For shipping only you are looking at £500, plus £150 duty, plus over £1200 Vat: taking a £5000 bass up to over £6500.
Unfortunately for us all the tax man is not silly and has recently "wisened" up to the "gift" scam. You will pay the same amount of tax and duty on a gift, unless you declare that the bass is worth nothing, in which case you pay no tax at all, but if they damage it in transit prepare to cry because there is no insurance cover.

Close thread please: full up at the moment.

Another example of what an excellent teacher you are Geoff. I think people can take a lot from your lessons. On this one, I especially enjoyed how you remind the student to think about the triplet feel and the final thought about locking in with another instrument when you start to loose focus. Very useful stuff mate.

Wow Paul, that's a great lot of advice and all at 8am. Pretty impressive sir.

I play guts, but I did use the Danny T's strings on a recording last year and I found them superb on my bass. Clarky is spot on in saying that the lower strings are nowhere as growly as the spiros, but they are a very very good set of strings if you want the sound of steels without the super zingyness of the Spiros.

You shouldn't need a hard case to avoid your bridge falling over unless you travel on a plane or you put it on the bottom of a tour bus. The bridge should not be as easy as all that to knock over. As Geoff says, it is hard to tell from the pictures, but like in most new budget instruments, your bridge may have been put in with a very bish-bash-bosh approach: the feet don't really seem to have been matched to the curvature of the top too carefully, which may contribute to its rolling and slipping. I see what alexpea says: in your 3rd picture it almost looks as if the bridge may have been put in the other way around. Ubassman is also right: maybe the bridge was not such a good one to begin with and it's a bit cream-crackered. Like Geoff, I play bass and I am most definitely not a luthier, but like you I do slap a lot in some of my bands and on some stages I am not gentle, yet the bridge stays in. So, stick to your idea and get it to a luthier as soon as you can. Hope you get it it fixed and slap-ready.

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Pics pics pics

Did you go for the new hybrid?
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Getting set up as we speak then it will be on its way to me. Nah, it's the ply.

Oh aye indeed it was the lovely Mr Bassman who sold me his spare Rev Solo here on Basschat. Soon to be fitted on my new (to me) Chadwick Folding bass.

I got mine from Upton and paid the charges, but recently got a spare here on Basschat. Sometimes one comes up in the 'for sale' section. Unfortunately you can't buy them in Uk (don't think so anyway).

The nice gentleman asking for advice is at a pre-beginner stage in his double bass career. A Bryant or a Martin may be a trifle optimistic as a first bass....a bit like buying a Jaguar before starting driving lessons.
It is great to start as a pro on another instrument: this will help hugely with musicality as a whole, but the development of 2 good double bass hands will take considerable investment in time time time and patience (and pain). Many fall along the way, so probably best to aim low at the very beginning, at least you can keep your first bass as a deputy bass when you graduate to your fancy one. There are plenty of well made basses at mid-low price points as the Thomann website illustrates. By the way, Nobody is likely to care about how posh a bass is on a pop/folk music stage (I personally testify to this), and you can make excellent music on a modest bass too.

Lots of pros use well set up plys on the road. I do too: easier to deal with than a carved top and good direct sound that suit all styles apart from straight classical I guess. As for the 'clicker' in the pickup, some slap players use it but a lot of people I know, me included, find it too harsh.
All the people above have given you some excellent advice.

Good on you Clarky! I know Roy: he's a very good guy.

Like anything 'double bass related', it all depends on the bass, your style, the size of gigs, the stage volume you need and the sound you aim to achieve. I think I have tried every pickup or mic I am aware of and I cannot find anything better than the Upton Revolution solo. In the studio it puts the bass sound to the desk pretty unaltered, and live you can play loud with not too much risk of feedback. Plus it is easy to install and relatively cheap. Other people don't like it as much of course, it's never that easy.

Are your significant others aware that you are posting pictures of yourselves in a forum?

Great strings in my opinion. They can do it all. Before I began my love affair with gut strings I played these and liked them. There's a lot of love around for Evahs. Their nylon core doesn't last as long as a pure steel strings like Spirocore, but should still see you ok for a year or so. The weich gauge is easier on your fingers. Almost everyone has their view on strings, so you may get other opinions just as valid and then you can make up your own mind. Do you have one player you want to sound similar to? If so, try to research what strings she/he plays. If you don't find any info on it, try this forum, someone will know. I know strings are an expensive game but its also very exciting when your bass starts to sound like you want it to. All the best.

Tuba was the instrument of choice to provide the low end to the marching jazz bands of New Orleans. As jazz moved into the dance halls, the string bass took over and it all got swinging! It was about that time that luminaries like Pops Foster were on the scene. Most bass players also doubled up on tuba to get jobs in the remaining street and funeral bands. The. The epicentre of jazz moved to New York, it all got a bit fancy and most of these players were too old or not hip enough to keep up. That's it in a very small nutshell.

I had the same problem with a bassmax, turns out it was damaged. But in my case it was crackling all the time.
Many apologies for stating the obvious but firstly make sure it's nothing to do with the leads, the preamp or the amp. After that, check that the transducer is not picking up rattles from your bass, strings or other fittings and amplifying them. If all this fails, and the pickup is fitted properly, then I'm afraid the pickup is broken. Hopefully other people may have more illuminating ideas. Hope you get it sorted.

Yeah I know I've had one as my main gigging pickup for years. If you are prepared to part with the one you haven't sanded yet I will take it off you as spare.
Cheers
R

I really enjoyed the lessons and the website too. Excellent resource for beginning double bass. You are a great educator: your style is easy-going and friendly, yet always knowledgeable, enthusiastic and never patronising. Online learning is here to stay and I think you have devised a wonderful site for those who want to learn the double bass but may not have the money or time for a tutor just yet. Really very well done Geoff.

Fair enough my friend, no problem. All well up here thank you.

Hi Clarky, willing to split? If so I shall take your E and A. Thanks.

Has the rev solo already been filed down to fit your bridge wing?

A change of string from medium to weich will help your purposes without involving any change of setup or technique (which you would need if you decided to switch to let's say guts). Just to throw another idea on your table, why don't you try Velvet Blues: they are excellent strings for the use you make of the db. The Blues are light in tension yet they have excellent tone and they are surprisingly loud. As an added bonus they are amongst the cheapest quality strings you will find (about £120 me thinks). I had them on one of my basses for a while and I loved them for long gigs especially. I only stopped using Velvets when I decided to make the switch to guts.
Evah Pirazzi weichs are also great. I was never a fan of Spiros, weichs or otherwise just because all that growl is not my cup of tea.
Sorry to confuse you more, just thought the Blues would be worth a look for you.

The way my bowing is, it wouldn't matter if I rubbed fairy dust on it...but thanks very much for the tip top tip.

The double bass does something special to people watching it being played. Somehow it seems to have a 'cool' factor and 'happy' factor that just help building a really positive vibe.
I have done many many gigs and so far the response has always been brilliant. Apart maybe from some uppity jazz gig where the audience remains 'intellectually grumpy' throughout. My favourite have been family friendly gigs or workshops in school. The big bass just fascinates the wee children visually and as soon as you play a grove it makes them bop and dance, which is just fantastic to see. Aye Pete, relax and you will love gigging the double bass!