Hi all
The sharper among you will have some idea of the nature of this post from the thread title. The say the devil is in the detail, so here's a bit of background...
I have played electric bass for around 15 years in various cover bands, and the odd original project. I have always had a serious case of GAS for an upright, but could never justify the expense to 'er indoors as it wasn't something I needed for gigs. Luckily, my current band are just starting to move from pubs and clubs into the wedding/corporate market, and we have discussed offering an acoustic set in the day as well as the full band gig in the night as part of our pricing options. So I FINALLY have the green light!
What I don't have however is the funds. I have some gear I'll be putting up for sale on Monday and I'm confident of raising £500 that way, and I could potentially add another £100 if I cash in all my brownie points, so looking at a maximum overall budget of £600.
I have never actually played an upright for any length of time. A mate of mine has one that he brings to jam nights in my local, and I've spent the odd 10 minutes here and there arguing with his at these nights, usually under the influence. I'm under no illusion that I'll have to throw considerable time into getting to grips with it to get to gigging standard, something I'm looking forward to doing; I'm nothing if not tenacious.
What I'm specifically after from the awesome pool of knowledge this community provides is the following:
1) Is my £600 better spent on a new beginner's upright bass (Gear4Music or something of that ilk) or a better quality second-hand instrument that may be a little 'road-worn'?
2) I've dipped my toe into the online learning resources in this area. There's A LOT. Any advice on particularly good/bad ones?
3) If anyone reading this made the transition from electric to upright like myself, what did you find most difficult? How did you overcome this? Any other specific advice from someone in a simialar situation to me?
4) Finally, if anyone happens to have an instrument they're looking to move on within my price range, and ideally not a million miles away from south Wales... you know what to do
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any help or advice you guys can give me.