NeonMig

800 to repair an antique instrument, so probably a lot less to repair something non-antique (if those were antiques the guy would've auctioned them off, trust me). Still all in all, a great bargin.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='264509' date='Aug 18 2008, 03:08 PM']Given that Rickenbacker has stayed small & family-owned, and they sell a unique & well-made niche product - and still remain [i]fairly[/i] competitively-priced, compared to other US-made instruments, I think it's overall a good thing they've hung onto their trademarks so far. Even though John Hall seems to be an arrogant, hostile cock. Jon.[/quote] Yeah I guess. I didn't like the whole price-rising thing they did recently, it was like 'hey we can't keep up with demand, let's raise our prices insanely high so fewer people order!' It's just sometimes their overzealousness in suing people can border on comedy...

Ouch. But okay, definately fixable (I've seen worse that's been fixed) but since I'm not too familiar with UK rates I'll not hazard a guess and risk confusion. Suffice to say, the total cost of the repairs+actually buying the thing would be way, way lower than a new bass of inferior quality!

@warhunt: yeah, looked inside nothing like that visible. I'm supposing it's an SD pre after all. [quote name='NJE' post='264548' date='Aug 18 2008, 03:40 PM']Hello, I could be very wrong here but would a external EQ pedal e.g. Sadowsky etc make a difference to output or is it just for sound? It may save you stripping out the electronics and wont hurt the orginal state of the bass for resale. Its an idea I know people have suggested it for passive basses, and I am thinking of getting something for my Roscoe Beck. Nathan[/quote] Well I'm happy with the sound, just the output is pretty low. I'd rather not have to carry a pedal around with my bass... I want the instrument itself to be 'improved' so to speak. Since I don't trust myself with anything related to electronics, I'd take it somewhere to be done... my first thoughts go to The Gallery, anywhere else in London that would be good for such a job? How much would it set me back? Thanks for the answers guys.

@Freak: Yup, fresh battery. Well I mean, I sometimes find myself really having to boost the gain on my amp in order to get the drive that I want (I like a little bit of tube crunchiness at times), way higher than I would for other basses... the difference is a bit too much to be just put down to the nature of the beast. No little blue pot in the electronics cavity, I suppose that means it's not an MEC after all? Well I'm just looking for a 2-band, not a fan of 3-band eqs either and certainly don't want to go having to drill another hole into my bass! Thanks for the heads up. So, any suggestions?

Yeah so I really love the sound of my bass. The only thing that bugs me is the output is surprisingly low, considering it's active (both preamp and pickups). It's a '99 model with SD Bassline pickups, and I think an MEC preamp but I'm not sure (got it used). So I was thinking about upgrading the preamp. It's a 2-band, but that's all I need really, I'm not a fan of fiddling around with knobs much (no I don't mean like that you bloody pervert) so I'm not thinking of getting a 3-band. Any suggestions? I'm a bit clueless when it comes to higher-end electronics.

And now they're about to be sued as well. Rickenbacker really goes over the top with such matters.

In my experience, Bass Gallery > Bass Cellar. I've only bought random bits and bobs from there, but they let me try stuff out. I wanted to try a MarkBass amp, and the dude (don't remember what he looked like) asked me what bass I had. Told him a Warwick thumb, and to my surprise he took one off the wall and handed it to me... when I was trying out the amp, not the bass. I guess all things happen. But yeah their inflated prices and general attitude put me off. I'll be shopping for a cab when I move back to London next month, and certainly won't be shopping there.

Wow 75 is a steal. Shouldn't cost TOO much to fix a crack... show us a picture and we'll give you a better guess.

I got my Ibanez BTB556 from the Bass Gallery, and I really liked the place and the staff. Great bunch of lads. I'm going to get my Warwick upgraded with a new preamp when I return to England's green shores, and I'll be doing it there. Bad customer service is one big reason shops are losing out to internet stores. Also the whole 'let's go try one out at a store and then buy it for 50 quid less online' routine, that's one of the big reasons they don't like to let people try unless they really do want to buy...

I play metal, so running around is pretty necessary. During the more complicated bits or bits which require more concentration, I'll stop, but there's a reason I got a wireless.

Abort! Abort! Abort! You'll get yourself sued even thinking about fake Rickenbackers!!!

No need to be worried, man. Just get a few pointers, and seriously, throw yourself into it. You've got nothing to lose, and a whole lot to gain! It's a fantastic instrument and a great thing to do.

[quote name='dlloyd' post='261708' date='Aug 13 2008, 06:46 PM']I'm imagining some of these will be jaw-dropping, but as you say, there seems to be some correlation with price... [url="http://www.contrabass.co.uk/"]http://www.contrabass.co.uk/[/url][/quote] 20K+ on a bass? That's like a downpayment on a house or a new car or something.... holy crap.

Symphony X 'Dragging me into a sea of liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiies...'

Well, I've made a few posts already but I guess this makes it official! My name is Miguel, I'm 25 and I play bass. Mostly metal, but most other stuff too. I also love classical music and play in an orchestra. I'm half Cypriot half Colombian and I'm usually based in London. I'm going to do an MA in Music because I'm not really any good at anything else, after doing my first degree and wandering through a few menial jobs back home (Cyprus). I've got a band called Winter's Verge (link in my sig) and we're signed to LMP in Germany. I guess you could find our cds at a store if you looked hard enough. Other than that, I'm just a typical beer-swigging metaller. Nice to be here!

Hello guys, I'm a new poster and I stumbled across this thread (and forum) on my searches on the Interwebs (praise be to Google). Yeah I know it's an ancient thread but I couldn't pass up... I'd like to add a few things. So, for the last 12 or so years I've been an out-and-out metalhead, (picked up electric bass about 10 years ago) and I always used to think classical stuff was boring. Well, when I grew up and decided to go to uni to study music, I needed to take some theory lessons. During that time, I realised that metal actually grew out of classical, and that hey maybe it's not so boring after all, let's give it a go and I loved it. So, at uni, the orchestra needed another double bass player, and were always encouraging people to take up new instruments. The department had its own double bass just sitting around. I felt my calling. I threw myself straight into it, not really knowing what to expect. After wobbling around for a while I sort of got the hang of it, and apart from my rather poor bowing technique I was okay... intonation comes eventually with enough practise. The other bass player in the orchestra was really helpful and pointed out lots of stuff involving technique, so I guess you could say I had 'lessons' of a sort... 'on the job' training, so to speak. I found a couple of books and videos online which helped. I got a nice double bass from Romania, Hora brand which set me back about 1000 euro, and a good German bow and got more into it. I moved back home from the UK after my studies (I live in Cyprus) and started gigging each week, playing jazzy stuff and acoustic classic rock covers.. 2/3 hour sets at a time. Never once did I ever have a problem with tendonitis, CTS, or anything like that. I've always had very good technique on electric, and I suppose I applied the same principals to double bass. The pointers from the other dude were helpful too. So, in a nutshell, I say throw yourself into it. Get some advice and be careful with your technique purely to avoid hurting yourself, and don't blow a lot of cash until you're sure you want to go into it (the uni department's double bass was a godsent, noone else used it and I could practise with it anytime). I have encountered many classical types who are unfortunately rather elitist, and seem to have forgotten that the reason we all play is for the love of music, for the joy of it and for the incomprable feeling one gets when holding down the low end, whatever music you're playing. As for my own double bass; as I said before I got it from Romania (my dad does a lot of buisiness there and he actually transported it back home on the plane... he's a bit mad). It's an all-solid job, carved front and back with some lovely woodgrain. [url="http://www.hora.ro"]Here's the link for the site[/url], all instruments are made in Transylvania (how awsome is that muahahahaha) with wood straight from the forests of the Carpathian mountains. I suppose the whole 'buy a good one to start with rather than a cheap-o one and have to upgrade later' works in the same way with electrical instruments, but to a lesser degree. Anyhow, Hora build their instruments well, but the setups can be a bit odd. Which brings me to my next point... With any new double bass (or really any classical stringed instrument), and I can't stress this enough, [i]have it set up by a professional.[/i] I took mine to a British expat called Benjamin Mason who lives in Cyprus and he made it fly. It's really the difference between night and day. So ultimately, don't fear the biggest instrument in the orchestra. Yes, there are times when the lift is broken and you're dragging it up 7 stories and somewhere around the 4th floor you're thinking to yourself that you're a total idiot for choosing to play it, or wondering how exactly to fit it into a Vauxhall Astra, or you're trying to decide how exactly you're going to make that overseas gig with it, but whenver you see, hear, (or are indeed good enough to actually play) [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXt6htVi3C4"]something like this[/url], you are reminded that it's all worth it and there really isn't another instrument like it. Well, after all that, (hope I haven't bored you) I've got my own question to ask. I'm moving back to the UK in September to do my MA in Music, and I've decided against transporting my double bass back, and figured I might as well just get a new one in the UK. I'm just looking for a decent, student-level instrument with nice tuning machines and which sounds okay. I'm not too prejudiced against laminated things, but I'd like a nice fingerboard. I don't really have a set budget other than 'the cheaper the better' (but let's say below 700GBP). So anywhere I might be able to find something nice? I'm going to be living in central London. Whew! That was a big first post.