Duckyincarnate

@Ramirez these are all great points. As you say, the room makes all the difference. For my home recording I use a Line Audio CM4, and I am very impressed with the quality of sound I'm getting. A great affordable solution, and honestly you would need to go right to the top of the pile for small diaphragm condensers before things are noticeably better, IMHO. Think Schoeps, Neumann etc. There is lots of helpful discuss about these mics on Talkbass as well. Best sound I every got in the studio, the engineer said he had recorded Dave Holland the week before, and was going to use the same technique. To wit: one large diaphragm condenser angled at the bridge at 45 degrees (about 50cm away) in cardioid pattern, and one large diaphragm condenser horizontal and turned on its side in figure of 8 pattern. In a sense capturing the front and the sides of the bass. Wonderful sound.

Oh it is - the issue is the placement, which works very well for performance. For recording, double bass needs the right mic position which is not close mic'ing it which leads to boominess, whoosh and lack of definition. Anyway, you know all these things! I remember a very good engineer once using only a simple AKG 451 on my bass during a session, to my surprise. The sound was excellent and it sat beautifully in the mix. It convinced me that recording double bass is mostly technique and experience, rather than a specific piece of gear.

Fair enough - that's a highly specific requirement, using it for a guide bass track. If you plan on possibly keeping a take, I'd personally still choose a proper mic rather than a DPA as a bass simply sounds much better on a recording when it's not close mic'ed. IME - YMMV

Sounds like you already have your answer, to be honest. I imagine any differences with the other ones will be minimal to you, and indistinguishable to an audience. The 'quick recording' thing I don't get at all. It takes me 2 minutes to set up a proper mic for a recording.

There's probably enough there to buy a flat in zone 5!

I too have found this book incredibly helpful in navigating RSI arm pains!! Out of desperation, I started doing the stretches in this book and they have made the problems mostly manageable. In my case, after many many years of not knowing the causes, I finally received a diagnosis, which is thoracic outlet syndrome. Essentially the same principle as carpal tunnel syndrome (in fact, it concerns the same bundle of nerves) but the pinching is not in the wrist, it is between the shoulder and the top of the rib cage. Doing breathing exercises and very specific daily gentle stretches removes 95% of the trouble for me. Doctors and physiotherapists did more harm than good, in my specific case. Be your own advocate and listen to your body!

100% this. It may not be a necessary purchase for some, but it's been a complete lifesaver for me. I can't even remember how long I've had mine for, but more than 10 years for sure.

Useful thread, thanks everyone. I have just gotten seven years of use out of this Roth and Junius bag which seems alright, given that I am schlepping it all around town and on the Tube, and not just in and out of a car like many. It's starting to fail in the zip now, and open seam around the neck joint and just general wear of the fabric. I did look at a Soundwear last time (£650 then) but it was too roomy for my bass, and they stopped making a 1/2 size one. Might try the fancier R&J this time around, or splurge on a TuffBag.

I have a little bottle of gut string oil from Hidersine called Hidrol, which I used when I still played gut strings. They don't seem to make it anymore. Unfortunately it does not say what kind of oil it is - it's clear though. I remember that I didn't have to use it very often, and that I needed very very little oil.

Perhaps 60% or so of the new price? Unlike quality wooden bows, these don't really hold their value in the same way in my very limited experience.

Congratulations on your new bass! My own Stentor took me from beginner to professional, and before that it did the same for another UK jazz bassist. I highly recommend some lessons with a double bass teacher, to get your left hand technique going. As someone who has had several playing related injuries over the years, I cannot recommend enough spending some time and effort on learning the basics of established technique. Other avenues exist, but good technique is effective, safe and speeds up learning in my personal experience. Enjoy the journey!

I have this bass. It's a servicable student instrument that can be played for many years. I think it is a hybrid (despite what Stentor claim), with ply sides and back, and a solid spruce top. Though I have a much nicer bass (Bryant), I still take the Stentor out to plenty of gigs as I don't have to stress about it as much. However - I don't think this bass has been professionally set up. The finger board still has the original bevel and many luthiers would remove that when they do fingerboard work, in my experience. The bridge looks like the original one, and it has been made into a mess by someone trying to bring the action down. It'll need a set up for sure, possibly a new bridge too, which might run to about £300. The market value of a used Stentor like this would be about £1k-£1200 max, set up. So let that factor into your decision.

Classical lessons are such a good way to solidify your technique. The bow is the best discipline for so many parts of your DB playing - stance, balance, left hand form, intonation, playing without tension.... And you're working on your sight reading, discovering new (old) music, great stuff.

Doesn't the felt washer defy the purpose of the wooden endpin, transmitting vibrations?

Keep in mind that Spiros are VERY bright when they are new - and on an EUB this will be extra noticeable. Playing in a new set can take months. Consider buying a very used set!

Ooof, that's a steep increase. For many years, I ran two Lenzners on G and D, and two Innovation Honeys on E and A. When I started using these strings around 2010, a full replacement set would cost me around £120. Gradually that went up to about £160. I have been strictly on Spiros for the last 5 years (and hopefully for the rest of my life), so this is really shocking to hear. For this kind of money, you would be better off buying a full set of Olives imho.

This sort of playing feels like putting the cart before the horse, tbh... Impressive slappage but his time is atrocious here.

I would add to this that if you have the opportunity to learn how to use a bow from your teacher, it will serve you very well and ultimately speed up your learning a lot. It is helpful as a learning tool, because it forces you to have a good position in relation to the bass, and it really shines a spotlight on your intonation and forces you to relax and use just the necessary muscles. But it will also be an incredibly useful skill if you would like to play pop, folk or bluegrass. It is probably least useful in jazz and blues, though there are plenty of examples of players who make good use of it there too.

With that in mind, I think you should keep saving, keep your eyes peeled here and post a wanted ad, tell your DB-playing friend and any other double bass players you meet that you are looking for a starter instrument. It's very possible to find a solid starter bass for say £800 that will serve you well for years to come.

I think someone did it to make slapping easier. But god only knows!

I mean, it looks east European and from the earlier part of the 20th century, with serious splits in the top and back. Possibly a crack under the bridge, horrendous set up and a weird butchered fingerboard. A crude example that you wouldn't really be able to have fixed or set up.

That might be just about serviceable for thumping along to rockabilly, but I don't think any repair shop would touch that with a ten foot pole. IMHO, better to save up and buy a decent second hand plywood bass that keeps its value and can be used to learn the instrument properly.

Do you know any double bass players who can help you search for a suitable starter bass? The key thing to remember is, double basses are complex things and a LOT of things can go wrong with them, and these things are often expensive to fix. Generally, I'd say £1000 is about the norm for a healthy second hand starter bass. Cheaper deals can be found but you need some know-how of double basses to navigate potential duds or basket cases.