kingforaday Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 i've been looking for about a year at various double basses and the only real decision i've made is i now know i definitely want a blonde! these are the ones i've found; [url="http://www.westmount-music.co.uk/product/STRUNAL_50|4_%27Blond%27_Double_Bass_3|4_SDB50-4"]Strunal[/url] [url="http://www.djmmusic.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=BF052-3-4"]Primavera[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Double-Bass-3-4-size-NATURAL-blonde-new-/380290502503?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&hash=item588b148f67"]gedo musik[/url] [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_kontrabass_1_e_blond_3_4.htm?sid=caa2461ef7b9ab01c4ebbbd808d101f5"]Thomann[/url] anybody who has any experience with these please let me know your opinions, the good and bad points etc. i've been looking for a while and i don't think i'm really getting anywhere, the only one i've been able to try was the gedo musik one. A friend of mine bought one and it sounds and feels pretty good to me but its the only double bass i've ever played so what do i know!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Phibes Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 [quote name='kingforaday' post='1031582' date='Nov 21 2010, 05:32 PM']i've been looking for about a year at various double basses and the only real decision i've made is i now know i definitely want a blonde! these are the ones i've found; [url="http://www.westmount-music.co.uk/product/STRUNAL_50|4_%27Blond%27_Double_Bass_3|4_SDB50-4"]Strunal[/url] [url="http://www.djmmusic.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=BF052-3-4"]Primavera[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Double-Bass-3-4-size-NATURAL-blonde-new-/380290502503?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&hash=item588b148f67"]gedo musik[/url] [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_kontrabass_1_e_blond_3_4.htm?sid=caa2461ef7b9ab01c4ebbbd808d101f5"]Thomann[/url] anybody who has any experience with these please let me know your opinions, the good and bad points etc. i've been looking for a while and i don't think i'm really getting anywhere, the only one i've been able to try was the gedo musik one. A friend of mine bought one and it sounds and feels pretty good to me but its the only double bass i've ever played so what do i know!?[/quote] I've owned a Gedo bass with a carved top and it wasn't bad. Bit quiet acoustically and it started to develop a small crack around one of the f holes. I think the fully laminate basses are a definate step below. Out of the ones you listed I'd probably give it a miss unless you're set on a cutaway. The Thomman is the same bass as the Strunal. People say very good things about these basses. Built like tanks, good projection and tone. I plumped for the Prima as you know, but I picked mine up second hand. The basses are very pretty in the flesh, so to speak, lovely flamed maple veneers on the sides and back. Love mine, love the violin corners. The safe bet is the Strunal, but the Prima wins out on style! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingforaday Posted November 21, 2010 Author Share Posted November 21, 2010 cool, cheers for the info, things like projection and build quality are the bits that scare me really, can't tell that from pictures so thats really helpful thanks. also if anyone has any suggestions of other basses i should check out let me know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Phibes Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Here's a pic of the Prima. If you keep an eye on ebay you do get some nice blonde 60's and 70's basses coming up every now and again for very reasonable prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Phibes Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 And some more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 (edited) [quote name='kingforaday' post='1031934' date='Nov 21 2010, 09:32 PM']cool, cheers for the info, things like projection and build quality are the bits that scare me really, can't tell that from pictures so thats really helpful thanks. also if anyone has any suggestions of other basses i should check out let me know[/quote] I went through two of the Primavera basses a few years ago. The sound was pretty good for a low-end laminated bass but I was distinctly unimpressed with the build quality. The first bass cracked across the end block a few weeks after I bought it due to shrinkage. I took that back to the shop I bought it from, and the replacement served me well enough for a couple of years. Both basses were quite sloppily constructed inside with badly fitted blocks and linings and lots of runny glue. There were also imperfections such as wavy grain and knots in the ebony fingerboard and chipped out bits of veneer patched up with filler under the finish. Having said that, they were a new model when I bought mine, and the distributor seemed quite concerned that I'd had problems with the first one, so they may have improved their quality control since then. Personally I would either go for the Strunal (as other Strunals I've come across have been decent) or hold out for an older German or Czech blond. Edited November 21, 2010 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingforaday Posted November 22, 2010 Author Share Posted November 22, 2010 thanks for the pics Dr Phibes, the more i look at those violin type corners the more i want them! hadn't really bothered me before but now... of course the strunal doesn't have them but then, am i really that shallow? yes, yes i am. the other one i didn't include in the list (which looks exactly how i'd want it) is the[url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/1244-ENGELHARDT_SWINGMASTER_ES_9_EG_9_BASS.html"]engelhardt es-9[/url] but thats because i couldn't find anywhere in europe you could get them... and there are a bunch of people on various forums saying you should just get a strunal because they're pretty much as good and easier to get hold of... hmmm. feel like i'm tying myself up in knots a bit here. i've checked on ebay loads over the past year but only ever seen the gedo musik blonde basses. guess i keep missing the good ones or my search is too specific cheers for all the info and help guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobVbass Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 I went through the whole thing earlier in the year and finally settled on an old blonde from the '60s ( sounds liek Britt Ekland) just because the build quality is miles better. Bilbo has a Gedo and he's very happy with it last I heard; the Thomann blondes look ok as well and again have a good rep. Primavera I'm not convinced about - you get what you pay for; the basses and violins I've seen of theirs are definitely built to a very tight budget (violins especially are useless) You can get an Englehardt in blonde from Rockability (have a search on the thread I did a while back, the link's on there) - if I remember right they're about £1400. It annoyed the hell out of me that if I was in the states I could have got a nice Kay or something like it but over here there's nought! Upton bass will do a great blonde and will ship as well if you want something more expensive A final optioin I looked at which I might still go for at some point if I want amore lairy bass is to get one refinished - Spectrum Guitar Finishes quoted me £500 to strip and refinish a double bass including transport - and that was for a deep metal flake black with pinstripes - I'm sure a strip and clear varnich would be cheaper. Anyway, thought I'd add my "I've got the Tshirt on this" bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshJ Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 I don't know if Sheffield is too far for you to try it, but this one looks nice: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Double-Bass-3-4-/220702652657"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Double-Bass-3-4-/220702652657[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingforaday Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 cool, thanks for the link! looks alot like the gedo musik ones to me, i'll send him an email and find out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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