db newbie :-(

[STEM]

Hi all! Sorry you must have heard all this a million times :-(
I am a dad of 5 dotters who play all sorts of instrs to a good standard.
wife: piano 'cello, clarinet (voice, recorders, guitar - school music teacher).
Dotters: flute, violin (X2), viola, piano, clarinet, voice and ~db ish!
- all grade 8ish.

My request to all you enthusiasts is for advice re the upright db.
This dotter is doing music at Christchurch Uni, Canterbury - mainly with clarinet and voice but she plays the db for the last 3 years 'cos few others do! - no lessons - nothin!

I would like to get her a db to play at home with her sisters - the others make a great sound together any way - but she is out-of-it 'cos the clarinet does not fit!

I see a couple of db's on Ebay
a ply ~£125? 300444977444
and a solid 290454027849 £1100

Having successfully bought 2 cellos, 2 violins, and a viola direct from China - I am not an entire novice, but do not know where to go for a decent non-rip-off db.
The Chinese supplier starts at £2k for their dbs!
(Yitamusic) [url="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/yitamusic-violins_Double-Basses_W0QQ_fsubZ9QQ_sidZ162859301QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322"]http://stores.ebay.co.uk/yitamusic-violins...634Q2ec0Q2em322[/url]
bit of a risk that!

I note that ply student models are about £500 plus setting up, strings etc.
How much do I have to spend to get better than this.
As the family are so competent it seems poor to not get a decent instrument.
Sorry about all the stuff, but I thought I might get better advice with a fiuller picture.
Thanks, Les.

[Gareth Hughes]

I had great luck buying an upright from Thomann. Got one of these: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_kontrabass_22_02.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_kontrabass_22_02.htm[/url]

I've been playing upright professionally for about 10 years now and I'm more than happy taking this out on most gigs. Even hired it out for an album recently. It replaced a fully carved Calin Waltur bass from Romania and I don't miss that one now at all. You can request what set-up you'd like, so if you know the height you want you'll get it. The soundpost was still standing in mine when it was delivered (not sure if that was by luck or if it's pegged in somehow) so I was able to get playing minutes after unpacking it. The strings it comes with are ok - they'll certainly do for a while. So far I've only felt the need to upgrade the strings and replace the endpin due to a rattle from the stock one.

Good luck. And fair play - I'm finding one son a handful at times!!!!

[Bilbo]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=93958&st=20&start=20"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...20&start=20[/url]

Here are my experiences - hope they contribute to the considerations.