From: grego@bit.UUCP (Greg Sanguinetti)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers
Subject: Re: Upright prices
Date: 11 Sep 92 15:23:04 GMT
Article-I.D.: bit.419
Reply-To: grego@bit.UUCP (Grego Sanguinetti)
Organization: BIT  Portland, OR

NOTE: cross post to alt.guitar.bass rejected by our news handler which
      refuses to believe in that news group (sigh).

In article <1992Sep10.021143.13764@panix.com> rdr@panix.com (Reuben Radding) writes:
>So I'm thinking of taking the plunge and buying an upright bass.
> ...
>I've seen used ones going for between $475 and $2500. What's a good
>threshold of what not to go *below*?
>
If you can only afford $2500 top price, then I would suggest considering
this bass to be temporary and get one as cheaply as possible. Save the
remainder of the available funds so that you can upgrade the instrument
when you have $6000 or more to spend.

At your prices you will be looking at plywood basses. Once you have played
a plywood bass for a few months you will go into a bass shop and play an
old carved bass. From that moment on you will not be able to sleep until
you can afford to buy one!

There is something quite special about the relationship that develops
between an old carved bass and it's (current) owner. My bass was built
in Germany in 1860. I often just stand there by it and imagine it
traveling across europe on tour with some orchestra, traveling by steam
locomotive. The man who made it is long since dead. I'm sure at least
one previous owner has died of old age. It really isn't MY bass, I'm
just the current caretaker and as such I feel a tremendous responsibility
not to screw up a piece of history. ... sorry about the mushy stuff here.!!
I'ld better sign off before I start relating the shape of the instrument
to my mother's!!!

-grego
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grego Sanguinetti, Bipolar Integrated Technology | Water, water everywhere,
grego@bit.uucp or grego%bit%ogi.cse.edu          | but I'd rather drink
or bit!grego@ogi.cse.edu or ...!ogicse!bit!grego | beer.
Newsgroups: alt.guitar.bass,rec.music.makers
Subject: Re: Upright prices
Summary: 
Expires: 
Reply-To: grego@bit.UUCP (Grego Sanguinetti)
Followup-To: 
Distribution: 
Organization: BIT  Portland, OR
Keywords: 

In article <1992Sep10.021143.13764@panix.com> rdr@panix.com (Reuben Radding) writes:
>So I'm thinking of taking the plunge and buying an upright bass.
> ...
>I've seen used ones going for between $475 and $2500. What's a good
>threshold of what not to go *below*?
>
If you can only afford $2500 top price, then I would suggest considering
this bass to be temporary and get one as cheaply as possible. Save the
remainder of the available funds so that you can upgrade the instrument
when you have $6000 or more to spend.

At your prices you will be looking at plywood basses. Once you have played
a plywood bass for a few months you will go into a bass shop and play an
old carved bass. From that moment on you will not be able to sleep until
you can afford to buy one!

There is something quite special about the relationship that develops
between an old carved bass and it's (current) owner. My bass was built
in Germany in 1860. I often just stand there by it and imagine it
traveling across europe on tour with some orchestra, traveling by steam
locomotive. The man who made it is long since dead. I'm sure at least
one previous owner has died of old age. It really isn't MY bass, I'm
just the current caretaker and as such I feel a tremendous responsibility
not to screw up a piece of history. ... sorry about the mushy stuff here.!!
I'ld better sign off before I start relating the shape of the instrument
to my mother's!!!

-grego
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grego Sanguinetti, Bipolar Integrated Technology | Water, water everywhere,
grego@bit.uucp or grego%bit%ogi.cse.edu          | but I'd rather drink
or bit!grego@ogi.cse.edu or ...!ogicse!bit!grego | beer.