What are good double bass brands?

Answer 1

I think that shopping by brand is not the most productive way to go about buying a bass unless you are a beginner and want a quality student model.

If you're experienced and you want to buy a quality professional instrument, brand name alone won't make you decide. You may play a $40,000 Panormo only to find out that a $6500 Eastman has a better sound and feel. Lots of factors to consider!

If you're looking for a cheapy cheapy cheap bass and you only have $500 - $600 to spend, the brand won't matter. It will be either a cheap instrument made by a reputable company or a cheap instrument made by a generic company.

Buying a double bass (another name for upright bass) is a large investment of money, even at the beginner level. Cheap and/or bottom of the line instruments start around $1200 - $1400 for anything decent. Also remember that you get what you pay for, and cheap instruments are often set up poorly and are difficult to play. The money you saved on the instrument could be wasted on repairs (hundreds to over a thousand dollars in worst cases!!). If you're buying a student bass, consider spending a little more if you can afford it.

Try doing a little research into the anatomy of the instrument. Learn things like carved vs. plywood, roundback vs. flatback, 3/4 vs. 7/8 (or full size), D neck vs. Eb neck, violin corners vs. Busetto corners, French bow vs. German bow, orchestral tuning vs. solo tuning, ebony fingerboard vs. painted fingerboard, etc.

It wouldn't hurt to know something about strings, pickups, bow brands, amplification, etc.

It may seem like a lot of information, but just think of it as a reference guide. Better to do a lot of research ahead of time! None of these things may affect your purchase, but it's good to be in the know.

Concerning brands, here are a few that are popular.

$1200 - $1400 (student model): Engelhardt, Shen, and Cremona. There are other student brands out there if you look.

Other instruments that run anywhere from $4000 to over $20,000 (and higher): Solano, Eastman, Schnitzer, Wilfer, Kolstein, Shen, Pöllmann, Arvi, etc.

Like I said earlier, unless you're looking for a good student model, don't shop by brand alone. Find a shop that has several basses in there and play them all. Go to a few shops. Make a list of your top five favorites. For each one of those, keep note of five basses you don't like. If you're in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic Region there is Shank Strings in PA, Bob's House of Basses in MD, and Solano Basses near Richmond, VA. Also check out the websites for Upton Bass, Lemur Music, Bob Gollihur, etc.

Answer 2

It all depends on your personal preferences and how much money you are willing to spend. If you are willing to spend $50,000 and five years than spurge for a Heckle bassoon, if you want to spend in the neighborhood of $10,00 to $18,000 than go for a fox. There are bassoons that are less than foxes, but in the case of bassoons, money really does buy the best.

Answer 3

dw drums and iron cobra are a very good and reliable brand and they are heavy so they will build your leg muscles so they eventually build you up ALOT of stamina :)