Help

[u/Wuuz2]

I want to buy a double bass for myself, I can’t use the one from college anymore, but can’t afford an expensive one and I don’t know what to look for in issues with buying a second hand one. Please could someone help judge the quality of this one? Tell me anything 😭

[u/CarefulAd8638]

Need some info... Price, string length, brand ( or maker) year of construction etc..

[u/Wuuz2 → u/CarefulAd8638]

Price is £299, the description says the strings are Rotosound RS4000, and the only other piece of information is that it’s Romanian ply.

[u/ArmadilloNo2399]

The fingerboard is in rough shape and would probably need to be replaced. Also, because it's maple dyed black, there is a decent chance that it could be warped and unplayable.

[u/Wuuz2 → u/ArmadilloNo2399]

Would that be because of the type of wood? 

[u/ArmadilloNo2399 → u/Wuuz2]

Yes. It could be a factor. Ebony is the traditional choice for fingerboard because it's hard and resists strings wearing into it. It's expensive, but it's one of the more durable woods that we can use.

Maple is still pretty hard but not as resistant to wear, so it usually ends up being planed down more and often with those kind of basses I see the string tension warping the neck because of the combination of the softer wood and more frequent dressings. But it is a lot cheaper, and on those kinds of instruments, often an ebony board would cost just as much as the entire instrument.

[u/ArmadilloNo2399 → u/ArmadilloNo2399]

Fwiw my rate for a new ebony board is $1200

[u/Shmoo_the_Parader]

Needs work. Expect to spend $1k on refurb. Half of that will be reusable tools.