Got my Double Bass the other day, as a present for my 18th, even though its not until the 27th as it was decided that it was more convienient to get it now rather than later.
I haven’t played it yet as I haven’t had a chance to set it up (put the bridge in place and tune it) but it looks awesome. I’ve spent quite a few times today standing with it to get used to the size. Its a 3/4 size bass, and although it has an adjustable end pin, its pretty much to right size for a person my height.
It came around 11am, in a huge cardboard box. The bass itself was inside a hard case, which is literally taller than our ceiling. I thought this would be too big but luckily, there was a gig bag thrown in, so I don’t have to use the hard case. The hard case came free by the way, and since I don’t need it, there’s no space for it for a start, I can sell that for around £120.
The bass is lighter than I thought it would be, and was surprised when I was actually able to lift it at all! Although, a double bass is a fragile instrument, and although I’m going to take care of it, I can’t help fretting. It can’t be stored in a place where it is too hot, the glue holding the pieces together would melt, and I can’t have it somewhere where its too cold, the wood would warp. I need to clean it every now and then too, but since its made of wood, any wood polish will do.
I hope the action isn’t too high once I set it up. If it was a regular bass all I would have to do is adjust the bridge or neck, in this case, if high action was the problem, I would have to take the bridge and sand it down until it was the desired size.
EDIT: I need sandpaper, or better yet, an adjustable bridge. I tuned to G string up to a G, but it was buzzy, so I assume I’ve tuned it to the wrong octave, which makes sense, otherwise the E string would be so loose, it would be unplayable. Of course, it was naive of me to think I’d be able to put the bridge in place, tune the strings, and be able to play straight away, but I’d prefer to learn how to setup a double bass myself, rather than wussing out and spending £60+ for a luthier to do it for me. Once I do have it set up and playable, expect piccys.
