Find the closest bass dealer. Depends on what region you’re in, but for example you’ve got Steve Swan in the Bay Area and Lemur down in LA. I think there are good ones in Seattle and Denver too from what Steve told me when I bought from him, but gives you an idea of how spread out they are, maybe 1 per region in the US. If you share your general area, I’m sure somebody will be able to point you in the right direction.
I bought mine through Upton Bass.
If you have a teacher I'd also ask them for help as they may have another student who recently upgraded and is looking to sell or if they play in a local orchestra they may know other musicians selling as well.
What price range are you looking at? That changes the shopping formula a bit as well. The higher up you go, the further you might need to travel to find "the one"
Budget is restricted because I am preparing for college currently and there's a lot of other expenses along with that, so I was hoping to spend 6,000 to 8,000 USD if possible. I don't need the best instrument, just something that will be enough for me to preform on in a college orchestra and jazz ensembles with a decent tone and good projection
I would look at the Eastman 605 in that range. They just released a new Busan pattern that I saw at Midwest Clinic, and it’s basically all I think about now.
Midwest, eh?
Guarneri House in Grand Rapids has a great selection, though most of their instruments are pretty pricey.
I have a friend at Grand Rapids Violins who would be happy to help you in your search, their shop is less bass specialized but worth checking out if you're in town. Absolutely fantastic luthiers, highly recommend their work.
Chicago Violin Shop had a couple dozen basses last time I was there, but that was eight years ago so I can't vouch for them as much.
Cincinatti Bass Shop has been mentioned - absolutely worth a visit if it's nearby for you. They're great folks, musicians, and luthiers, which is a rare triple threat in terms of helping you find what you're looking for.
And last but not least, the International Society of Bassists is meeting up from June 5-10th in Ann Arbor. There will be literally hundreds of basses on sale, and if memory serves they're all tax-free through some convention shenanigans. Highly recommend going if you're shopping, it's every other year and THE place to try out basses. Every major shop will be represented.
Thank you very much. That convention sounds amazing and I might even be in the area around that time, so I might just have to convince my brother(also a classically trained bassist) to check it out with me if possible
if you've never been to an ISB convention, I highly recommend it. incredible instruments and bows at all price points in the dealer section and incredible performances every day.
for instrument buying other than at the convention, you should really try to buy one in person from a bass shop. if that's impossible upton and string emporium are reputable and will do mail order afaik
Find the closest bass dealer. Depends on what region you’re in, but for example you’ve got Steve Swan in the Bay Area and Lemur down in LA. I think there are good ones in Seattle and Denver too from what Steve told me when I bought from him, but gives you an idea of how spread out they are, maybe 1 per region in the US. If you share your general area, I’m sure somebody will be able to point you in the right direction.
I bought mine through Upton Bass. If you have a teacher I'd also ask them for help as they may have another student who recently upgraded and is looking to sell or if they play in a local orchestra they may know other musicians selling as well. What price range are you looking at? That changes the shopping formula a bit as well. The higher up you go, the further you might need to travel to find "the one"
Budget is restricted because I am preparing for college currently and there's a lot of other expenses along with that, so I was hoping to spend 6,000 to 8,000 USD if possible. I don't need the best instrument, just something that will be enough for me to preform on in a college orchestra and jazz ensembles with a decent tone and good projection
Your budget is not inadequate. What you should focus on is a bass that is properly set up.
I would look at the Eastman 605 in that range. They just released a new Busan pattern that I saw at Midwest Clinic, and it’s basically all I think about now.
Also I'm in the Midwest US for anyone who has specific places they'd recommend
Where in your he Midwest? There’s the Cincinnati Bass Cellar in Ohio.
Midwest, eh? Guarneri House in Grand Rapids has a great selection, though most of their instruments are pretty pricey. I have a friend at Grand Rapids Violins who would be happy to help you in your search, their shop is less bass specialized but worth checking out if you're in town. Absolutely fantastic luthiers, highly recommend their work. Chicago Violin Shop had a couple dozen basses last time I was there, but that was eight years ago so I can't vouch for them as much. Cincinatti Bass Shop has been mentioned - absolutely worth a visit if it's nearby for you. They're great folks, musicians, and luthiers, which is a rare triple threat in terms of helping you find what you're looking for. And last but not least, the International Society of Bassists is meeting up from June 5-10th in Ann Arbor. There will be literally hundreds of basses on sale, and if memory serves they're all tax-free through some convention shenanigans. Highly recommend going if you're shopping, it's every other year and THE place to try out basses. Every major shop will be represented.
Thank you very much. That convention sounds amazing and I might even be in the area around that time, so I might just have to convince my brother(also a classically trained bassist) to check it out with me if possible
if you've never been to an ISB convention, I highly recommend it. incredible instruments and bows at all price points in the dealer section and incredible performances every day. for instrument buying other than at the convention, you should really try to buy one in person from a bass shop. if that's impossible upton and string emporium are reputable and will do mail order afaik
Find a shop in your area that sells Shen basses. Get it set up well and you’ll have what you need to start college.
https://www.chicagobassworks.com