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Taking The Upright Plungeby Mike DownesBassBy “taking the upright plunge” Idon’t mean diving feet-first intowater. I’m referring to makingthe switch from electric bass toacoustic upright (double bass, uprightbass, acoustic bass, bass violin, doghouse,or whatever you like to call it – I’llrefer to it as bass violin here). Aside fromhaving four of the same strings, they arevery differentinstruments.On a pragmaticlevel it makesyou twice ase m p l o y a b l e .I began as anelectric bassistand switchedover to bassviolin after highs c h o o l . I ’ v ebeen there andI feel your pain,but I can alsotell you that itpays off in many ways.I’ll start with the probable first step– finding a decent bass violin. Below area series of questions to consider beforewriting the cheque:Condition & PlayabilityWhat condition is the wood in? Are thereany cracks, warps, openings, scratches,etc.?Many “starter” acoustic basses aremade of plywood. There are somegreat-sounding plywood basses outthere and they are very durable. Wood(carved) basses generally cost more andare more susceptible to cracks, etc., butthey usually have more depth and qualityof sound. Some repaired cracks canbe expected on an old fine bass. Conversely,just because a bass has shinyvarnish and no scratches doesn’t makeit a good bass. The main faults to watchfor are large open cracks and deformationsin the body. These will most likelybe expensive to repair.Are the tuning pegs in good shape or arethey difficult to operate? Do they slip?Tune and detune the bass (by no morethan a half-step) a few times to checkthis.What is the condition of the bridge? Isit warped?A warped bridge usually occurs becausethe strings pull the bridge whenthe strings are tuned. Once a bridge iswarped, it is very difficult to restore it,even through steaming. At a certain pointit becomes dangerous, as the bridge cancollapse. A new bridge will cost a minimumof several hundred dollars.Does the bridge have adjusters? Howhigh are the strings off of the fingerboard?Adjusters allow for changes due to theexpansion and contraction of the woodthat occurs when humidity and temperaturelevels fluctuate. Even though somepurists argue that the bass sounds betterwithout them, they are an excellent toolto keep the string-height consistent. Ifthe strings are too high, the bass will bedifficult to play, and if they are too lowthere may be buzzes on some notes onthe fingerboard. Play a chromatic scaleup each string and check for any buzzingnotes.How thick is the fingerboard?Fingerboards can be planed smoothby a luthier to eliminate buzzes. However,they can only be planed so manytimes before being replaced. Replacinga fingerboard is expensive. Measuringfrom the edge of the “E” side, the fingerboardshouldn’t be much less thana centimetre thick. The ebony fingerboardson my basses are 12 mm thickon average.How old are the strings and in what kindof condition?Strings can of course be changed, butbass violin strings are expensive ($150and up compared to $10 and up for electricbass).What is the type and condition of theendpin/tailpiece?Watch the endpin while you or someoneelse plays – does it wobble a lot? Ifthe endpin is thin or of poor quality itwill wobble excessively, or could evenbreak at some point.What size is the bass?Standard size is three-quarters. A fullsize bass may sound great, but rememberthat you will be carrying it around!It may even be hard to play because ofits size. Compare it to other basses youhave tried – is it overly heavy?OriginWhere, when and by whom was the bassmade?Many basses have a tag that is viewablethrough the “f” hole on the “E”side. The tag explains the maker, location,and date the bass was made. Notall basses have one, but a good luthiershould be able to provide you with thedetails.SoundHow does the bass sound?Are there any “dead” spots? Somebasses have a great sound in a certainregister, but then sound awful in anotherregister. Check for consistency fromstring to string. If the bass comes with apickup, ask to play it through an amp.PriceYou usually get what you pay for. Unlessyou are very lucky, a cheap bassis cheap for a reason. Expect to pay between$1,000-$3,000 for a plywood bassand $4,000 and up (sometimes VERY up)for a decent carved (real wood) bass.You should have a professional acousticbassist check out the instrument to gethis or her opinion. Always keep resalevalue in mind – will you be able to resellthis bass if you want to buy up orif you are forced to sell it for financialreasons?PLEASE visit a luthier before spendingyour well-earned money! A reputableluthier will be able to give you an expertappraisal of the bass. The appraisalcosts very little in relation to the price ofmost basses and besides, you will needan appraisal to insure the instrument. Ifyou skip this step you may find out froman appraiser that the bass is worth lessthan the value you paid for it.Another small consideration iswhether or not the bass comes with abag. Upright bass bags are essential (especiallyin the Canadian climate) andthey can be relatively expensive (highqualitybags are around $500).Like any other investment, keep yourcool and take your time. You’ll knowwhen you find the right bass. Once youdo ... well, that’s for another column.Good luck in your search!Mike Downes is a professional bassist andcomposer living in Toronto, ON. He hasperformed on over 40 recordingsincluding “Forces” and “The Winds of Change”as a leader. He is also the Bass DepartmentHead at Humber College, the author of TheJazz Bass Line Book published by AdvanceMusic and co-author of Jazz and ContemporaryMusic Theory. For more informationvisit www.mikedownes.comor e-mail mike@mikedownes.com.