If you're an experienced player shopping for a new instrument you need to have an idea of what type of tone you prefer before you buy. Begin by asking yourself these questions: Who would I love to sound like? What size and shape of instrument can I realistically play? What characteristics in an instrument most help my style of play?
The next step is to play as many instruments as you can. Borrow from friends, teachers, colleagues - annoy everyone! Evaluate what you like and dislike about each bass. Discuss your findings and opinions with others, and get their perspective too. Then make a list of all the traits you think you'd need in a bass, so you don't forget them while shopping. Yes, you need to get in the car and go shopping. This isn't the time to be lazy! Rarely do you find a perfect match by just choosing a bass from the internet and having it sent to your home. You need to get into a shop and actually play them - a lot of them.
When you are trying out basses, take your time with each instrument. Play long tones, slow scales/arpeggios, loud and soft notes, and some long/short spicattos.
The biggest mistake you can make is to immediately jump into the hardest part of a Bottesini concerto, because you can't expect to play each instrument flawlessly right away. Basses have never been standardized, and likely never will be. There are dozens of shapes and sizes to choose from, so it may take some time to find one that is really comfortable for you. Every instrument likes to be played a certain way, so give each one a chance to show you what it can do. Be open to trying an instrument that is different than your old one; you may be pleasantly surprised.
Generally older instruments tend to demand a higher price, so some of the best bargains are newer instruments. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice quality. There has been an explosion of highly skilled bass makers all over the world, and luthiers have really stepped up to the plate with incredibly high-quality instruments. As players' skills have continued to improve, new demands have been made. Even the geometry of older instruments have sometimes been changed to keep up with modern standards, so the stigma associated with new basses has been put to rest.
It's never a good idea to sabotage your success for the sake of a few hundred dollars. You might be drawn to buying over the internet because of lower prices, but in most instances you will actually save money in the long run by going to an experienced luthier/shop. Many of the big, fancy websites and auction houses promise top-notch basses that have been professionally set up.
Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. More times than not, the customer soon realizes that the bass has cheap strings, poor quality and misfit bridge / endpin / soundposts which need to be replaced, and needs a full fingerboard dressing so that every note doesn't buzz. Six hundred dollars later that internet bass doesn't seem like such a good deal after all. Spending more upfront on a much higher quality instrument can save you from such a nightmare.
Also remember that new instruments do not come set up ready to play. In addition to a quality instrument, a set up by an experienced luthier is indispensable.
If a student can't produce a good tone with ease they can easily become discouraged. And an extremely poor set up can actually cause injury!
The difference between a professional set up and an internet seller is insanely far apart. Numerous times a month we have customers who come into our shop with a "great deal" they found on the internet. But the bass is unplayable and sometimes already has structural problems. It's always best to go to a shop and play the instruments in person before buying, and have a professional luthier set up your instrument. "Arranged marriages" are rarely your best choice.
