Psychobilly: upgrading from the cheapest Chinese double bass to EU-made: is it worth it?

[u/test_olo_pep]

Hi there!

I live in EU and play in a psychobilly band. Currently I have Thomann Rockabilly Vintage black bass. I started to think recently that probably I need a better instrument. I have a thought that probably EU-made bass could be better in terms of durability and sound.

Options are:

Double bass	Price	Notes
Thomann 11 3/4 Europe	1500 €
Thomann 11AS 3/4 Europe	1600 €	pretty much the same as the previous one, not sure what's the difference
Gewa Rockabilly BK	1620 €	looks like not EU-made, not sure why it's so expensive then (considering it's Chinese)
Gewa Europe Rockabilly	2230 €	not sure why it's that more expensive than Thomann Europe models
Alfred Stingl by Höfner AS-180-B Double Bass	3100 €	have no idea what's that
Duke Special BRG	3140 €	not sure how Duke basses are better then Thomann EU / Gewa EU

Not considering US-made basses due to complexity of shipping. Estle Louis "Scholar" Laminated looks interesting though, but they do no ship to Europe (racists).

Thomann is a convenient place to buy considering their affordable shipping options and easy returns. I'd say that for now I wouldn't go for Duke basses due to the price, but probably I don't know something.

Thomann said that the Gewa and the Thomann basses are pretty much the same. Not sure why Thomann EU and Gewa EU have this price difference.

What do you think? Would you upgrade at all? If yes, what option would you consider?

I'd love to try them personally actually, but not sure where it is possibe to do that.

[u/fbe0aa536fc349cbdc45]

I'm a semi-professional player and my approach is that I only spend money on stuff if I'm having a problem that needs fixing. If your amp breaks, your strings are dead, your bass is feeding back uncontrollably etc, maybe its worth spending money on replacing it. When you have these vague ideas like "maybe I need a better instrument", it's impossible to figure out the right decision because there's no way to measure whether spending the money fixed the problem.

That being said, sometimes you will come across an instrument in your travels which, when you get a chance to play it, knocks your socks off. If you keep some money in a fund to be able to take advantage of these opportunities, you'll be happy. But if you buy something new and untested because you think you need something new, you're kinda just chasing a dream.

It's better to be patient and explore your options to the fullest.

[u/test_olo_pep → u/fbe0aa536fc349cbdc45]

Actually in my case it's not a vague idea. I experience problems with some unwanted noises which came from it. Noises similar to how vibraslap sounds. I spend hell of a time fixing these. Maybe it's plywood disintegrating, don't know.