Considering a brand-new instrument? What to look for

Finding a brand-new instrument that has the attributes you’ve been seeking can be the light at the end of the tunnel. Before you write the check, make sure you’ve “played the tape all the way through” (an anachronistic aphorism from the days of tape).

Are you buying this instrument from a dealer? What is their objective opinion on its eventual resale value, and value for the price? They should respond with alacrity and several options, giving you perspective on alternate instruments you could choose for your long-term goals. A bass (violin/viola/cello) may have a bright future as far as retaining its value, or may be considered a “player’s bass” that sounds and plays exactly as you want it to, and is being sold inexpensively for its attributes, as it is not expected to have a resale value equal to or above its current price. You’ll want to make this purchase only after having this discussion. Several workmanship indicators are listed below; a dealer will be able to talk through these with you on any instrument you’re considering, and substatiate how they affect the price.

The dealer should be offering setup and adjustments to make the instrument play properly, some warranty, even if it’s a consignment, and willingness to take the instrument back on trade or consignment when you’re ready to buy up. If the dealer seems reluctant to eventually receive the bass back in his showroom, there will be reasons why.

Are you buying this instrument from a maker? You’ll need sufficient answers to: 

• Will they set it up to your wishes? Some makers aren’t so great at setup, so will they agree to include setup done properly by a reputable shop?
• What are the specifics of the maker’s warranty? A new-made instrument from an individual maker should have a warranty of multiple years, in writing, covering defects in materials and workmanship. What is the return period? Most makers offer a buyback if there is a compelling reason; they will need to provide buyback conditions in writing.
• What is the maker’s prior experience? How much experience do they have in restorations and work for significant clients? Were they apprenticed to a significant shop and experienced, reputable maker? Are their instruments owned and played by professionals? How long is their waiting list?
• Have you seen and played on other instruments by this maker in the marketplace, and gotten positive recommendations of their work and reputation from unaffiliated professional players and teachers?
• Is the maker working under the auspices of a fine-instrument shop (not necessarily at their physical location) that ensures they’re fully funded for high-quality wood and fittings, and which will stand behind the maker’s instruments? This is good.
• Does the maker have representation by one or more dealers (new or used instruments they’ve made being shown by reputable dealers)? This amounts to an endorsement, and is a positive sign. 
• Is the instrument constructed from the highest quality tonewood? Top grade, flawless, symmetrically flamed wood can be a challenge and a huge investment for an independent maker to obtain, but there should be no compromise, considering the prices asked. When you look over the instrument, you should see no knots, pitch pockets (which appear as tiny oval knots), gouges in whorls or curled grain patterns, or one side of the top and back having a different grain than the other. They should be bookmatched to the center seam, clearly made from a single piece of wood that was split. The back and ribs should be the same wood. The neck and scroll should be similarly flamed to the back and ribs. There should be NO wood defects in the neck heel, or pieces added to be back of the neck heel in front of the button, or shims under the fingerboard. 
• Are the seams tight and uniform - no glue-filled gaps? The bent ribs smooth, with no sharp bends, fraying, or stress cracks? The corners where the ribs meet the center bouts are straight lines with minimal, almost invisible seams?
• Are the edges of the instrument perfectly rounded and equidistant from the purfling? Is the arching a perfect arc with no bulges or dips?
• Are the purfling and FF holes perfect? There should be no irregular edges in the FF holes, and they should be exact mirror images. The holes should be cut perpendicular to the top, with no wavering angles. The purfling should be a smooth arc without wiggles, and with no gaps or chips next to it.
• Is the scroll symmetrical and straight? The center line should be visually straight from the front, back and top. The ears should be level with each other. Take pictures from both sides, the front, and the back, and compare them later at home. The scroll carving should have entirely clean, neat lines and defined, deep curls, with no gouge marks. If the carving looks rough and the curls aren't a defined, crisp spiral, but instead look like they're still partially complete, filled in, "melted", or the scroll is different on one side than the other, it's a critically defining indicator of inexperienced workmanship. If there's a chamfer (angle) on the edges of the volute, it must be a consistent thickness and angle, not wandering or wide in some spots. If traditional black edging is painted on the scroll, take an extra in-depth look that the line is of consistent width and is not present just to cover up carving mistakes.
• Is the fingerboard Grade A ebony? Accept no less in a handmade instrument. 
• Is the varnish smooth, clear, and uniform? Free from dark areas, blobs, and (goes without saying, but sadly, we’ve seen it in high-dollar new-made instruments) brush strokes, brush hairs, dust, and grit? Can you see through the color coat to a refractive ground coat that shows off the wood? If it’s murky and looks like you can see powdered pigment, or if it’s lumpy where some areas are thicker, it devalues the entire instrument to student-level, no matter how nice the carving is. Fine varnish has some surface depth, but is not excessively thick, and is durable and lustrous. Thin, easily scratched, sweat-damaged, or opaque, dull-looking varnish is a red flag.
• Is the wood under the varnish completely smooth along the grain (no “fur”), and free from tool marks/sanding scratches?
• Is ‘antiquing’ (if any) tasteful and moderate? Not being used to cover up defects? A fine instrument should be classy, not excessively distressed or have a ‘piebald’, spotty, or gaudy appearance. Well-done antiquing utlizies earth-tone pigments, not stark black.
• Does the inside of the instrument show the highest-quality craftsmanship? There should be no tool marks or rough work; the bent wood of the interior linings should be smooth and snug, with no fraying or sharp bends, and uniform size and shape. All the interior parts should fit perfectly to the surfaces, with no gaps. There should be no extraneous pieces of wood, patches (though the center seams should be cleated for strength), or glue or varnish drips. The inside should look every bit as competently made as the outside, just with no varnish.
• When you stand across the room and look at it, do you feel you’re looking at a fine instrument for the asking price? There should be nothing rough, crude, choppy, or asymmetrical. It should look at least as well-made and well-finished as any showroom instrument in the price range.
• Is the maker calm and confident, exhibiting no anxiety or pressure to get the instrument sold? Letting the instrument speak for itself, without trying to oversell it or make excuses for errors? A 100% perfect instrument is rare, but a maker should be forthright about any flaws, and should only be marketing instruments on which he took the time to make everything right. Are they proud for you to show it to anyone for an opinion?

If you can check off all the boxes, and you feel this bass will work for you and all your current information indicates it's worth the asking price, take it on approval and take it to a reputable violin luthier unaffiliated with the maker. Have it looked over for all the above aspects, plus anything else the luthier can see. A violin person will be likely to have the highest expectations regarding workmanship, and a qualified double bass specialist will know more about setup. Would it appraise for the asking price? Is it the quality of instrument they would feel good about representing in their own inventory?

If everything gets a green light, congratulations! If not, don’t feel compelled to take on an instrument that is anything less than the highest level of craftsmanship and design. There is no stigma in instead choosing a workshop-made instrument until such time as you are ready to get on the waiting list of one of the world-class makers. The high-end workshops across the world (there are also workshops that are not high-end) produce quality-controlled, consistent instruments by highly experienced makers with apprentices and journeymen working under close supervision, many of whom become fine makers in their own right after years of superior tutelage and many instruments produced. Due to their capital advantages, workshop instruments sell for less, relative to their quality, leaving you the savings to purchase upgrades and accessories for your new instrument. All the above-mentioned workmanship points apply to the value-to-price ratio, and advisability, of any instrument from any source. Should you ever buy an instrument with workmanship that’s less than stellar (a “player’s bass”?) As long as the value-to-price ratio is reasonable for the current market, and your expectations of its resale value are clear, you may find one suits you perfectly. 

Additionally, if you don’t happen to see an instrument that meets your needs in a shop, make certain to ask! The shop may have incoming inventory or consignments. Good dealers have interactive relationships with the workshops and/or makers they represent, and should be able to obtain special-order models, and sales staff who keep tabs on instruments that are soon to be available.  You’ll get better results teaming up with the dealer and waiting for them to bring in an instrument for you than skimming the inventory of every shop and settling for an instrument that’s only sufficient, but not ideal.