Thomann 33AS 3/4 Europe Double Bass

Decent bass for the price

After a few weeks with the instrument I am able write a honest review.

The bass overall is and I'm happy with the purchase, although if you consider it, you should be aware of some issues. Here my detailed opinion on various aspects:

1.SOUND - it's GOOD! Loud, full, sustain is good - absolutely nothing to complain! (even with basic stock strings).

2. Craftsmanship/quality - overall it's nicely build, although there are some issues:

- wood selection: there are knots in wood, even on top. should not really happen to bass from a reputable manufacturer.

- fingerboard stain: the fingerboard is stained with some crappy black paint and it dyes fingers black (it's not wearing off even after a few weeks). I'd rather have fingerboard looking less black, than to have dirty fingers all the time.

- tuners, bridge, leg, tailpiece are fine, nothing to complain about.

3. Looks: overall looks nice, pictures are pretty accurate (maybe looks a bit darker on pictures). what is not nice - visible KNOTS mentioned before.

Bear in mind it's almost the cheapest carved bass one can get, so it would be foolish to expect 100% perfect instrument. What matters it that it plays well - and I like it!

Better than expected.

I am rather a beginner, with just a few years of double bass experience. I own plywood Strunal 50/4 double bass, which I wanted to leave at rehearsal space, so I was looking for something a bit better to use at home and during my lessons. This one surpassed the expectations with a solid build and excellent sound. Pizzicato it gives much more full sound than Strunal, and it really shines when played arco.

The bass was immediately playable as received and did not require any setup (of course, the bridge was taken off and had to be put in the place, which was clearly marked).