In
addition to being recognised as the 'Numero Uno' for professional
quality double basses in the UK, "The
Contrabass Shoppe" has gained an enviable global-reputation
for the meticulous presentation of their instruments and the outstanding
qualities of sound and tone that they induce from each and every
double bass in what is a sizeable inventory.
"We know exactly
what type of instrument both dealers and musicians are seeking"
For musicians our aim is to offer you
a double bass of unquestionable authenticity and structural soundness,
that will complement your playing and prove in time to be a worthy
investment.
For the dealer our aim is to provide
you with a service that is able to cater for almost all your double
bass requirements - instruments and bows, in every price range and
in any quality and quantity.
We are particularly interested in attracting
and serving overseas customers who will find our service exemplary.
Our shippers will carefully pack your selected items and ship to
most destinations within three days, and on request bypass the unnecessary
delays of customs clearance to be delivered directly to you via
our door to door service.
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offer in The Contrabass Shoppe is a truly mouth-watering international
selection of fine Italian, English, French and German instruments
with a price range starting at about £5000 and rising
to investment quality instruments in the £60000 region.
As a former member in the double
bass section of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, director
Anthony Houska knows exactly how a good
instrument should sound, feel and look.
We estimate that Instruments
purchased from "The Contrabass
Shoppe" are currently appreciating in value at
approximately 10% per annum. With this in mind we recently
achieved a UK record price for this fine English instrument
by Thomas Kennedy.
All our instruments have been
totally overhauled as necessary by our skilled restorers and
are offered in fine playing condition. Only top quality fittings
such as fingerboards, bridges, strings and endpin units have
been utilized in this process.
Although not listed, we very
often have a number of "Trade" instruments, mainly
of French and German origin that although require a degree
of restoration are ideal for the home or overseas markets.
Should any instruments be of
interest please E-mail us your details
and we will be happy to forward you detailed digital images
of your selected instruments for you to download and study
at your leisure.
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English instrument by Thomas Kennedy
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Director
of
The Contrabass Shoppe
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Anthony
studied double bass at the Royal Academy of Music and was
awarded both the Stainton Dalby Scholarship and in two successive
years the Martin Musical Scholarship. He gained his Professional
Certificate in July 1981.
Anthony has a wide experience
of orchestral, chamber and ballet music from playing as a
freelance musician with The London Philharmonic, Philharmonia,
London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic and BBC orchestras plus
numerous regional orchestras. Anthony became a member of the
London Philharmonic in 1989, relinquishing his position at
the end of the 1995 season to concentrate on his rapidly expanding
instrument business. Brought up in a positive art and antiques
environment and with skills in both woodwork and metalwork
Anthony took a strong interest in the history, construction,
business and trade of old violins, making his first serious
violin purchase in 1980 at the age of twenty. His articles
published in the "Double Bassist" magazine by Orpheus
Publications Ltd have been well acknowledged. They reveal
the true extent of his experience.
Anthony gains much pleasure from
the many exciting facets of running an instrument business
and most especially when a badly neglected instrument or bow
is restored to its original glory and returned into the hands
of a player for him or her to make music.
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You will find our price
structures for instruments very competitive. Because
we work on a large and quick turnover of stock, we are able
to offer the vendor a much
higher price than an auction house, frequently with an instant
cash settlement, whereas every prospective purchaser
will be pleased because our mark up is only small. For those
musicians who wish to upgrade to a better quality instrument
then our guarantee to accept
your instrument back at its full
purchase price, whatever the stage of your career,
is a comforting reassurance of our integrity.
We currently have an outstanding
selection of Quality and Top Quality instruments and bows
to offer you and will be pleased to see you at your convenience.
Please contact
us before coming because this is .
All measurements
and information details
are for your guidance only.
Condition
reports are available on request, however we do advise
that you inspect items carefully and fully satisfy yourself
that they are of merchantable quality.
Any instruments taken out on approval
are at your liability and on the understanding that any loss
or damage will be paid for in full.
Any goods supplied remain the
property of The Contrabass Shoppe until paid for in full.
Please note that our stock, lists
and prices are liable to change quite frequently and we reserve
the right to do so at any time.
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1) We are happy to consider any
part-exchanges or sales on
a commission basis.
2) We are happy to offer advice
and bidding at auction on
a commission basis.
3) We are happy to offer you a
verbal opinion on your instrument
and if necessary provide a valuation
for insurance purposes.
4) Besides an extensive selection
of instruments we sell a number of accessories
for the double bass.
5) We sell a number of new and
antique books
about the double bass.
6) If you want a particular instrument
or bow that isn't available on our web-site pages then
our free "Sourcing Service"
is proving extremely popular. Simply let us know exactly what
you are looking for and we'll try and find it for you
through our many contacts.
Above all we hope very much to
offer you a friendly service and advice should you be considering
buying, selling or part exchanging instruments or bows at
this moment or at some point in the future.
Please phone us for a chat
or to arrange an appointment or send us an E-mail
with any questions or comments about the instruments on this
web-site.
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While it is our intention to keep information
up-to-date and accurate The Contrabass
Shoppe cannot guarantee either. If errors are brought
to our attention we will try to correct them.
The Contrabass Shoppe
will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from
the use of this site, including but not limited to direct,
indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.
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The text and image files that The
Contrabass Shoppe have made available on this web site
(www.contrabass.co.uk) are
intended as an "electronic catalogue"
or "brochure" to
enhance public access to information about The Contrabass
Shoppe, the services that they offer and their available stock
of instruments and accessories.
Users may download these files
for personal use only, subject to any additional terms or
restrictions, which may be provided with an individual file.
The
Contrabass Shoppe specifically retains any rights,
including copyright that it may have in data, image, text
or any other information these files may contain under the
Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988.
Any commercial use or publication
of these Documents and Web pages are strictly prohibited without
authorization.
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