New (Electric Upright/Double) Bass

[AndyR]

My Christmas present to myself has finally arrived! 

It's an Electric Double Bass.

I started wanting one when I got the BR1600 back last Easter and immediately started recording acoustic songs instead of band songs. Nearly every recording I've made since then, which has a bass on, uses the "double bass" model in my Variax bass. It works ok but just didn't feel right.

The main thing in my mind was that I needed something without frets. So I was debating getting a fretless bass guitar or ... one of these beasts...

Before Christmas I tried a few fretless basses, and then finally laid my hands on one of these. With the help of Mrs R (the chicks love a double-bass player! ) I decided that, although there was a bigger learning curve, the EDB was the way to go... so I ordered one.

It's a "Stagg 3/4 EDB in black with gig-bag". I had a good ole tonk on it last night, it is going to be very useful

Needs some further "setting up" and fettling in and, I suspect, a decent set of "orchestral" strings... but it's making cool noises already .

Hopefully, I'll have a chance to record a quick clip or something over the weekend - I'm already happy enough with my playing to post examples of it , that really surprised me... (but I've got a sore neck and shoulders to show for it though! )

[Geir]

Now you're really giving me GAS Andy !!

this looks amazingly cool !!!

[Greeny]

You lucky fella. I like the sound of this. There's something eternally classy about the sound of a double bass on acoustic songs. I can see myself getting the bug for one of these too. No... stop it... must... resist, lol.

Looking forward to hearing how it sounds in a recording context!

[AndyR]

The GAS is never ending

While I was waiting for this I started getting cravings for banjos... and harmonicas... and, of course, now I have this thing it won't be long before I need to get a bow for it

I have a feeling that the tone I'll get out of it will be less "acoustic" than the Variax modelling I've been using, but that it will gain in so many other areas...

My early plans at the moment are for "double-bass, telecaster, drums" blues/r&r recordings rather than anything folkie, but we'll see what happens when I plug it in!

[Bluesberry]

This looks amazing Andy.  There is a local blues/folky/jazzy duo here that the bass player uses something like one of these, and he goes out to a wah pedal and some other effect and then into a looper.  What an incredible sound.  The other guy plays acoustic.  He lays down a bass pattern with fingers, loops it, then plays higher up to get a cello sound (using a bow) and uses his effects, fills the damn room with sound.  They sound like a 4-5 man band up there.  I can't wait to hear this in action.

[AndyR]

This looks amazing Andy.  There is a local blues/folky/jazzy duo here that the bass player uses something like one of these, and he goes out to a wah pedal and some other effect and then into a looper.  What an incredible sound.  The other guy plays acoustic.  He lays down a bass pattern with fingers, loops it, then plays higher up to get a cello sound (using a bow) and uses his effects, fills the damn room with sound.  They sound like a 4-5 man band up there. 

Wow, sounds amazing...

I can't wait to hear this in action.

Mebbe set your sights a little lower ... some tasteful "dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum-dum, duppety-dum-dum" perhaps

[AndyR]

OK, I've set it up. This mainly involved cutting the nut slots a lot lower and experimenting with various heights for the bridge/action. It's a lot easier to play now

I'm surprised at how quickly I've adjusted to playing with no frets. My body hasn't adjusted to the new playing shape though. I feel like I've been through a heavy-weight boxing contest - back ache, neck ache, my right arm feels like someone's punched it repeatedly! At least it's not causing any new blisters...

It's sounding really good. It's never going to sound like an acoustic upright, too much sustain and "electric" stuff... but it has a voice all of its own that I rather like, in fact I've fallen in love with it already (even if it makes me feel like a physical wreck!).

Short demo in original songs: The Rutting Stagg

Although the demo doesn't show it, for some reason an upright really puts a bit of zing/rhythm into you while you're playing. Something that a bass guitar doesn't do (in my experience anyway). With this thing I find myself grooving and bopping along with it. I suppose it might be because it's almost like you're dancing with a partner (but plucking away at her in a most unseemly fashion!)

Another surprising thing is that I can play a bass line and sing a lead vocal at the same time with this! Never been able to do that with bass guitar, I've always found it just too difficult to get the timing right and deliver a decent performance in either department...

Ahh... happy days

[guitarron]

very cool indeed

[Wiley]

thats amazing!!!  I used to play the big upright bass in high school!!  Look how they have modernized it. LOL  I bet it is fun to play!!   Would love to get my hands on a big old upright again!!
PJ

[AndyR]

I have to admit, now that I've got this, that I'm starting to develop yearnings for the "real thing"... and that's after less than a week! 

The missus would probably draw the line though... and even I can see that fitting a real upright in our flat would pose a few problems...

Meanwhile, playing is coming along nicely - still causes a few aches, but my body's getting used to it.

And I've found out how to EQ it so that it sits very nicely on its own with a single acoustic guitar. All I've got to do now is learn how to restrain myself so that I play effective bass parts for the song, rather than the "lead-bass" I'm tempted to play all the time