Anyone have experience with this EUB?

http://www.themusicmotel.com/store/product.asp?id=839&catid=195&vid=198


I'm looking for something cheap to travel with, but want something that won't fall apart. Never owned an EUB before, and I'm coming from upright. Thanks for any info.

Mike

Looks like a great deal, but I can't speak for the build quality or playability. Most name brand EUB's with the proper string length, bridge height, neck and fingerboard go for at least 3 times that price. If you decide to buy it give us a review. Does this vendor have a trial period ? If it's no good send it back. ;)

Thanks Frank. I'm keeping my eye out for deals on better-known brands, but if nothing comes along in the next couple of weeks I may just go with this one. Interesting, becuase I've been reading posts about their acoustic uprights (which I gather cost half as much as the EUB) for some students of mine, and it sounds like they're not worth the box they're shipped in. But to get a chambered body EUb with headphone jack, active electronics, full-lenght fingerboard, etc. for $600 and change seems pretty amazing. I'll write a review if I go with this one.

Mike

Hello,
Last weekend I received my brand new and cheap Palatino EUB. Very fast service, only problem was that the fingerboard was not fixed to the neck. So I had to glue it my self.
Playing with my Gallien Krueger 112 in my small study room the bass sounds quiet well. The high tones a bit like a frettless bass.
This week I tried the bass with the bigband I am playing in and I was disappointed. The bass sounds too much like an electric bass.
Now I have a question: Where should I start to get a more double bass sound with this Palatino. I think the wood (ebony, maple) and the construction are good, but some parts can be improved. What would be best to replace the
strings, the pickup, the bridge or is it the amp? It has a adjustable bridge: does the metal part of such bridge influence the sound? I have heard a lot samples from the different manufacturers sites. Most sound more double
bass like than my EUB. There must be a way to improve it. Who has some suggestions?
Thanks,
Bas

My experience has been that most EUBs have too obtuse a string angle across the bridge and this makes the things act/feel more like a Slab. I don't know angles out of my head, but I'm sure that the tree doctors here at TB might be able to help you out with this. As far as updating your weapon to play/sound like a real bass, I'm sure that there are a few options. The bad news is that by the time you have the thing up to snuff you'll have probably spent as much as buying an Alter Ego or Azola.

The fingerboard scoop in particular makes a drastic change in the sound. There's often not enough scoop so you get too much of that fretless "mwahhh".
Bring the EUB to a qualified luthier to check the FB's scoop and increase it to get more thump.
I've found that choosing orchestral strings also makes a big step toward a real DB's tone. It reduces sustain and brightness.
HTH!

Hey Bas,

Thanks for your input. I'm just curious about the, um, fingerboard not being attached to the neck. First of all, did you ask the place you bought it from to send you another bass, or was it not supposed to be attached? Secondly, what did you use to glue it on with? About the EUB sounding like an electric, it's been my experience that any time you're in a big band situation where you have to crank up the volume, even the best upright and amp setup are going to lose the natural acoustic sound. But you said you like the sound of the bass in a quiet room? Does it sound more like an upright to you in that context? Thanks again for any info.

Mike

Hi folks:

I stumbled across these EUB's recently, and I was thinking of picking one up also. I've heard the same things about quality problems, but I also agree that it's quite hard to really screw up a stick with pickups on it moreso than an acoustic upright. :eek:

Have you tried arco (bowing) on this EUB? I know it's much more difficult on an EUB than on an acoustic upright, but it can still be done (and can sound quite good...a la NS Designs EUB's).

On the pizzacato (plucked) tone, you said it sounds much like an electric fretless. How much like an electric fretless? I already have a 5-string fretless, and it doesn't sound anything like an upright. I guess what I'm asking is how much like a fretless does this guy sound? How much of the coloration was from your amp vs. from the bass?

Just out of curiosity, do you have or could you make some sound files of this EUB going direct so we can get an idea of what it sounds like?

Best regards,
Dave

Hi folks,
I own this EUB since november. Here are my comments about it but be aware that I am a begginer in the double bass world :

I bought it on ebay and receive it plaing condition (I didn't have to glue the fingerboard by myself).
Sound : I like it. I haven't played it loud but in my room, it sound good. Not a real DB sound but not really a fretless bass sound. Something between the twos. IMHO the qound is quite good compared to what I've heard on the net from other model.
I have changed the bridge & the strings :
My bridge was broken during transport (the strings where undertension during transport a a shock may have broken the bridge) but I've glued it to start to play. The new Bridge made a real improvement. Acousticaly (unplugged) the bass sound really louder & the plugged sound was quite better.
I think that my old glued bridge was not really ideal in propagating vibration.

After that I changed the original strings (probably palatino brand) that where quite light and have bad reputation. After reading a lot of reviews on talkbass, I have choosen thomastick Superflexibles (I planning to play pizz jazz & arco for working on intonation). This also improves the sound a lot.


The problems in my opinion :
- The bridge is not a standard Side. The width at the feet is 115 mm that correspond to a 1/8 bass bridge. But the height is smaller than that. To replace it I've bought a 1/8 bridge, cut the legs & replace it with my original adjustable feet.

- Preamp quality : Thereis a "tonality" knob on the bass that gratly affect the sound. If you place it for having a brighter sound, and if the voulme of the preamp is high, you will hear a hum. This is particularily clear if your amp is good for reproducing high frequencies...

Why did I bought it ?
*I was interested in DB (I play a lot of other instrument). But
my "music room" was à the 3rd floor with really narrow stairs so that it seems impossible to carry a DB there.
*I wanted to be able to work my instrument late at night without disturbing my familly & neighbours.
*I was aware that nothing can replace a real DB.

Since I have it, I've tried several real DB and this really great !
The switching between the EUB & real one is really easy for me. However, for playing acoustically with a real one requires much more strength in right hand fingers. I now work on my EUB with a low volume setting train my right hand. And yes the vibrating body of the real thing is a great experience :-)


I hope these comments can help but take it for what it worth... comments from a DB begginer that takes a lot of pleasure with its EUB.

Sylvain Clement

Have you tried playing this EUB with a bow? I'm interested in how difficult it is to get and maintain an arco tone. Folks say the Eminence has a decent arco tone, but I had great difficulty maintaining a steady tone on that one with a bow. The NS Designs seemed really easy and sounded great. How does this guy stack up? (Btw, I don't expect it to be as good as the $4500 NS Designs EUB.. :cool: ...but I'm hoping it's still possible to get a decent arco tone!)

Dave

I have try arco playing. But, since I'm a begginer, I don't think I can make useful comment about arco tone. I just try to practice a little with the bow for working intonation. I don't find it hard to get a steady tone but with my begginer's criterium.

I would go for it. Sounds like a winner for the coin. I guess I would get the TIs and have it professionally set up, as suggested by the mod.

salut sylvain.
was wondering if you had any more insight/comments since the last post. how's the palatino been holding up?

salut sylvain.
was wondering if you had any more insight/comments since the last post. how's the palatino been holding up?
I still have lot of fun with it. In late the evening, I work with it
unplugged. The sound coming out of it is enough with the new bridge/strings. Yesterday I played on a real DB. Another difference is weight balance. It's a little more difficult to find the balanced position on th EUB than on the real thing.

Sylain

I found a Palatino EUB in a local store today and gave it a good workout. Part way through the bridge fell off - still have no idea why! Anyway, got it together again and annoyed eveyone in the store for a while.
I came away with mixed feelings. It's less than half the price of any alternative I can find in Australia, bit it's still $1500 retail, which is about double what I think it's worth. The woodwork is OK, the fingerboard seems to be a reasonable piece of ebony, but the hardware is incredibly cheap & nasty. Light plastic brackets for the spike & 'body' extension and a crappy looking pickup under a nasty adjustable bridge.
However, the sound was actually fairly good. I guess I had low expectations - I'm a BG player and thought it would sound like a fretless BG, but it had more of the explosive dynamics of an URB than I expected.
I'm assuming if I buy one I'll have to upgrade pickup, bridge & strings immediately, as well as maybe the preamp, so I'm not quite convinced it's worth the money, even at it's low price.
Maybe it's back to my previous plan - looking for a broken URB so I can salvage a neck & hardware to make my own EUB.

"Explosive" being the operative word when discussing Palatinos.

The fingerboard scoop in particular makes a drastic change in the sound. There's often not enough scoop so you get too much of that fretless "mwahhh".

Would you please explain to a newb what you mean by "fingerboard scoop"?

Would you please explain to a newb what you mean by "fingerboard scoop"?
If you look at the fingerboard from the side, it should not be flat, but have a slight concavity. (lenght-wise)
This gives room for the strings to vibrate and prevent buzzing.
This concavity should be higher on the E string side, and smaller on the G string side.
As you now understand, the shape of a bass fingerboard is a very complex curve, being convex in the horizontal plane, and concave in the vertical plane.

Hi,

i bought one of these off ebay in november last year. Being totally new to URB i wanted to get something cheap and nasty so that if i didnt like it i could sell it for more or less the same price. My teacher has recently shaved the fingerboard to get rid of a bit of 'zing' in the G string and now it sounds epic, He also cleaned off the dye/paint on the fingerboard too and it looks really nice. Being new to URB, i dont have a reference to compare, but it sounds nothing like the fretless that i use and has loads of growl in the bottom end. Im very happy with it, and am now in the process of looking for a proper DB (another item i dont need with money i dont have!). I'd say that its great if you want to try out uprights without forking out a wad of cash for a DB or a decent EUB.

My 2 cents worth.

Hi Dave!, I'm a new member. I think to buy a Palatino VE-500 EUB ! Did you buy or did you try to play the Palatino EUB with an arco. Could you play like an Ac. Upr. Bass. The bridge form and the fingerboard shape same as an Ac. Upr. Bass.
Thanks,
best Regards

Hi, I just got my Palatino tonight. I'm also new to UB, but I'll try it on a couple songs tonight with my band at practice. I'll give you my impressions in few days (I'll be out of town for 3 days).

Did you buy or did you try to play the Palatino EUB with an arco. Could you play like an Ac. Upr. Bass.
Hi, I´m from Austria, that´s why I can´t speak English - and I´m 50 years old, that´s why I´ve got a Palatino EUB (to save my back).

Well, first let me say that I spent EUR/$ 600 for the EUB, and gave more than 600 bugs to my violin-maker. At least I ordered a "Schertler-PU" (more a mic than a piezo) - so my Palatino costs me ca. 1,600 ... but finally it really will be MY instrument! Nearly all parts changed ... ;)

To answer your question:
If you change the strings,
change or modify the bridge,
leave out that Palatino "coat hanger"
(which makes it impossible to bow the E-string ... I´m standing on right leg, with my left knee behind Palatino),
you will get an excellent string instrument for bowing too (!).

It´s a lot of fun playing e. g. "Bach, Cello Solo Suiten", indeed! :)

Ok, here are my first impressions on my new Palatino Ve-500. I think the pickup/preamp are not great, the output is a bit low, and the it produces a hiss, especially when the tone control is turned up to the bright position. But overall I'm happy, for a bass that cost me less than $600 (thanks to Robert from www.folkmusician.com). So, I'm going to try to upgrade the pickup/preamp, the strings, and maybe the bridge.

.. So, I'm going to try to upgrade the pickup/preamp, the strings, and maybe the bridge.

I would really advise to change the bridge. On mine it changed a lot the sound quality (even more than changing the strings)
If you change the strings, change the bridge you'll not regret it.

An additional possibility is to experiment with the angle of the bridge: slight adjustments produce considerable differences in sound (!). I don't know why ... cause it's not only the pressure, applied to the piezo ... I've tested the build in pickup, a fishman too, than a "realist-like", and made a lot of experiences with distinct materials under the bridge. To leave the "mysterious world of piezos" I'm looking forward to the "STACK-B" ...

I would really advise to change the bridge. On mine it changed a lot the sound quality (even more than changing the strings)
If you change the strings, change the bridge you'll not regret it.

I saw your first impressions about the Palatino and that you changed the bridge with an 1/8 bridge, I wonder if it's easy to find one? I will check that, but any info would be appreciated.

An additional possibility is to experiment with the angle of the bridge: slight adjustments produce considerable differences in sound (!). I don't know why ... cause it's not only the pressure, applied to the piezo ... I've tested the build in pickup, a fishman too, than a "realist-like", and made a lot of experiences with distinct materials under the bridge. To leave the "mysterious world of piezos" I'm looking forward to the "STACK-B" ...

Interesting. I realized yesterday that my bridge wasn't perfectly perpendicular to top of the bass (it was leaning slightly toward neck), so I adjusted the inclination so it's now perpendicular. Maybe I'll try later to compare with an inclination toward the bridge. What is your current setup Christian?

Maybe some pix say more than my terrible English words ;)
So pls take a look at my modified Palatino:
http://www.grisi.net/palatino/IMG_1984.jpg
http://www.grisi.net/palatino/IMG_1985.jpg
http://www.grisi.net/palatino/IMG_1986.jpg

PS: My violin-maker told me, that he could not use a "standard 1/8 bridge". He had to take a pice of wood, creating a very personal bridge for me (and the Palatino too ;-)

Christian, how much did it to have this bridge custom made for you? I've seen the same kind of asymmetric bridge on an Eminence bass. I'm interested to get a better bridge too.

It´s hard to say, I guess around $ 300, maximal 400.

I try to explain:
On the one hand my violin maker is very expensive (many musicians of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra trust in him), on the other hand we have a good relationship, talkin for hours and hours, for that reason he knows me (playing, giging, fee) very well, let´s say he is something like a doctor (or a therapist ;-) and he is interested in innovations too.
Into the foot of the bridge he also made a depression for the piezo, etc. - I think, he spent many hours in research ...
That's why I can't tell you exactly how much my new Palatino bridge is, but I think 300 is realistic.

Palatino and that you changed the bridge with an 1/8 bridge, I wonder if it's easy to find one?

Hi,
I've bought mine at http://www.chevalets-despiau.com/ (a french manufacturer. It cost me around 50$ for a 1/8 double bass bridge.
As Christian said, the 1/8 bridge is not completely compatible with the palatino but the width at the bridge was the good one.
The 1/8 Bridge is far too high but I've cut the feet and replaced it by the original ones with the the adjusters screws.
I then remove a little piece of wood on the top and shape it back to the correct thickness. All of this was done in an hour of wood working without particular skills (but patience). This is probably an uggly way and will note compete with a real costum-made bridge by a good luthier.

I'm not sure about the price of the later option but, a friend of mine paid 300 euros (around 385 USD) for a new bridge, a new soundpost & a fingerboard dressing (strings not included) with a good luthier here in France.

Sylvain Clement

Thanks Christian. It looks like your violin maker has indeed spent a lot of time to design this new bridge. I think I'll try to see a violin maker in my area.
Also, for the Palatino I found that the sound is very thin, not a lot of low end, except if I pull the strings up. I was guessing it is the piezo pickup which is responsible. So I finally bought a new pickup, a Schertler Electrostatic with preamp. It was a huge improvement even with a basic install. I think after trying different postitions for the pickup element, I will have a nice, more even sound. What I like in this pickup is that I don't need to modify the bridge (I try to install a KK MAx pickup, it would have required to enlarge the wing space). Anyway, now the sound is full with a normal plucking technique.

i have just orderd one of these today and will have to wait 120 days to recive it, thier on back-order. I guess that thier pretty good EUB'S. Any one ues the stock pickup? if so what amp do you use? how does the combo sound? is it realy chamberd? what strings work well for this bass or eub's.

i have just orderd one of these today and will have to wait 120 days to recive it, thier on back-order. I guess that thier pretty good EUB'S. Any one ues the stock pickup? if so what amp do you use? how does the combo sound? is it realy chamberd? what strings work well for this bass or eub's.

I had to wait for 3-4 weeks before getting mine. I think for the price it's really nice for starting playing upright bass with a normal 3/4 size. Though, I think the pickup/preamp isn't good enough for playing gigs. I had replaced it with a Scherltler pickup/preamp, but I found that it's too sensitive to feedback in my hands. So I just bought a used K&K Bass Master Pro it seems really good. I just installed it, I still need to tweak things on it but it's promising.
My Palatino also has a problem, the neck is not perfectly aligned. But it's still playable.
The stock strings are probably quite bad (bowed sound is very screechy). I just ordered a set od Pirastro Flat Chrome Steel strings, which should be very good for both pizzicato and bowing.

Hi, i agree... They are great basses for someone brand new to UB or EUB for the price. Had mine now for about 6 months. I dont think it sounds too much like a proper double bass, but sounds cool enough through my trace elliot acoustic bass amp and defo looks cool at gigs compared to BG. When i bought it i had a bit of fret buzz on the G string due to a tiny lump which my teacher kindly sanded away for me. but now ive gone and bought a 3/4 size Acoustic DB, pickup arrives next week just in time for my first gig on the upright...EEEEK!!! Ill have my blagging skills polished hopefully.

Guys, I have come to find out that these EUB's are being manufactured right here in Shanghai, that's where I'm currently playing. Tried one out in a local music store. It's not a very good bass. Plugged it in and the metal tail-piece after ring was just as loud as the open G string! Guess that's an extra added bonus, a built in tuning referance. The thing played a big loud G that rang long after the stopped string, very weird. The store owner looked very nervous when I asked for a rag. Stuffed it in under the tail piece, that stopped it. Has a very skinny neck, skinnier than a Kay. Very narrow too at the end of the fingerboard. Had a bad buzz at the F on the E string in half position. G string sounded quite bad in thumb position, very whimpy sounding thruout. Might be those awful Chinese strings though. They are thin, like solo strings, you can buy a set here for about 18 bucks, new.
The pickup is something that sits under the bridge, which is a thin piece of wood with adjusters whose threaded ends look to be very small in diameter. The whole thing is very microphonic. Here's the kicker, you can buy one of these things here in Shanghai brand new for about $300 bucks, including the gig bag . IMHO they are worth about that. I hated to see posts from guys that are sinking more money into these things for new bridges and pickups. I suppose if I had one I'd want to do the same. And plain the fingerboard too. But for what it costs to get one on e-bay, plus the cost of the neck pickups, bridge and fingerboard work, I think one could do better putting their money into even a used EUB that's a bit more well put together to begin with. IMHO.

Mike, I had no doubt this bass would cost far less in China than here. I got mine at $600 shipped, new. Add $200 for a new pickup/preamp, it makes a $800 bass, new. Used EUBs on eBay are hard to find at this price, unless they are just simple sticks like the Dean Pace, which is not what I want. I wanted a cool looking bass (after a couple gigs with this Palatino bass, I can say that the looks factor is more important than we could think, it's usefull for my new band), not as big as a real 3/4 acoustic DB (my car is a small).

I know this bass is not high quality, but I haven't had any problem with the end pin nor with the fingerboard (I think the bass was setup here in the US, which was included in the final price). Now that I know that I can eventually play upright bass, I will certainly sell this bass one day for higher end bass. Being back-ordered in many places, I should not have any problem to sell it.

Anyway thanks Mike for your review, it will make potential buyers more aware of the potential flaws of this bass.

I can't stop playing ...

After I´ve got a Schertler-PU and spent many days to find a good position on Palatino, I gave it up ... and went back to a very cheap one (ebay Germany EUR 70,-). Believe it or not, with this pickup my Palatino sounds great!!!
As I told you, my violin maker made a gab for that PU in the foot of the bridge. I don't know exactly why it is working _now_, maybe pressure and the angle of the bridge too.
What do I call a good sound?
* All tones all over the finger board are powerfull, "woody", just like on a DB.
* Bowing and pizz (I'm changin often within one song) are on the same volume level.
* Both, pizz and arco, can be played from ppp to fff.
* The sound is "open" (not "piezo-pressed") and very warm.
* Stuff like vibrato a.s.o. is coming precise and living through the amp.

After decades of carring my DBs, I just wanted to travel just like my colleague (a femal tenor sax player with "400 watts in her beauty case" ...). 80 percent of my gigs are with amp (or PA too), so it makes no sense to carry a $2000 double bass with an $1500 amp - to sound like a $100 bass guitar ...
My "Palatino Story" is a story of wrong tracks - but now I've got what I ever wanted to have:
* A light, slim, good looking instrument.
* No batteries, pre amps, further wires, a.s.o.
* A natural sounding bass instrument, for (lovely!) bowing too
* No special strings, just my usual orchestra stings
(did I told you, that on Palatino I'm using 10 years old stings? ;-)

Since one week or more I can't stop playing ... classical music, jazzish, pop, a.s.o. ... after so many years of braking my fingers in classical stuff, now on my Palatino I can play it for hours and hours, without getting tired (!) cause all power is made by the amp - a new and cheering experience ;-)

What should I say? - I'm very happy, and playing and playing and playing ......................

Mike, you are right. If I would play the Palatino "as it is" , I would close my ears and run away :-))
So let's say, $670 for Palatino plus PU - and new strings plus violin maker (which is indispensable for every instrument I buy, old or new - to make it my personal instrument).

Last but not least it's good to have this forum for sharing thoughts and experiences - so everybody knows, that the Palatino is not a "buy&play"-instrument ;-)

Hello,
After a few months of research I have found you can not buy an UB for less then 2000.00 (that would be worth playing, including a setup) Here in the N.Y, N.J area. At 599.99 at interstatemusic.com for the bass, 98.00 for better strings and 200.00 to 300.00 bucks for a nice small amp to practice and learn at home, (but if I decide to use my current amp I can get a good setup at David Gage with the 2 to 3 hundred bucks, maybe even a new pickup) this I the best I could deal with for under 1000.00 bucks. I have heard the feel of the neck is really close to the real thing and with the chambered body you get some vibration to get a good feel of what note you’re hitting, and I have heard this is important when learning to train your ears to pitch. Coming from Eb I love the bass and have wonted and needed to learn the upright for years but never thought I could afford it and am very excited with my new purchase and I hope it comes sooner then October.

Seems to be some mass global marketing being pumped into these instruments of late...

Seems to be some mass global marketing being pumped into these instruments of late...

Yes, there's a long list of back-orders for them in Australia.
I'd buy one if they were half the price. The one I saw was $1599 retail ($1200 US).

Yes, there's a long list of back-orders for them in Australia.
I'd buy one if they were half the price. The one I saw was $1599 retail ($1200 US).
This could be a dumb question but, why are the so much in Australia is it shipping? Because to be honest if this bass was 1200.00 here in the U.S I would look into a real 2000.00 UB insted. I dont think it would be worth the 1200.00. This bass is worth 600.00 in fact it's a great deal at the price. Good Luck!!!

I bought one of these around easter this year and reckon it's great for what it is. I am a full time pro musician playing a variety of styles including jazz and classical. Having played double bass for 15 years I just wanted something more portable for flying but was not expecting to replace the real thing. With the onboard pickup, I beleive the arco sound is better than the pizz. I have played those NS EUBs and would probably buy the palatino over them even at the same price, purely as it is designed more like a real upright. I have replaced the strings with Thomastic Spirocores, (an old set off my real bass) Re-shaped the bridge (and plan to replace it)
and fitted a Fishman BP100 pickup. I plan to also fit a set of Seymour Duncan active Pbass pickups for loud funk/rock/fusion/electronica gigs. ALso another major improvement came when I managed to dampen the metal tailpiece to stop it from ringing. A point to remeber is that NOTHING will ever replace a real double bass, but when i first played the Palatino, I thought it sounded like an amplified double bass, and that is what the audience normally hears...
Hope this helps!

I have had a palatino for 6 months now, and have just gone and bought a proper upright string bass. Since using the proper DB, i find it difficult to get comfy playing the palatino, it doesnt sit right anymore. I dont have a huge belly to rest the the arm against (like my teacher hehe...) and im continually having to re adjust my posture while playing... something with the spike. I like the way with a DB you can just lean it into you and can support it much better. Other than that I still think it sounds good, but i get a lot of string noise form the piezo pickup supplied when i bought it, the action on mine is pretty comfy too, which was pretty much as supplied. I got the fingerboard shaved though. I would defo recommend it for someone new to EUB coming from BG. For the price its a bargain for sure.

my 2 cents.

oh, and i think they look super cool as well....

:hyper: I have some good news as I said in an earlier post I would have to wait until late oct to have my bass shipped but it now looks like late June early July. Another thing I found on the web site were I got the bass from. The price went from 599.95 to 669.95, I called up and asked why the price increase and they said it was because Palatino raised their prices. What could the price increases mean for Palatino. I know that there is a huge demand for these basses and maybe they needed to expand their operation. Who knows, anyway I am excited that it is coming sooner then later.
Thanks, Dave

Hey,
This is my first post here but I have been reading they for a few weeks. I was considering buying an EUB, for traveling purposes. I have a toyota Corrolla and it and an upright just dosent get along, but the care is cheap on gas and I travel alot. I got a Palatino VE-500 this past week. I was not expecting it to be very good but I was plesently surprised. The over all apperance of the bass is very good and the quality is not that bad. If you look real close and nit pick you can find flaws but the are minor and not noticalbe. When I first got the bass I pluged it into an amp and started playing but the sound was terrible. I had to do alot of adjusting on this bass. At first the pickup was only working on the G side, so I took the pick up out and looked at it and it was not getting good contact on the back of the pick up so I put two pennies under the pickup where the feet set on it and this solved the problem. I know it sound strange but it works. Now the pickup workes but the sound is still not good. I then discover that you need to use a pree amp with this thing as with most basses. You also need to raise the strings some to get a good thump. I also needed to boost the bass with a preamp and cut the mids way down to get a good sound but after a little work it sound really good. I am going to take it out this weeked to do two gigs with it and see how it does on stage, but it sound good in a small room. The G and D strings sound the bes and the G string open is the loudest note on the bass but I think it is a nut problem. The A and E string are a little slow to respond, if anyone has a fix to this problem let me know. I also need to change the strings they are cheap stings that come with it. I also just a bow on it and it sounds pretty good to me but I do not know what it is supposed to sound like. To me it sounds like a bass. This does ont sound like a fretless at all and if you raise the strings it is even better. It is very muck like an upright in the sound and to play and I have been playing bass for 15 years. For $625 you caint beat it :bassist: :hiding:

Kevin

Hello,

Hey,
I then discover that you need to use a pree amp with this thing as with most basses.


The Ve-500 is already equiped with an onboard preamp so there is no impedence matching problems as with piezzo pickups. However, the onboard preamp don't give us much control on the sound (1 "tone" pot+ volume). Futhermore
the preamp is a little noisy.


The A and E string are a little slow to respond, if anyone has a fix to this problem let me know. I also need to change the strings they are cheap stings that come with it.

I didn't really had the same problem but you should be aware that the original bridge is real crap. Changing it made a great sound improvement for me and others have noticed that too. Even unplugged, the difference was striking. It now makes more sound unplugged (even with these crappy strings).
The string quality is also another issue and may explain differences between strings. using good strings may avoid raising the strings to get THE sound...

WPhantom

you guys were right, I made a new bridge for my bass and it made a huge improvment. The bridge is non adjusable so I thnk this might be part of the improvment. I can even tell a differance in the bass when it is not pluged in. Thanks for the advice. Can anyone recomend strings.

:hyper: :bassist: Yea man!
I got it 2 days ago I am in love! My wife feels a little neglected but she will get over it! Anyway as soon as I got it I changed the strings and some minor tinkering and I was playing in no time. Two things, the painted finger board made my fingers black butt a few minutes with some paper towels I managed to get a lot of the excess topical stuff off now it is not so bad. Second, like I read in another post when you hit the G string the tail piece rattles but with the supplied little spongy thing that was used to pack this lovely lady, I smushed it into the spacing on the tailpiece and no more rattling. I am so glad I got this bass it is all I could hope for in a $600.00 EUB!!!!!
:hyper:
Thanks Dave,
:bassist:

Dave I am sure glad you like your new bass. I am really liking mine as well. What kind of strings did you put on your bass.

Dave I am sure glad you like your new bass. I am really liking mine as well. What kind of strings did you put on your bass.

i read somewere around here that you get a better sound with orchestral strings so i went and got Helicore H610 3/4 scale length strings. i think thier alot better then the ones that shipped with the EUB. butt i am new to EB so i have very little string experince so take my opinion with caution.!! GOOD LUCK! and have fun with your EUB
dave

hey, keamburgey
how much did it cost for a new bridge? i would like to get a new one as well.
dave,

HI, I received my palatino eub last tuesday (564 € + 25€ shipping);
definetly I like it, but I have some problems with the piezo pick up; the signal is very low (with new batteries), I have to play with my 120 watt amp at least at half the volume to hear something; Did anyone have the same problem?
thanks
Maxmerx

This is my first time posting on talkbass.
Anyhow, I just purchased a Palatino from ebay. $530 brand new + $25 shipping. This is my first experience with UB so I have little frame of reference. So far I am quite happy with it though it's going to take some time to get used to the larger scale coming from 34" bass guitar. I'm satisfied with the tone though I haven't been able to experiment with it much as it just showed up yesterday. I've only tried playing pizz but I've got a bow on order so I can't comment on the arco tone. I believe this bass will serve my needs as I am primarily a bass guitar player who wanted to experiment with something new without making a huge investment. I definitely recommend this bass for someone wanting to experiment with UB for little $$$. I have no doubt there are many better EUBs out there but I'm happy with my Palatino (so far).

Shaner, how'd you find the $530 price? That's nice!

The only VE-500 listings I've seen on eBay recently have been from Instrument Alley, and those are Buy It Now for $658.99.

I got it from someone with the handle of drumguitargirl22. I noticed that they had put up another Palatino shortly after mine for a starting bid of $500 and buy it now at $530 but it was snatched up pretty quick. You just have to check frequently and get it while the gettin's good.

its good to finally find some info on this EUB!
i bought one from ebay for £450. bag and even a free straight to 90 lead. rock.

having been a 6 string bassist for many years, i just wanted a cheap EUB because a 3/4 full wood DB would've been impractical for my living arrangements and wallet!
i wasn't expecting the world from this thing. you see the conklin EUB; that thing is beautiful. and i even tried a silent EUB up in denmark street in london.
the sound is not ideal. i had to email the seller to ask for any further information or help with setup. he advised me to play around with the bridge in terms of the angle against the pickup. i desperately want to change the strings, and by what i've read, a new bridge will help! i like the sound of this bass, and the look is great too. for the price and for a novice to upright, i would recommend this.
however, all i want now is a full wood, 3/4 acoustic :D

Still enjoying my Palatino. I just got a bow yesterday and I think the arco sound is great!
I was wondering if anyone who has a Palatino has tried rigging a tripod stand for it rather than the endpin that is supplied with the bass? I ask because while standing and bowing I have a difficult time keeping it balanced because of the thinner body. If anyone has done this could you give me advice on where to acquire the tripod and tips on setting it up? Thanks.

i am also intrested in a tripod for my palatino, as i am 6 9" and need to replace the endpin anyway. it would be great to have a tripod insted of the pin

I'm looking for one too!
I assume most people just get a good solid stand from a drummers' shop, but I dneed to know what sort of hardware you use to attach it to the bass.

There are those few pictures of the VE-500 from the Palatino website that you see on the sellers' webpages..

.. but I think it'd be great if some of you TalkBass Palatino owners took some of your own VE-500s and posted them here. Go for it! :)

oh man, yeah! i totally forgot about that awful awful awful endpin! the lugs to keep it down are tough to get to a point where they don't slip. i like to keep the endpin down and the bass in the corner of my room, but when i woke up one morning, the enpin had slid back up, destroying the perfect height i'd worked out. :spit:

i'll get a picture up if i can :D

The lowest price I'm seeing online right now is $599. Most everybody else is doing the going rate of $659, with a few up in the $700+ range. Anybody seeing a lower price, including shipping?

I wonder if one of these upright bass stands that are meant for just holding the bass would work as a support in place of a custom tripod. Go to ebay and look up the following item number: 3767590817
Does anybody think something like this might work? It's hard to tell just looking at a picture.

I have searched like a madman for a low price and the best I can come up with is an email quote from these guys for $625.00 includes shipping. Many retailers are backorderd for 30 days too.

"Hello

My name is Daniel and I can sell you this bass for $625.00
with free shipping and no sales tax if you are located
outside of California. Please give me a call at
800-805-0852 ext 203 if you would like to purchase this
item.

Sincerely

Daniel
Instrumentpro.com
800-805-0852 ext 203"

There was a question about how much it cost for a new bridge for my bass. Well I could not find a new bridge to buy soo I made a new one, I actually made about four new bridges. It helped alot. The angel of the bridge on the pickup is the key to a good sound. My bass sounds the best with the bridge leaning foward just a little. But the slightest change really effects the tone and gain of the pickup. IF any one is interested in one of my bridges you can email at
keamburgey@aol.com

Keamburgey- How about a pic here of one of the bridges you are making? Are you doing fixed, or adjustable bridges, or both?

An adjustable bridge, with piezo transducers installed, would be very nice to have available for the Palatino.

Does anyone know if any of the other adjustable bridges with transducers, such as the ones Bob Gollihur has, will fit the VE-500?

[QUOTE=keamburgey]The angle of the bridge on the pickup is the key to a good sound. My bass sounds the best with the bridge leaning foward just a little. But the slightest change really effects the tone and gain of the pickup. QUOTE]

I found the same on my home-made EUB - very slight bridge movements made a huge difference to tone & volume. I cured it by placing a shim of cork under the pickup to ensure even contact. I wouldn't do this with an acoustic instrument, but with a solid-body I figure a little flexibility can't hurt.

I have posted some pictures of a small triumph. With advice from Bob Gollihur and aided by pictures of his setup on the website for his homemade electric upright bass (http://www.eclecticbass.com/eurb.html) I have managed to construct a stand for my Palatino. I purchased a cymbal stand, a tom arm, and tom bracket from my local Guitar Center. I then drilled some holes into the back of my new bass :eek: to fit the tom bracket, slid all the pieces together and voila! Note that the endpin is still a vital component because the Palatino's girth is considerably more than the NS style that "floats" on the tripod. It has really helped with playability as I no longer have to play the balancing act. Unfortunately, this setup cost me about $100 with new components but it seems like it will help immensely in making the instrument more playable.

http://photos28.flickr.com/37503278_f2ecde1548.jpg

http://photos27.flickr.com/37503276_4d76a0e149.jpg

http://photos30.flickr.com/37503277_a6c92f3b93.jpg

Get your shoes on! Do you want to catch your death?!

I like the looks of the new stand and I want to try to make one of my own. Is this part of the bass hollow or solid. I will also put som pics of a bridge I have made in a few days. I am without a camera right now. The bridges I have made so far are not adjustable. And I still use the pickup that came with the bass

The bass seemed to be hollow at that location but was thick enough that the screws are gripping sufficiently tight. It feels very stable.

I think people that criticize the quality of the Palatino are missing the point. Sure, it's probably not for you if you're a session musician but neither is that $199 BG we all started on.

The first time I saw an EUB was at a Police concert 20 years ago. Sting brought it out on stage and introduced it as his "new toy." I wanted one right away but back then you had to be Sting to afford one. The next time I checked a few years later you couldn't get one for under $5,000. A few years later it was $3,000. Now $600!!

I got mine by going to www.palatinousa.com and clicking on the dealer button. My local dealer matched the Ebay price and did the setup. He got it in in less than a week. Not a bad way to go if you're thinking of buying one.