Has anyone tried the latest Realist-equipped version of Mr. Bartig's Eminence Upright? I'd like your thoughts and impressions, particularly regarding tone, balance, portability and aesthetics. (Hmmm. What else is there?)

Originally posted by Christopher
(Hmmm. What else is there?)

Real acoustic sound?

Well, I think that's a lost cause, but okay, that too.

My reply was probably inappropriate, but I couldn't resist the last part of the question. I've only ever seen one EUB that sounded even a little bit real. Bob Sinicrope (one of the bass faculty at the summer camps) had one last year which actually had a tiny semi hollow DB body with a vibrating top. When you played it unplugged, you could sort of hear it a little...the principle behind it was kind of like a DB version of a Gibson ES 335 or something, but it looked more like an oversized vertical dulcimer with a bass neck attached. I can't remember the name of the maker, but if you want I could email Bob and find out.

Peace,
Chris

Chris,

The bass you're describing actually sounds like the Eminence, ie. oversized dulcimer with bass neck attached.

The other reviews I've seen for this instrument seem fairly complimentary, particularly with regard to its arco tone. Given its relatively traditional appearance and construction (emphasis on *relatively*) I'm surprised that it seems to be one of the lesser-known EUBs.

Of the EUBs I played at NAMM 2000 in LA, the Eminence gets my vote for the "EUB I didn't Want To Stop Playing." Had a nice opportunity to run it through three different systems, and I was quite impressed with its sound and feel. It simply felt more "at home" than others I tried, and I liked its sound as well. This was one with the single transducer in one side of the bridge; I think he said it was a Schatten piezo but I'm not sure.

If I hadn't already been making my own EUB (and/or had more of a need for one), I would probably own one by now. BTW, a good buddy up in VT. whose ears and opinion I respect has had his for a few years and gives it a steady workout and continues to enjoy it.

Granted, just a ten-fifteen minute impression, but a very favorable one.

And y'all should see the EUB Bob is making. Beautiful.

I'll second Bob G's opinion on this one. I played one at Violins Etc in Austin. Mark Rubin (manager) plays all over Austin with his, even using it with an old western swing band. Great tone; I'll have one someday.

Monte

Is there any online info about this thing? If it's the same one, Bob Sinicrope was pretty pleased with his.

They have a pretty slick webpage which I have linked to from (All Hail) Bob Gollihur's page in the past but I just tried going there to post the link for you and got error messages. Try www.eminence-bass.com or www.gelbass.com later.

The bass seems like a decent compromise

Just wanted to let everyone know my page (www.gelbass.com) is back up and running.
Thanks to Bob Gollihur for letting me know I was the topic here.

I would like to say a few things about the Eminence Portable Upright Bass.
First of all, the Eminence Portable has a FULLY acoustic body. I was the first to market a portable bass with a body that is made just like a full-size bass but with a small body. I even use inside corner blocks like a good-quality upright bass.The Eminence Portable bass has a hand fit bass bar, sound post, and adjustable bridge. That's why it sounds like a full-size bass, amplified.
The pickup I use is made by David Gage. It is similar to the "Realist" but I redesigned it for optimal tone and balance on the Eminence Portable. I tried every pickup I could get my hands on, and found this configuration to work the best.

People ask me, how loud is it acoustically? I tell them you can't cheat physics.
If you want to move alot of air, you have to have a large body. But it is loud enough to practice with unplugged. The Eminence Portable is designed to plug in and have a warm, woody tone when amplified. It dosen't sound just like a full-size bass, because the only thing that sounds like a full-size bass is a full-size bass!! Having said that, it sounds very close to a full-size bass when amplified. Of course the big advantage to using the Eminence Portable is its small size.

I now have an Eminence Portable with a removable neck. 10 minutes to set up, 5 to break down. With the neck off, the bass fits in a golf club flight case. The airlines don't charge oversize rates for anything in a golf club flight case as long as it's not over 70 lbs. Bass with case weighs only 40 lbs. Actually, using a golf club flight case was Mark Rubins' idea. He called me one day and said his Eminence Portable had paid for itself after only 9 months of touring since he paid no oversize charges.
If you want to know anything about the Eminence Portable, or anything else for that matter, call me at 800-741-3045.

Thanks for the responses, Gary and guys.

Bump!

I have tried the *foldable* Eminence at the Paris music fair (aka Musicora), unplugged as well as thru a GK small combo amp. The mistake was that they had it strung with the infamous (IMHO) helicore hybrids which put me in the wrong mood. I was, however, quite impressed by the sound in both cases. Even the arco sound was not too bad in spite of poor string choice (...). Was selling for around 3000 us$ (ouch!), same price range as a number of wood slabs (aka EUR). If I had one of these, I could take the wife and the kids & The Bass on vacation. One minor point is that in France Eminence is a brand name for underpants so my kids would have good fun if it could be set up with a KK piezo cell...

Olivier,

How well do you think the instrument balances compared to a regular upright? Did you have to use your left hand to hold it steady or keep it from twisting? Any difficulties in thumb position?

How about build quality and materials? Any glitches with the fingerboard, bridge, finish, purfling or nut? Okay, I'll stop now with the nitpicking...

I haven't had a chance to play one of these (I would love to). On the website it mentions a "T" shaped endpin which should stop any "twist" Although not pictured there the site mentions a left bout extension so the bass will lean in an accustomed way.

I'm not a salesman - just intrigued with the instrument.

Originally posted by rablack
Although not pictured there the site mentions a left bout extension so the bass will lean in an accustomed way.
[/B]

It's shown on the 5 string picture:
http://www.gelbass.com/PG_PRODEMBS5.HTM

-dh

Christopher,
I think you got some pertinent points here: it does not have the inertia of a DB, and on top of a left bout emulator to hold the bass against you, it might be a good idea to add a right bout thing so you could rest your left arm in thumb position (my professor keeps rising my left arm though). But that's only minor inconvenience against the portability of the thing, right? To answer your second point, the lutherie looked serious enough, but I did not check the instrument as thoroughly as if I was considering buying it. Maybe next year... with corelli or obligato strings?

After trying out an Eminence with the removable neck I bought one on the spot. I ditched the Helicor Hybrids for Orchestrals and it plays almost as well as my carved basses. (It's a lot like my Kay - without the thump.) I use a SKB hard golf case. It's great for thumb position but with the extended endpin it does hop around a little when the action gets heavy. It was the best alternative I found for traveling and I don't regret my decision.

I just purchased an eminance, not only my first EUB, but my first DB period. I'd have to say what attracted me to it that it's a an excellent comprimise to a neck on a pole and a boat with strings. I play it through a Para Acoustic DI box and any number of amp combo's and it sounds great. I've played a standard EB for years, and it was a good jumping point for me. Just my opinion.

- Mike

I spent some time with a four and five string (high C) Eminence today, at the NAMM show. Mercifully, his booth is in a lower volume area of the show, and was able to audition it through a 2x10 Genz-Benz amp which is a tilt-back.

My concern was the change to the Realist pickup, but in conversation with Gary, the unit used with the Eminence are to his design specs. I learned some interesting facts about the Eminence and his modified units.

Bottom line is, I will be getting an Eminence shortly after I return to NAMM, and will begin to offer them on my web site.

As a player coming from double bass, today's experience confirmed my enjoyment of the instrument back at a past NAMM, and I'm now in the position to be able to stock and sell them.

Originally posted by Bob Gollihur
I learned some interesting facts about the Eminence and his modified units.

Don't keep us in suspense. What sort of mods were those?

Originally posted by dhosek
It's shown on the 5 string picture:
http://www.gelbass.com/PG_PRODEMBS5.HTM

-dh
From the pic it does seem to have a slightly narrow string spacing, can someone who has seen one in real life compare it to your average DB or other EUBs?

I don't own one, but I'm thinking that the narrow string spacing is due to the fact that it is a 5-string.

I played a 4-string at a trade show and didn't notice closer string spacing. The Eminence, by the way, is manufactured by Christopher.

I enjoyed playing it. It felt quite natural to hold, and the purely amplified sound was much better than my Anglefarht plywood.

If I wasn't saving my bread for a new URB, I might consider buying one as a practice bass.

I played a 4-string several months ago, and I found the whole "feel" of the instrument very similar to my standard 3/4 upright. In particular, I did NOT feel that the strings were any closer together than on my 3/4.

I travel a lot on business, and I've been thinking of getting an Eminence with a detachable neck to take on the road, so that I don't completely lose all those practice days. The acoustic sound is loud enough to hear it pretty well, but not so loud that I'd get kicked out of the hotel for playing.

Is that a crazy idea?

Originally posted by Pete G
I played a 4-string several months ago, and I found the whole "feel" of the instrument very similar to my standard 3/4 upright. In particular, I did NOT feel that the strings were any closer together than on my 3/4.

I travel a lot on business, and I've been thinking of getting an Eminence with a detachable neck to take on the road, so that I don't completely lose all those practice days. The acoustic sound is loud enough to hear it pretty well, but not so loud that I'd get kicked out of the hotel for playing.

Is that a crazy idea?

No, that's an "Eminently" practical idea. Bob Sinicrope (one of the guys I teach with at the summer Aebersold Camps) bought one last year for the same reason, and he loves it. He brought it to Louisville on the plane in this black case that was kind of round and looked to be slightly smaller than a set of golf clubs and slightly larger than a fishing pole. It sounded okay to me, and the travel option is indeed appealing.

The strange thing is that I only play classical music - almost entirely arco. I don't play jazz or EBG - never have - and I STILL liked this thing. The one I played bowed very well.

I'm an American working bassist who spends most of my time working in Dubai, U.A.E. these days.
The ever increasing cost of air-cargo has made it very difficult for me to always have my double bass, a hybrid Schuster on the road with me. I've been fortunate to own a Carruthers E.U.B. and have been able to continue playing on what is more or less an upright "sounding" bass as a result. Still, after become quite attached to playing the "real bass" the Carruthers stick had become less than satisfactory. It does what it does very well but still left me longing for a more natural sound and feel.
So I ordered a new Eminence Removable Neck Bass, sight and sound unseen! I felt confident in this decision, because of prior good experiances dealing with (Al Hail!) Bob Gollihur. Bob was able to get the bass shipped to me very quickly and at a very reasonable cost.
I'm very happy to report that the Eminence is a truly fine bass, and lives up to it's claims. It is in fact in my opinion very close to a real double bass in terms of it's feel and response. It's sound when plugged in compares favorably to both my "real" double bass and many others that I have heard and played. The Realist pickup that is included with the Eminence works well with it.
The musicians I'm currenty working with were thrilled upon hearing the bass on my gig for the first time, comments have all been very positive, not only on the basses sound but on it's look as well. It's quite an improvement from the electric "pogo stick" that they had become accustomed to seeing me play every night.
I like this Eminence Bass very much, it really feels and sounds very good. I'm glad I risked it and will not be returning it to Bob for a refund!
I'm greatful to Talkbass for providing the kind of info that is nessasary to make decisions regarding a move like this, reading the comments and opinions of others regarding the Eminence and other E.U.B's was a great help to me. Thank you.

Hi Rod!

Yes, I had an awful problem with the A string, which was improved a bit with Obligato strings. It's still there though, even if not so bad. I find technique has a lot to do with it, if I take real care to play distinctly it's better, but I'm having problems with quicker passages. Every now and then I get that ugly thunk from the other strings as well, but the A string is definitely the worst.

I have no other experience from DB playing, perhaps someone can tell if this can be a problem with other basses as well?

/Anders

Originally posted by ANGULAR OSTRICH

I have no other experience from DB playing, perhaps someone can tell if this can be a problem with other basses as well?



Could you describe the "thunk" in more detail? I've heard a fair amount of "thunky" type of noises come out of basses, and some of them are light years away from what I thought they were when I first heard them.

Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Could you describe the "thunk" in more detail?

Chris, I'd describe it as a hollow wooden overtone. Almost as if you were tapping the top, but without the sharp attack of a knuckle. It's more soft and subtle like using the pad of a finger to tap. It happens mainly *for me* when the right hand is at about 2" up from the end of the fingerboard. If it's plucked higher the "thunk" is more intermittent.

I should also add, the "thunk" is a cross between that wooden overtone and someone popping their p's into a mic. It's there acoustically, it's not a problem with the Realist.

I'm playing an Eminence with Velvet Garbo strings on it that came set up that way from Gary Bartig last December. I've not had any false sounds like the thunk described above on the A or any of the strings. That said, the Garbo's sound a lot like old style gut and the percussive "thunky" sound is what I really like about them.

My experience with the Eminence, at least with these strings, is that you have to really dig in and pull hard on the strings, just like you do on an acoustic bass, if you want the instrument to sound natural and bass like. It is this very non-electric bass like sound that I love and which has garnered a lot of compliments from other players, particularly drummers who say they can hear the bass clearly and find it easier to lock up with than an acoustic bass.

I'm taking the bass out on the road for an extended six-week trip that will take me round the world beginning this Sunday. It will be my first experience traveling with the bass, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it does. I'm going to take a set of Obligato's with me since I have some concern about how the Velvet's are going to handle being loosened and tightened up a bunch.

I like a warm percussive sound. But this is not a thump, thump, thump. It's kind of a tonk. It's very different from the sound from the other strings attack. Instead of the attack being percussive there's this tonk. I mean, you still have the basic tone, but then there's this added tonk.

I pluck fairly hard and have the action at 9mm on the E and maybe a hair lower on the G. I've tried the action from 11mm & 8mm to 8.5mm & 6mm, still there.

I appreciate the input guys. This is definitely a "false" sound. The sound can be heard acoustically, so it's not the Realist. Amplified, the sound is proportional to total volume. In other words, it doesn't get buried, it gets louder. It's annoying for live and would be totally unacceptable for recording.

The dealer is working with me to either get it solved or get another.

I've been playing my Eminence since Febuary and have not experianced any sort of "thunk" sound on my A string, or anywhere else on the bass for that matter. I've tried the original strings, Helicores, Obligatos, Spirocore Orchestra Gauge and most recently Weichs, which by the way I'm liking most for the type of music that I most often use the bass for. This "thunk" sound just does not happen, either acousticaly or thru my very accurate amps, (Walter Woods, Raezers Edge and Clarus).
This makes me wonder if this has more to do with the way you play than the bass itself. The biggest, richest pitzacato sound can only be achived by striking the strings with more or less the side of your index finger, that how Ray Brown got it, and guys like the great Al Mckibbon and Senator Eugene Wright still get it. They rarely, if ever played on just the tips of their right hand fingers (bass guitar style), and only then just for speed. If they used a two finger style once in a while they still used as much meat of their fingers as possable, and nevertheless dug in!
Now while I havn't heard you play, the thunky, woody, hollow sound you describe sound suspisiously like the sound one gets when playing on the tips of your fingers, perhaps a bit too lightly at that. If you have caulouses on the tips from playing bass guitar on roundwound string (like I do) the sound can be even worse! Try getting as much of the side of your finger on the string as you can before letting it fly and see if that doesn't turn the "thunk" into some funk!

Also, you might check to make sure your bridge is set and centered properly. If the bridge foot isn't sitting just right I've noticed the sound of the bass suffers a bit, with less of the good body sound. Then you wind up hearing too much "string", and can be noticed acoustically or while the bass is plugged in. That could certainly account for or at least add too what you might be describing as "thunk". I've noticed on mine that moving the bridge feet even as little as 1/8 of an inch in the wrong direction can change the sound a lot.

After giving this some more thought, I'm wondering if this strange sound you are hearing is the sound of the strings ringing behind the tail piece, since the Eminence is not a real loud bass unplugged you might be noticing it more because you are not hearing as much of the deep body sound that you might be used to when playing a normal sized double bass. A little bit of this string ringing behind the tail piece sound comes thru when playing most any double bass thru a pickup and amp, it's cool most of the time, part of why a double bass sounds like a double bass and why the Eminence sounds like a double bass. Can be a bit distracting while playing real loud thru an amp if one is not used to it. You might try threading a bit of foam, or even an old rag thru the strings behind the tail piece, maybe that's the sound you have been hearing that has been bothering you so much.
I took my Eminence into Lisa at LA Bass Works today for some very minor ajustments, just want to get my bridge to be able to go a bit lower than it's adjusters allow and am getting the bridge wings opened up a bit just in case I need to slip a Bass Max or Underwood in there in the very unlikly event of a failier of the stock pickup. I'm leaving town soon for a three month jazz gig in the Far-East and don't know of any qualified luthiers in Jakarta!
Lisa had never seen one before and seemed quite impressed. Lisa works on many basses owned by the top players here in LA (Brian Bromberg, and many of the busy studio and top orchestra guys) so she certainly knows good from bad! She didn't hear any sort of "thunk" coming out of my bass either.

Lots of great advice and ideas here, thanks!

It's not the strings ringing, I've had that and taken it away by winding a piece of cloth between the strings.

I believe it is partly a technique issue though, playing with the fingertips makes it worse as you say, I just hope my brain and fingers will subconsciously (sp?) adjust to use a technique that avoids the noise. I don't know why the A string is worst, perhaps it has to do with the angle the string is plucked with the finger and that it just happens to be more difficult to pluck correctly?

I've also already tried damping the strings behind the bridge, not it.

For technique I use the fingers similar to Todd Phillips. Not the tips, but not vertical either. A good portion of "meat" is involved.

Actually for me, the more meat and less tip I use, the worse it is. I get it worst when I go almost total side. Just using the tips it rarely happens, but the overall tone sucks.

The thing that make me thing it's a structural problem with this particualar bass is that I can get wonderful sound out of all the strings but the A-string. Also, the higher up the A-string is played the less it's noticed.

I figured it might be the bridge, but I've re-set it several times. The feet seem to have good contact. Although, perhaps the treble foot could be better.

The finger hitting the E string after plucking the A can result in thump as the shock is transmitted to the leg of the bridge and then to the pickup. I've seen this on some other electric uprights that mount the pickup on the bass side of the bridge, but technique as well as some judicious EQ can minimize this. You might also trying moving the pickup to the treble side of the bridge.

I only played an Eminence once, but I gotta say that thing really had a great sound. Ugly wood, but great sound.

Originally posted by mje
The finger hitting the E string after plucking the A can result in thump as the shock is transmitted to the leg of the bridge and then to the pickup. I've seen this on some other electric uprights that mount the pickup on the bass side of the bridge, but technique as well as some judicious EQ can minimize this. You might also trying moving the pickup to the treble side of the bridge.

I only played an Eminence once, but I gotta say that thing really had a great sound. Ugly wood, but great sound.

The thing is, I can get the sound acoustically. I can get it just concentrating on that string and not just normal playing.

Originally posted by mje
I only played an Eminence once, but I gotta say that thing really had a great sound. Ugly wood, but great sound.

The woods on this one are fairly nice.http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=964637

Originally posted by Rod B.


The woods on this one are fairly nice.http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=964637

The back and table were nice; the neck looked like a cheap baseball bat.

Originally posted by mje


The back and table were nice; the neck looked like a cheap baseball bat.

LOL! This one is the same!

OK, I just got word, this problem has occured before. The solution is pretty simple. It's the A-string itself.

I was pretty sure it was not *me* because as I said, the other strings sounded good and I don't get that "tonk" on any other string.

I was just going to suggest that the string be checked out. The last Eminence I sold had a problem A string. Perhaps D'Addario had a bad run.

I'm not sure I buy the bad string theory one hundred percent, I think my bass has that "thunk" tendency with the A string even after changing to Obligatos. It's better but not totally gone. Perhaps the remaining problem can be explained with my poor technique though. Rod, please report your experience if you change strings.

I noticed that if i change my technique and anchor my thumb on the edge of the fretboard instead of the e-string, the problem goes away.

Originally posted by Anders Östberg
Rod, please report your experience if you change strings.

I will. The thing that sparks hope it might just be the string is, it seems the less "proper" the attack the less it does it. If I play just that string and totally concentrate on good right hand technique it does it. If I play BG style with the tips, it rarely does it, but sounds bad period. Doing that I get a thin tone and a lot of finger noise.

Originally posted by Basso Profoundo
I noticed that if i change my technique and anchor my thumb on the edge of the fretboard instead of the e-string, the problem goes away.

My thumb is kinda under the fingerboard. It floats to different depths and is not really anchored.

The day before yesterday, the D-string started that nasty "tonk" too. It wasn't there to any degree prior, no matter what right hand technique was used. Either it indeed is bad strings or the structural problem is expanding. I'll get replacement strings later this week and report what happens.

I won't be reporting on whether or not the strings were a fix. Yesterday it developed a static/farting sound on all strings when plugged in. I tried two different amps and two different cords. This one is going back and I'm being sent a new one.

Rod, apologies if you know this already, but I have found that the position of the bridge is really critical to the sound. If you have nasty popping noises or other strange crackling sounds from all strings the foot of the bridge may not be sitting correctly on the pickup foil. When you tighten the strings the bridge tends to be pulled up towards the neck and that will result in the foot of the bridge not pressing down evenly on the pickup. Try to press down on and reposition the bridge while tightening the strings, and make sure you counteract the tilting that results from the string tension. I had to reset the bridge several times after changing the strings before the sound was OK again. I have the portable version of the bass but have decided to not take it apart for transport if I can avoid it because of this setup problem.

Maybe you have already decided to return the bass, but I hope this may be of some help with this or your next bass.

The thing is, it had to move by itself. It was fine before and the feet are well set and the bridge is straigh up. I suppose I could try farting around with it more. But this is something that developed over night without any readjustments.

OK, I thought it was after changing the strings, in that case it doesn't apply.

Sounds like some other problem then, possibly the pickup has developed a fault.

Maybe it's good to start afresh with another bass, sometimes you simply get a lemon. :(

I still haven't received the new strings yet. I hadn't even adjusted to a new bridge height. Heck, I hadn't even tuned up yet. A preliminary note to do so and there it was.

Hey guys, it looks like it's been a while since anyone added to this thread, but can I ask?

Do you guys still feel that this is one of the best EUB's out there? I am SERIOUSLY considering getting one. I haven't had a chance to play one yet, but I'm in a position to have one sent to where I am from a remote store to check it out, but I want to make sure it's going to be worth it.

Also, what type of pre-amp would best compliment this bad boy? I've seen the Fishman Pro-EQ or whatever it's called and that thing seems like it would do the job, and then some. I'm sure there are simpler ones out there, what is best for an EUB like this?

Oh, and I'll be getting the 5-string fixed neck.

edit: Also, what is the best type of strings to use to get a more traditional sound in both a finger style and bowing situation?

Hi guys & gals

Just took receipt of a (very seldom) used Eminence 5 string today via Ebay. A late present to myself despite an impending tax bill.

The theory regarding my purchase is solid enough, and initial impressions, when teamed up with an old Fishman pre-amp and SWR workingman 12, seem to suggest I've made the right move, and, I've just about had enough of waiting at airport carousels wondering how many bits of my bass are going to show up!

Do any of you use an Eminence? If so, I'm looking for suggestions re new strings. The existing strings don't quite seem consistant in terms of volume or tone and as I'm thinking of putting a C string on the top, perhaps now is the right time to sort out a complete replacement set and totally risk bankruptcy!

My gigs range from folk to Jazz to bigband and I'd like hybrid strings which will handle both pizz and arco equally well.

Any thoughts please would really be appreciated. I know it's a bit like 'how longs a piece of string' but these basses must have a fairly similar sound to start with.

Cheers

Rod

Rod
I also recently got a good price on a used Eminence (4 string though). Upon receipt of it I was a bit underwhelmed after all the hype. My initial problem was that it didn't feel "solid" enough (I'm used my upright and my Knutson Messenger) and the Helicore Hybrids with low action sounded just plain lame. But after talking to Bob and Mark Gollihur I got some good ideas on how to maximize the sound.

Definitely get new strings. I went with Spirocore E and A and Obligato G and D which is what I have on the other two basses. I also cranked up the action A LOT. Then it started so sound more like an amplified upright, if not an acoustic one.

I enjoy playing it a lot more now and always use it on cocktail hours and other gigs were I have to double or where space is an issue. Out of all the EUBs I've tried, it definitely gets the most "air" in the sound when amplified. The amplified tone is very close to an upright running through an amp. It gets the right amount of decay in the notes (the Knutson sustains forever, good, but different) and plays extremely evenly across all strings. The evenness was really a surprise I didn't expect and am very happy with. It is also a very easy bass to play in thumb position.

Also unless you have an impedance matching amp, like the Acoustic Image, you'll want to run it through a preamp of some kind. Definitely change the strings and jack up the bridge and you'll be very surprised at how different it sounds, it makes a huge difference.

One more thing. It definitely does not fall into the category of sounding like a really big fretless bass guitar. It definitely sounds acoustic. ;)

Hi Abaguer
Thanks for your reply - very interesting! I've just put on a set of Obligatoes C - E and I'm actually considering taking them off again. Although really easy to play they're just too dark sounding for me - just a matter of preference I suppose and also amp being used. In my case I'm using an SWR workingman which probably aint helping anything (or hurting anything either!).

I actually prefer the sound from the strings that were there - 3 of them have green winding with gold stripes at the tailpiece end (the G string is purple with gold stripes) - are these definitely Helicores?

The Eminence is a nice bass and is certainly the most acoustic not URB I've heard. I'm pretty happy with my purchase, made because I fly a lot and need something which won't cost management a load of dosh in excess luggage charges. The action's already pretty well jacked up so I guess the last owner did that. One other thing - did your end pin rattle when you bought it and if so, how did you fix it - I've been thinking of taking it out and cutting a piece off!

Cheers

I actually prefer the sound from the strings that were there - 3 of them have green winding with gold stripes at the tailpiece end (the G string is purple with gold stripes) - are these definitely Helicores?

The 3 seem to be hybrid Helicores, but for the G I'd bet a Kolstein Varicore.

Thanks Francois.

Can anyone give me a comparison between the sound of Corellis v Obs. Are the Corellis brighter and do they sustain well? I think the inherent sound of the Eminence is already quite warm and rich thus the problem with the Obs.
Has anyone any other suggestions along these very vague guidelines. By the way, I'll probably sell these new Obligatos if anyone's intersted?
Thanks for your help so far guys I'd like my next string purchase to be as successful as possible even though I realise it's very much a case of suck it and see......!

On my Carruthers EUB, the Corellis definitely sound brighter and have more sustain than Oblis, which I don't like at all, and they're easy to play.
They have less volume though, but with an EUB it's a moot point I guess! :)

Thanks again Francois - that sort of confirms my suspicions.

Looks like the plastic is gonna get yet another hammering very soon! Is it possible to get a high C Corelli anyone?

BelfastBass
Yes, my endpin rattles as well. The only thing I've figured out to do is to tighten the screws along whatever sweet spot the endpin decides won't make it rattle.

Yeah the Corelli's should definitely give it brighter sound. I'm real happy with the Obligatos for what I want, at least for now.

Thanks Abaguer - would you mind explaining the endpin solution in more detail please. Cheers......

I had a rattling endpin problem with my Carruthers as well.
I had him make me a special smaller one, because I'm playing seated on a drummer's throne, but I also wrap the endpin with black vinyl electrical tape, on the portion that's inside the bass, to eliminate any rattling. Worked fine!

Corelli do have a high C available in both nickel and tungsten series (380 and 370).
It should be noted that these strings, along with the D & G, are nickel wrapped in either sets.
Only the A & E are wrapped with tungsten in the 370 series.

Thanks guys - really useful info!

BelfastBass
As you can see, troubleshooting and problem solving are my foretes :D

Francois' solution seems like a really good one and I'll give it a shot.

Just a heads up for anyone who is lusting after an Eminence: I received notice today that selling prices are going up by approx. 7.5% effective May 1, 2005. That's not just me but from every dealer, as Eminence sets the minimum selling prices for their line of EUBs.

What are the strings that help make the Eminence bass sound most like a full upright to you?

I'm thinking of trying out some gut strings to get a less sustained, more thumpy attack. I think the steel strings I've been using are ok (Kolstein Heritage, Corelli 370, Helicore ect..) but the bass has so much sustain that sometimes I think maybe a more 'dull' sting would give the bass more of a percussive effect I'm looking for.

Anyone else use gut on these basses? :confused:

I've supplied Pirastro Obligatos as well as Lenzer gut strings to my Eminence buyers. I find the instruments respond well to virtually any string preference and as you would expect from a standard size bass. Either of the above would give you a thicker attack.

You can give a look to Flexocor and Jargar strings as well.
They're steel, so they last longer and are more stable with the weather, etc.
(and available in gauges)

What are the strings that help make the Eminence bass sound most like a full upright to you?


Depends entirely on what sound you like from your "full upright." I use the same strings I use on my home bass, Velvet Garbos. Gary Bartig, who invented the Eminence, told me that's his favorite sounding set as well.

Using good amplifiaction and a pre-amp, I've had no trouble getting a very lovely full sound out of the Eminence with the stock Helicore set it came with. But all depends on what your conception of sound is to begin with.

All the best!

The only Eminence I ever played was strung with Garbos, and it was really great. It made me decide to switch to Velvets, although I went with the Animas. I think they would be great on an Eminence as well.

I like Labella Goldentone on the whole instrument. The rope core E and A match well with the gut once they break in. The tension is closer and the E is almost like a weich, so while not as hefty, it blends well volume wise with the other strings :) . The bass sounds really good with this setup through a Focus 1.

Thanks for the tips.

I played a bass with the Velvet strings at a jam last night. I might have to try those suckers if I can find them at a decent price somewhere.

As far as the LaBella gut strings would I have to re-cut the nut on my bass?

The best price I found on Velvets at the time was from Quinn Violins, with exemplary service from Chris Quinn himself. Great company.

On my eminence the guts on D and G have fit without widening nut or bridge slots; they sit high on both but they hold. I put then on that way to try them out in case I didn't like them and since they are nylon wrapped guts similar to Golden Spiral, maybe that's helped with them not fraying or breaking at the bridge. I'm going to have the slots widened now that I've lived and gigged with the strings for a few months.

I should state that I have the Eminence set up for acoustic situations only and am trying to replicate the sound of my upright bass as much as possible on an EUB. I travel with a Knutson EUB that is set up for louder situations and I have all steels on that. Spirocore or Superflexible E and A with Flexocor or Jargar D and G (advice courtesy of Francois). While I prefer the gut/steel combination, this setup is a very good compromise for travel and varying backlines and rigors of getting through airports these days. The Flexocores have a warm blunt sound sound and even though the tension is obviously greater than the Labellas
they do the job veryy well. The Knutson doesn't sound as acoustic as the eminence, but it is much closer with these strings and the Knutson is more versatile for me with this setup.

As far as the Eminence I think you would be pretty happy with the Velvets (haven't tried them myself but have heard lots of positive feedback from players around here), Labellas or something along those lines. Since it is more acoustically oriented than say an NS or Messenger or most other stick basses, the gut string D and G made a BIG difference in the way it sounded. When I first got it I was actually very, very underwhelmed by the sound and feel (Helicore Hybrids and mid/low action) changing the strings and cranking up the action are what have turned the sound around for me on this instrument. If you are going for a more acoustic sound on EUB as opposed to a more hybrid acousto/electro sound you'd probably like these strings. Hope this helps.
:)

fyi, I found the open A thunky when I first got my eminence. I was a URB newbie. For me, it was right hand technique that resolved it for me. I was "picking" at the note and now I use more of my finger and sort of pass over the string. I also switched to Solo Gauge Spirocores, which are less prone to this effect and sound great.

I have an eminence EUB. I did a couple of things that have gotten me a pretty nice baby bass salsa type tone.

- spirocore solo gauge (slightly lower tension than the normal gauge)
- a chunk of foam under the strings right at the bridge.

However, the realist pickup is a little too dark. I'd like more thump an low-mid energy. I'm not always thrilled with how this bass sounds with my EA wizzy combo and would like to try a different pickup.

My talkbass search came up with a post of Bob Gollihur's recommending a Bass Max (or 2 of them) (to be clear the reco was for a latin sound in general not specifically for the eminence)

Any other ideas?

Any other ideas?

I'd try either the Shadow knock off of the Underwood ($49 on MusicYo.com) or maybe the new Revolution Solo. Both sound less bassy than the Realist, and bit "tubbier" in my experience. Might could get that classic, ill defined Ampeg rumble beloved by Latin players.

Best of luck in your search.

You may get a thuddier tone with strings like Jargars Dolces for instance.

Joe Santiago (Eddie Palmieri's bassist) uses an Eminence for salsa stuff, and he gets a great baby bass type sound. I would venture to say as a baby bass owner, it is hard to get the real sound any other way. You pay the price though, as the Ampeg is really a one trick pony.

If you check Martin Cohen's Congahead site www.congahead.com, there is a video of a group called La Circunstancia w/ Joe playing the Eminence. I dont know what he is doing with the bass, but it sure sounds Ampeg-like.

Dylan

PM sent.

I never heard a 'thunk' on my eminence, but there was a sort of ring at first; weird overtones, etc. I folded up a hand towel and wedged it under the strings behind the bridge. made a big difference Now it sounds great. :hyper: :hyper: :hyper:

Does anyone use a bow quiver on their Eminence EUB? Any suggestions on mounting would be appreciated.

I do! I wish I had a picture....

I use brown shoelaces at each end of the quiver, tied as "loops." The top loop goes over the thumb-screw and the far foot goes through the bottom loop. It works great and I never have to re-tie anything - plus, the quiver is right where I want it! Hope this helps.

Thanks Rob, I'll give it a try.

I'm looking for a portable upright bass and my choice is going to the Eminence to be closer to a "doublebass sound". Like others I'm incertain about a 4 or 5 string. I'm playing in a jazz trio. And I'm very interesting for the use of a new 5 string : new position ...may be other music. I don't really undertand why certain reserv it for a certain style of music .
The other question is about the feeling of your Eminence 5 string : problems, sound, ...

Thanks a lot

Hi All...
Ok I'm down to these three choices. I've never played any of these. I had an NS CR5m for a few days, and it had so many problems that I had to send it back. I wasn't really crazy about the sound either. Anyway, I've read all I can about the Eminence and Azola, but don't find too much on the Merchant. l'm looking for a good acoustic amplified sound. I play high volume gigs, and never play acoustically (except maybe @ home).

Your thoughts and input are greatly appreciated.

http://www.alter-ego.it/

Ray,
Thanks for the link. I had seen those...although I figured they were out of the price range. Last time I saw, they were around 5.5k.

Thanks!

That's about where they are, I think, but I wouldn't be excited about playing any of the others after having this one. Just came off the road. 4 straight weeks of one-nighters, 80% arco.

Ray,
The merchant looks very similar...have you tried the merchant?

i vote for the merchant. i'm a double bass player, not an electric player looking for an in road to double bass, and to me, the merchant is most like a double bass, and the spring bars make a huge difference. i didnt really like the azola at all. eminence was ok, but i still felt the merchant was the most solid of the 3 with the most realist upright bass feel. (i have a messenger which is also great for those same reasons, but if i were to buy again it would be merchant)

Ray,
The merchant looks very similar...have you tried the merchant?I think I played one of his about a billion years ago. Not much recollection of it other than it felt heavy and awkward.

The front of the Alter Ego body is only connected at the top and bottom, which makes it respond much like a real bass. Also, with the bolt-on pieces and all, you would barely be able to tell that you weren't playing a real bass -- until you look down and see your feet.

anybody try this baby ego http://www.babyego.com/
and can compare it to eminence

Very cool! I play a regular Alter Ego (Figaro) and love it.

I've been considering that myself lately, Pierre. I play a five string BG and have become very comfortable with the BB string but when I switch to my BSX, I'm back to the limited range of four strings. :hmm:

Has anyone experience with the five string Eminance ?

Hi guys - I've been playing and touring an Eminence 5 for nearly a year now - playing jazz gigs, folk gigs, musical theatre, country gigs.....

In terms of tourability, it's extremely robust and I haven't had any disasters to date - I use the polycarbonate golf bag flight case I bought with it. The tuning settles down pretty quickly after assembly, although the c string (I have it tuned c, g, d, a, e,) takes a little longer to settle down than the others.

I decided to tune it with a C on top as my main gig at the moment is a contemporary folk gig with a singer who likes quite high cello lines every so often. It bought it with a B on the bottom though and that sounded really full, warm and not as 'floppy' as you might think!

In terms of sound, I use it with an old fishman pre-amp and I do think the instrument's natural sound lacks a bit of low-mids. It's an extremely warm and full sounding instrument though and with a better pre-amp I'm sure this would help sort out the low-mids. I've certainly been able to get some gorgeous sounds from it when going into the house PA via a bass pod.

In terms of playability, I have the action quite high mainly because of the arco thing. I use corelli strings for the g, d, a, e, and a helicore for the c as I found the corelli c string a bit thin sounding.

All in all, I'd recommend the emminence - well made, good sounding, easy to tour.....doesn't get very close to sounding like the 'real thing' but certainly the best compromise I've tried!

Hope this helps........

Thanks for the review "BB", I am slowly inching towards this bass and you just gave me a little push ! :smug:

Thanks guy for your answer. I'll bought it for this new year, i' ust don't know if it will be a five or four strings

I bought a 5 off ebay and its the best for arco and pizz in a small body so far. The arco is even better than on my old german carved top.

I also tune it E,A, D, G, C. for solo purpose. It gives more air the the higher sounding notes when pizzed. I recently stripped the "chinese lacquer" off and a lot of frens have commented that its a great looking blonde. Will put up some pics when i have done some clear lacquer on it.

I bought a 5 off ebay and its the best for arco and pizz in a small body so far. The arco is even better than on my old german carved top.

I also tune it E,A, D, G, C. for solo purpose. It gives more air the the higher sounding notes when pizzed. I recently stripped the "chinese lacquer" off and a lot of frens have commented that its a great looking blonde. Will put up some pics when i have done some clear lacquer on it.

Hello
nobody has heard or play this new Ego baby ? Maybe too new

http://www.babyego.com/

anybody try this baby ego http://www.babyego.com/
and can compare it to eminence

Apples and Oranges from the looks of it. Eminence is an acoustic bass made small and the Baby Ergo is a EUB, in the Clevinger-Azola mold. What's the parameters of your comparison?

For the people who are going there will be a baby ego eub at the MarkBass booth.

Apples and Oranges from the looks of it. Eminence is an acoustic bass made small and the Baby Ergo is a EUB, in the Clevinger-Azola mold. What's the parameters of your comparison?
Hello :hiding:
The eminence is not an EUB ? a lot of people compare both. An alter ego have a good sound.Even if the Eminence :hyper: look more like a real acoustic DB sure.
Don't be sarcastic. Just because I don't find anything about this babyego on the forum

Just ordered a new Eminence EUB, fixed neck model, coming with the Helicore strings.

Play bluegrass music pizzaccato any comments, suggestions or reviews....

Shop say it will take a couple weeks to get to me....

I still want an Eminence and plan to buy one some day. I intended to get one last year but bought a Palatino instead because I wasn't sure electric was for me. I have heard and played several of them at bluegrass gatherings and they are really nice basses. I don't think you will go wrong with it.
Let us know how you feel about it when it comes!

I`m sure you will like it. A big plus is that you get the pleasure of dealing with Gary Bartig. He just reset the neck joint on my 3 year old removable neck for free and doesn`t want me to even pay return shipping.

I suggest you try Velvet Garbo strings on it, really nice on this bass, especially for bg.

Did you order from a canadian shop or from the US?

...to any comments, suggestions or reviews....
Congrats on your purchase! I love my Eminence and find it a blast to play. When I need to play loud (e.g., my swing band or 40+ piece concert band), it's the bass I use.

But in combo settings, I use my Czech bass, as I prefer the sound of a "regular" DB.

Enjoy!

I ordered it through a Canadian Dealer which took for ever to find....

I actually found a used one a guy had in Ohio for sale for $1800 used and was going to buy it and pick it up on my way down to Florida.

Sent him several emails and didn't get response after initial contact so I assumed it was sold.

Ordered the new one through the only Canadian Shop I could find which is in Alberta after talking to Gary (the bass luthier).

Just received an email an hr ago from the guy in Ohio, his email had went for a dump so he didn't get mine I guess..

Too bad could have saved me a few hundred bucks...

Can't wait to get the Eminence, tried one in Nashville that Gary had at the International Bluegrass Trade Show and fell in love with it....

Took this long to get the nerve up to order it without telling the wife.........LOL

Could you fill me in on these Velvet Garbo strings ???

Who makes them ? Costs, Construction (steel, nylon) ?

I've always used Thomastic Spiral Core (reds) on my bass's, never tried the Helicore other than the Eminence Gary Bartig had down at the Trade show in Nashville this past fall.

Quite frankly I can't remember if I liked them or not I was in such awe of the tone and playability of the bass I didn't really notice the strings.....!

I've always liked the Thomastic reds but I'm open to change on my EUB's just not my regular DB....

www.velvetstrings.com

$200+

Yeah, they`re expensive. Last a long time though, and by far my favorite on the Eminence, but Ii try to get as close as possible to the sound of an acoustic bass strung with guts.

If you are satisfied with steel strings these may not be a good choice for you.

Hey guys, the eminence is the best i've ever tried getting a db tone out from an eub. Even the arco sounds better than my db with full circle. I dunno if you guys ever wonder about the finish. It chips very easily and i personally didnt like the varnish. I took off the varnish a few months back and it actually looks rather nice blonde. I will do a clear finish on it very soon and post for y'all to see. :)

Sounds interesting. How did you strip it ?

I use a paint stripper and then sanded off the uneven portions. Also replaced the stock tuners with hipshot black tuners.

"I dunno if you guys ever wonder about the finish. It chips very easily and i personally didnt like the varnish"

Agreed, mine started chipping right away. Would be nice to have a darker oil or non-gloss finish making it look more subtle. Would also be nice to have backpack straps on the case for walking, or riding a bike to gigs. But other than that, it's an outstanding alternative to the real thing.

Hey Sheldon- are you keeping your Ergo? How will you split time between the Ergo and the Eminence?

I've been pretty happy with the Eminence since I put Labella Goldentones on D and G and raised the action substantially. It's obviously not as deep sounding as upright but it comes much closer than any other EUB I've tried.

I have a 5 Eminence also. But I have a low B. I would have to get a better B string than the Helicore but the high C which most of you have is very interesting........... What strings do you use and how do you like the high C instead of the low B. I never played a High C string before. How does it Bow?

Its bows well... and i dun think you'll find a HUGE difference between bowing higher up on the G string. Pizz is a diferent matter cos its longer string length and hence sounds a little better IMO. I'm using a flexocor high C

As for the B string i think its the bass itself. My E string now doesnt respond as well and is muddier. If its possible to shift the sound post a little nearer the 'bass' leg, it think it might have more definition.
Any other eminence 5 stringers have opinion on this?

Sorry about the off topic (mods, feel free to move this if inappropriate), but:

The above discussion of high C or low B got me thinking: given that the strings on the detachable neck Eminence are quick and easy to remove/attach at the "tailpiece" end of the bass, would it not be possible to create an Eminence with 6 (!) strings in the peg box, from which you then select the 5 you need for that gig, either BB E A D G, or E A D G C. The sixth, "unused" string would need some kind of container or storage option to prevent it from being damaged. Make sense?

Anyone else ever thought about this? Any comments? I don't know if the people making or selling the Eminence peruse these boards, but perhaps it could be a new innovation?

Again, sorry for the off-topic, but I for one would be interested in such an instrument.

Sorry about the off topic (mods, feel free to move this if inappropriate), but:

The above discussion of high C or low B got me thinking: given that the strings on the detachable neck Eminence are quick and easy to remove/attach at the "tailpiece" end of the bass, would it not be possible to create an Eminence with 6 (!) strings in the peg box, from which you then select the 5 you need for that gig, either BB E A D G, or E A D G C. The sixth, "unused" string would need some kind of container or storage option to prevent it from being damaged. Make sense?

Anyone else ever thought about this? Any comments? I don't know if the people making or selling the Eminence peruse these boards, but perhaps it could be a new innovation?

Again, sorry for the off-topic, but I for one would be interested in such an instrument.

There are only five machines in the headstock; if your proposal were practical you'd need six. Could be a little sloppy as you'd have to find a place for the unused string during play.

I guess I have to wonder if players would be able to easily switch between two different sets of fivers. I can move between fours and low B fives, and even to sixes (electric bass), but I think moving between low B and high C five stringers would cause my hands to involuntarily fold up and hide in my pockets.

Am I the only one? :confused:

I'd get an Eminence five in a second, if I had the money. That being said I'm only looking at the aspect of basically more notes. I've never played an Eminence and can't vouch for it but i know a low B would make for some nice chords, as in more low end!

As for a detachable six with a five tailpiece, you might be better off with just a six slot tailpiece on a wider neck to accomadate a six-string upright, but that'd be a huge neck for keeping similar spacings. The neck might be reduced at the width for not such a wide neck.

Here's Eminence naked.... cool blonde yeah? I'll dress her clear sometime when i have more time. :)

wow that looks great, makes me want to do the same to my Eminence.

Here's Eminence naked.... cool blonde yeah? I'll dress her clear sometime when i have more time. :)

Man, that looks about one million times better! There are so many positive responses to the Eminence - yours, Bob Golihur's, others - are there any drawbacks? I'm very interested in getting an EUB in the near future. I'm primarily a double bassist and would love to get as close to that sound as possible, although having said that, if I'm going to spend the money, I would dig having something that could offer a wide variety of sounds (yes, I love Eberhard Weber's playing, for example).
Thanks,
Rick

Here's Eminence naked.... cool blonde yeah? I'll dress her clear sometime when i have more time. :)
Pretty job. You're blonde eminence is fine.

I've finally bought a four string eminence myself.
First, she's cute but the varnish a little too thick and too brillant for my taste; and I can understand the reason brandonwong do that.
My Eminence have a little default she's "buzzing" on the A string. My retailer (Jonas Lohse for Europe) a very cool person is making is possible to help me. I thank for his patience and kindness.

With no amplification the sound is not fantastic but for practicing it is playable. But with my Coda, the Eminence is awakening and very cool but still not like my acoustic DB.

I will try it in different situation and see how it works.

But the thing I'm completely happy with her portability. I wil play DB during my holidays !!!!!!!!!!!!!! everywhere !!!!

Hi.
Is a eminence like EUB with 6 strings exist? The only 6 strings EUB i have seen are NS design (very expensive) and ergo (seem very interesting)

Thank you.

Uncle Lee and Brandonwong - are you tuning your basses
E,A, D, G, C from the top down (i.e. bottom C string, in 5ths) or from the bottom up (bottom E string, in 4ths)? If you're tuning in 5ths, does that work well on this bass, and do you follow the Dennis Masuzzo techniques for playing bass in 5ths, or others?

Brandonwong - what did you use to dissolve the varnish? That looks great!

Max

Hi there,

I tune it in 4ths. Can't handle the playing in 5ths altho i tried playing cello for a while.
I use paint stripper to get the top layer off and then sanded it off with sandpaper. You should be able to find other ways to do it if you search under refinish or stripper.

Maxr,

I tune my bass EADG from the bottom up (4ths). I don't own a 5-string as yet (planned purchase is around November 2006), but your thread got me started thinking about the "best" way to tune them. Originally, I wanted to tune BEADG (4ths), mainly for orchestral purposes, but then I heard a friend play who has a high C string (EADGC, 4ths) and it REALLY SINGS, especially in thumb position.

So your post got me thinking ... perhaps tuning in 5ths as you suggested (CGDAE) would be one way of having the best of both worlds (the low and the high). But as to which basses this would work on, I'm sorry I don't know. Someone did post a link to the NS BassCello, which looks interesting. Have you checked that out at all?

Cheers,

Markus

Yes, there's quite a long thread on the Bass Cello. Opinion seems to be that it plays and sounds great, but less like an amplified acoustic bass than the Eminence. I'd be looking for that Danny Thompson style DB sound (even if I'll never play like him!)

Also, the scale length is quite a lot longer than cello - it may be necesssary to use 5th tuning double bass fingerings on it anyway (I don't have clear opinions on that from anyone yet). If so, that seems to me to kind of defeat the object of making a cello tuned instrument in bass pitch, except for size and portability.

Here's Eminence naked.... cool blonde yeah? I'll dress her clear sometime when i have more time. :)

Did you do it yourself? How?

Yeah, i just took some paint stripper and strip all of it.
The intricate places have to sand and file by hand. Took me quite a few days to get it all off.

I've been thinking a 5-string eminence might be a great bass for me for a while. Do they have Eb or D necks or can you choose?

Seriuosly i dun really think you can choose.
But you can give it a shot and email gelbass and see what he says.
He is very helpful and will reply very quickly.

So they have D necks?

Mine is D neck.. and i do suppose all of them are.

im surprised no one has thought of designing a bass extender for the eminence.

wouldnt that make it its range close to a "six string" when tuned high?

That would be an extension from any luthier who is comfortable doing it on a normal double bass.
It wouldn't be difficult if he's experienced.

Hmmm... thats a really good idea. I might just ask my luthier if he can do it for me. :hyper:

The Eminence Bass had the D'Addario Hybrids on. Has anyone tried anything else. What response did you get? I don't think they were lights. Have you tried that kind. Using it for mostly Pizz jazz style. Also its a 5 string. Have you had any success with other strings? I would like a loose feel with good sustain. Any help will do. Also where do you buy your strings from? Lemur?

I found luck with my Thomastik set. I strung my upright fitted with a magnetic p/up with them and they sounded friggen awesome. Good sustain, execellent clarity and articulation. I don't know that they would be good for arco(that is if you do any). I play all pizz. But that being said I think that they might work well for you too. I got them from Juststrings.com. the guy there led me too them.

good luck

Mine came with helicore hybrids and I hated them. They sounded boxy and small, even with the action raised. I switched to Velvet Garbos with mid high action and the instrument sounds much better. (Although I'm partial to gut sound, so it may be different for you)

Same for me. those helicore don't fit my eminence (although the helicore hibrid on my DB sound quite good). I hesitate to change for velvet. The garbos scare me for the bow.

I just bought a used RN4, it came w/ Garbo's.
I put a set of Corelli's on, it sounds great both arco & pizz.

Do you take Corelli TX extraforte ? What's the soundwithout amplification, the touch, the tension in comparison of helicore orchestral medium ?

Thanks a lot. I'm very interesting.:hyper:

Do you take Corelli TX extraforte ? What's the soundwithout amplification, the touch, the tension in comparison of helicore orchestral medium ?

Thanks a lot. I'm very interesting.:hyper:

I bought some Corelli mediums and a set of TX extra Forte.

Tried them on my German bass and did not like either set on that instrument. So as not to waste them, I tried the on my 4 string Removable Neck Eminence. The medium set has been on that bass for years now. They have less tension than Heliocores OR Spirocores (I use Spiros on all 3 of my other basses). For some reason the Corellis just work on the Eminence. Nice loose feel and they bow well.

I also a couple of years ago had a luthier reshape the neck on the Eminence. He made the curvature of the fingerboard (horizontally accross the strings , not the scoop longetudinally) rounder and took a little girth off of the maple side of the neck as well. This improved the playability of that instrument immensely. I feel that they come w/ necks that are too fat in the back and fingerboards that are too flat. At least this was true w/ my bass that is about 6 years old. Perhaps this is done to accomadate BG players switching over, but if you're a DB player it pays to have the fingerboard and neck reshaped a bit. This is a more critical change for the instrument than new strings, IMHO.

BG

I don't feel good when I'm sitting.:help: :help: I can't find a good position for the shouder extension :hmm: :hmm: . Have you the same problem and how did you resolv it ?
Maybe i'll manufacture a special shouder extension.

thanks for your reply

depending on the chair or stool I keep the endpin relatively short so that the shoulder extension is hitting my thigh. That's the most comfortable I've been able to get sitting down.

You can also use a pillow (or a foam pad) between your left leg (or knee) and your Eminence.

When playing in trios and smaller I usually sit in a normal chair with mine and have done so for years. I find it quite comfortable with the extention in the "normal" playing position.

I know the Gary Bartig, the instrument's creator, originally made 2 different extentions, one concave one convex. If you enquire with him, he might have some old ones laying around that you might find more comfortable.

Bon chance!

When playing in trios and smaller I usually sit in a normal chair with mine and have done so for years. I find it quite comfortable with the extention in the "normal" playing position.

I know the Gary Bartig, the instrument's creator, originally made 2 different extentions, one concave one convex. If you enquire with him, he might have some old ones laying around that you might find more comfortable.

Bon chance!

I do the same w/ mine, but I find it hard to use a bow in this position. It keeps hitting my right knee (german grip).

BG

I don't understand how to put a quiver on my RN4 Emi
could you send me a diagram?
thanks

Obligato works fine on my RN 4. I don't remove the neck. It bows so good and still have growl and sustain.

Do you take Corelli TX extraforte ? What's the soundwithout amplification, the touch, the tension in comparison of helicore orchestral medium ?

Thanks a lot. I'm very interesting.:hyper:

I use Corelli mediums, they sound great acoustically & amplified. Tension is just right, I like it.
Sam

The one time I played an Eminence, it was strung with Garbos. It felt good and was quite convincing thru the PA. I'd love to try one with Animas.

I don't understand how to put a quiver on my RN4 Emi
could you send me a diagram?
thanks

I tie the upper end to the afterlength (below the bridge, above the tailpiece) of the E string and the bottom end is tied around the shaft of the end pin.

BG

The pillow solution is for the moment the better solution. Thanks all

I use Corelli mediums, they sound great acoustically & amplified. Tension is just right, I like it.
Sam
:hyper: :hyper: May be my solution. Can you compare the projection of the sound with the Garbo acousticcaly.
Thanks

How do you play during holidays. Someone have an amp very small to enter in the car full of baggages kids dog ....!! ;) ;)
I look for something cheep and solid.

Maybe the change of strings (for corelli) be enough to play with more pleasure acousticcally.

thanks i did it at my last gig

How do you play during holidays. Someone have an amp very small to enter in the car full of baggages kids dog ....!! ;) ;)
I look for something cheep and solid.

Maybe the change of strings (for corelli) be enough to play with more pleasure acousticcally.

How do you play during holidays. Someone have an amp very small to enter in the car full of baggages kids dog ....!! ;) ;)
I look for something cheep and solid.

Maybe the change of strings (for corelli) be enough to play with more pleasure acousticcally.

I use a Yorkville 50 B as my small amp 10" speaker. It's great and only about $250 USD. Also, Iv'e been impressed by small amps by Fender. Their Rumble series bass amps. For performance on gigs w/ the Eminence however, I find bigger speakers like 12" and 15" sound fuller.

Try a Phil Jones Bass Briefcase. Two 5 inch drivers, 100 watts, great for DB at low volumes. Cost around US $600.

I was thinking of something smallest. why not an aural amplifier like guitar player use ?

I have an AI Coda same size (yorkville)and weight (phil jones)

thanks

Strings are such a personal preference, because sound is a personal preference.

For me, I like some sustain and a little "growl" on the low end, but warmth and almost a gut sound on the upper end.

So, I use Thomastik Spiracore on the E and A strings, and Pirastro Obligato on the D and G strings. PERFECT! For me, that is.....:hmm:

I have a Peawy Micro Bass. 15 W. very very light. the sound is correct. When I bought it a few years ago, it was the best 15 W.
And even, I played in a bar with a trio manouche: 2 guitars with amps
and I works. I double the sound of my accoustic. I used a Fishmann Platinium on that gig. it helps. makes a boomy sound that pass better.

but how about an SWR Workingman's 10? Mine has worked fine for DB - though I've always used a K&K or a Fishman pre between the bass and the amp.

I have a Peawy Micro Bass. 15 W. very very light. the sound is correct. When I bought it a few years ago, it was the best 15 W

Hello Alain,

It seems ok in size and price.

Around the same I see the Ibanez sw20 and behringer thunderbird. Someone ever have try or heard them with an EBU ? I' like their input for a cd or mp3

I'll give them a trial in store if I can find them.

but how about an SWR Workingman's 10?

It is too expensive for that use and too heavy.

I have taken a likeing to the Eminence bass. Have the original Hybrids on it. Want to change. I use it mainly for pizz for jazz and standards. Some bow work, But not alot. I love the portability and trying to get a good sustain. Spiracores have been my choice but with this bass im not so sure. Has anyone used a good string with lots of sustain and thick fat low end? I know others have stated what strings to use for this bass, but many stated they like a thump type sound which is great but not what i am looking for.

I use Corelli mediums, they sound great acoustically & amplified. Tension is just right, I like it.
Sam
Can you compare the tension to weich spirocore
Thanks

Pretty close tension wise. I just put a new set of weichs on my wilfer, it sounds very robust. I think the corelli's are thin sounding compared to the weichs. I'm going to put a set of weichs on the eminence. I'll post the corelli's for sale in the classified if your interested.

I like the Corelli 370TX on my Carruthers EUB.
The TX have more meat than the mediums.
Except for the E, which is a regular Spirocore.

I like the Corelli 370TX on my Carruthers EUB.
The TX have more meat than the mediums.
Except for the E, which is a regular Spirocore.

francois, I put 370m on the eminence.
how do the tx compare to the weichs, do they sound thin-less robust??
Sam

With the mediums, the 380 (nickels) are more interesting than the tungstens (370), IMHO.
Warmer tone.
I'm not that familiar with weichs; I only tried the E & A.
It's difficult to compare on different instruments.
The Corellis are less robust,but have a warmer tone, as far as I can judge.
My Corelli 370TX A, D & G mix well with a regular Spiro E.

I was thinking of something smallest. why not an aural amplifier like guitar player use ?

I have an AI Coda same size (yorkville)and weight (phil jones)

thanks

Pierre,

I've used the Peavey Micro Bass w/ Double bass. It was fine for a small room cabaret gig w/ no drummer, but I think it may be a bit whiney w/ the Eminence. I find the Eminence needs some extra lows put in with whatever amp I play it thru. The bigger rigs just sound better w/ it because they give it the depth it lacks acoustically. There is no substitute for mass and volume (cubic space):)

BTW, I beleive my Yorkville is bigger than the Phil Jones Breifcase, but lighter.

BG

I've used a battery powered Crate TX50DBE with my Eminence bass with good results. They make a bass version as well but it weighs 33 lbs instead of 22lbs.

Hello François,

You don't speak of the corelli 380 or 370 F Have you ever try them ? Can you compare them with TX
Thanks

The 380 (nickels) are only available in M and TX gauges.
The 370 (tungstens) are available in M, F and TX.
There really is a progression in tension between these sets.
The TX being the ones with the most tension, sustain and meat.
The 380 have a warmer tone than the 370.
(in fact, the D & G in the 370 set are also nickel; only the A & E are wound with tungsten)

Can you compare the tension to weich spirocore
Thanks

I'm a long time Spiro user and that is what is on all three of my DB's, but the Corelli 370 medium just seem to work better on the Eminence but not on my DB's. Their tension seems a little looser on the Eminence than the Spiros on that axe for some reason. Maybe it's the shorter string length. My other basses are 42 inches. The Eminence has about 41& 1/2 inche string length I think. My $.02.

BG

If it helps, I also have a set of Corelli 370F on my Eminence and I'm quite happy with them. I like the feel (tension) and they bow just fine. I don't have much to say about the sound because it seems to vary so much between amps and pre-amps - but no complaints!

How loud is the Eminence without amplification? Along with the portability aspects of an EUB, I am interested in having a quiet practice alternative, one which won't disturb the neighbors. I am primarily interested in arco volume.

How loud is the Eminence without amplification? Along with the portability aspects of an EUB, I am interested in having a quiet practice alternative, one which won't disturb the neighbors. I am primarily interested in arco volume.

It's great for practicing unamplified, it reacts really well to "normal URB" sort of play, and my wife doesn't yell at me. :) It has the level in the neighborhood of a most acoustic bass guitars. Here's text I paste into messages when people ask me about that aspect of the instrument, that links to an unamplified recording:

I have not made any formal recordings, but I did make a quick and dirty (and yes, pretty sloppy) PC recording of the Eminence Bass UNAMPLIFIED! This was done to contribute to a discussion on TalkBass.com, a great discussion board with an excellent Double Bass section. You can listen to an informal recording I made in response to a thread there, you'll find it at http://www.eclecticbass.com/EminenceUnamplified.mp3 (http://www.eclecticbass.com/EminenceUnamplified.mp3). It was done using a 25-30 year old Radio Shack condenser mic, desk-high and about 18" from the Eminence, plugged direct into a 500mhz PC using Sound Forge; no post-processing was done other than convert the WAV to an MP3. Remember this was done unplugged-- no amp was used! (and please take your own PC speakers' character into consideration) It will give you some idea of just how much of a true acoustic bass sound it has.

Thanks Bob. I'm still torn between lugging my upright around (with ever more creative ways to mute it for practice) or jumping in with the Eminence. You'll be the first to know if the Eminence is the ticket.

I also a couple of years ago had a luthier reshape the neck on the Eminence. He made the curvature of the fingerboard (horizontally accross the strings , not the scoop longetudinally) rounder and took a little girth off of the maple side of the neck as well. This improved the playability of that instrument immensely. I feel that they come w/ necks that are too fat in the back and fingerboards that are too flat. At least this was true w/ my bass that is about 6 years old. Perhaps this is done to accomadate BG players switching over, but if you're a DB player it pays to have the fingerboard and neck reshaped a bit. This is a more critical change for the instrument than new strings, IMHO.

BG


I 've just bought a set of corelli 370F. But I'm pretty sure you're right bribass. My 2006 Eminence have a flat fingerboard too. I sure will try to find a good luthier to reshape the neck and the fingerboard.

Thanks all for your recommendations. I wil soon share my own experience.

Really?! The one I played felt very DB-like...I wonder if it had been reshaped as well. I don't think so, but I didn't ask.

I think also that the necks of the Emmy is too fat in the back and fingerboards too flat.

[QUOTE=hensonbass]I've used a battery powered Crate TX50DBE with my Eminence bass with good results. They make a bass version as well but it weighs 33 lbs instead of 22lbs.[/QUOTE

There you go...;)

Have you thought about using some kind of headphone amp? I've used a Sansamp bass DI with a set of headphones when I've taken an instrument away with me. Perfect for those quiet moments, plus you don't disturb anyone else.

a Sansamp bass DI with a set of headphones
Good idea!!:hyper:
. I try with my fishmann Platinum with the headphones on the jack output ... no signal.:crying:
I don't see a headphone's ouput on the Sansamp. The ouput signal is bigger than the fishmann ?
Thanks

Take care. a headphones has a stereo jack.
a preamp has a mono one.
but you should be abble to get a sound from… minimum… one ear.

Salut Alain,

Have you try with your Fishmann Platinum ?. Ive got no sound even one ear

bye

I've just installed the strings tonight.
Pretty happy with the first feeling :hyper: . The sound of the is more woody and less superficial with the corelli 370F than the Helicore orchestral.
The tension seems approach the spirocore weich. So a good point because my nut was reshaped pretty high because a buzz on the A and E strings.

Now there is the banjo effects :bassist: present on the G strings but not horrible. I will posted later when the strings will be in place.

I have got an explanation of this flat fingerboard. It is made for the german bows that is a lot more easy with this flat fingerboard. The concept of the eminence is in America where the bluegrass and jazz player prefer the german bow.

Take care. a headphones has a stereo jack.
a preamp has a mono one.
but you should be abble to get a sound from… minimum… one ear.


You're right with all the control and input at the maximum level I've got a little weak sound :hmm: on the right channel. But not enough for a good sound ; the acoustic sound with my new Corelli is even better !!:smug:

Now there is the banjo effects :bassist: present on the G strings but not horrible. I will posted later when the strings will be in place.
Give them about two weeks to settle in.
If only the G string lefts to be desired, it should be pretty easy to find a good replacement.

To the original poster: How is the B string on the Eminence 5string? I've been hankering for one for some time.

Has any body owned or at least spent some time with an Eminence 5string? I'm curious to know how the B matches up in terms of tone and feel, and if the string spacing is significantly different than a standard 4string. I'm contemplating getting one when I move up to NYC.

Something about the portability and the ability to use the B on Neo-Soul funk material is intriquing.

there must be an impedance probleme.
a headphone should be: 8 ohms
Platinium output: 600 ohms

how to resolve this impedance problem mister Alain Electronic Bass. That is the question!!:)

how to resolve this impedance problem mister Alain Electronic Bass. That is the question!!:)http://www.talkbass.com/forum/images/smilies/colors/confused.gif
You can probably find a headphone preamp in a musical or hifi shop.
more simple.
For Holidays, I think a " 15 W home-rehearsal-amp" with a compressor do the job …… until you play with a drummer that doesn't listen.

I like the low B. Better than an extension. But all in all. I wish i had ordered the 4 instead. On electric i seemn to use it alot more. On upright not as much. But things could change. It does not seem to push as much air. But its OK. I just ordered the Weich strings in a 5 so i will see if the weich are better than the helicore's.

Merci Alain

I think I will probably play it acoustically this summer. A luthier is reshaping my fingerboard for my buzz problem and I hope all will be oK.
Good holidays

This Thread may be dead - but I'll give it a try... after testing the Eminence, NS, Dean Pace, Barker (not a real EUB), Palatino and Kydd EUBs - I chose the Eminence hands down for it's abiltiy to electronically replicate the sound of a DB (it actually is a small acoustic DB anyway). I couldn't afford one but didn't want to settle - I waited. Then I just found a 4 string Eminence used, which is rare in itself! I'm now very happily BROKE with plenty of practice time on my hands. If you 'need' a EUB and can at all afford an Eminence used or new - buy it.
I play BG, DB and now EUB, Folk, blues and roots music. I study jazz BG and DB but thats because I like my teacher. I have a DB (Engelhardt) and 5 BG's. I'm not a DB purist, the Eminence EUB is a wonderfull addition... it may take over the duties of my fretless BG (Rick Turner REN5) for gigs with space constraints, which is almost all of them...

Eminence 4 with Velvet Garbo strings - David Gage pickup.

Actually, I'm really curious if the Alter Ego does better than my Eminence.
Comparing it with my Zeta Jazz standard, it has a better DB quality.. but it nevertheless suffers from some im-balancement.

Anyone who tried Eminence and Alter-ego can give a good comparison on both?

I have got an explanation of this flat fingerboard. It is made for the german bows that is a lot more easy with this flat fingerboard. The concept of the eminence is in America where the bluegrass and jazz player prefer the german bow.

Pierre, I don't think your theory is correct.
IMHP, it has nothing to do with that. I think that the fingerboards are flatter to appeal to bass guitar players tying to cross over to upright and Jazz players who often like flatter fingerboards because of lttle or no arco playing. All Chinese basses that I have seen have pretty fat and chunky feeling necks. Perhaps this is to compensate for using a softer, less stable wood than the hard, aged maple used on fine bases. Don't forget that the Eminence basses are made in China. By the way, I think these days there are more French bow players in general in the States, but that's besides the point. For what its worth, I am a German bow player and I found the original shape of my c.2000 4string Eminence Removable Neck model fingerboard to be way too flat.

I agree about the G string w/ the Corelli's. The tension is nice, but it's a bit whinny from E on up.
I wonder what type of G string would balance well with the other 3, but have a woodier character in the upper register? Any suggestions anyone?

BG

I agree about the G string w/ the Corelli's. The tension is nice, but it's a bit whinny from E on up.
I wonder what type of G string would balance well with the other 3, but have a woodier character in the upper register? Any suggestions anyone?
BG
Pirastro Flexocor '92. (regular Flexocor)

Pirastro Flexocor '92. (regular Flexocor)

+ 1

Pirastro Flexocor '92. (regular Flexocor)

I used to use Spiro EAD and a Pirastro Flexocor '92 G like on my German DB. I remember the G being pretty good but I think it had more tension than Corelli 370 Medium that's on there now.

I think the lower tension just works on this instrument. I've never tried an Obligato G. How do you think that would match up w/ the other 3 Corelli's?

Would a Dominant G be too stiff?

BG

Hello

I've played with the Corelli 370F during my holidays with no amplification. First the feeling was very near the weich, now they are a little more stiffer. They are better than the helicore installed not so "superficial sounding". The eminence with the bow(even with my poor technique:smug: ) is very impressive ; this is a really acoustic instrument, not the same than a acoustic doublebass but something with is own "character" and very interresting. The G string is less metallic sounding ; the A and E a little too weak maybe. But a good compromise for the moment. I don't play it with the amplification ...I will see.

A luthier reshape my fingerboard :hyper: and now the feeling is more closer to my really doublebass. That is sure the more interresting and surprising change / Thanks bribass for this recommendation. I recommend it seriously to every doublebassist owner of the eminence (in the hands of a good luthier... )

I took some Dominant strings off of my Shen Hybrid and put them on my Eminence RN4. I like the sound and feel of these strings better than the Obligatos that were on the Eminence. Darker sounding and punchier with a stiffer feel.

Oddly enough I think the d & g Obli. sound better on the Shen w/ a Spiro A & E.

FWIW: I have had problems with the Dominant E str. breaking at the winding end. It's happened to me twice in the last 4 months. No problems with the others.:hmm:

I have my new Eminence for a week and I think that D' addario Helicore are hard for me. What about Pirastro Obligato?
I use pizz and arco both.

I put obligatos on my NS which has Piezo pups. If you have magnetic pups, you won't hear much of anything with these mostly synthetic strings.

I have my new Eminence for a week and I think that D' addario Helicore are hard for me. What about Pirastro Obligato?
I use pizz and arco both.


Obligato D and G. Thomastic Spirocore E and A. Is a nice balanced, clear sounding string combo for EUB. Obligato E and A don't amplify as a well as the Spirocore, in my experience.

I put obligatos on my NS which has Piezo pups. If you have magnetic pups, you won't hear much of anything with these mostly synthetic strings.

I don't believe the Eminence has magnetic pickups, it comes with a Realist piezo pickup on it.

I've put a set of Obligatos on an Eminence I sold, they did a nice job and I've recommended them as an alternative to the stock Helicores. IME the Eminence is one EUB that pretty much reacts the way acoustic basses do when it comes to string changes.

I would recommend Dominants as well. I think the darker tone of string blends better with the Eminence.

Hi

I have been playing an RN Eminence strung with Sp