Has anyone tried the new Dean "Pace" EUB model?

Has anyone tried the new Dean "Pace" EUB model?

I'm interested in this too, but from what I've read it isn't available yet. If anyone knows where they can be found let us know.

Dean told me they would be available to the public in June

It seems like a real cool idea. It's the first retail EUB for under $1000. I've read some info on it and this is what I know about the bass:

-It will be petite size
-The designer of this bass said it was inspired from his own home-made EUB
-It has a ball at the end of its endpin for maximum adjustability (if that's a word)

That's what I got anyway.

I just bought one from musicians friend for $599 + free shipping but its back ordered for 18 more days...

I'll let you know in 23 days or so

It's mentioned in this interview.

http://www.12stringbass.net/master.htm?http://www.12stringbass.net/MickDonner.htm


Johann

I think I heard that it has a relatively flat finger board radius like what you would fine on a standard electric bass.

Peace
Nick

Heya,
im looking to get my first upright and ive opted to go an electric, well id like to go electric, im just looking for a entry level and looking at the april issue of Bass Player i saw the Dean Pace Electric....which doesnt give an exact price, just under $1000us, ive also considered getting steve wishnevky to make one, i also wouldnt mind getting my hands on a yamaha silent bass...but ive got no idea....being in australia limits hands on experience.....

any advice is welcome

This is an interesting EUB that is the correct scale length. Never played it but I thought it appeared well thought out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16222&item=3725406783&rd=1

http://www.ergoinstruments.com/

I don't own or have I tried one... but in my research, it's the one I'm gonna buy.

which seems to be what the ebay link is too ;) good call Pathdoc

i am on my second Ergo. My first was a solid purpleheart 5 string. The new one is a mahogany 4 string..

Those ergo's look nice..pretty much what im looking for,a walnut, rosewood or mahogany 4 string, how are they on a stand? how are they tonally? do they sound like a normal upright?

we had an upright at my old school,. it was fun to pley, except that it was setup for bow style and the strings probably hadnt been changed since the 60's when they got it.

i found conklin made a EUB, it looks pretty nice
http://www.conklinguitars.com/meuhome.html

This one sounds very open and upright-like. The thing I really like about them is they have a 41.5" scale and the neck feels like a double bass neck instead of like a fretless bass guitar on a stick.


He is also working on an electric cello for me.

how many peices are they, they look like once peice with a piece either side of the headstock fo shaping... i think a rosewood one would sound rather nice and warm

One piece...He is pretty rigid about the wood he uses...


James, if you ever wanna check mine out we can hookup and i'll play your Bennies !

are they reinforced in anyway? and are they more suitiable for bowing or pizzicato?....forgive me....my experience with uprights is extremely limited :p

I have found them good for both.

James, if you ever wanna check mine out we can hookup and i'll play your Bennies !

I'll definately look you up for that! let me know if your heading east at all too...

Hey DonZ,

Is your Ergo dead quiet by itself? I need something super quiet for playing late at night. I still get complaints from my neighbors about my bass after I've put a practice mute on and muffled my strings by weaving a rag between them. I guess they can still hear the thump or something. Totally sucko!

Lemme know... thanks.
hdiddy

Yes, it is very very quiet but due to the mahogany it is very resonant and has good sustain.


It is a perfect practice bass. I keep it in my office it is so quiet.

Mine is quiet for pizz, but I have a DB bridge on mine, so, I can't bow [with isn't that often] silently, it makes a lot a noise even unplugged.

Mine is quiet for pizz, but I have a DB bridge on mine, so, I can't bow silently, it makes a lot a noise even unplugged.

Do you have an Ergo ?

LMN, I assume that you're talking about a different EUB since you have DB bridge on it.

As for the Ergo bass, I contacted Jesse last week about getting one and he said he had some 4 bangers in stock. However, he also told me (upon my asking) that he can bevel the fingerboard like a DB instead of a smooth radius. Should I bother? Will it feel different? It prob doesn't really matter but I just wanted to hear any of your comments if you have any. I'd like to feel as close to a DB as possible since this is simply a practicing substitute.

Thanks again.

Do you have an Ergo ?
No, I have a by me. And I know the picture sucks, camera is broken had to use video still.

No, I have a by me. And I know the picture sucks, camera is broken had to use video still.

WOW...That looks very nice ! HEYDADDY, I suppose if you like beveled fb's then go for it...I'm a rounded fb fan myself.

Say that DOES look pretty nice. PQRST, how long did it take you and how much? I've always wondered about building my own EUB using a stock DB neck replacement, tailpiece, bridge, and endpin. If only I had a garage. :crying:

Anyhoo, I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to get Jesse to build me a beveled one. WOOHOO! :hyper:

Say that DOES look pretty nice. PQRST, how long did it take you and how much? I've always wondered about building my own EUB using a stock DB neck replacement, tailpiece, bridge, and endpin

It took me round 3 weeks [not working on it every day], I made every thing except the tuners and bridge [that was a blank off ebay]: padauk body [carved top] and neck, maple FB, rosewood tailpiece, the end pin is part of a old cymbal stand; wood and hardware set me back $188.00, strings were $190.00, I lifted the pickup off my DB.

It took me round 3 weeks [not working on it every day], I made every thing except the tuners and bridge [that was a blank off ebay]: padauk body [carved top] and neck, maple FB, rosewood tailpiece, the end pin is part of a old cymbal stand; wood and hardware set me back $188.00, strings were $190.00, I lifted the pickup off my DB.


dang... you win! it looks killer!

i have a Knutson Messenger bass - i love it, bandmates love it and it sounds really nice.

my little car loves it too!

www.messengerbass.com

Thankz :)

A.M.N.FROMU.N.C.L.E. can we get some more pics of this bass ?

It took me round 3 weeks [not working on it every day], I made every thing except the tuners and bridge [that was a blank off ebay]: padauk body [carved top] and neck, maple FB, rosewood tailpiece, the end pin is part of a old cymbal stand; wood and hardware set me back $188.00, strings were $190.00, I lifted the pickup off my DB.

What!?!?!? $188?!?! Wanna build one for me?!? :p

kidding!

Good job. I'd like to hear what it sounds like too.

Here some more picts off the tape. I have a recording [the piece is very odd though], I'll have to see if I can chop it down and compress it in a workable manner.

I just thought I might add: it did take me three months to design the bass. And that I also have a degree in marine carpentry [boatbuilding].

AMEN You gotta (PLEASE) put this in some sort of "How to build an EUB" thread, This is exactly what I wanted, Something that would be of good value, and not set me back more than 1k!

I am VERY interested in this, In fact... I think im gonna PM it out of you!

AMN, Feel like making another one? :D ...damn it looks nice....im going to contact ergo insts later and find out how much postage will be to australia...thats whats gonna kill me...probably cost as much for postage as it will for the bass :( ....id like a nice rosewood or zebrawood one...mmmmm :smug:

AMEN

Finally, someone got my dumbass joke, the sick part is those are my real initials; Aaron M Noguer.

I don't mind sharing how I make it but I’m not giving away my design, that was a lot of work. It might take me a few days to look over how to explain what I did and why I did it. But to be frank, there are a few things I would change, and do differently, and I do plan to do some mods: FB wood change and tighten the radios and redesign the neck joint. The biggest problem is that the bass is TOO HEAVY I think it's around 18-25 LBs.

Also before I built this bass I had already built 5 bass guitars, 3 guitars and 1 lapsteel, and even then it still has aesthetic issues [i.e. the dam neck joint; I went fender on that]. The main goal was to make a good and realistic sounding EUB on a TIGHT budget, and I achieved that. If I were to market the bass [wayyyyy down the road mind you] I don't think I would cut the corners that I have. Plus right now I'm in the beginnings of building a ABG that has taken me over a year to design and figure how to build.

Good Times! This is gonna be sweet!

i just emailed ergo asking for a quote for either a 4 string zebrawood or rosewood and postage to aus.....

just curious...does this look like zebrawood to you guys/gals?
http://www.ergoinstruments.com/images/G_live7.jpg

That looks like Doug from "King of Queen's"

That looks like Doug from "King of Queen's"
lol...it does...but i was talking about the wood

That looks like Doug from "King of Queen's"


but it is... Gregory Bruce Campbell he's a smoking player. Yeah it could be zebrawood... I'm getting an american cherry 6 in natural later in the year!

Rosewood and Zebrawood are classed as hardwood arent they?, ive never seen a bass made out of or have a top of rosewood, but ive seen plenty of zebrawoods..but the few basses that ive played with a zebrawood top sounded rather nice, id like to hear what a rosewood one would sound like...rather warm and thick id presume

Looks like we got two EUB threads on Ergo basses going on at the same time. Anyhoo....

but it is... Gregory Bruce Campbell he's a smoking player. Yeah it could be zebrawood... I'm getting an american cherry 6 in natural later in the year!

Er... from the Ergoinstrument's website, it says that he does everything in American Cherry. From the site:

"After extensive experimentation over many years, I've found that American Cherry is most ideal for construction of these instruments as it's quite stable, offers a great sound, and shows much more consistency(in terms of wood defects,and uniform color) than either Walnut, or Maple, and is readily available in quantity, and doesn't show any signs of scarcity in the future. The instruments are offered in two colors: Natural, and Classic (a 'violiny' red/brown). "

I just placed my order for my 4 stringer with a beveled FB in classic. Total was $760 (including shipping). I can't wait! :hyper:

Looks like we got two EUB threads on Ergo basses going on at the same time. Anyhoo....



Er... from the Ergoinstrument's website, it says that he does everything in American Cherry. From the site:

"After extensive experimentation over many years, I've found that American Cherry is most ideal for construction of these instruments as it's quite stable, offers a great sound, and shows much more consistency(in terms of wood defects,and uniform color) than either Walnut, or Maple, and is readily available in quantity, and doesn't show any signs of scarcity in the future. The instruments are offered in two colors: Natural, and Classic (a 'violiny' red/brown). "

I'm assuming GBC's Ergo is that dark color but it also could be custom. I just placed my order for my 4 stringer with a beveled FB in classic. Total was $760 (including shipping). I can't wait! :hyper:

Congrats!!! I can't wait till I can order mine (it hurt that Jesse had one exactly as I want (natural 6 cherry) ready to ship at the time I was emailing him and I couldn't swing it).

Jesse did say he makes a limited number in Mahogany as well... I think Donz has / is getting a mahogany one.

yup. got it...waiting for my cello...

hey DONZIE, how long does Jesse take to turn his stuff around? He sent me an e-mail that he'd get back to me, but I don't feel like bugging him. I'll bug you instead. :D

BTW: There is a clip of GBC playing his ergo (along with many other EUB samples). I sounds fretlessish but I presume that it's because of the amp and other sounds he's trying to get out of it.

http://www2.hku.nl/~sander5/bas/listen.htm

hey DONZIE, how long does Jesse take to turn his stuff around? He sent me an e-mail that he'd get back to me, but I don't feel like bugging him. I'll bug you instead. :D

BTW: There is a clip of GBC playing his ergo (along with many other EUB samples). I sounds fretlessish but I presume that it's because of the amp and other sounds he's trying to get out of it.

http://www2.hku.nl/~sander5/bas/listen.htm


I just received my 4 string Ergo yesterday. It took 3 weeks for him to make it, but I had to wait an extra week because the stand was backordered. I really like it. I played it until I got sore last night...:)

say "not such a good deal".

runeight...

If you want an EUB that is inexpensive, but plays like a DB and can be bowed try an Ergo. I bought one and it is an ecellent bass. 42" scale, curved fingerboard, feels like a DB and sounds very good. I bought one for $700, and I'm very happy with it.

http://www.ergoinstruments.com/

The more I see those things the more I dig'em

You probably didn't miss DonZ with his from today's post. Here it is again.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1514456#post1514456

When I have the cash for one Ill probably be getting one of those Ergo 5 strings.

hi all and thanks for looking.

i am interested in buying my own upright bass. i have been playing electric bass for a little over 3 years. i know how to play, because i took it in school, however i am still a beginer at it but i do know the basics. so i feel there is no need to go out and spend two grand on an upright, as of yet.

i noticed the dean pace bass. it is $599 on music123.com, which is as far as im concerned a steal. anybody have any thoughts (keeping in mind i am an absolute beginer, and will most likely not be performing for a while with the upright). also, do electric upright basses still have that same acoustic sound as the acoustic uprights do?? and also, are they compatable with bows??

thanks in advance, sincerely,
Jon Stemmler

i just did a search, and found a thread, but it was before the Pace Bass was released, and i did not find the information i needed, although it brought up a couple questions...

-what is the size????
-how is the fingerboard radius??
-do you need special strings for an EUB??

thanks.

Just look at a picture of it, all the thing is is a vertically played fretless bass guitar. as for spec's I'd e-mail / call / torment dean.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124545

i already saw that thread, thats the one that i said could not help me, seeing as nobody there had played one yet.

I think the consensus was that it's not a DB nor a decent EUB. If it were me, I wouldn't bother wasting our money on it. It's just a fretless BG that looks like an EUB.

And there really is no "in-betweener" instrument that helps you step up from BG to DB. If you want to play DB someday, just save your pennies and buy an Englehardt.

I think hotdaddy got it right. Most on this forum think it is a toy being promoted as an electric upright bass. It cannot be bowed, it does not have the correct scale, it is not a double bass of any sort. If you want a fretless EB then get one. If you want a double bass, then get one; but the dean is not a double bass.

az

thanks. i guess i am going to keep looking, and try to find a real double bass, and not an EUB. thanks for the help.

I just got my 4 string Ergo in the mail today. Looks good, nice color. Mine took 1.5 months to get to me since I got the beveled FB instead of the smooth radius. Looks like it came with Spiro Weichs.

I'll take pics and give a review later.

you mean he put new strings on yours ?! The last one i got came with some used strings he got off of ebay !

you mean he put new strings on yours ?! The last one i got came with some used strings he got off of ebay !

Mine, too. I don't blame him though, with the cost of new strings he would have to charge more for the bass.

I don't blame him

Me Either. Aren't the shipping strings on most URB just bridge & sound post holders anyway? I was under the impression all y'all were REAL picky about brand/guage. ;)

He told me in emails that he puts what he can on it and he's keeping cost down.

Me Either. Aren't the shipping strings on most URB just bridge & sound post holders anyway? I was under the impression all y'all were REAL picky about brand/guage. ;)

He told me in emails that he puts what he can on it and he's keeping cost down.

Yep, most people are just going to replace them with their prefered strings anyway.

By the way, my picture made it on to his web site.:) It is the last one on the artists page.

http://www.ergoinstruments.com/

Nope, they're used, tho still playable. I'm assuming they're weichs by the gauge and the red string windings at the bottom. I'll keep them on til I get tired of my Corelli's. I noticed he put super glue on the E string above the nut to keep the strings from unwinding completely. The tip of the string is unwould and the core is wrapped about the BG tuner. Interesting.

Things I noticed:
1. The Ergo comes a little sticky from whatever finish/varnish he used. He just missed a couple spots. Will have to steel wool it off.
2. There is a little play right at the connection of the Ergo to the adapter that lets you put it on a cymbal stand. Guys, does yours do that?
3. Finger markers are kinda interesting. Not sure if I like them yet. I guess I accidentally ordered them.
4. My RH Thumb feels awkward 90 degrees against the side. I'm used to the a normal FB being thinner. I may attempt to bevel the part of the edge just for comfort.

I plugged it in briefly yesterday, and you guys weren't kidding when you said it needs to be EQ'd. I end up turning the treble almost all the way off on the amp, otherwise it sounds too much like a fretless. Plays good, bows fine with my limited skills.

Here's another curious thing... I folded up all the legs and played it standing, allowing me to lean it in any direction. It's actually really nice that way, has anyone thought of making a telescoping monopod stand for it? Maybe even one with a body rest? If I know someone who could do it, it might try. Might make portability even more interesting.

Pics later.

Things I noticed:
1. The Ergo comes a little sticky from whatever finish/varnish he used. He just missed a couple spots. Will have to steel wool it off.
2. There is a little play right at the connection of the Ergo to the adapter that lets you put it on a cymbal stand. Guys, does yours do that?
3. Finger markers are kinda interesting. Not sure if I like them yet. I guess I accidentally ordered them.
4. My RH Thumb feels awkward 90 degrees against the side. I'm used to the a normal FB being thinner. I may attempt to bevel the part of the edge just for comfort.



1. I didn't have a problem with this.

2. Mine is very tight at that connection.

3. I like them, but did notice on a gig where the stage was fairly dark they were hard to see. Not really a major problem though.

I just saw this in the MF catalog, where they state it has a 6" FB radius. Interesting!

I've been undecided on a fretless 5 bass guitar or a cheap upright with this $800 burning a hole in my pocket... I didn't think electric uprights could be had for under $1500? So this Dean Pace really opened my eyes.

But you guys like the Ergo more? I'd like to have something with a 42" string length and something I could bow.

Showdown- was the $700 new or used for your bass?

I've been undecided on a fretless 5 bass guitar or a cheap upright with this $800 burning a hole in my pocket... I didn't think electric uprights could be had for under $1500? So this Dean Pace really opened my eyes.

But you guys like the Ergo more? I'd like to have something with a 42" string length and something I could bow.

Showdown- was the $700 new or used for your bass?


$700 new (plus shipping of course). I prefer the Ergo. It is 42" scale and bowable.

Thank you sir. I already email them and asked about the waiting period. I think I've made up my mind on what EUB to buy, an Ergo 4 string.

How does it sound? I play mostly jazz/funk/groove stuff. I'd like to run it through my normal bass rig of a SWR 4004 head and SWR 4-10" cab alongside my Fender Jazz for gigs. And run it through my Boss GT-6B bass effects board if possible?

Thank you sir. I already email them and asked about the waiting period. I think I've made up my mind on what EUB to buy, an Ergo 4 string.

How does it sound? I play mostly jazz/funk/groove stuff. I'd like to run it through my normal bass rig of a SWR 4004 head and SWR 4-10" cab alongside my Fender Jazz for gigs. And run it through my Boss GT-6B bass effects board if possible?

It sounds good through my amp, an Ashdown EB180-12. I can't say how it would sound through yours, but I suspect it would be good. You should be able to use the Boss GT-6B with no problems. I've used a Line 6 Bass Pod with mine with good results. It lets me set up a patch for the Ergo so I can switch between electric bass and the Ergo easily.

Thanks again for the reply.

Good point about using a patch for the upright so your levels are already set.

Thanks again for the reply.

Good point about using a patch for the upright so your levels are already set.

Yes, it is necessary. The Ergo doesn't have a preamp and its level is lower than even a passive electric, so you need to be able to boost a little when you switch to it. For me about +3db is about right. I also like to EQ it different than electric.

Something I like about Ergo is the builder is using American Cherry. I think they offer other woods, too, but the cherry is stable, local, extrememly re-newable, affordable, etc. There's some much hype about exotic hardwoods nowadays...

Now as for the Pace, to me it looks like they took a thru-body neck, slapped a stand on it, and called it done. No style whatsoever. The catalog *does* list a 6" radius fretboard, but I zoomed in on the pic at MF and man does it look EB flat to me. I really don't see it being bowable. (tell that to Jimmy Page, right...) But hey, for the price? Just hope the piezo bridge sounds good.

edit: I just checked an Ergo on eBay that's Jatoba (African Cherry) but a quick glance at their website got this:

After extensive experimentation over many years, I've found that American Cherry is most ideal for construction of these instruments as it's quite stable, offers a great sound, and shows much more consistency(in terms of wood defects,and uniform color) than either Walnut, or Maple, and is readily available in quantity, and doesn't show any signs of scarcity in the future.

edit: On the issue of style, after seeing more and more short scale EUB efforts I have to say that the simplest approach is probably better considering portability/functionality. My "neck-thru body slapped on a stand comment" came off too condescending. With respect to DIY efforts, the easiest and most cost effective approach is just that. Dean, however, could perhaps re-think their pricing considering that a homebuilder could do more for less.

I'm interested in an 5-string EUB and the only one available in sweden is the Dean Pace bass, haven't seen any other brand. Does anybody have one or have tried one? That black one sure looks tempting :cool:

Thanks! :bassist:

*EDIT:* What sort of strings do you have on a EUB? Roundwounds? Nylon? I really like having a High C instead of a low B, is that possible to buy if there is nylon used?

BTW, can i use a strap on the bass or can i only play it sitting down?

I just bought a 4 string ERGO from EBay. It is brand new from Jesse O'Neal (the maker) for $620 including shipping.

Received it in 5 days USPS.

I need a preamp into my Roland amp. The output from the pizeo PU under the bridge is pretty low.

Very simple design concept. The installed strings are flat wound and produce a very uneven volume string to string as well as up the fingerboard. I think that with some simple mods it will be a usable EUB.

It's definetly different than a real DB. But, it's a good buy for a 42" scale EUB.

Cheers

Paul

Ok, I know that these are technically electric uprights, but I think that these will appeal to bass guitarists more than "real" upright players, so that's why I'm posting this in the BG forum.

Anyway, I really liked it. It didn't really sound like a real upright, but more like a cross between a fretless bass guitar and an upright. More thumpy than a fretless, but with less
sustain. The 35" scale felt much more familiar to me than the full 42" (I think) of a full upright. I do wish that it came with a preamp or something. It also seems like you're not getting a lot for your money. I mean, it does come with a stand, but otherwise it's essentially a neck and a bridge. It's not even Korean, it's Chinese. It's built well from what I could see, but I don't think it's worth the $700 with case that the place was asking. Compared to other EUBs, it seems like a steal, but I just don't think that it's really a great value. Anyhow, has anybody else played one?

Hey I was reading about those today. THey had a 5 String for like 800 bucks. I have never played one but they sure looked interesting.

Do you know anything about Dean basses? I was possibily looking into the Dean Edge Q5.

But For 700 bucks...was it a 4 or 5 string?

It was a four string. As for Dean basses, they seem to be really solid for their prices. They aren't really anything special, but they are good values.

hrmm interesting.

Do you play a standup? What made you decide to try that pace bass?

No, I play bass guitar. I've messed around on uprights, but I usually just end up embarassing myself. I was just curious about the Pace because I've been really getting into the upright sound lately.

What was the fretboard radius like? Relatively flat like a BG, or more like an URB?

Those look cool, and they're not too pricey, either. Hmmmm. Do I sense a bit of GAS building up?

What was the fretboard radius like? Relatively flat like a BG, or more like an URB?
The fingerboard radius felt halfway between a bass guitar and an upright. It seems like the bass in general is like a bridge between bass guitar and upright.

What was the fretboard radius like? Relatively flat like a BG, or more like an URB?

You can't bow them, so they are closer to a BG as far as I can tell.

I just played one of these at my local shop the other day and I was very impressed. It played very very well and sounded great through a Genz Benz Intro 50 12" combo. It does have a pre-amp (18v) just no EQ functions. For $700, it's not a bad buy. I'll probably buy one as soon as I can find a used one for around $400 though. The tone is pretty sweet, and it's really quite comfortable to play. And the non-lined fingerboard wasn't nearly as challenging to get used to as I thought it might be. I went back a 2nd time to play the bass again. I'm GASing I guess. The radius may not be enough to bow it, but I didn't try, so I don't know. I know it felt like a huge radius to me, but that's because my Warwicks aren't radiused at all.

The only thing I didn't like about the one I played is that the fingerboard was already grooved up a bunch! It has flats on it, but you wouldn't know that by the fingerboard. I asked about the grooves and they just said that it'd been played to death since it came in and that's why. But I'd hate to think that it's gonna get all grooved up in a matter of a couple weeks (that's all the longer it's been there) if I play it a lot, ya know? At first I thought it might be a used bass. That's how bad it was. An ebony board would be much better (I think they use rosewood).

Anyway, it's a pretty sweet bass, especially when comparing the prices of other EUBs out there.

Jake

I think it's a joke. They basically put the thickest electric bass neck ever on a stick and called it an upright bass.

If you want to pretend and impress uninformed people by having a bass guitar on a stand, then this is what you want.

But, don't for a second think that this thing is comparable to any kind of upright bass, acoustic or electric.

If you want a 35" scale bass on a stand that actually has some elements of an upright bass, then get a KYDD. The Dean is a poser instrument.

Dean makes quality instruments, and they had a great chance to break the $1000 barrier with a viable electric upright bass. But, they opted for a ridiculous design and they completely blew it, IMHO.

Moved to the EUB board.

I tried one out when I was EUB shopping, but ended up buying an Ergo. 41 1/2" scale and a lot more quality for the bucks. But then, I play doublebass.;)

Just got a Dean Pace to use sparingly on trip hop/acid jazz stuff. I'm an electric bassist (fretless and fretted), so I wanted something to play pizzicato and didn't worry about not being able to bow it. Actually won it on eBay for $499 new with stand and case, a price the music store mistakenly opened the auction with and I was the only bidder (should have been at least $100 more to start). Anyway, I have a few questions that somebody might be able to help me with. One, the bass buzzes when you touch the strings. Pretty loudly. Take my hands off the strings and it's dead quiet. That seems odd to me, as I've had basses with single coil pups before that seemed to buzz more prominently when the strings weren't being touched, but I haven't owned an electric bass for some time with that pickup config so I might be mistaken. No fluorescent or halogen lights on around when this happens or anything like that. It's weird. Second, I want to use LaBella tapewounds on it. Anybody Dean Pace owners put the Extra Long scale tapewound strings on theirs? It's a 35" scale so those should work, but I've been back and forth with Labella because they evidently made some custom sets for Dean for this model and they say 37" winding on them. Can't seem to get an answer about whether the standard XL scale tapewounds will work or not. I've contacted Dean and will probably ship it back since it's new and under warranty, but if there are a few things to try first, I'd like to do that. I've swapped cords. It has a piezo pickup with two 9 volt batteries. Haven't changed the batteries yet, although I will give that a go. Thanks.

Do you have a switch on your amp to lift the ground?
A buzz with piezo pickups, that's weird!

...One, the bass buzzes when you touch the strings. Pretty loudly. Take my hands off the strings and it's dead quiet. That seems odd to me, as I've had basses with single coil pups before that seemed to buzz more prominently when the strings weren't being touched, but I haven't owned an electric bass for some time with that pickup config so I might be mistaken. No fluorescent or halogen lights on around when this happens or anything like that. It's weird...

Sure is, as you mention, the opposite often happens... which leads me to my thoughts about the problem. Follow my logic:

If you were to plug an instrument cable into your amp and then touch the tip ("hot" conductor) of the other end, you would get a buzz, my guess is that it is the same buzz as you are getting when you touch the strings.

Often your find electric instruments whose bridge is grounded, such as in the example you mention with single coil pickups, you touch the strings and it helps to shield the pickup coils, cutting the buzz.

I am guessing that Dean wired it backwards... the hot connection from the preamp input is wired to ground, and vice-versa, so when you touch the strings you are touching the hot connection and causing the buzz.

Obviously, I could be totally and completely wrong, but that's where I arrive using the logic above, which I think holds water. I've no idea how integrated the wiring is and whether this is something you could try to cure locally, for instance, un-grounding the strings if they even are "grounded" (not a great idea, but a possibility), but that's my working theory and I'm sticking to it!! ;)

Good luck in resolving it! I guess if it can't be fixed you could always just hum along with it. :rolleyes:

One, the bass buzzes when you touch the strings. Pretty loudly. Take my hands off the strings and it's dead quiet.

That is exactly the opposite of what happens when the bass is ungrounded. When you touch it, your body acts as the ground !

Go see a luthier and please share some mp3 of the sound of that bass (once repaired). I am really curious to hear it.

I'd be really careful with that! Sounds like a ground loop begging to bite you! See a luthier right away, and have them correct the problem with the buzz.

I recently purchased a Dean Pace.

The Pace arrived last Tuesday. I purchased the four string model in black. For those not familiar with it, the Pace is an upright fretless with piezo pickups. This is only an EUB in the broadest sense. It has a 35” scale. A fairly flat fretboard – so no arco. It has one volume control and no tone control.

It arrived looking very nice, but was very poorly set up. The E string was kinked at the nut and its intonation was off. In addition the strings were set very low. I plugged it into my amp and was very disappointed with the sound. Obviously, I'm not expecting this particular product to imitate a true upright. But I was was expecting an upright-like sound. This sounded thin and wimpy even as an EBG. (Why do manufacturers build an expensive instrument and then put such cheap strings on them?)

First I had to recover from my anxiety attack. [You have to realize that I'm essentially an amateur. I do this for fun. And $650 is a lot for me to spend] Then, I noticed that the strings, while they are flat-wound, are really thin -- emaciated-even. So I sent email to the manufacturer. Will changing the strings make enough of a difference to be worth trying or not? The manufacturer recommended trying La Bella 760Ns on it. However, after doing some google research, I decided to go with Rotosound 88s to get the heavier G string.

I had the LGS order them on Friday. They put them on for me and did the much needed setup yesterday. I picked it up just before practice last night. I knew I wouldn't be able to do much with it last night (being new to vertical playing), but I had to hear the sound.

Ooooh. Aaaah. Now that's what I'm talkin' about. What an improvement! One and all declared it to be a very fine sound. Very upright-like. The sound is recognizably jazz flavor.

I'm definitely satisfied and will be keeping the Pace. I should mention for completeness that, while the setup was really poor, the construction itself seems to be very good.

This is not an electrified version of a DB. This is an uprightified version of an EBG. Anyone who already is comfortable playing DB will not want one of these things. For someone like myself, however, coming from EBG and playing jazz or blues, this is just the ticket.

Thanks for the review- could you elaborate a little more on the feel? How is the back of the neck? I knew the fretboard would be flat, but what about the overall feel?

It's definitely a thick neck. Certainly thicker than my EBG.

I don't know if it will become an issue or not. Last night was the first time I had a chance to really play it. It was pretty much worthless before being set up properly.

I'm hoping that the fact that it's vertical will make the thick neck a moot issue. I'll let you know as I make progress.

Any updates?

I ordered one today from Musician's Fiend. Played one at the Dallas guitar show a couple of weeks ago and couldn't stop thinking about it - I think it was an evil curse or something.

Anyway, dedicated electric bassist, have tried and failed at URB and can't handle anything beyond 35" scale, so here we go.

I'm lovin' it more all the time. My bass instructor showed me some upright techniques for right-hand and that also helped get the sound I want.

One word of warning. The thing comes with no instructions (at least mine didn't). The piezo pickup takes two 9-volt batteries. You need to unplug the patch cord when you are done playing/practicing or the batteries will run down. If you start getting a bad tone from it (it sounded to me like I was running it through a fuzz box), then your batteries are probably low.

It came today, batteries included. (I'm used to checking because I play Ernie Ball basses, and they're all chock-full of batteries.)

Took me a while to figure out how the stand worked. At first, the nut was about a foot over my head and I figured that wasn't terribly ergonomic. Luckily, I have a drum key and that's what I used to loosen some collars and slide some tubes down until it's now comfy.

Straight up and down wasn't all that natural for me, so I leaned it out a bit away from me, just a bit, not much, and now I think I've got my "position".

It's probably all wrong, but I'm an electric bassist, dammit, don't yell at me!

I'm thinking now about strings. I have a set of TI Flats but those might be too light for this baby. I want something thicker, maybe - but possession being what it is, I'll probably put the TIs on there and save some cash.

Played for a couple of hours, mostly rockabilly and throwback country stuff - okay, I can do that! Also experimented with some Norah Jones - I'll have to work a bit on that stuff, so easy on electric bass, but this is different.

It is what I thought it would be - a fun toy. If I ever get confident enough to play it in public, I'll let you know!

Jack

Does anyone know if tapewound strings will work with the piezos on this Dean thingy?

Is there a reason it wouldn't work?
AFAIK, with piezos you can use whatever string you want, including guts.
(I'm speaking in general terms, not just for the Dean, as I suppose it doesn't matter)

A friend of mine had problems using tapes with his EBMM bass equipped with piezos. I'm hoping that was unique to the EBMM designed piezos as I really want to put some tapes on this Neck On A Stick.

Nothing to do but try it, I suppose.

If I'm not mistaken, the Dean takes regular BG strings?
In that case that should be a pretty inexpensive experiment!
Just give the strings to a friend or use them on your BG if they don't work on the Dean.

I don't know what strings Dean put on that thing at the factory, but they are terrible. I imagine that decent strings will make a big difference in tone.

If the tapewounds don't work, I'll probably get some LaBella Deep Talking Flats for it. I love those things on my electric basses.

I don't know what strings Dean put on that thing at the factory, but they are terrible. I imagine that decent strings will make a big difference in tone.

If the tapewounds don't work, I'll probably get some LaBella Deep Talking Flats for it. I love those things on my electric basses.


The tapewounds ARE Deep Talkin' Flats. And, the LaBella tapes are pretty cheap if you get them through Carvin. Just order a couple of cleaning cloths, or some (gasp) pics since the lowest shipping rate is pretty ridiculous. :D I'd send you the ones I tried in the Bongo, but as they are cut for the Bongo, I don't think they'd fit the Pace.

A guy from Dean recommended the La Bella 760Ns. I chose to use the Rotosound 88s instead and they sound very jazzy. Both are tapewound.

Hey all - I'm really close to making the plunge. Few questions:

1. The Rotosounds you speak of here, are they nylon? Could you give me a link to the place you ordered them from and/or tell me the exact guages?

2. Is the bass noisy at all? Someone here is trying to sell one, but when I searched other posts by the guy I saw he complained about an electronic buzz that didn't sound too good. He should delete that thread if he really wants to sell it. :)

3. Is it super difficult to set up oneself??? I'm pretty good at setting up my electric basses, but know nothing about these things. Am I going to have to search out a pro, or is it fairly intuitive?

4. Will I never have GAS again if get this.

Thanks

It should be easy to set up- they have a normal bridge, a Fishman PowerBridge, to be exact, and with a good set of TI flats, you should be OK. I would think having nylons on would not give you a bridge ground, hence hum.

I would think having nylons on would not give you a bridge ground, hence hum.

The guy with the hum didn't say he had nylon strings on it. I just looked up the only rotosound strings I could find that had the number 88 in them and they said they were nylon. Wanted dar512 to be a little more specific about the strings he said made it sound great. The hum/buzz question still remains. Is the bass noisy at all? Thanks for the other info.

I don't actually own one, but a friend of mine does, and he loves it. He has D'Addario Chromes on it now.

I just received one as a gift. I like it and lhad ittle problem adapting to it, but I am thinking that I would rather it in a BEAD tuning. Anyone try this?

Just ordered mine. I emailed Dean about the noise thing and they assured me there would be no problem. If there is I'll simply send it back. I should be getting it Wednesday. Same day my Bongo 5 is due to return from it's hospital visit - it ironically had a buzzing problem. :)

Now the string thing. Even if I don't hate the strings it comes with I will hate the strings it comes with because I'm impressionable and the brainwashing has been done. That's not entirely true, but I'm expecting the worst.

Can ya'll chime in on links to the least expensive strings that are going to give me the closest to upright tones that I can get with this thing? I understand it's not going to sound like a DB, but I need as nice and warm and thuddy sound I can get. I'll be using it for this gig - there's lots of downloadable vids and mp3s for anyone interested in lending a hand - and checking out an incredibly talented woman...

www.michenescene.com (http://www.michenescene.com)

thanks ya'll!

Can ya'll chime in on links to the least expensive strings that are going to give me the closest to upright tones that I can get with this thing? I understand it's not going to sound like a DB, but I need as nice and warm and thuddy sound I can get.
I'd get black nylon tapewounds.
There are several brands; Fender, Carvin, LaBella, RotoSounds, etc.
Although maybe the most expensive, I think the Rotos are the best.
Carvin's are actually made by LaBella. So they are the same string, and their tone is clearer than the Rotos, for what it's worth.
Don't forget that buying cheap is more often than not the worst investment!
My $0.02!

At juststrings.com the rotos are about half the price of the labellas.

Don't forget that the piezos will allow string choices other than metal...nylon core, anyone? :D

I played a Dean Pace at the local music shop last week and really liked it. I play BG, but am itching for an upright tone. But with 6 people in my band (two drum kits, 5 keyboards and two guitarists with enormous pedal boards) there isn't much room on stage for a real DB. It's also mounted to the tripod stand so I won't have to switch basses between songs, just slide the BG onto my back and play the EUB. I was looking to buy a used Ergo and was skeptical about the Dean. But it sounded MUCH better than what I was expecting.

For us bass guitarists trying to make the switch to DB, it's much easier to learn. It's an upright fretless BG, so it's much easier to play because we're used to the feel of it. Whereas a DB took me a long time to get used to the longer scale.

I'm ordering one next week.

I hope the DB guys don't bash me now because I don't have the cash or trunk room for a DB. :D

I have a couple of acoustic DB´s, a 3/4 scale EUB (two, actually, although one is up for renovation any year now) but I still use my 34" scale EUB for 95% of my gigs (the rest is EBG). Haven´t been bashed by any of the guys in the band, nor by fellow bassists, so far. Most look at my little bass and think it looks cool and played right it sounds good enough. Some have rented it when logistics stopped them from bringing the big bass. Sure, you gonna meet the "this is not a real bass" argument sooner or later. But just like a Strat is not a Fleta or a Rhodes is not a Bosendorfer, an EUB is not a DB. It´s all a matter of function. And I´d rather hear a good EUB player than a bad DB player in a band.

In the immortal words of Jimme Lunceford: "´t ain´t what you do, it´s the way that you do it!" (Which, BTW, is a great swing tune with a strong bassline played by Mose Allen, one of the first EUB players!)

Mikael

Does the Dean Pace neck contain a trussrod for neck adjusting? Or is it just a piece of maple with a rosewood fingerboard?

Just got it about a half an hour ago and have to leave for a rehearsal, so I'm just giving my very first impressions. I'm not totally thrilled... we'll see though, it may grow on me and I really need something like this for one particular gig I have.

1st off it's alot bigger and heavier than I expected, but that's OK. What's NOT OK is that the stand seems kind of lame and I can't adjust to a height that I'm really comfortable with. The stem that attaches to the bass looks as though it should slide all the way into the bass, but only goes in about a an inch or two. Not sure what that's all about. It would have been nice too if they included a tool and some instructions as it took me a few minutes to figure out that I was going to have to grab a pliers to get it anywhere near a height that was playable.

The strings as everyone has said in previous reviews are absolute crap. That's no biggie.

What I DO like about it is that is sounds a 'little' double bassy. Everyone who's reviewed it says it's simply an upright EB and I disagree. The neck is a whole lot thicker and feel again a 'little' DBish. I think it's a nice cross btwn the 2, and just enough in the EB direction to make me happy.

There's a chance this might go back - I don't know. I'm going to give it all day tomorrow and see what Musicians Friend's return policy is.

I'm also kind of upset that this prticular bass has clearly been returned by someone else. The paint is scratched pretty significantly on the underside where the bass mounts, but not enough for me to deal with the whole sending back and waiting again should I keep it. That's a Musician's Friend thing - and this ain't the 1st time that's happened. I may be done with those guys.

Anyone notice I'm not all that happy right now??? I'll definitely give write more later. Later.

Mine's gone so I don't have it here for reference, but the stand: if you use a drum key, you should be able to adjust the height to where you want it.

I don't know what's going on with the scratches, but I can say this - the first one I got from MF looked like the entire employee pool at Dean ate fried chicken and then purposefully set about touching the bass everywhere possible.

Seriously - inside the little slots where the axles are for the tuners? There were fingerprints IN THERE. I couldn't even get my fingers in there.

And then it crapped out - poot poot poot, and then the preamp died.

The replacement was a much better instrument and not half as dirty.

All in all, it was a fun experiment while it lasted and now it's been replaced by the Fish, which I will surely play more (and with more dexterity).

Hope it works for you, amigo.

Started my very own Pace review thread - I guess I just shouldda posted it here. Anyhow... here's the start of a new thread:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186752

Got back home to spend some time with it. Got over the initial freaking out. Looked at the scratches again and came to the conclusion that it was most likely done in the factory - the bass shows no other wear whatsoever. Again, it's on the underside of the bass where it connects to the post, so it's impossible to see and it ain't all that bad anyhow.

I fiddled with the stand and realized they make it so it pretty much adjusts to the size of a DB - DUH! The neck is the same exact height as the DB I have next to my bed that I can't play. Got the whole stand thing together and adjusted to where I'm comfortable. Played for about 45 minutes and it's growing on me.

It's a lot easier to play than my Mike Kelly acoustic fretless I think because my Mike Kelly is 32" scale and no matter how much I play it, it's hard to stay intonated. This thing is coming a lot more naturally - I don't have to glue my eyes to the neck. It has a lot more mmwwah than any fretless I've ever owned and while I know mmwwwah isn't too much associated with a DB, I still think the Pace sounds a lot closer to a DB than a typical electric bass. I starting to really dig the fat neck too.

I shall invest in strings as everyone else has done - probably the biggest fattest nylon ones i can find, and I'll keep on playin it. I'm feeling more like it's gonna be a keeper after getting over my initial shock.

More to come I'm sure.

So you would highly advise against getting this?

I figgered I'd continue my review on this post since it's got more responses then the one I started, linked above.

After only 3 days I braved it and took it to a gig. Used it for 2 songs in each of 3 sets (it was a cover gig). Used the emaciated strings it comes with. Twas an experience for sure. 1st - it raised a good handful of eyebrows and fer some reason made a lot of peoploe smile. The audience seemed to get a huge kick out of it, perhaps because they noticed I was getting a huge kick out of it. While the bass limits you to standing and playing in one spot on stage, it totally freed my body up to really get into the music. I never performed any music on stage before where my body was completely free. I dug it.

It's easy to transport, and after figuring out the stand, sets up quickly. I could probably get it all ready to go in 60 seconds if I were in a race with someone. Maybe 67.

The sound. People here have said it sounds just like an electric, but I have to disagree. Lots of mwah, I kinda have to be careful to NOT mwwahh it, it's barky, has lots of midrange that I like, and has a tiny little bit of the DB thump. I had to kick in the bass boost on my amp, but left the settings otherwise the same as for my Bongo.

I changed the strings yesterday to the recommended Rotosound 88s and played it for a while in the house. Sounds thumpier for sure - it didn't quite add as much fullness as I thought it would, took some of the unecessary bite away - my jury is actually still out on the new strings. They feel cool and they will probably be best for the gig I initially bought the bass for, but if I use it with The Nerve! as I plan (but hadn't planned) - I may want to go back to steel strings. Gotta check out the nylon at a gig before I know for sure.

I'm feeling brain dead from not enough sleep so I hope the above is all coherent. Ever feel hung over even though you didn't drink a thing??? 2 diet cokes last night - can't even blame it on the sugar. Hmmm.

I recently picked up a Dean pace (natural finish) EUB. Do any of you have any suggestions on strings for this bass. The bass is 35" scale. The stock strings sound very dead and I'm looking for ideas. Do you recommend flats or roundwound? Any help would be great.....Gene.

I've never played a Dean Pace, however as a rule of thumb I'd reccomend flatwounds on a fretless bass. Roundwounds tend to put groves into fingerboards faster.
John

Half rounds maybe? D´Addario still make them, I think.

Thomastiks flatwound Jazz Bass strings have a bright sound for flats, as does Pyramid Gold, however they are hard to find in the US, I think (it´s hard enough in Europe...)

Mikael

I'd second MJ's Thomastik recommendation, and the flats are available in extra long scale. Their sustain is much better than your average flatwound string.

However, if you're seeking a double bass sound, IMHO the Fender nylon wrapped strings have a more URB-like character than many- of course, it depends on the type of URB you're trying to emulate. ;) I have a set on an old Hohner fretless electric and using URB pizz techniques, plus dampening them by hand or sticking a light piece of foam under the strings next to the bridge, it can fool the casual observer. Labella also makes similar strings, but I found the Fenders ever so slightly better in this regard, though I'm sure they vary.

It all depends on what you're trying to achieve.

I have a set of good old black nylon Rotosound flats on my 34" scale EUB, for that almost gutlike "oomph"! But then, I have flats on my bass guitars, too...

Thank you all for your thoughts on this issue. I've been an electric player for 39 years, and these EUB's look like alot of fun. I picked this bass up in a trade and it really needs new strings. Your ideas will help me make a decision.....Gene.

Can anyone provide a sound clip of the Dean Pace? I understand they don't sound quite like a real upright bass?

I agree with those above. I play URB (1905 Juzek FB), an NS CR4 EUB and have 17 fretlesses from '68 J to 36" Fodera
Imp 5.

I have switched on about half of my fretlesses (except the piccolos) to La Bella Black Nylon & I can pop harmonics close to Roto Rounds.

I have them on a Bebesee 5, Imp 5 36", etc.

Good growl in low positions too.

my .02

:bump:

...sound clip of the Dean Pace?

Can anyone provide a sound clip of the Dean Pace? I understand they don't sound quite like a real upright bass?

IMHO they don't sound anything like an upright and 35 inch scale isn't going to help matters.. Your best bet is the Thomastik flats and JACK UP THE ACTION if possible.

where did you find the pace in natural? i can only usually find it in red, black or blue. i've seen pics of the natural, but no one seems to have it.

i am definately 'gassing' for the Pace. i already have a set of roto77s waiting. for strings on the Pace, i suggest the roosound 77el montel stainless flatwound (extra long)

i played one the other day. a little tubby, it's not awesome, but for the price, it'll work. i with you could do arco on it :( and it had an active EQ. it'll do for acoustic shows, farting around, doing police songs.

what does everyone else think about the PACE? i do want one, to me into or out of it.

has anyone tried thomastik acousticores on a Dean Pace?

im thinking it might be a nice combination and getting more and more tempted to try

cheers
Lucy

I came to this thread because I'm curious about what others recommend for getting closer to a real upright sound on a PACE. The strings on the one I have are OK but they seem just a little light. I don't know the brand or type except they are steel and flatwound. I was wondering what might produce a fatter sound. (I'm also curious about whether anyone has run a PACE through one of those bass emulators but that's for a different thread.)

I found my used blonde/natural PACE at Portland Music Company http://www.portlandmusiccompany.com/ here in Portland OR. It was the only one in the store I went to but I thought they mentioned having another one at one of their other stores. I don't know what color though.

I'm a complete novice on bass. (I play a little keyboard and have a couple bass guitar playing friends) I've just been curious about learning.

I walked in the store and fooled around with PACE because it looked interesting and got hooked. The neck feels great, I liked the sound, and it's ultra portable. I've never played anything fretless but I find I can already pick out a simple bass line or two. It's fine for me as beginner. Note: It can't be bowed. The strings lie flat. It is kinda like an upright fretless bass guitar.

Hi, and welcome aboard!
Did you read this thread?:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=175074

I'm not familiar with this EUB.
It has a short scale, like a BG?

I have Fender 9120s Nylon Tape wounds right now on my Pace and they sound awesome. Not to mention with the natural finish they look great too. You will need to do some silk unwinding (about 1/4 inch) on the tuner ends. Seem to be for 34" scale, vs. thes Pace's 35" scale. Don't forget to adjust the slots on the nut if your replacing the OEM strings with wider/larger strings.

I finally found my natural Pace in upstate NY. Love the natural curly maple veneer top. Sorry to see Dean stop making it in the natural with the curly maple veneer top. Talked to dean about that... seems as though the mfg facilities were having trouble getting blemish free quality wood of that length.

:cool:
Played one with flats. It sounds nothing like a DB.
It's a fretless played like an upright.
Very uncomptable with right hand.
Get a fretless bass.
Or a real upright bass.

Does it come close to an upright sound? Or is it just an abbreviated fretless?

It can approximate the upright sound quite well. A local Guitar Center had one and it sounded nice.

Fretless Electric Bass Guitar on a stick.

Fretless Electric Bass Guitar on a stick.

Yup. I had one for a while. It's a great idea......but that's sort of where it ended for me.

Okay thanks. My GAS just farted out.

my wife bought one for my birthday last year ... :D

it has a fairly cheap preamp , so-so electronics and decent build quality .
mine had the set screw for the "D" string missing when i took
it out of the box ... i did find it later , at the bottom of the case .

it plays nice and smooth , but it dosen't sound like an upright ...
you've gotta change strings right away , as it comes set up with round wounds .
and i guess with enough EQ'ing , you might get close enough for the
casual listener .
i've had some sucess with mine , at least everyone who's heard it tells me
it sounds great ...

it's a lot of fun to play and not bad price { she paid $400.00 }.

as always , jmo , ...
peace .

I got one of these on Friday. Great fun.

First of all, as opposed to some of the posts above and elsewhere here, it:

1. Arrived with a case, a very nice one actually.

2. It came with Flatwounds, although they were a little dead. I am going to order a set of dadaddario super-long chromes, the longs were too short. (I'm not into picking silk windings off)

3. It came with two tools to work on the hardware, same tool, just two copies of it!

You can bow this on the e and g strings if you want. You would have to really mess with the bridge to do the other strings.

I have been loving it. Very nice EUB sound. I can pretend I am Eberhard Weber! I was surprised at how easy it was to adapt to the vertical position as opposed to horizontal.

So I even went and bought the Simandl book this weekend. My one finger per fret technique is going to need some adjustments down low, but so far no problems (not on this instruments 35 inch scale). Now I am starting to look at getting the real deal, or at least an EUB with a 40"+ scale.

For about $100 more you can get an Ergo electric upright that is 43" scale, with a radiused fretboard that feels like an upright, and can be bowed. It will play like an upright and sound much more like an upright than a Dean Pace.

www.ergoinstruments.com

For about $100 more you can get an Ergo electric upright that is 43" scale, with a radiused fretboard that feels like an upright, and can be bowed. It will play like an upright and sound much more like an upright than a Dean Pace.

www.ergoinstruments.com

heh heh..., I was just about to post the same info. I'm getting ready to order a 6 string Ergo very shortly. :)

My next step will be a NS or Clevinger. This is fine for now. The bowing for me is just a novelty.

heh heh..., I was just about to post the same info. I'm getting ready to order a 6 string Ergo very shortly. :)

I have a 4 string Ergo. I really like it.

My next step will be a NS or Clevinger. This is fine for now. The bowing for me is just a novelty.


I don't really bow on my Ergo, but I like the fact that it feels like an URB. And it doesn't sound like a fretless electric. The longer scale is really necessary to get a convincing upright sound, IMO.

The Dean Pace Bass wasn't really designed for upright guys. There are enough electrics for upright players out there already. It was actually designed as an upright for electric players. The larger fretboard radius, side dots and scale length were all done with electric bass players in mind. The idea was to open the door to electric guys and ease up on the learning curve.

I’m looking for suggestions on which strings to use on a Dean Pace. I know the Pace isn’t everyone’s favorite, so go easy on me. The style of music it'll be used for is primarily Jump Blues so I’m looking to emulate that short thump gut-like tone.

I just found this thread...

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213910&highlight=pace

Looks like good choices might be

- Fender black nylon tapewound
- Rotosound Tru Bass 88 black nylon flatwound

Daddario superlong chrome flats is what I use

Just picked one up at a local pawn shop for $450.00. Had factory strings on (E was totaly dead) and replaced with
D'Addario Chromes. Sounds nice at low volume but when cranked up it has a ground hum when the strings are touched.
This is my first EUB and am well pleased ('cept for the hum).

Hi,all.

I just picked up a used Dean Pace EUB and am experiencing some ground hum on mid to high volume when touching the strings...Any thoughts?

Just picked one up at a local pawn shop for $450.00. Had factory strings on (E was totaly dead) and replaced with
D'Addario Chromes. Sounds nice at low volume but when cranked up it has a ground hum when the strings are touched.
This is my first EUB and am well pleased ('cept for the hum).

The hum is not supposed to be there. There are a few faulty basses out there. When I was researching mine before buying it, I remember emailing Dean in regards to it (I read a review or 2 from people who had ones that hummed) and they assured me the bass wouldn't hum. I would check in with them as I believe it's a simple wiring thing that's easily fixed.

I like my basses dead silent, and my Pace is.

Have you tried running a wire from a known ground source to a metal object on the bass to see if the issue is still apparent? I have a wire running from the ground screw on my wall outlet to my mixer because of a ground problem.

Don't know if ya caught my post in the other thread about it - but the hum ain't supposed to be there. Mine is dead silent, there were a few PACE basses though that there were some problems with. I'd contact DEAN.

Don't know if ya caught my post in the other thread about it - but the hum ain't supposed to be there. Mine is dead silent, there were a few PACE basses though that there were some problems with. I'd contact DEAN.

I was just about to link to your post.

I'm sure its a simple fix for Pace.. if you know someone who knows electronics I'm sure they could find the problem just by looking at the guts.

Good luck with it.

Thanks for the info. I found the problem. It was, I think, caused by a metal mis-match. I had only changed out the "E" string and while waiting for a reply changed out the A,D & G strings also. Ground hum disappeared. Any thoughts on this??

Copycat

I just picked up one at a local pawn shop. Had a dead "E" string. Replaced just that one and ended up with the problem you're describing. Changed the A,D and G and the hum went away. I used D'Addarieo XL Chromes, flatwound.

Well, I certainly hope he solved the problem sometime in the last two years! :D

Hello Guys.

I can speak on both of these issues. I've played both and I own one of them.

Dean Pace EUB...
I had Long and McQuades bring in a Dean Pace for me to try out when I was looking for an EUB to add to my collection.

Frankly, for almost $900 CA, I was very unimpressed with the tone, volume, playablity of the Dean Pace.

First off, it has all the design, hardware and scale length of a standard 34" plank bass stuck on a drum stand. The only nod to an UB is the thickness of the neck (top to back). Yes there is an arch to the neck but I do not think you could bow the Pace properly.

My over all impression was that it sounded like a rather mediocre, underpowered, frettless, with a baseball bat for a neck. Not worth the cost, IMHO.

The Ergo EUB...
I purchased an Ergo based on the look (I was planning on building one in a simular design, if I built one), written reviews and first hand emails from current owners. In other words, I took a well considered flyer on it. At about $900.00 CA, I figured at the very least I could learn some UB technique and sell it for an acoustic UB later.

First off, the neck feels like a 3/4 DB neck, I was told it was based on an Englehart neck. Now that I have some chops on the UB neck, I can flip back and forth from the Ergo to my buddy's 3/4 accoustic UB and play it comfortably. The lay out and arch is very simular and I'm working on my arco technique on it. My buddy has taken my Ergo for a ride every time I bring it over and with a few tweeks I've made, he's said he'd be happy playing it now.

Sound is pretty good out of the box. I did just finish upgrading the piezo's with K&K Sound pickups.

Plucking is very close to an acoustic bass, but with a little more of the higher frequency string and mechanical noises, not enough to be annoying but noticible (it is a piezo pickup after all).

Arco, is very close to an upright, with it missing just a little of the body echo sound on the lower strings. The upper strings are dead on to my uneducated ear.

I purchased a 5 string with the lower B. I have a 6 string slab and I wouldn't give up that B string without a fight now. However, if I was going to buy an EUB I'd stick with either a four string or opt for the high C 5 string. I think you need magnetic pickups to really rumble that B. I also had to drop the B a bit on the bridge to get bite on the E string when bowing, I attribute this to a picky owner and normal setup tweeks.

I'm sure that there are other EUB that sound closer and feel better, but for me at the price, I don't think I could get something at was closer suited to my requirements.

BTW, I own and play...

Self built 4 string EB (25 years old now)
Tacoma 4 string Thunderchief AEB, modded with K&K's
Brice 6 string EB (Korean cheapo, but great value)
Ergo 5 string EUB


Mark Collis
mcollis@ontherun.REMOVE.CA

I had to get an EUB cuz im in mexico right now and I looked at this one, but its obviously not out from everythign i hear I'm a classically trained bassist and jazz enthusiast so i was looking for an EUB that would feel like a real upright. I ended up getting the Palantino VE500 cuz it was the only thing in my price range and its ok pizz and the arco could be worse but the fingerboard and bridge arent too bad. Though think the bridge seems kind of slim and flimsy, but it definitely wouldnt be a bad bass to start the change from electric to upright.

Besides not looking right. Are these EUB's any good for rockabilly bass? I mean slapping and other percusive playing.

If anybody else here who owns a Dean Pace could help me it would be greatly appreciated.

I recently picked up a Dean Pace 4, and (like the general opinions that I've read) the stock flats on there were pretty horrible. I bought a set of D'Addario Chromes, and set off on replacing them.

Here's where I ran into problems...

As you may know, the way the tuning pegs are situated (facing in to the center of the headstock) I'm finding it nearly impossible to get the end of the string in the hole in the middle of the peg. I tried bending the string at a 90 degree angle & poking it in, as well as using the 'classical guitar' method (looping the string), but the string kept slipping of both the peg AND the bridge saddles (too much slack, I'm guessing).

Now the bass came with the strings nicely wound (as you'd find on a bass guitar), so there has to be a way to get this right, correct?

BTW - I e-mailed Dean a few weeks ago & have yet to hear back from them...

Please - somebody :help: !!!

Thanks in advance,
Chris

I play electric fretted bass and would like to get something a little different to work in a couple songs during my gig. Right now I dont want to spend a lot and I am considering the Dean Pace or the Palatino ve-500. I think these are like the bottom on this type of bass. Thanks for any comments or advice. I will also do some searches.

Dean Pace is not a real upright, just a BG turned up. Lame.

I assume then the Pace would be easier to plsy because being the same scale as a standard electric bass. Does the Pace and the VE-500 have similar sounds. Thanks

It is easier to play because it IS a standard electric bass, and sounds like one.

So I guess the palatino sounds more I guess what it is an electric upright.

The Palatino is an okay entry level instrument at a good price, but as such, it has flaws. There are loads of threads about the Palatino on here, so do some searching around. I had one, but eventually sold it because of these flaws and the extra money I was spending correcting them. I bought mine new at the time for £650 approx, probably an additional £250 modifying it to be 'better'. I could of bought a really good second hand EUB or even a new WAV4 for that money. A lesson well learned, if frustrating. Palatino's now retail on eBay new for £399. There is even a company in Germany selling them under a different name at £333! But as the saying so often goes here on TB, you get what you pay for. The Dean Pace I think isn't very good quality for the money, it feels cheap. Others may beg to differ. The concept is great, but really is nothing more than a fretless bass turned vertical. You'd be as well getting a fretless, buying a stand that allows you to hold it vertically, and playing that instead. My advice would be to maybe look at a WAV4 or Ergo, try out playing an EUB, and if you don't like it, you'll still have good second hand retail value if you decide to sell. The Palatino and Dean will not hold value IMHO.

I have a Dean Pace bass but it's a 5 and I know the tuners are different on the 5 so I may not be much help.

You might try cutting off the string about 2.5" past the tuner, doubling over about 1/4" of the string and then bending the doubled part 90 degrees before inserting it into the hole in the tuner. Put enough tension on the string with your hand to control the direction of the feed and see if that works.
I have D'Addario Chromes on my 5 and have been very happy with the sound.

I do too. If I had been here earlier, I could have told him to check the bridge ground. Sometimes you can make the hum on these things go away simply by tightening down the bridge screws so that the ground wire is more firmly pinched between the bridge and the body.

Just got a Dean Pace to use sparingly on trip hop/acid jazz stuff. I'm an electric bassist (fretless and fretted), so I wanted something to play pizzicato and didn't worry about not being able to bow it.

Hopefully you are not worried about being able to play in tune either.
You may as well just play your BG, the differences are only visual.

Who dug this one up?

WHY did anyone dig this one up?

My Dean Pace has no buzzing.

I actually have a Dean Pace 5 and a few different fretless basses. True, the Pace doesn't really sound much like an upright but I must say that it's a lot more convenient to haul to gigs than my doghouse. The Pace really doesn't sound like any of my fretless basses either. I have a some custom stuff that's J and MM based. The Pace really has a voice of its own and it either works or doesn't work for your particular situation.
It's pretty solidly built and the stand makes perfect sense if you set it up right (no pun). There's very little to it so there isn't much to go wrong. If there is a weak spot, it's the electronics. I replaced mine with the Graphtech Ghost system and it made a huge improvement in both sound and reliability. I heard that Dean's solution to the electronic problems was to eliminate the preamp this year. That means that it's now just a piezo bridge going through a volume control to a jack. I hope they lower the price enough to make adding an outboard buffer preamp feasable.

Has the Dean Pace always had a 6" radius neck? I played a Pace last year at a trade show in Birmingham, and I'm pretty certain the neck was flat like a fretless bass. Am I remembering this wrong? If so, how much better is the new neck radius? (And yes, I know some people don't consider it to be a proper EUB before people go on about it!)

No, the new ones w/ the piezo are 6", the originals w/ mag p/u were virtualy flat. It's like playing a 2x4 with strings. Any kind of radius is going to be more like a URB. Which is good, for arco and just for the feel...and with the right strings, it can sound killer.

Just thinking, would a Dean Pace benefit from a preamp? I'm using the newer model with piezo bridge system. The LR Baggs Para looks very interesting. Any thoughts anyone?

The Dean has a built in preamp. I don't know what you'd get by adding another one into the mix.

Wow - I hadn't checked my posting for the longest time since nobody initially responded. :hmm:

Thanks, Mick - I'll give it a shot!

After reading a previous thread re: a similar problem, I did as was suggested and changed the strings-Hey Presto...No more Hum. :hyper: What the Heck is going on, can anybody explain to me what was wrong with the old strings?

Just got a new Dean Pace 4 string to play in a traditional Hawaiian band. I'm used to playing a DB with high action, seems to suit Hawaiian music the best.

I changed the strings to the Labella 760N's as many have suggested but I'm still getting a buzz on my A and G string when place my fingers on certain the "fretboard." This is especially true when I hold down my C note on the A string and the Bb note on the G. Is my action too low? How do you adjust for this? Mahalo :bassist:

Your fingerboard needs to be dressed by a qualified luthier to remove the bumps.
Afterwards you'll be able to lower the action and it'll be easier to play!

Hi Fly Bass.... I was interested to read about your involvement with the design of the Dean Pace. Can you let me know the details re: the electronics upgrade? I currently own a Pace. My e-mail is:-anamhilario@hotmail.com.
Cheers Luis-Portugal

FlyBass didn't come back on TalkBass since december 2006, so your best move is to get in touch with Dean Guitars directly:
http://www.deanguitars.com/bnds_v1/pacebass_cb.htm

Good luck.

François
TB mod

Flybass was/is the inimitable Mick Donner, a renowned instrument designer who's worked for Peavey, Parker Guitars, and Dean, and who is now freelancing and playing more than ever. He's the designer of the Pace Bass. He's also a good friend who I know through my connection to the band he played for in the 80's, Barnabas (http://www.leconte.com/barnabas).

I was interested in Pace basses last year for a while, and talked with Mick about him upgrading the electronics. According to him, the stock piezo electronics in the factory Pace are cheap, in order to meet the price point that Dean established for the Pace. The problem is that the electronics do not properly buffer the piezo output, so the sound is much harsher and treble-oriented than the bass is capable of. That's why a lot of players have to fiddle around with lots of string types to get a usable sound, and have to hit the EQ pretty hard.

At one point last year, Mick was offering Pace owners installation of the excellent Ghost electronics from Graph Tech (http://www.graphtech.com/ghost_info.php) for a moderate fee. His original Pace design included the Ghost, but it was too expensive for production. Mick says that Paces with the Ghost sound much, much better and capture more of the EUB vibe.

He may still be doing the upgrades. I'll check with him.

I tested out a Dean Pace at a local music store. I did take lessons for 3 months on a rented Upright Acoustic and decided I loved the tone and sound, but did not have the time commitment to really get proficient.

The guy plugged it into an Ashdown Electric Blue combo and I got fooling around on it. I noticed the lack of much curvature to the fretboard and had to think how to get into thumb position on higher octaves, but it requires more electric techique than upright.

I dug the tone into the little combo amp. I have an Acoustic Elecrtic Bass Guitar, but never play gigs or rehearse with it due to feedback issues. For loud amplication puposes, the Dean seems like it is easy on portability, cost, transition.

There was nothing other than volume on the tester which was fine for me. Tweaking the eq, it got good middy and low end bassy tones.

I saw the NS Wav there, but did not have time to play it. I now have gas for the Dean or another EUB.

From a playing, but not detailed inspection, I rate it pretty good.

Visually, the NS had more fret markers, and seemingly better components. Looking around the Palatino might be in the running, but no where to test it out.

Hey guys,

Got my Christmas gift, and it's a Dean Pace EUB. I'm pretty excited.

Anyway, the reason I wanted an EUB is because I played double bass in various orchestras for 7 years or so.

If you know about the Dean then you know I have a problem, I can't play arco (with a bow) because the bridge is flat and the finger board isn't radiused enough.

So my question is, can I modify it so I can play it with a bow, or, worst case scenario, am I going to have to somehow return/sell this and get something else?

I think I can build a bridge that would get the two middle strings where I want them, but are the pickups going to perform properly with that setup?

That then leaves the fingerboard, if I build a bridge that is as minimal as possible just so I can bow the middle strings, how big of an issue is the fingerboard going to be? Having the action too high would be the concern, but if it's only 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch at the bottom I think I can handle that.

Thoughts? Opinions? Ideas? Concerns?

All is appreciated. Thanks.

I'd think that anything less than a fingerboard replacement would be an exercise in frustration for you, since you already know what a proper double bass feels like. I've played the Pace, and other than the fact that it points skyward, it doesn't replicate a DB experience for me in any way. It feels more like my old Steinberger bass, if I mounted it on a broomstick.

I'd probably look at swapping it out for a more DB-like instrument. If you're limiting yourself to EUBs only, the Ergo basses have gotten a lot of positive buzz here. Not too expensive.

Finally, no EUB... not even the most expensive one, is a double bass. Oranges and apples.

I had this problem - hum when touching the strings. In my case (and I suspect yours) the problem was a loose earth (ground). I took off the bridge and repositioned the ground wire so it was making good solid contact with the bridge and it fixed the problem.

I suspect that what happens is when you change the strings, the load on the bridge being released and then taken up again helps the ground wire re-make contact and the hum disappears for a while.

Phatbass

Hey, I'm new on here. had a question on a Dean Pace. I'm mainly an electric player. But I bought a Dean Pace about 2 years ago used. I know the strings on it aren't stock but don't know what they are. But they need to be changed. I know I'll need flatwounds. Anyone have any suggestions for a good set of strings? Thanks :help:

What's your budget?
Are you planning to play arco (classical) or jazz pizzicato?

I don't think he's going to be able to play arco on that thing. It is pretty much a vertical fretless bass guitar with a flat fingerboard and 34" scale.

Do you think he can use long scale or extra-long scale BG flatwounds then?

i'm almost certain that is what it is designed for. Unless someone else on here as actually tried it out. maybe someone who was brave and had some spending cash could try some 1/4 scale strings or something of the sort, but even then I'm not sure that would work.

I recommend a drawstring around a burlap sack before throwing it off a bridge. Beyond that, you can cut any double bass strings, just solder or superglue the winding where you cut it first and unwind it after that for the tuning peg.

It was an eBay special, maple neck, passive pickup, with some cosmetic swirls and at $270 I couldn't pass it up. Have been wanting to get an EUB and this appears to be the entry level base.

I've played the Palatino and have admired the Gypsy Azeola but in these hard times I really couldn't get anything like them for this price.

I just can't imagine playing it on the tripod though. Is there an inexpensive way to change this out to an adjustable peg?

It has been modified by Pace so all the guts are out of the battery box so covering it up with a steel rod isn't a problem.

Have read a few posts on where the instrument can be placed, but in general what are the rules of thumb: how high, so you are looking at the nut?; how close to the body, so it lays on your inner left thigh when seated on a stool?; and slightly rotated toward you enough get to the E without arching your wrist, right?

Thanks for any suggestions.

I just can't imagine playing it on the tripod though. Is there an inexpensive way to change this out to an adjustable peg?





I wonder how well that would work. The Pace doesn't really have a body or any extensions attached to simulate the profiles of a DB.... so if it was just standing on an endpin, it may have a tendency to spin around when you play it.

I wonder how well that would work. The Pace doesn't really have a body or any extensions attached to simulate the profiles of a DB.... so if it was just standing on an endpin, it may have a tendency to spin around when you play it.

Maybe you could use one of those 4-prong canes :smug:.

http://www.walking-canes.net/ProductImages/harvycanesmedical/Thumb_33870.jpg

Have read a few posts on where the instrument can be placed, but in general what are the rules of thumb: how high, so you are looking at the nut?; how close to the body, so it lays on your inner left thigh when seated on a stool?; and slightly rotated toward you enough get to the E without arching your wrist, right?
If you've got any doubts over this kind of stuff, go see a teacher. I'm still a newb to URB/EUB myself but every bit of advice I've read suggests this ... then you can be fairly confident you're holding and playing the bass in a way which won't lead to problems.

That said ...

Two rules of thumb to get you started on height ... the nut at eyebrow height is not a bad place to start, then you can see your first finger at the first 'fret' (half-position, I think). The other consideration for height is that you should be able to reach down and pluck the strings just below the end of the fingerboard. You won't always be playing there, but you should be able to reach it.

How close to the body may be something you have to work out for yourself with that bass. The body of a full upright will put you fairly naturally at the right distance, so see if you can figure out something from that.

But that's no substitute for working these things out with a teacher, and getting something that suits you and your bass.

Andy

I wonder how well that would work. The Pace doesn't really have a body or any extensions attached to simulate the profiles of a DB.... so if it was just standing on an endpin, it may have a tendency to spin around when you play it.

I've only seen pictures of a Pace bass, so I don't know if this is possible, but if you managed to get an endpin attached, could you drill into what little bit of 'body' there is and attach some handmade extensions along the lines of the Yamaha Silent bass?

Interesting that this thread should pop up...

I just bought myself a Pace 5. :) My payment clears tomorrow and hopefully the guy I bought it from will ship it immediately. My 4 string collects dust only because all my gigs these days call for a 5. I was starting to use it a bit though when I had gigs I could.

As soon as I get this one going I'm going to put my 4 up for grabs so if anyone is interested please let me know.

Last note - the joining of all these threads makes it look like some of us are crazy. It doesn't always make sense with the double posts and all... just want to make note that I'm not... well... if you read everything.... arite, forget it. I am actually crazy.

:help: Newbie alert - I haven't posted here before!

I've had a Pace for a year or so, coming from a fretless (not upright) background. So I like it - apart from the build quality of the electrics, which is distinctly cheesy. The sound is great, and it's easy yet interestingly different to play. The upright guys are a bit sniffy about it, because they say it's really just a fretless - but they're upright guys, so how would they know! For me, it neither plays nor sounds like a fretless.

But I'm surprised to find so many folks here saying that they like the case. As soon as I got confident enough to play the Pace at gigs, and throwing it in the back of the car a couple of times a week, the very lightweight polystyrene dividers in the case just fell to bits under the weight of the instrument - completely hopeless design. The outside nylon bit is fine, but it needs something more robust protecting the instrument inside.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had that problem, and maybe come up with a solution? I'm thinking of buying a second case as a temporary stopgap (cheapest I can find is 60 pounds, just over US$100), and "repairing" the innards of the original case with something stronger - perhaps some plywood covered in some kind of foam.

But I'm a beginner at flightcasing - any advice out there? Or can anyone in the UK knock up a sensible hard or hard-ish case for a decent price?

The case on my 4 string fell apart also after a handful of gigs, but I sold it and bought a 5 string so now I have a new case. :) At the time I purchased the first one I remember seeing hard shell cases that were available for them. You might want to do a search and see if you can find one of those.

Hey everyone,

I started playing upright bass a few months ago. Im renting an acoustic upright bass, but im thinking I might save up and buy this...having not played it yet I was wondering if any of you have and what your opinions are,of course ill play it before I buy it but I just would like some feedback.

Thanks!

I played it briefly. If you want a bass guitar on a stick, this is your bass. It bears absolutely no resemblance or kinship to the double bass, or even a more conventional EUB for that matter, other than the fact that it points at the sky.

That's what I've heard about the Dean, that it doesn't sound much like an upright at all. I'm not an upright player, but I'd imagine that it has quite a bit to do with the fact that it's a 35" scale, instead of the full upright scale length.

I doesn't sound like an upright, it sounds like a mid-level fretless bass guitar, which is what it is after all. The fingerboard's not radiused either, so no arco.

There's a big megathread about it here, but I would not recommend it to anyone who is already playing a real double bass.

Mick Donner, who designed the Pace Bass while working for Dean Guitars, is very frank that one of the corners that Dean Guitars cut on the Pace was to put a cheaper set of electronics in the original active version.

Mick designed the bass around the Graphtech Ghost pickup/electronics system. I don't remember if Dean went for cheaper piezo pickups as well as cheaper electronics; it seems to me that Mick said both were replaced to hit the lower price points that Dean desired.

Later on, the cheap electronics started failing and Dean got tired of replacing parts, so the cheap active electronics were taken out completely and the Pace Bass became, and still is, a passive piezo system.

Mick also has told me that the Pace Bass with the complete Graphtech system has much more of a real EUB sound that borders on close to upright.

The upgrade can be done by any good guitar technician. Mick was considering doing the upgrades on a custom order basis. I have not talked with him in a while, so I don't know if he would still do these. I suspect he would, now that he is no longer working for Dean.

Mick was visiting Talkbass here and there at one time, but I don't know if he's here these days. I'll shoot him an email and ask him to opine.

I'm sure this has been posted somewhere in this thread, but I missed it. I owned my 4 string for a few years and never knew it had tone controls. :rollno: When I bought the bass it came with no owners manuals and I accepted it as it was - and loved the sound. Lots of mwah, not all that DB like. When I bought the 5 it sounded waaay different and had a much thumpier upright sound. It also had 2 holes in the back plate for the tone controls. I took the plate off the 4 and lo and behold.

Anyhow, I may be the only idiot here that didn't know these things had tone controls, but just in case I'm not I figured I'd post this. The older ones don't have holes in the screw on plate in the back for access. You have to remove the plate to adjust it. I'm assuming my 5 string is a newer version. Both DO however have bass and treble controls. With the EQ rolled down bass gets lots of mwah, with the EQs up it gets thump. Pretty versatile actually.

I just picked up a 5 string pace at a great deal. I am having an issue with hum. At the house the bass is dead quiet played through my zoom B2.1u or amp. But when I go to Church it starts to hum.

It must be picking up something. When I first start playing at Church it is quiet but then starts to hum when light, screens, and other items are plugged in or turned on.

I tried powering down items and it appears it might be the lights. I have switched ground lift and tried moving the bass to other areas of the stage.

Funny thing is that if I do not touch the strings it is quiet. But as my hands get nearer to the strings the buzz starts to get louder. Touching the strings just makes it buzz.

I am an Italian bass. SOS!!!!!!!!!!!
My peace 5 has a problem of distortion.
Mick D. has mounted the Ghost with good results.
Do you have any advice?

"...I actually have a Dean Pace 5 and a few different fretless basses. True, the Pace doesn't really sound much like an upright but I must say that it's a lot more convenient to haul to gigs than my doghouse. The Pace really doesn't sound like any of my fretless basses either. I have a some custom stuff that's J and MM based. The Pace really has a voice of its own and it either works or doesn't work for your particular situation.
It's pretty solidly built and the stand makes perfect sense if you set it up right (no pun). There's very little to it so there isn't much to go wrong. If there is a weak spot, it's the electronics. I replaced mine with the Graphtech Ghost system and it made a huge improvement in both sound and reliability. I heard that Dean's solution to the electronic problems was to eliminate the preamp this year. That means that it's now just a piezo bridge going through a volume control to a jack. I hope they lower the price enough to make adding an outboard buffer preamp feasable.........."

I played one today when EUB shopping, I didn't like it I'm afriad (I bought a Stagg EDB in the end, out of the two it sounded the better!).

It feels too much like a fretless bass held upright, the fretboard is standard bass guitar size and if I'm not mistaken actually uses bass guitar strings instead of double bass strings! The wood for the neck looked more sturdy than the Staggs in its fairness though. You definately can't bow with this either, the bridge is a standard bass guitar one, no arch in it for bowing.

If you're only looking for pizz and are new to double bass I'd recommend, but if you're a double bassisy like myself I wouldn't recommend.