Until the new EUB forum opens, I thought that I'd post this here.

I just spent a month and a half with the Alter Ego (http://www.alter-ego.it/bass.html), and have it at home now. I have much good to say about it.

This story was that the producer of the Three Irish Tenors needed to get around my having my bass on the show because of travel considerations. After dismissing renting basses in different towns, we decided on purchasing an EUB, if I could find one that I thought would work. The gig is predominantly arco.

I tried a the Azola, The Eminence, Gage's Half-a-Bass, etc., and finally arrived at a list of four. The Alter Ego on top, two of the Azolas (one unplayed by me) and, finally, the Eminence. I told him that if he got the Alter Ego that I'd buy it from him, and the other three would be his alone after the tour.

Some details:

The AE has an I-beam type body, with the front attached only at the top and the bottom. This allows the front to move more like a real bass. My thought here is that it would sound even better if they thinned the front out a bit.
The bridge is more like a 5/8 or 1/2 sized bridge, but a real bass bridge. You can place the bridge anywhere you like for you desired string length.
It has two Realist-type pickups, one under each foot of the bridge. These stay on the bridge when the bass is apart, and also has a Schertler. The Schertler is great for arco, but lacks presence and clarity for pizz, and the E-side Realist-ish is harsh (Underwoodish) with the bow, but does well pizz. The G-side Realist-ish is pretty terrible.
The pickups connect to an onboard preamp that allows you to blend the pickups and turn on and off the Schertler. This runs on a 9-volt battery, which requires a screwdriver to open the box to replace it. Luckily I think battery replacements is probably a once-a-year ordeal -- and then just for good measure.
Disassembly takes about 2 minutes, complete disassembly is about 5 minutes. The partial assembly is just a couple of minutes, and complete assembly -- including fussing around with the bridge and strings, is less than ten. It takes an hour so to settle down (tonewise) after complete assembly.
My overall impression was way-favorable. With the bolt-on shoulders and back-piece, you wouldn't notice much that you weren't playing a real bass -- by feel. It balances much like a real bass and the shoulders were adjustable enough that I could make it feel pretty close, in shoulder size, to my bass. Tonewise the sound is as good as you could expect out of a bass through an amp. The Realisty pickups are more direct sounding than the Realist, but this is due to the 'top' of the bass being thick, as I mentioned above. With the bow I found it more resistant than my real bass, but by lightening up with the right hand I found it pretty friendly, ultimately.

With the Walter Woods and the Ampeb PB112, I was able to find numerous combinations of pickup balance options that gave a good pizzicato sound. Including using only one of either pickups. For Arco it works only really well with the balance all the way toward the Schertler or with the Realist-ish disconnected (but you lose some of the presence on the D and G strings this way).

For regular travel, the bass breaks down pretty quickly into a shoulder bag and moves easily. I was able to stow it in an airline-size coat closet on the tour bus. For flying, the neck un-bolts and the whole thing fits into a flight case desiged for golf clubs. The airlines put this under the plane with no extra baggage hassles. My one complaint about the soft case is that it doesn't protect all of the pieces very well from each other, allowing the tuning keys to scratch-up the left shoulder piece. The right shoulder I managed to fit in the soft bag by wrapping it in an old t-shirt and putting between the body and the strings, above the bridge. There is also a soft bag that holds the bass when it's completely broken down, but I don't have mine yet. The soft-bags are pretty low-quality and I expect to have to figure out a better solution at some point.

Things that could be better:

The endpin is not notched.
The bags are cheapos.
The shoulders could stand more adjustment. The shoulders on my 7/8 bass are pretty unfriendly and I could duplicate this well with the AE. For someone with a small, slope-shouldered bass I think that he might have a hard time recreating the feel of his real bass.
The tailpiece provided is a bit long and if you want 41 1/2" or more in string length you'll have to go with a new one.
The bridge tends to get knocked easily when moving the bass around in the soft bag. This could be solved both with a better soft bag, and also by roughing up the finish under the feet of the bridge when you find your spot so that it doesn't move so easily.
Also I'd like to add that I didn't get any chance to fuss with the thing before we hit the road. Therefore I had a few minor issues. One was the string-length problem. I was able to place the bridge so that I had 41 1/2", but as a result the strings were quite low and the floss was touching the bottom plane of the bridge. To exasperate this I installed Spirocore Solos just before I left. Thus I had to tip-toe, particularly with the bow. To get a corresponding timbre to what you get from your real bass, I would recommend going with strings that are one step darker than what you use normally. To get the string length and height that you want you're going to have to replace the bridge if the one provided is too short. Adjusters would be a huge PIA, but the instrument doesn't change much, if at all, with temp/altitude/humidty so an adjustable bridge would be unnecessary anyhow.

Interesting review - thanks for posting it. I took a look a the video clips, and was intrigued by Buster Williams' comments - it's difficult to get an accurate idea of what the sound is really like, especially on small computer speakers. I was interested to hear his comment about the strings he would have preferred. I know from experience that nothing feels like a double-bass when it's being played, but I realise that's not the point - it looks as if the Alter Ego does what it sets out to do, and does it fairly well.

I looked for information about price, but couldn't find any from the site…

Thanks again -
- Wil

The price is about $5,500 now, I believe. It IS remarkably like a real bass when you play it. With your eyes closed you don't notice that much difference.

The sound is damned good. In Buster's clip I see that they're using the G-side Realist-y and have the Schertler on the G side as well. That's not the way that I'd do it, unless I was trying to get that CTI sound.

Sounds like a great bass! I myself-could never aford something that cool. Thank for the EUB thead. It would take my all night to type as much as that! What kinda' amp system do ya choose to use with it?

I have a Walter Woods green light and an Ampeg PB112. I haven't tried it with my Bag End 1x15, but I suspect that this might work even better. On the road I was stuck with an SWR 2x12 combo at one point, which had depressingly little EQ. I still managed to get a decent sound. Another time I had my Woods but used a deep 15" cabinet by Eden, which sounded damned good when I finally found the knob that turned off the tweeter.

Ray: Nice review. I have an Eminence & immediately noticed some preferences on the Alter-Ego after seeing the video. The shoulder & neck block look like they balance way better than the Eminence. Plus the end pin on the Eminence will probably be the first thing to fail. I wonder what strings were on the bass Buster was trying? He commented they sound like electric strings, but still the bass sounded nice.
I flew with my upright for 20 years. Gave in & finally bought the Eminence about 2 years ago. The first thing I did was remove the Realist pickup, cut the wings on the bridge to fit an Underwood & 'viola'. It seemed like the silver bullet for my situation. The Alter-Ego looks way more playable as far as balance. Wish I could try one.

I am new to the bass forum, but a very near & dear friend (& past teacher) Paul Warburton, has been trying to get me involved. I'm one of those 'tunes in 5ths' guys.
I hope I can contribute.

It balances much like a bass. The real fiddle seemed a tad heavy when I got home, but I got past that in pretty short order. The only thing that seemed awkward at first was the transition of the neck as you near the body -- say F on the A string -- but this was over in a day or so of playing, and now I don't notice it at all when switching back and forth.

The most dangerous part of it was, that because it does balance/play/feel enough like a real bass, you fall into old habits. Like letting the body fall against you while reaching behind and to the left -- like when adjusting the amp between tunes. If the shoulder piece doesn't hit you just right, the neck bounces (yes, bounces -- had three or four chances to study this over 5 1/2 weeks) off your right temple. Ouch!

That's funny. I know the feeling. Been reaching for my amp with Eminence in hand. Lost balance & the bass kind of twirled into my lap like a slab.
I emailed Paul this thread, but he probably won't talk to us when he finds out it's EUB's.

You can tune these in 5ths, and they in come in 5-stringers as well.

Imagine a low F string (at a baked-bean luncheon)!

I didn't know they could wrap gut that thick!

I think you'd have to twist the entire sheep (or small child) to get a gut string that thick.

Wow! OK you win. :crying:
On a serious note (low C): Who's making and/or distributing them? I'd really like to see/ hear one.

The bags are cheapos.
The bridge tends to get knocked easily when moving the bass around in the soft bag. This could be solved both with a better soft bag, and also by roughing up the finish under the feet of the bridge when you find your spot so that it doesn't move so easily.


I found the same problem with the soft cases provided with NS EUBs..

But a fellow TB'er - Gard - who works at Bass Central (BG & EUB store) and plays BG and EUB - designed a much better case for the NS EUBs. It is a central core with a lot of protection for the main bass body and then separate pockets for all the bits & pieces!

I bought one of these and it is a lot better from this point of view and I thought it might suit other EUBs, when disassembled - or as he actually designed it and got it made - maybe there is a market/need for Gard to design more EUB cases? :)

Wow! OK you win. :crying:
On a serious note (low C): Who's making and/or distributing them? I'd really like to see/ hear one. Never mind. I found it on the link you listed.

That's funny. I know the feeling. Been reaching for my amp with Eminence in hand. Lost balance & the bass kind of twirled into my lap like a slab.
I emailed Paul this thread, but he probably won't talk to us when he finds out it's EUB's.

I don't wanna talk about no god damn stick basses, but I do wanna welcome my old friend Larry Holloway to TBDB!
I've been telling Larry about our family here. As he said, he's a fifth tuner and won the Red Mitchell Memorial fifth tuning competition up in the northwest a few years ago. He can play too. And Larry, Ray's the cat I told you about on the phone last night who can play.
Larry lived in my neck of the Denver woods for years playing with tenor sax legend Phil Urso. ( have we got some stories for you!!)
Anyway, I don't want to go on more about Larry because it's off topic, and will welcome him in another more appropriate place and time.......Welcome Larry!

The USD/ euro exchange rate is not as favorable now as it once was, which put these basses farther out of reach. Those alter egos look laike fantastic instruments, but they are a serious chunk of cash-- probably the most expensive EUBs made. Does anyone have a used one for sale? Short of that, it's a long shot.

Cats,

I know this thread is pretty old, but it's the right spot on the forum to tell you that I have finally joined the team and have a new AlterEGO Acoustic Figaro 4-string. The thing is totally amazing and has blown my mind every time I have played it in the 2 weeks that I have owned it. I don't have any sound files yet, but I posted a review of the bass - with pix - on my blog. Here it is:
http://mrpcbass.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/my-new-bass/

Thanks,
Rick McLaughlin

Great blog Rick!
And thanks for the comments!

Best,
François

These things do sound great, if the clips on the website are any indication (the Upside Down Octave playing Piazolla!). What's the pricing like at the moment? I see that the Baby Ego is in the 1900--2400 Euro range, but I didn't find exact prices for the other versions.

This is so crazy, I was just looking at different EUB's to try and the Alter Ego one stood out to me. So I came here to post about it and if anyone had tried one...Anyone know where I could get one close to Nebraska?

Cats,

I know this thread is pretty old, but it's the right spot on the forum to tell you that I have finally joined the team and have a new AlterEGO Acoustic Figaro 4-string. The thing is totally amazing and has blown my mind every time I have played it in the 2 weeks that I have owned it. I don't have any sound files yet, but I posted a review of the bass - with pix - on my blog. Here it is:
http://mrpcbass.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/my-new-bass/

Thanks,
Rick McLaughlin
Hi,
How did you acquire your Alter Ego and what was the process like? Thanks for the great blog.

Sound of Alter-Ego baby bass \ www.babyego.com
http://webdisk.ru/transfer/get_file/file.2301/
http://webdisk.ru/transfer/get_file/file.2302/

or:
http://www.mediafire.com/?aj2zmumzqzv
http://www.mediafire.com/?3zwhuwyizdg

very nice samples, and that sounds good !

This eub cost about the same as a Yamaha SLB200. I'm about to get the SLB200, but I'm wondering more and more avout this Babyego...

Beautiful playing.

Hello everyone,

I'm happy to tell you (and I hope I can say this without breaking any rules) that AlterEGO basses are making their way to New York state. I'll be bringing my Acoustic Figaro 4-string (see my blog (http://mrpcbass.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/my-new-bass/), along with a 5-string babyEGO (with Velvet strings) and a 4-string babyEGO (with Spirocore strings), to the New York Bass Emporium on 5/26 at 2pm (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88365777@N00/505217751/). See you there...

Thanks,
Rick McLaughlin

While I was on tour in Boston I had the pleasure of meeting Rick and trying out both of his AlterEgo basses (Figaro & Baby). I play an Eminence EUB on this gig and have owned it now for about 4 years. The AlterEgo Figaro is by far the most DB realistic EUB in everyway. You feel like you are holding a light doublebass. The sound is just like a DB would sound through a great pickup. Bowing sounded great as well as pizz. It was so realistic there was even a wolftone on the 'a' string around 'g' or 'g#'! The Baby model was great as well but a little more electric feeling and sounding but I thought sounded better than my Eminence.

All I can say is it made my Eminence sound like a cigarbox with strings. Seriously, you can't compare the carved spruce floating top of the AlterEgo to that of the plywood Eminence. The AlterEgo is an engineering masterpiece, and it costs like one would from Italy. If you are looking for a bass to travel with and you also play in amplified settings the AlterEgo will achieve the most realistic DB sound out in the market.

Thanks to Rick for meeting at the club - we'll talk soon I'm sure.

Alter Ego Ballade 4-String Tournee (removable neck):

I got my Alter Ego about two months ago and after a thorough tire kicking, it's time to post a review.

First, a bit of background of previous EUBs I've owned would be useful for comparisons sake.

My first EUB and double bass of any kind was a Clevinger. Regrettably, that instrument was very unergonomically designed-- a perfect example for those who say that proper double bass technique cannot or should not be learned on EUB. I gained nothing but sore hands from it and made no progress in my playing. It had major quality issues in addition to the poor design and I ultimately sold it at a deep discount just to be rid of it.

My second EUB was the NS Designs. That instrument was, as reported by many others, a marvel of engineering, quality and craftsmanship. It was incredibly easy to play, transport and avoid being stepped on or doused with beer by wayward audience members (that tripod stand is a great idea). Everyone I gigged with loved it. However, the geometry of the fingerboard and the overall design, while a brilliant instrument in its own right, was substantially different from a double bass. I found myself gigging on it instead of my acoustic for transport/feedback/durability issues, yet when I returned to my neglected acoustic, my technique was regressing. These factors, combined with the fact that it's not the closest available EUB to an acoustic sound and responsiveness-wise, made me look on. It is completely succesful at being what it sets out to be. It's just that it doesn't set out to be as much as possible like an acoustic.

I was inspired to replace the NS when I saw bassist Arild Andersen get down at a concert with his Yamaha SLB-200. It was hands down the best acoustic bass tone I'd heard in person from an EUB. The Yamaha was on a par with the NS in terms of quality. Its portability was equal to the NS and the fingerboard was as well finished (it was pretty damn effortless to play), but had the same structure and balance as an acoustic bass, making practice on it carry over to improvement on the acoustic. The sound was very close to a good acoustic with a pickup and was clearly superior in some live conditions. I outfitted it with a Fishman Full Circle and blended the Fishman and the stock pickup through a Raven Labs 2-channel blender. This improved the sound enourmously. I'd recomment anyone who owns this bass to try a similar setup. Overall, this instrument, when set up in this fashion, was a close second to the Alter Ego for a bit more than half the price. I'd strongly recommend it to anyone wanting an EUB that just can't sell enough plasma to afford the Alter Ego.

In fact, it was the high quality of the Yamaha that made me think that I could actually have an EUB as my only bass without sacrificing all the ineffable mojo that only an acoustic seems capable of proucing. The Yamaha was great, but it didn't pump out the same intense, self perpetuating vibrations and physical responsiveness of an acoustic. It didn't have that quality of an acoustic in which you feel like you're playing a living creature.

On a lark, I revisited the Alter Ego website. I noticed in their info request form that they had a box to check to express interest in returned or demo models. When I inquired if they had any special deals, they responded that the Ballade 4-string pictured on their site was available, so I made the buy.

The sound quality has lived up to what I expected based on the impressive audio clips on their site. I feel totally comfortable saying that this is the best bass I've ever played, acoustic or electric. The craftsmanship is that of a handmade Italian masterpiece. It has all the virtues of my previous EUBs in terms of portability (definitely go for the removable neck option), imperviousness to feedback, quality, etc., but the bottom line is that with my eyes closed it feels, balances and responds just like a master quality acoustic bass. The amplified tone is clearly more articulate and all-around better than my acoustic bass through an amp (Andreas Eastman 305 -- Fishman Full Circle). I've put my acoustic on consignment and am totally content to use this bass as my only instrument. I could ramble on about its many virtues, but seeing as I don't really see any significant downsides to this bass so far, I just have to say it's all good.

One of the most common points of discussion on the EUB section of this discussion board is regarding which EUB has the most acoustic sound, or which strings/amps/whatever to use to get the most acoustic sound. I certainly followed those discussions when shopping for or tweaking my previous EUBs. I think when it comes down to it, anyone who hears the audio clips on the Alter Ego site will hear that this bass is the most acoustic sounding EUB made. It was fairly obvious to me early on, but I had always balked at the price. In the end, my thinking was, I can continue to own my acoustic and by a lesser EUB to gig with, thereby always playing one less than completely satisfying instrument or the other, or I can sell my acoustic and put all my pennies towards this one ideal bass to suit all my purposes. I'm satisfied with my choice.

I can guess at several reasons that we don't seee more of these around. First, the price is higher than nearly all other EUBs. Viewed in comparison to those in cost, it seems like a prohibitively high price. However, viewed in comparison to a top quality acoustic, or as a pros only instrument, it seems more manageable. Also, their previous website was quite poorly designed and provided little useful info beyond the audio and video clips. Their new site gives them a far more professional image and will hopefully increase their sales. I get the impression that these people are artists at heart, not marketers. Hopefully word of mouth and continuing improvment of their marketing will bring them the substantial business they deserve.

I have no endorsement relationship with these people to motivate me to write this review. I recognize that many players are, like I once was, looking for info about the relative merits of the better EUBs and that by steering them towards this bass, I'd be doing them a service. Also, I think the folks at Alter Ego make an outstanding product and provide great customer service and I'd like to give them the credit they deserve.

Thanks for the review, Lin!

My best wishes for Lin Fung to get all advantages that an AlterEgo could provide at.

We hope that you will remain satisfied of it.
Our best regards,

Alter Ego Staff

Hello everyone,
I finally had a chance to get on a plane with my AlterEGO (endorser), and here's what I wrote about the expreience:
http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2008/06/12/europe-ethio-jazz-and-alterego/

I'll be heading to England with the bass in a couple of weeks, in case anyone is planning on being in/lives in London.

Best
Rick McLaughlin

Hello everyone,
Just a quick note to say that a) if you are interested in AlterEGO basses and b) you live in England, I'll be bringing my AlterEGO Acoustic Figaro across the pond later this week. PM me if you are interested in checking it out.

- June 27 - Barbican Theatre, England - SOLD OUT - Ethiopiques (Either/Orchestra, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatqé, Alèmayèhu Eshèté, Gétachèw Mèkurya) (http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=7390)
- June 28 - Glastonbury Festival, England - Ethiopiques (Either/Orchestra, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatqé, Alèmayèhu Eshèté, Gétachèw Mèkurya) (http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/performance.aspx?id=2179#Jazz_World_Stage)

Here's a recent blog post about traveling with this bass: http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2008/06/12/europe-ethio-jazz-and-alterego/

Best,

Rick McLaughlin (AlterEGO endorser)

Hi Rick:

I've recently come to the realization that I need an EUB to handle tone and volume demands for most of the gigs I play (primarily weddings and corporate functions in large rooms with a sprinkling of club gigs). Volume demands on my upright, which is normally not sound reinforced through a PA, are causing major feedback issues-thus my thoughts of an EUB. I'm hearing good things about the AlterEGO EUB and was hoping you could describe the purchasing process for someone in the US (Seattle WA). Do you know if the entire transaction will be conducted through email and online? Is there a trial period? Is there any chance of trying one of the basses out before purchase? It seems an incredibly difficult and potentially costly decision to buy this or any EUB (Eminence, SVB-200, Knutsen, etc.) without first having a chance to play one of the instruments. Your thoughts would be welcome. Thanks. Ted

I'm hearing good things about the AlterEGO EUB and was hoping you could describe the purchasing process for someone in the US (Seattle WA). Do you know if the entire transaction will be conducted through email and online? Is there a trial period? Is there any chance of trying one of the basses out before purchase? It seems an incredibly difficult and potentially costly decision to buy this or any EUB (Eminence, SVB-200, Knutsen, etc.) without first having a chance to play one of the instruments. Your thoughts would be welcome. Thanks. Ted

Hi Ted, if you add travel to the challenges, then you just described reasons I looked into EUBs as well. I also agree completely that it's important to try the instruments. That's why I make the instrument available whenever I'm going to be traveling to a new part of the world. Let me point you to the AlterEGO website for more info, and I'll also make sure that the reps in Italy know about our little online conversation. They may want to weigh in.
Best,
Rick

Hi Ted, if you add travel to the challenges, then you just described reasons I looked into EUBs as well. I also agree completely that it's important to try the instruments. That's why I make the instrument available whenever I'm going to be traveling to a new part of the world. Let me point you to the AlterEGO website for more info, and I'll also make sure that the reps in Italy know about our little online conversation. They may want to weigh in.
Best,
Rick
Thanks, Rick. That will be real helpful. I checked the website out today and sent an email. Any info from the folks in Italy would be greatly appreciated. Cheers! Ted

the best metal strings for Alter-ego
what is you choice,gentelmens?:)

I use Thomastik-Spirocore, Orchestral strings. I have a student who just got a new Acoustic series instrument, and she has D'Addario Heliocore strings on the bass. The great thing is that the instrument feels and sounds like a double bass (lighter, and the sound is what you would expect through an amplifier), so if you are used to some strings and used to a particular amp sound, then just use the same strings on the AlterEGO. Anyway, that's my opinion.

Best,
Rick

the best metal strings for Alter-ego
what is you choice,gentelmens?:)

Best?
It's so subjective, it doesn't mean anything.
My favorite choice may be your worst.

As Rick said, use whatever string you like best!

Thank you!
So old frends are welcome:)Spiro and Helicore forever!

Taking the AlterEGO on the road again:

- August 20 - Lincoln Center, New York, NY - Ethiopiques (Either/Orchestra, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatqé, Alèmayèhu Eshèté, Gétachèw Mèkurya) (http://www.lincolncenter.org/show_events_list.asp?eventcode=-62541)
- August 22 - Festival of World Cultures, Dún Laoghaire, Ireland (http://www.festivalofworldcultures.com/events/display.asp?eventid=10)

Best, Rick

http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=aopeaQG3H6U
Me and my Alter-ego baby bass in Bosco Russian House- Pekin (Beijin) Olympic Games 2008:)

Fantastic, Igor! Sounds great! A gig at the Olympics is so cool!
There are a few vids of me playing my AlterEGO Acoustic at Lincoln Center here:
http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2008/08/24/ethiopiques-at-lincoln-center-take-2/
Best, Rick McLaughlin

Hi Rick!
Thank you for links :)
Great sound too!
Do you have more records with Alter-ego?
For big outdors gigs with loud volume I add magnetic pickup from http://www.biesele.org/pickups/

Hi Igor, thanks for your kind words.
So far, everything that is available (with two exceptions) is from audience footage. I have posted everything I can find on my website, http://www.rickmclaughlin.com. The two exceptions are BBC broadcasts of concerts in England which are available all over the internet as bootlegs only.
I'll have to check out the Biesele pickup, although the truth is that I love the AlterEGO sound as is. Running through a powerful GK amp/cabinet outside sounds fantastic too.
Best, R.

Hi Rick!
Thanks again for reply:)
Yes,I love Baby ego sound too-like "old sound Duke's era":hyper:
But for rock-n-roll and pop music...
only with magnetic pickup
so,I get some things such as new bridge and new scrolls

I'm looking for a good arco EUB. Is there anywhere to try these basses in the states? I sent a price request about the acoustic line on the website and got an automated response that someone will get with me but then never heard anything else. I would interested in trying one out with a bow eventually. From reading the megathread it sounds like the figaro is the great arco model. Is it possible to get this model with the removable neck?


Todd

FWIW, the only other "game in town" that is similar in construction is the Yamaha EUB. Considering the lengths that I went to fix it to turn it into a real playable instrument, I wish in hindsight I went with the Alter-Ego - even if bought sight unseen.

Hi Todd - I'm sorry to hear that you didn't receive any information from Italy. I can say that they were absolutely overwhelmed this summer, so you might have felt the aftermath of that. I have the Acoustic Figaro and it does have a removable neck (the Tournee option). I posted a couple of reviews on my blog. This one is about flying with the bass:

http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2008/06/12/europe-ethio-jazz-and-alterego/

And this one is about the bass itself:

http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/01/23/my-new-bass/

Hope that is at least somewhat helpful. I don't get to VA very often, but if you find yourself in greater Boston, you are welcome to try mine.

Best, Rick

Thanks Rick!

I do a gig in the summers in upstate NY but hopefully I can get up there sometime before then to meet you. Your blog was very informative.

In my quest to get the bass signal in the computer I have tried a underwood, then realist, then akg c411 contact condenser mic. All sounded pretty thin and unpleasant with arco. The akg was getting closer but I also have a ~1880's french bass so if there are any rattles or weird buzzes happening inside the bass it would magnify those. Even though I couldn't hear them sitting behind the bass. I wouldn't mind that the pickup doesn't sound exactly like a double bass but I want it to be a pleasing tone that I could then process inside the computer during my looping. The reason I give this background is because after reading your blog I understand your instrument is amplified by 'realist looking' pickups under the bridge feet and a schertler on the bridge. If I haven't been happy with any pickups on a nice seasoned old french bass I wondering if I'm gonna like the tone on an alterego since it is using similar means to amplify the signal.
Do you have an recordings of you playing your bass arco direct into an audio interface?

Thanks again for your help,

Todd

Hi Todd - sorry for the delay. I head to upstate with some regularity, so if we can't figure something out before the summer, we should be able to by then. As for sound, if you listen to the sound samples on the website (www.alter-ego.it), you'll get a good sense for the sound. There is a wide range of possibilities, to be sure. But believe the recordings because they have been similar to my own experiences.
Best, R.

hi, i have a alter ego with the dual preamp for two month now. i play it on a daily basis for work.
usually i store it in the tour-bus and take it out for rehearsal or gigs. in this time i had to change the battery 2 times- this means the battery lasts about three weeks! is this normal? usually the battery breaks down when playing a concert...scaring somehow..
how often do you guys change battery? when i have prepared my gear for the gig on stage, i let the cable in the plug, but i have a mute plug on the cable, so there should be no loss of power.

before i bought the bass i had a nice conversation with veronica from alter ego. nice person!
after i had paid and recieved the bass, there was no more reply to my email..............:confused:

thanks for your help

Hi 16fuss,

(it's the first time that I write here, I hope that my English is not too bad)
I am sorry that you didn't received my last email (December 3rd), I always keep in touch with people who contacted us (even with those who didn't bought). Luckily we read your message on Talkbass. And here I am!:hyper: I am sure that it must have been a communication problem. If someone else has problem with Alter Ego emails, please contact us on Talkbass or by phone (06.3338207) or by email on info@alter-ego.it.
I asked to the technician about your battery, he told me that the new electronics, the one that you have with a more dynamic sound and an almost inexistent noise has a + - 9v battery supply. He told me that the normal duration is about two-month for a professional use of it. However the battery might endure less if you use often the headphones. The duration can vary also with different kind of batteries and it doesn't matter whether the plug where you put the cable in is mute or not, the energy consumption is the same. This is way we offer or suggest to use GP rechargeable batteries. They can be charged 1.000 times (it's like having 2.000 batteries), so they pollute less and they are cheap. If you have problem in finding them I can send you a pack. I hope you will find these information useful. Please don't hesitate to contact me anywhere :)

hi, i have a alter ego with the dual preamp for two month now. i play it on a daily basis for work.
usually i store it in the tour-bus and take it out for rehearsal or gigs. in this time i had to change the battery 2 times- this means the battery lasts about three weeks! is this normal? usually the battery breaks down when playing a concert...scaring somehow..
how often do you guys change battery? when i have prepared my gear for the gig on stage, i let the cable in the plug, but i have a mute plug on the cable, so there should be no loss of power.

before i bought the bass i had a nice conversation with veronica from alter ego. nice person!
after i had paid and recieved the bass, there was no more reply to my email..............:confused:

thanks for your help

hi veronica, nice to hear from you. it obviously was a mail delivery problem.

i use very good batterys (varta) and did not use headphones. maybe it is the cold weather here in germany. the bass gets pretty cold when i leave it in the bus over night.
probably i should get a set of rechargable batterys to avoid this problem. it also would be nice to have a battery status display (lamp) on the preamp.

thanks veronica for your PM, i will answer now.

Hello everyone,
Just a quick note to tell you that I'm bringing my AlterEGO Acoustic to Denver, CO next week. I have two concerts at the University of Colorado in Denver. If anyone is interested in playing the instrument, PM me.
Best, Rick

Basso Musico,

I'll be in upstate NY for a gig for all if July. Do you have any time that I could come try out your Alter Ego?


Todd

1-only one piezo pickup
2-piezo plus schertler stat -b
3-piezo plus Clark Biesele pickup http://biesele.org/pickups/
http://rapidshare.com/files/249469337/Sound_samples_of_baby-ego.zip