Thinking of Playing Upright

[dukerutledge]

I've been playing electric bass for four years now and I've really gotten into jazz. I love to play electric, but I am interested in playing upright. The tone of the upright is really intriguing. I already play fretless so I am use to playing in the dark, however how much of a jump is the change in scale? Also what should I look for in a beginner bass? I don't want to spend too much money on something I may not commit myself to. Any other advice for someone just starting to look into upright would be helpful.

[Steve Killingsworth]

Originally Posted by dukerutledge

Any other advice for someone just starting to look into upright would be helpful.

Read the newbie links at the top of the "Basses" forum. They will answer your questions and provide you with a wealth of additional information.

[John Sprague]

Hey Duke, welcome to the dark side!

This q comes up often, so I'll try to whittle it down to what most seem to agree on:

1. Get a teacher. Even one lesson is money well-spent, and slab players moving to the real bass often skip it to their detriment. Get your technique off to the right start.

2. For brands, there are a handful in that "my first upright" range that are respected, you'll find them in the newbie links. Any decent plywood bass should do ya. More important is connecting with your local bass luthier so that you get a bass with a good set-up. The player-luthier relationship is more important with upright than with slab. If you put your location in your profile, we can make recommendations of who is good in your area. You should be able to find a deal on a used plywood that won't set you back too much.

G/L!

[Tumbao]

Newbie Links: TECHNIQUE