Esperanza, Electric Upright///

VincentPuleo · #1 10-21-2008, 01:37 PM

Hey guys, I can't deal with moving around my upright bass in school buses every weekend for high school jazz gigs... it is very unsafe for the the bass and it has caused me many problems... so I am looking into an electric upright.

I like the idea of having one that has some kind of a body instead of just the neck all the way down... obviously sound comes first so if you guys could recommend me some along with there prices that would be great, I am also interested in how (for the people who have one) they play. Can you really get a natural upright bass sound?

my other question was... do you guys know what kind of bass Esperanza is playing here?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajshim/1357513123/

Wilbyman · #2 10-21-2008, 01:46 PM

I'm pretty sure it's an Eminence.

Sam Sherry · #3 10-21-2008, 02:09 PM

Ms. Spalding usually plays road-rentals. She was set to use mine last month but ultimately drove, rather than flew, so she brought her own bass. She said it was the first time in about forty shows she'd gotten to play it.

Man, is she good!

Ed Fuqua · #4 10-21-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wilbyman

I'm pretty sure it's an Eminence.

It might be one of them Kolsteins....

hdiddy · #5 10-21-2008, 03:29 PM

naw it's an Eminence. I've played both and the Kolstein more recently. The travel bass doesn't have that weird violin corner jutting out at the top bout and has a beautiful scroll with nice Rubner tuners. It also has slightly more rib depth than the Eminence.

abaguer · #6 10-21-2008, 11:28 PM

That's definitely an Eminence. Got one myself.

daHammer · #7 10-22-2008, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VincentPuleo

Esperanza is playing here?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajshim/1357513123/

Hi Vincent,
Re your question Esperanza is playing an Eminence bass. See http://www.gelbass.com/folder/videos.html for a few other videos of the Eminence in action. I use an Eminence with a GK 150 MBE III combo amp with no separate preamp or a Phil Jones Bass Briefcase Amp with a K&K Pure Preamp (from Bob Gollihur). The sound is good and approaches that of a "fair to good" plywood URB played through an amplifier. Nothing but a good carved URB is going to sound just like a -- you guessed it -- good carved URB but most folks other than bassists would hardly ever notice.
Ed

**maxito** · #8 10-22-2008, 07:47 AM

Yes the photo is an Eminence. Saw Esperanza earlier this month, and she was using a Czech Ease by David Gage. Not sure if she picked it up locally or was touring with it though.

To address your first question/concern - we've all been there (or at least many of have been). Traveling with a DB can really be frustrating. Before the EUB, that was just the way it was... Fortunately there are many options to choose from today. I have played literally dozens of different models, and some are more successful than others at creating the upright bass illusion.

I've been using a Yamaha SLB200 for several years now - it's been tweaked quite a bit, though. The attached frame provides the physical reference points I wanted - and you seem interested in.... at ~ $2,500 it's not cheap, but far less expensive than a real DB and way more portable.

Check out the Yamaha EUB megathread - there are photos and sound files starting on page 4.

That's just my 2 cents, I'm sure others will steer you elsewhere. Good luck in your search!

Ed Fuqua · #9 10-22-2008, 10:49 AM

I STILL THINK IT'S A ....oh well. Having played neither, they kind of all look alike to me.

abaguer · #10 10-27-2008, 10:46 PM

Digging you book Ed. Been using it with my better students.

Ed Fuqua · #11 10-28-2008, 02:29 PM

Oh, thanks man! I appreciate the shout out.

vajazzdolid · #12 11-04-2008, 09:15 AM

Hola a todos y perdón, no hablo inglés. Intentaré ser breve. Necesito que alguien me diga cuál de los bajos eléctricos que hay en el mercado es el que mas suena a contrabajo acústico, por ejemplo: Yamaha Silent, 100 o 200, Aria, Clevinger, etc. Poseo un Dean Pace Upright y no es ni parecido el sonido que da, ni pasándolo a traves de un minimoog Electroharmonix. Espero agradecido vuestras respuestas.

Muchísimas gracias por vuestra atención.

José Antonio Blanco
Valladolid
ESPAÑA

http://www.myspace.com/vajazzdolidmyspace

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #13 11-04-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babelfish translation of above

Hello to all and pardon, I do not speak English. I will try to be brief. I need that someone tell me which of the low electric that there is in the market is the one that but sounds to acoustic bass, for example: Yamaha Silent, 100 or 200, Aria, Clevinger, etc. I possess an Of Grazes Upright and is not neither seemed the sound that gives, neither passing it to traves of a minimoog Electroharmonix. I expect thanked your answers. A lot thanks by your attention.

If anyone knows the answer to the question, it would be a nice gesture to help the poster out. Ignorant unwashed that I am, I assumed that the above was in Spanish; if anyone knows better, please identify the question and help us help this person. Thanks!

robgrow · #14 11-04-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

If anyone knows the answer to the question, it would be a nice gesture to help the poster out. Ignorant unwashed that I am, I assumed that the above was in Spanish; if anyone knows better, please identify the question and help us help this person. Thanks!

The way I read this is the guy's got a Dean Pace EUB, but he wants something that sounds more like a real double bass, and of course that's the real question.

**Francois Blais** · #15 11-04-2008, 06:36 PM

He should have started another thread anyway.
It doesn't belong in the Esperanza one.