Hollowbody EUB's - big difference from solids?

[basss]

I've done a search but am looking for more focused answers. For those that have tried both do you feel that the hollow chamber makes a big difference in tone? I have a solid body EUB (Azola bug) which I like but I'm always looking to get closer to the 'real thing'. Do you think its worth swapping out? Or in general is the tone difference slight enough to not make a fuss over?

BTW I do have an URB and am not looking for a substitute. I know it's never going to sound just like a real URB. BUT can you get a lot closer with the hollow body?

[Mojo-Man]

I have a 2007 Limited Bug II.
Hollow.
Ash body,
Figured, Ash top.
Mac Ebony fingerboard.

Sounds better amped than my 1954 Kay.

[Basso Musico]

Hey Basss,

Excellent question. From my own experiences, I think that there is more involved than merely a question of hollow vs. solid. For example - Ok, full disclosure, I endorse these instruments - the AlterEGO Acoustic Line is a solid body instrument with a floating top and two bass bars. So that, plus a few other design things have my bass sounding more or less exactly the same as a URB with a pickup through an amp - which is what I'm playing all the time anyway. Here's a link to a review I posted on my blog:

http://mrpcbass.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/my-new-bass/

Best,

Rick McLaughlin
Bassist

[anon_6j591b0]

Originally Posted by jsbarber

I have an Azola Acoustic Bug Bass and it you can definitely hear the more acoustic sound charaacter, compared to the solid body version.

+1 on that. I had a 1st generation solid Bugbass for several years and a while back I visited Steve and Jill and played some acoustic EUBs and I heard a major difference.

[lefty]

yes there is a significant difference. i was trying out some eub`s and my wife was with me. i tried the solid then the hollowbody. my wife say`s to me....i know which one you want.




oh yeah, it was the hollowbody hands down.

[ToneRanger]

Originally Posted by basss

...I'm always looking to get closer to the 'real thing'.

I think the key issue is the way flexibility in the top of a URB impacts on the dynamics - the lack of rigidity gives an explosive attack and fast decay, whereas solid bodies tend to have more compressed intital attack with longer sustain.
The AlterEgo has an interesting approach to 'softening' the top.

Regarding "real" basses - I think it's futile to try to make something sound like something else. A solid Azola is just as 'real' an instrument as a hollow box and doesn't have to be seen as a second rate compromise (although there are still people who put the Fender Precision in that category!)

[basss]

Thanks all
I was hoping to hear more along the lines of 'not that big a difference'. Your replies are GAS inducing. I like my Azola for sure - for what it is it's awesome but as they say the grass is always greener...

[anon_6j591b0]

Originally Posted by basss

Thanks all
I was hoping to hear more along the lines of 'not that big a difference'. Your replies are GAS inducing. I like my Azola for sure - for what it is it's awesome but as they say the grass is always greener...

Different isn't necessarily better. What pickup are you using? I had the multi piezo bridge Steve was making back then and I liked it a lot and I had him build a similar one for the Azola Deco I play now. I loved that Bugbass and the only reason I sold it is that I let a hack luthier work on it and he planed my fingerboard down to nothing and put in more buzzes than he took out. At that point I had bought the Deco and instead of replacing the board I bailed. I still regret it though. One thing I really miss about that bass is the endless sustain on ballads and the screaming harmonics I could get with the bow and a distortion pedal. There's a lot to be said for something as durable a Fender bass too.

[ToneRanger]

Originally Posted by ToneRanger

I think the key issue is the way flexibility in the top of a URB impacts on the dynamics - the lack of rigidity gives an explosive attack and fast decay, whereas solid bodies tend to have more compressed intital attack with longer sustain.
The AlterEgo has an interesting approach to 'softening' the top.

Further to that thought, if you're up for a bit of experimenting, here's a posibility:
Palitono owners have found that a piece of rubber under the pickup improves the sound; I use a piece of cork gasket under my EUB bridge to help seat the piezo better. I'm wondering whether a little damping between bridge and body would emulate the flex of an acoustic's top and induce a little more of their dynamic character?.

[Andy Allen]

Originally Posted by jsbarber

I have an Azola Acoustic Bug Bass and it you can definitely hear the more acoustic sound charaacter, compared to the solid body version.

I have a solid body Bugbass II, but I got to compare it to the acoustic version when I visited the Azolas last year.

There's a definite difference about the way the acoustic version vibrates in your hands - the solid body feels much more rigid, while the acoustic seems to vibrate much more sympathetically with the sound.

While this means a better playing experience I can't say that it necessarily corresponds to a better sound; my BugBass is remarkably good amplified - almost better than my DB, especially as the volume creeps up.

Andy

[Basso Musico]

Originally Posted by Andy Allen

There's a definite difference about the way the acoustic version vibrates in your hands - the solid body feels much more rigid, while the acoustic seems to vibrate much more sympathetically with the sound. Andy

The AlterEGO basses also really vibrate, the Acoustic line in particular. It feels like a really light URB. I noticed when I played this bass at a convention in January that it vibrated so much that I could play unamplified within the din of a demo room (with dozens of instrument vendors) and I knew exactly which note I was playing at all times. Sounds great at all volumes too.

Rick