New to EUB, Recomendations?

BottomDweller83 · #1 08-20-2009, 12:24 PM

New User Here,

Does anyone have any advice for a novice electric bass player looking to add an EUB to their collection? I am currently contemplating buying an NS Design Wav 4, is this a good budget EUB? What considerations should I take into account when exploring my EUB options? I would like an EUB with finger-position dots on the fingerboard or on the side of the fingerboard and I have somewhat small hands. Does anyone know where I can find a used or discounted Wav 4 online or in the Twin Cities area, if I go that route? Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

**Francois Blais** · #2 08-20-2009, 02:18 PM

Hi, and welcome on Talkbass!
Did you read this stickie?:
Is an EUB the right choice for me?
It may provide some food thought.

And what's your budget?

Do you want a short-scale, or regular DB scale EUB?

Regards,
François

BottomDweller83 · #3 08-20-2009, 03:04 PM

Most likely DB scale EUB and with a budget capped at $1,000.

BottomDweller83 · #4 08-20-2009, 03:26 PM

I wish I had the money for a Warwick Triumph, that bass seems like it would suit me and last me a long time, and yes it is not a DB scale bass, at least I think it isn't.

**Francois Blais** · #5 08-20-2009, 07:53 PM

Here: http://www.warwick.de/modules/produk...ID=14466&cl=EN
They say half scale, Eb neck.
Half scale is about 38 inches.
But the price seems very exaggerated to me...

BottomDweller83 · #6 08-20-2009, 08:35 PM

Yeah $4,159 on the bottom end on Google Shopping for one of those puppies. It seems that with brands like Warwick, you largely pay for the name. I'll probably go with an NS Design Wav 4 and the Necessary SansAmp DI Bass Driver. I checked out your band's Myspace. I don't know much about jazz (mostly into metal and rock music), but your band seems to display talent and a good level of tightness. Its very mellow jazz, not the flashy fast passage and solos prone jazz that dominates the Jazz radio I've heard. Your band seems to be able to find one musical concept and stick with it and not load up on time changes and tangential divergences from the core rhythm. I really appreciate it. And that's coming from someone who's favorite bass player is Steve Harris of Iron Maiden.

Jason P Bass · #7 08-20-2009, 08:43 PM

I recently purchased a WAV 4. I haven't played any other EUBs. PM me and I'll link you to some on sale online (don't want to advertise for them publicly - they're a pretty well known dealer though so you might have found it already).

Pros: Can use Hipshot Ultralight tuners including a right handed bass extender tuner. The polar piezo pickups are the most advanced option under $2k (to my knowledge). The full-piezo design lets you use any strings you like (gut, synthetic, shoe strings, spaghetti noodles). It can use any regular 3/4 double bass strings although there are issues with the tuners.

Cons: EUB is not a double bass and will never sound like a double bass (and likewise a Stratocaster will not sound like a Martin dreadnought, but people seem to be infinitely hung up on this fact). The fingerboard is not that great and the bridge is not that great. The stock tuners have trouble handling some double bass strings, but they can be easily upgraded.

I have not played other EUBs, but I did plenty of internet research and I doubt you can do better for $1000 or less. It's an adequate instrument to practice your double bass skills. It's (sadly, sadly, sadly) not a top quality professional instrument, but I would gig with it (and have done so).

To answer your question directly, the WAV 4 is a good budget EUB.

**Francois Blais** · #8 08-21-2009, 10:26 AM

Thanks a lot for the kind words, BottomDweller83!

Here: http://ebass.nl/site2/models/
You'll find a very extensive EUB list.

Among these, you may want to check these ones:
http://www.buckdancers.com/EUB.php
http://hem1.passagen.se/pebbe/
http://www.hoytbasses.com/index.htm

Bassorama57 · #9 09-15-2009, 10:27 AM

Glad I found this, subscribing. 30 years ago, I started out on upright, but gravitated to BG simply because there's more rock bands in more garages than anything else. Recently however, I've joined a full up show band (5 horns, 3 vocalists, etc.) and some of the tunes really do call for an upright. Money and gear-hauling issues aside (as they're not really issues), think it'd be worth my while to get an EUB like the WAV4 in order to produce a more authentic sound for some of the old standards (Sinatra, Etta James, etc.) that we mix in with the disco/dance/R&B for this group?

**Francois Blais** · #10 09-15-2009, 11:38 AM

You may also consider a second BG, with a setup giving more of a DB-like tone.
Flatwounds (or even tape-wounds), foam under the strings near the bridge to mute the tone.
Just a thought!

Bassorama57 · #11 09-15-2009, 03:45 PM

Thanks - I do have a BG strung with flats, but it's not "all that close," - just didn't know if an EUB would be significantly closer. Seems like it would be from the clips I can download.

Jason P Bass · #12 09-16-2009, 12:06 AM

I have flatwounds on a fretless bass guitar and also the WAV4. The WAV4 does sound -more- like an upright bass than the bass guitar. And when it comes to apples and oranges, the orange is closer to a basketball than the apple.

You'll have to decide how much you want to compromise. If you need to truly sound like a double bass, you need a double bass. Just my humble opinion.