Praise for the Lightning Bug

Ike Harris · #1 05-11-2007, 12:42 PM

I just wanted to post on this forum the good words I received from some great players on the sound of my new stickbass. I got my new custom Azola Lightning Bug from the wonderful duo of Steve and Jill back just before Christmas and everyone who hears and sees it give it the big "thumbs up". I was recently in the L.A. area doing a pops concert with the Pacific Symphony, who are primarily film soundtrack players, some of the best in the world. For various reasons, I had the audacity to use the stick for this gig, and the bass section had nothing but nicest compliments on the sound and marveled at how easily it traveled. Of course, only the bass section would speak to us, which is par for the course.

Ike

tornadobass · #2 05-12-2007, 08:35 AM

Ike...can you tell us a bit about how you used your 'Bug? Arco, pizz? Through an amp, along with other URB players?

I've used my BugBass in the pit for local musicals and will likely do so again this winter. How do other string players respond/react?

Ike Harris · #3 05-12-2007, 01:07 PM

Well, this is the first hollowbody version of the Ltg. Bug. I visited the shop last year while on another gig nearby and Steve and I talked about different woods and configurations, etc. and eventually came up with what I have: a nicely flamed Eastern Maple body and neck, back and sides, Macassar ebony top and matching fingerboard and front of headstock. The core originally was to be alder, but we changed to hollow after I noticed a partially done hollowbody in mahogany on his bench and asked him to let me know how the body turned out sound-wise. The result, Steve said, with this wood wasn't so great but then he tried the maple with much better results, so I went with that. You can warm up without an amp and hear pretty well in a fairly quiet room.

With the orchestra and normally on this gig I don't use a bow but have done the usual "last note arco" bit and it works so much better than my old Clevinger in regards to tone and matching volume to pizz. On this gig I dialed in a nice dark pizz sound with the great onboard preamp and it blended so well you couldn't tell it was a stick. Very well balanced and present. I was in the front of the orchestra with the rest of the rhythm section going through an amp.
(The principal had just gotten an 1850 Fendt which I'd been drooling over and he let me play on it some during an intermission. What a treat that was.)

The feel is a bit stiff as with many of these type basses and takes a 1/2 size string so your choices are a little limited. Right now I'm using the Corelli Mediums and they seem to work well for tone, arco and tension.

I'm tickled with the whole travel package thing. It's around 35lbs altogether, the case seems to be holding up well and the stand fits right in there and holds the bass securely on stage for doubling.

Ike

tornadobass · #4 05-13-2007, 10:27 AM

Thanks for the details. In a musical coming up in a few months, the musical director tells me that the score has the bass driving the band. Most of the music is pizz, and I've even used pizz on arco-written stuff before in musicals (plus arco for a few long notes at the start or end of tunes).

I think this will be another gig where the Bug will do well over the URB.