not for me.

[Lee Barker]

Originally Posted by Shelly

I didn't think that the point of a Barker was to replace an acoustic upright, but to "upright" the electric bass to alleviate back issues and such...am I wrong?

You are absolutely right--the genesis was wrist pain. The other benefits of the instrument made themselves known later.

As for acoustic upright, it is what it is and those who have chosen to electrify it have done a lot of hard work and come up with some amazing, intriguing and creative results.

The Barker is not at all related to that family.


Here's part of my elevator speech: When Leo Fender took on the challenge of inadequate bass signals to record with electric guitar for Elvis and others, he made the decision to do four things:
1. use metal wrapped strings and a magnetic pickup
2. reduce the scale length from 42" to 34"
3. add frets (hence "precision bass")
4. put it in a guitar shape.

It is my thought that had he done just the first three, his first product would have looked something like a Barker.

So perhaps, if there's any innovation at all in what I've done, it might be looked upon as subtraction rather than creation.

And it's a whole lot of fun to play.

Kindly,

Lee

[Jazzdogg]

Originally Posted by Lee Barker

Thanks for the post, and the compliment, Jazzdog.

Now I am wondering: How many TBers have a subwoofer in their computer speaker array? Obviously that's unanswerable! Would readers of this thread be willing to just respond with a yep or nope? It would be a highly unscientific study.

Also, I am wondering if those who are listening to the sound clips also view the video of Eric Owens playing. Adding the visual aspect must have some added effect, but I don't know exactly what.

On we go!

Kindly,
Lee

Hi Lee,

I listened to the clips using a pair of Sennheiser HD590 headphones.

[yodedude2]

to summarize so far: some people like sustain, some don't. this helps the world go 'round.

i like the sound clips on the barker home page. you have to listen to them all, not just the one that plays when you open the page.

the best thing the barker helped me with was my constant shoulder/neck pain. it is now much less; completely gone sometimes when playing the barker vertical bass.

whenever i play a regular 'horizontal' bass, after about twenty minutes my shoulder and neck remind me why i don't play those things much anymore. later, ron

p.s. hey lee, i like the 'addition by subtraction' approach.

Originally Posted by Lee Barker

You are absolutely right--the genesis was wrist pain. The other benefits of the instrument made themselves known later.

As for acoustic upright, it is what it is and those who have chosen to electrify it have done a lot of hard work and come up with some amazing, intriguing and creative results.

The Barker is not at all related to that family.


Here's part of my elevator speech: When Leo Fender took on the challenge of inadequate bass signals to record with electric guitar for Elvis and others, he made the decision to do four things:
1. use metal wrapped strings and a magnetic pickup
2. reduce the scale length from 42" to 34"
3. add frets (hence "precision bass")
4. put it in a guitar shape.

It is my thought that had he done just the first three, his first product would have looked something like a Barker.

So perhaps, if there's any innovation at all in what I've done, it might be looked upon as subtraction rather than creation.

And it's a whole lot of fun to play.

Kindly,

Lee

[robmclucky]

I found the sustain to be overbearing.


sustain is a beautful thing.
apprently the color is not yet in this cat's palette.
when it finally is, he'll begin to get what the barker sound is about.

[yodedude2]

mutes will control the sustain:

foam mutes, again

later, ron

Originally Posted by robmclucky

I found the sustain to be overbearing.


sustain is a beautful thing.
apprently the color is not yet in this cat's palette.
when it finally is, he'll begin to get what the barker sound is about.

[JKT]

My connection with Barker basses was somewhat strange as I stated in my review on this forum. I don't remember now if I paid much attention to the clips or not.

I saw the instrument, and it immediately made sense to me. And up until that point, the thought of buying another instrument, let alone one sight unseen, was the furthest from my mind at the time.

But, I digress.

Since switching to flats about 6 months ago, the sustain level has changed somewhat for me but it is still there in huge amounts. And I guess I wound up living in the camp where I would rather have the sustain and be able to mute it with my hands. I'm not really sure if that is something I started to do once I began playing the Barker more, or if I always did it with my old P-bass and never noticed it as much. I do know that I have always wanted more sustain at some times and less others, depending on the moment.

I also agree the the Barker is not, nor intended to be a substitute for an EUB. It does however lend it itself well to those styles of music that someone would choose an EUB or DB for. And yet I play all kinds of music with it and it is always up to the task.

I and other essentially non-biased players, consider it a tone monster. At a recent blues festival lately, where as one might imagine the Fender bass reigns supreme, after the set several players approached me. Some I knew, others I had never met and all with no particular axe or agenda to grind, went out of their way to tell me how much they dug the sound.
For me, in that setting with that many bassists and basses all playing on the same stage through the same rig, it was a tremendous validation of what my own ears have telling me for quite some time.

Yes, it easier on my back and wrists,etc. But I would play one if there were no particular physical benefits at all.

As Lee and others have mentioned before, if one is the type of player that lives in a world of only the upright and the conventional electric, that's cool and God bless. But amazingly there are other tonal and ergonomic alternatives out there.

Oh and +1 on it being fun to play

JKT

[BuffaloBass]

JKT, I wanna see your Barker someday. Admittedly the concept intrigues me. If I wear my trad bass any higher, and tip the neck up any more, it'll be an " unergonomic" Barker.

No rush, as I am disciplining my gas. You play out with it, obviously, I'll try and catch a gig. I'll show up with clean hands, so maybe I can touch it! Hmmm.. I see the village of Hamburg concert. Cool thats a walk to the he park for me! See you there.

[JKT]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBass

JKT, I wanna see your Barker someday. Admittedly the concept intrigues me. If I wear my trad bass any higher, and tip the neck up any more, it'll be an " unergonomic" Barker.

No rush, as I am disciplining my gas. You play out with it, obviously, I'll try and catch a gig. I'll show up with clean hands, so maybe I can touch it! Hmmm.. I see the village of Hamburg concert. Cool thats a walk to the he park for me! See you there.

Get there at the right time and you can help me soundcheck it! Seriously, anytime. You get really curious, I'm a nice leisurely drive north to Lake Ontario.

JKT

[BuffaloBass]

I'm planning on bringing the kids up early, the 7 yr old is a blues singer. Maybe Donovan an sit in with you guys! Kidding, but he does dig the blues. Odd stuff for a 7 yr old, but I'm runnin' with it. I'll see ya.

[JKT]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBass

I'm planning on bringing the kids up early, the 7 yr old is a blues singer. Maybe Donovan an sit in with you guys! Kidding, but he does dig the blues. Odd stuff for a 7 yr old, but I'm runnin' with it. I'll see ya.

See ya there!