bow on electric bass ! - Page 2

lunarpollen · #21 08-02-2011, 03:24 PM

Yes, it is possible...But unless your action is set up a certain way, for single-note lines you will only be able to bow your outer two strings.

I know there are at least 1 or 2 early Pink Floyd tunes with bowed bass guitar on it... I know the solo in "Lucifer Sam" is one of them...

groooooove · #22 08-02-2011, 03:41 PM

you'd need a very wide string radius to get the bow around the strings. i would not want rosin built up in/around my bridge and pickups, either... and bows dont like roundwound strings..

its possible, but really impractical if you wanted to try and bow a cello piece of something on electric bass, unless you got one built specifically for it..

edit- and if you did get one built, it'd be more of an electric viol de gamba than "bass" as we know it.

Dark Horse · #23 08-02-2011, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by groooooove

you'd need a very wide string radius to get the bow around the strings.

.

Actually, you'd want a SMALL radius.

A smaller radius is rounder with more arch. That's why, for instance, a 9.5 radius fretboard has more "arch" than a 12 or 15. Upright basses have very arched, small radius necks.

Extrinsic · #24 08-02-2011, 04:38 PM

rosin is gross on your fingers after so beware of switching back and forth

Russell L · #25 08-03-2011, 06:20 AM

Rosin will also make a big mess on your strings and bass (look at any orchestral stringed instrument that's play a lot).

Bowing on electric just doesn't work. Maybe you could design one that had a special neck and bridge. But then it would also need a long end pin so you could bow back and forth horizontally. Vertically is the pits.

32OK · #26 10-16-2011, 05:17 PM

Hello,

I've read the various threads about bowing on an electric bass with great interest and can well imagine the reasons why it might be difficult to get this working properly, if at all.

If I'd want to try it nevertheless, would it matter much whether a cello or a double bass bow was used ? Would the choice between these two influence the end result much ? Or is the whole experiment bound to be a lesser succes anyway, despite a cello or double bass bow ?

I'd love to try it myself and find out, but I need to order one and I saw the double bass bows are considerably higher in price than the cello bows.

Thanks & best regards!

Mayers · #27 10-17-2011, 08:05 AM

I tried it ... and you can only bow the outer strings like E and G. I tried two basses, a carvin with flatwound and a yamaha with roundwound and the flatwound sounded and responded like a double bass would to arco ( the sound isn't the same ! ) and on roundwound it sounded scratchy and very awful, impossible to play.

For the record I use a german double bass bow.

32OK · #28 10-17-2011, 08:17 AM

Thanks for the response, nice.

OK, so flatwounds defin. the way to go... good to hear. I have an older Sqr-bass already with those on it, wouldn't mind to get that one a bit dirty with rosin.

Phew, many variables.... I guess when going for the double bass bow (as certainly seems best), then I still have to select French- vs German-type. But because of the other position when using an e-bass I guess this might be of lesser importance, right ?

Thanks !