Any of you bass guitarists also use electric upright?

**bassybill** · #1 12-12-2006, 05:35 PM

What? An EUB thread on the BG forums? What's going on?

Seriously, I'd like to hear from BG players who have dipped their toes in the waters of upright playing. Anything goes - comments about your instrument, technique, reasons for going down this road, advice, tuition resources, etc etc

I'm just hours away from diving into "the bay" for an EUB at a decent price (a Palatino), sight unseen, shipped from the US to England. You USA folks wouldn't believe how difficult it is to get your hands on this sort of instrument over here. I have VERY little knowledge or experience with EUBs, so assume I know nothing and you'll be pretty close to the mark.

I've posted here rather than in the DB forums to get responses from my own breed rather than that funny lot over there on the DB side. I hope this minor transgression is okay given my reasons for.. um... transgressing.

JacksonsMen · #2 12-12-2006, 07:13 PM

tried to play one, i think if i had some practice on an unlined frettless it might have been easier.

i guess if i had more time to play on one id get the hang of it...its definately an aquired taste

bongomania · #3 12-12-2006, 07:59 PM

I am about to take this step myself- I just put a deposit down for a BSX EUB. My reasoning is: many of my favorite recordings featured DB, and many of the jazz and Latin cats I like to work with prefer the look (seriously, the look is a big deal to them!) of either a DB or an Ampeg Baby Bass. As somebody who prefers shorter-scale basses anyway, going to an ultra-long scale is intimidating. But I am hoping it will be worth the effort.

Dave · #4 12-12-2006, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua

What is an EUB?

Isnt it an electric upright bass?

tplyons · #5 12-12-2006, 08:47 PM

As long as you don't confuse the Dean thing for an EUB, you're fine.

Get a teacher, the transition isn't difficult, but it's not easy either.

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #6 12-12-2006, 09:01 PM

I bought my electric upright in early 1999. In my opinion, it is great for playing Salsa and, in general, tropical music that doesn't involve slapping or chording. But if you're thinking of an EUB for playing jazz, I think that not even an EUB can replace the warmth and expressiveness of an acoustic upright, a key component of a nice jazz band.

bongomania · #7 12-12-2006, 10:18 PM

Hey that's a Sendel, isn't it? How do you like it? There was one on Ebay recently, and I was debating bidding on it.

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #8 12-13-2006, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Hey that's a Sendel, isn't it? How do you like it? There was one on Ebay recently, and I was debating bidding on it.

Yes, man. It's a Sendel and it's a very playable and good-sounding instrument. My only complaint is its low volume, very noticeable when I bring it along with my Bongo to a gig, but with a decent amp, it works really fine.

**bassybill** · #9 12-13-2006, 11:47 AM

I'm getting very close to dropping the cash on a Palatino. I know they have a mixed reputation, to say the least, but at that price I see it as an (almost) affordable way to conduct the experiment into uprightness for me. The bass is $600, the shipping is $360 (!!!) but with the favourable exchange rate at the moment it will work out about £600 for me all in, including the dreaded VAT and import duties. That's just about okay as I have some fairly regular gigs coming where I can use this if I can nail the tunes okay on it, and I'm pretty confident that's doable.

pointbass · #10 12-13-2006, 12:17 PM

Having grown up playing DB, I have been unable to get comfortable with any of the current crop of EUB's mostly due to the small size of the bodies. The only EUB I was ever comfortable on was a Baby Bass, but they're out of my financial justification point right now. So I just use a DB when the situation warrants ....

The Palatino's have that tubular bar thing that extends off of the body to simulate the side of a standard DB, but it's kind of uncomfortable for me. But if you're not a DB player you might be really comfortable with any of the newer EUB's ...

Don W · #11 12-13-2006, 01:25 PM

I bought an Ergo EUB about six months ago as a way to transition into playing an Upright.

Good price and a pretty nice instrument. I have a lot of fun playing it and I'm not nearly as intimidated about leaning to play a real upright as I used to be.

Plus Jesse, the guy that makes Ergos is a really good guy to deal with.

**bassybill** · #12 12-14-2006, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassybill

I'm getting very close to dropping the cash on a Palatino. I know they have a mixed reputation, to say the least, but at that price I see it as an (almost) affordable way to conduct the experiment into uprightness for me. The bass is $600, the shipping is $360 (!!!) but with the favourable exchange rate at the moment it will work out about £600 for me all in, including the dreaded VAT and import duties. That's just about okay as I have some fairly regular gigs coming where I can use this if I can nail the tunes okay on it, and I'm pretty confident that's doable.

I DID IT!!

Now when it's delivered, all I have to do is learn to play it.

Bruce Lindfield · #13 12-14-2006, 07:17 AM

I have been playing an NS CR5 EUB for a few years now and have posted many times in the special EUB forum that we have here !!

= Do a search Noob!!

Mark Perry · #14 12-14-2006, 07:32 AM

I've had my double bass for almost a year now (got it a couple of days after christmas) I developed some really bad habbits after playing it in church a few times. I'd get Rufus Reids dvd the evolving bassist, thats very good at showing proper positioning, and explains the techniques as well. You should start with lessons if you can, theres nothing more frustrating than playing an instrument for almost a year, and then realising how bad your technique has become. In any case playing a DB is very satisfying and worth the cash / pain / and frustration.

pklima · #15 12-14-2006, 07:34 AM

I got the idea that being able to bow would be nice (maybe from Polish traditional folk music), thought EUB would be a less expensive and scary way to get there, bought a BSX EUB sometime like 1998 or 1999, and about a year and a half sold it to get a DB. These days I only touch my BGs when doing recording that requires them. Haven't played a BG gig this year yet - auditioned or rehearsed with a few bands but none of them went anywhere.

wateroftyne · #16 12-14-2006, 07:35 AM

On a whim, I took the plunge a few years back and bought a Bassix EUB.

Luckily, despite only having experience with fretted BG, I gelled with it straight away, and I was gigging & recording with it within a couple of weeks. I've used it solidly ever since.

If I were you, I'd hang on and try and buy a used Palatino just in case you decide it's not for you. Hopefully it will be, but you never know...

Bruce Lindfield · #17 12-14-2006, 08:09 AM

This Summer I met somebody who used to post here a bit - haven't seen him around recently - but he bought a Palatino and didn't really like the tone - too scratchy and had other problems - he sold it and got an NS bass :

Here was his comment from TB :

06-23-2005, 09:03 AM
RIKODRIKO
Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Brighton UK.

Yep it did i guess, but not knowing anything about EUBs at the time i had no reference to copmpare it too, so to me it sounded ace at the time. I thought it was a good buy at the time - but now i have my NS, which is far far better, but costs 4 times the price.

Defo compared to the NS it sounds a bit brittle and crackly, but i would still recommend it for someone who has never played before.

maybe im contradicting myself here a bit....

**bassybill** · #18 12-14-2006, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

I have been playing an NS CR5 EUB for a few years now and have posted many times in the special EUB forum that we have here !!

= Do a search Noob!!

As I explained earlier in the thread, I quite deliberately chose not to post on the DB side precisely because I wished to avoid this sort of nonsense!

Seriously, though - thanks to Bruce and all you folks for the comments about the Palatino, EUBs in general and the no doubt necessary related tuition. I'm aware this instrument is far from the top of the list as far as EUBs go, but I'm pretty confident it will do for me as a beginner, based on what I've read, and if not I can flip it without major loss. I wouldn't spend any more at the moment, although it's quite likely that I'll get GAS for something more expensive later, I suppose, judging by my past history of buying habits.

**bassybill** · #19 12-14-2006, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Perry

I've had my double bass for almost a year now (got it a couple of days after christmas) I developed some really bad habbits after playing it in church a few times. I'd get Rufus Reids dvd the evolving bassist, thats very good at showing proper positioning, and explains the techniques as well. You should start with lessons if you can, theres nothing more frustrating than playing an instrument for almost a year, and then realising how bad your technique has become. In any case playing a DB is very satisfying and worth the cash / pain / and frustration.

Thanks, I'm going to check out the DVDs available for instruction on the net right now, great idea. I'll be sure to look out for that one.

Bruce Lindfield · #20 12-15-2006, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassybill

As I explained earlier in the thread, I quite deliberately chose not to post on the DB side precisely because I wished to avoid this sort of nonsense!

But you missed the point - there is a special part of the forum just for EUBs - created specially to avoid comments from DB players looking down their noses at them - which used to happen..

So the EUB forum was set up with special guidelines that DB players should not post if they were only going to say things like : get a proper DB!