• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass 2 questions about Yamaha SLB300

I

Ib Andersen

Jun 1, 2024
4
0
#1
Hi

I'm seriously considering buying a SLB300, but since there's no dealer near me, I cant try it our first, so I have a couple of questions.
My current regular double bass has approx the same string length as SLB300, so this is no concern to me, but:

1. I play standing and if I hold the bass straight up with the endpin in my preferred position and measure from floor to the nut, it measures 72 inches. Will the SLB300 be able to match this?

2. My current bass has a D-neck. What about the SLB300?

Best regards
Ib
 
#6
[QUOTE="...measure from floor to the nut, it measures 72 inches. Will the SLB300 be able to match this?
2. My current bass has a D-neck. What about the SLB300?...b[/QUOTE]

My SLB300 has a D Neck.

The End Pin extended allows for 72" elevation above floor to nut. Not much more though.
Any more than like 73" I would need a longer replacement 5/8" diameter pipe.

Lovely instrument by the way.

Cheers
 
#8
I received my new SLB300 yesterday, and I like it very much. So easy to assemble, no noise with/without SRT, endpin long enough for my height (6'2), like the feeling of the strings (have Spirocore medium on my 2 'standard' Uprights) and the sound is great for jazz (I use a Acoustic Image Coda S4), but I'm somehow disappointed with the rosewood fingerboard (was in the market for the SLB300PRO with the ivory fingerboard, but Yamaha Sweden said that it was discontinued)
I bought my 2 'standard' Uprights second hand, and had their ivory fingerboards dressed by a luthier right away, and they are completely smooth. On the factory new SLB300 I can feel a little 'roughness' to my fingertips here and there, nothing that affects the playing, but I notice it every time my fingertips reach the areas.
Thought about carefully trying to smooth it with some very fine grit sandpaper. Do you guys think thats an option, or should I take it to a luthier?
 
#9
I used to switch back and forth between upright bass and an NS Design EUB.

I believe the mensure on both instruments was close to 42", but not exactly the same. Also setup was not exactly the same as the NS Design was intended to sound more like a fretless bass guitar.

When playing through an amp at a volume where the instruments were clearly audible, I could easily switch without intonation problems.

When playing the upright in a symphonic setting, where it's much harder to hear, I found switching instruments really degraded my intonation. In this situation I find precise hand calibration to be essential. So a few days before rehearsals started for symphonic performances, I would put the NS Design away and pull out Simandl to dial in my intonation.

I played fretted bass guitar and it had no impact on my intonation. Never could get comfortable on fretless bass guitar...which is why I had my organization by the NS Design.

I demoed the previous top of the line Yamaha 200 series EUB and the sound and it was by far the closest to reproducing an authentic upright experience of any EUB I have tried. I have not played the current Yamaha offerings.
 
#10
Ib Andersen said:
I received my new SLB300 yesterday, and I like it very much. So easy to assemble, no noise with/without SRT, endpin long enough for my height (6'2), like the feeling of the strings (have Spirocore medium on my 2 'standard' Uprights) and the sound is great for jazz (I use a Acoustic Image Coda S4), but I'm somehow disappointed with the rosewood fingerboard (was in the market for the SLB300PRO with the ivory fingerboard, but Yamaha Sweden said that it was discontinued)
I bought my 2 'standard' Uprights second hand, and had their ivory fingerboards dressed by a luthier right away, and they are completely smooth. On the factory new SLB300 I can feel a little 'roughness' to my fingertips here and there, nothing that affects the playing, but I notice it every time my fingertips reach the areas.
Thought about carefully trying to smooth it with some very fine grit sandpaper. Do you guys think thats an option, or should I take it to a luthier?
Click to expand...

First, congrats on your purchase - a killer EUB if you ask me ( yeh, it rhymes ). And I know 1/100th of what these guys like the above know about this topic.

But my gut tells me to tell you NOT to take sandpaper to that fingerboard yourself, and have a good luthier give you his/her advice first. Either that, or suck it up :)
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back