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Double Bass a few q's

F

Fishbrain

Dec 8, 2000
1,910
4
38
England, Liverpool
www.mattlawtonbass.com
Disclosures
Endorsing Artist: Warwick Bass and Amp
#1
iv had a quick look through some old posts and cant really find what im looking for. i play electric bass at the mo and want to take up th upright bass too. i'd be mainly just messin round on it but i'd also use it in my experimental rock band. i'd want to run it through effects and things too probably.

am i better with electric or acoustic?

can u recommend anythin?

and could i run it through my bass rig or would i need new amplification? i'm runnin and ampeg svt head and two warwick cabs, the 411 and 115.

thanks =)
 
#2
You should be able to use your current bass rig. Uprights sound different, and many of the recommendations for a good upright amp are to maximize the "natural" sound of the bass, rather than the sound of the amp.

If you're just gonna mess around and carry it to gigs, you'll probably do better off with an electric. Cheaper, easier to take to gigs and practices, and already set up for amplification.

Ultimately, though, it's going to come down to sound. Acoustics sound different from EUBs since the body creates a good portion of the overall sound. EUBs pretty much come from the strings and the quality of the wood used. Do note that playing upright is a different beast from electric bass guitar, and many of the techniques are different or not as applicable.
 
#3
Yes, sound is a major part of the equation but a couple of other issues have to do with how loud you play and if you have a sound man.

If you play quite loud and/or your whole band is very loud you will encounter feedback problems with an acoustic instrument. If you don't have a sound man to ride the faders and eq and/or some automated feedback control in your rack, it can be difficult to control. Of course the venue, and if you are in the PA or not and have to run loud stage volume will make a difference too. Also if you use certain effects on an acoustic, it can kick off some feedback problems.

It is also true that the type of pickup you use on an acoustic will effect feedback. Anything that picks up a lot of body, like a pickup under the bridge foot or some microphones, is more likely to cause problems. The pickups that tend to give less feedback problems are sometimes the ones that will make an acoustic instrument more like an electric. It is a dilemma faced by a lot of players.

Peace,
S
 
#4
Fishbrain said:
... i'd be mainly just messin round on it but i'd also use it in my experimental rock band. i'd want to run it through effects and things too probably.
Click to expand...

Acoustic bass might cause you a lot of problems in that regard, but only you will know for sure. I play all kinds of music on EBG and EUB, but I sold my DB a long time ago and haven't really regretted it. Every time I breeze into a gig with my EUB and Ampeg PortaBass rig, I just smile. Played a jazz gig a couple of weeks ago and my little three-piece combo opened up for a bigger band (three horns, guitar, keys, bass, drums,) The other bass player had a "real" double bass, but he kept asking me about my cheap little Palatino EUB. I let him play it on a couple of tunes and he was really liking it, so I think I've made the right choice for my types of music.

Only you can decide what kind of bass you need for your type of music.

Matt Farrow
 

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