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Double Bass Amplifying Bitones

koricancowboy

koricancowboy

Supporting Member
Jun 10, 2003
810
414
#1
Hi everyone,

Has anyone come up with a good solution to amplifying bitones ala Mark Dresser without major luthier work? I prefer not to spend thousands or even hundreds. Maybe a <$100 solution. Thanks everyone!

Oz
 
#2
No one I guess. In case you were wondering, bitones are the notes played behind the fingered note, i.e. on the nut side instead of the bridge side of any fingered note.
 
Last edited:
#6
Mark Dresser started out with basically a P-Bass pickup installed on his bass. Mark did eventually get pickups from Bill Bartolini after Fred Firth showed him the pickups he made him. A sculptor named Don Jacobson made him a pickup that I guess attached to the bass and he used that pickup for a while. He's now using pickups built by Kent Mclagan that are installed in his fingerboard called the Giffus.

I've had moderate success getting bitones to project in some recordings where I have a mic placed up near my fingerboard. I've had some success doing two handed continuous glasses and tapping like techniques in performances with some drummers. Otherwise I only try to use them when I'm not playing with a drummer. For me I know it's something I have to be very sensitive about when to use appropriately since I don't have and should never have a Giffus of my one. Everything Mark Dresser and Bert Turetzky have done though is absolutely inspiring and always worth exploring.

Installing a pickup in or under the nut (alla Fred Firth) could be a great place to start! Otherwise I think it's going to be hard to find a fairly cheap way to amplify them. It's either going to involve some sort of pickup installed in the fingerboard and or nut, or an attachable pickup. There's a great interview Mark did for Contrabass Conversations (I'll attach the link) last November and he mentions that he still is exploring bitones as of now. I hope I'm not discouraging you though! I do love bitones and use them in some contexts but it's something as of now I'm not focused too heavily on. Try contacting Mark though to talk about some ideas. He's a wonderful person and, I find, very open to sharing some of his knowledge. Best of luck in your explorations!



Silevesq said:
Anyone would like to point me in the right direction according to "Bitones". Will definitely check Mark Dresser, but if you have other stuff that I should look at please share them. Thanks :)
Click to expand...

So I hope I don't get too wordy with my explanation of a bitone. The definition itself is just what you would expect, two tones being sounded at once. Mark Dresser is the one for bitones. Bert Turetzky talks about them in his book "The Contemporary Contrabass" and I guess used them (@damonsmith do you know of any pieces/recordings of Turetzky where he uses bitones?) Also check out Bert Turetzky. He's Mark Dresser's teacher. Here is a link to a video from Mark Dresser's instructional video "Guts" describing some of the techniques he uses to play bitones.

 
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#7
Silevesq said:
Anyone would like to point me in the right direction according to "Bitones". Will definitely check Mark Dresser, but if you have other stuff that I should look at please share them. Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Hey there. Make sure you find a copy of Guts by Mark Dresser it has a big packet of extended techniques he uses. In it is a map of bitones. It is a great resource. I believe it’s out of print but shouldn’t be hard to find. It contains a DVD, a small booklet, the PDF of all his techniques and some sheet music, and a CD music. So much for so little. I believe I paid $30.
 
#8
Sean Riddle said:
Mark Dresser started out with basically a P-Bass pickup installed on his bass. Mark did eventually get pickups from Bill Bartolini after Fred Firth showed him the pickups he made him. A sculptor named Don Jacobson made him a pickup that I guess attached to the bass and he used that pickup for a while. He's now using pickups built by Kent Mclagan that are installed in his fingerboard called the Giffus.

I've had moderate success getting bitones to project in some recordings where I have a mic placed up near my fingerboard. I've had some success doing two handed continuous glasses and tapping like techniques in performances with some drummers. Otherwise I only try to use them when I'm not playing with a drummer. For me I know it's something I have to be very sensitive about when to use appropriately since I don't have and should never have a Giffus of my one. Everything Mark Dresser and Bert Turetzky have done though is absolutely inspiring and always worth exploring.

Installing a pickup in or under the nut (alla Fred Firth) could be a great place to start! Otherwise I think it's going to be hard to find a fairly cheap way to amplify them. It's either going to involve some sort of pickup installed in the fingerboard and or nut, or an attachable pickup. There's a great interview Mark did for Contrabass Conversations (I'll attach the link) last November and he mentions that he still is exploring bitones as of now. I hope I'm not discouraging you though! I do love bitones and use them in some contexts but it's something as of now I'm not focused too heavily on. Try contacting Mark though to talk about some ideas. He's a wonderful person and, I find, very open to sharing some of his knowledge. Best of luck in your explorations!





So I hope I don't get too wordy with my explanation of a bitone. The definition itself is just what you would expect, two tones being sounded at once. Mark Dresser is the one for bitones. Bert Turetzky talks about them in his book "The Contemporary Contrabass" and I guess used them (@damonsmith do you know of any pieces/recordings of Turetzky where he uses bitones?) Also check out Bert Turetzky. He's Mark Dresser's teacher. Here is a link to a video from Mark Dresser's instructional video "Guts" describing some of the techniques he uses to play bitones.

Click to expand...


Hey thanks a bunch for chiming in. I figured as much regarding the solution. I think I’m going to try finding a realist type pickup and try that out. I was hoping for something a bit cleaner looking. Maybe I’ll have the cable lengthened and shoved under the fingerboard. A cheap solution is probably not in the cards. Well I guess at least I’ll be able to A/B or volume pedal ala Mark. Thanks again!
 
#11
A normal amp picks them up pretty well, though with a lower dynamic than on the bridge side. I use them as low dynamic material, I can even get them to work acoustically in many settings. I did think of trying to get such a pick-up installed in my EUB, but, even the normal pick up kept failing and I ultimately "broke up" with the EUB in favor of borrowing basses and now the Chadwick Hybrid.
If I ever get a working pick up into my old Ergo, I might try to get a nut pick up in. I think Dresser has them in under the fingerboard at this point!
 
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#14
Thanks all. I was looking for a cheap way. I guess there is nothing cheap. I am aware of some of the more costly solutions but was hoping someone figured out a solution <$100 ad I said in the original post. Thanks for all the suggestions!
 
#15
Probably something like this, if you don't mind a little heavy breathing with your bi-tones!
Invalid Link Removed

koricancowboy said:
Thanks all. I was looking for a cheap way. I guess there is nothing cheap. I am aware of some of the more costly solutions but was hoping someone figured out a solution <$100 ad I said in the original post. Thanks for all the suggestions!
Click to expand...
 
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