Baby Bass megathread

I can't talk about the newly reissued Baby Bass, but I've owned an old (made in the '60s) one for several years.
The plastic body was made of uvex and was definitely subject to warping because of the heat and pressure in the long term.
The tone with the original bridge and magnetic pickup (under the bridge feet) was quite thud-like.
Very little sustain but very percussive and dark.
It's considered the best for cuban/salsa music, but I'm not sure this is the kind of tone you're seeking.
I myself had replaced the bridge/pickup system with a maple bridge plus Underwood bass pickup and I had a nice tone very suitable for jazz.

Now, as I said, maybe the new model is a different beast with a different tone though.

I sold mine for $US1500 and it was in top shape, but you could find some for maybe US$1000.

Hope this helps!

 

The reissue was built for Ampeg by Steve Azola (Ray Ramirez in Puero Rico also makes Baby Bass copies) and cost WAY more than the real ones. I had one for a number of years, I still see them around for $1000-1500 used, but the reissues were like $3000!!! Of course they came with wood bridges and more modern pickups, but still...

Personally for that price, any of a number of other EUBs would be a better choice, although most are sticks and look pretty silly.

 

I'll third (or fourth) the opinion that the original BB was a thud machine. I sold mine, too, for the same reasons.

I played the reissue for quite a while in a store and it is quite nice, but as mentioned, there are a lot of instruments out there to choose from. Many are good attempts at duplicating the URB feel and sound, some are fretless electrics in URB suits.

If you haven't already found my Double Bass Links Page - http://www.gollihur.com/kkbass/basslink.html - visit and you'll find over 100 EUB makers along with info about a EUB evaluation database and a discussion group (minimal activity). That may help in the resource dept. to help you set your aim.

 

As I recall (over 20yrs ago!) it was quite easy to play, and the adjustable neck angle is a nice feature. As you mention, there are some online resources for upgrading and repairing the existing magnetic pickup. Personally, I'd just be sure that the instrument had good sustain and I think I'd look into replacing the bridge with a wood one.

The updated model had a wooden bridge and a K&K Bass Max in one side (which is what Steve Azola uses in his other basses as well) along with the updated magnetic pickup. I would go that way, or perhaps look into a pair of Bass Maxes (one out of phase with the other) if necessary, also mimicing what Azola does with some of his latest instruments.

I am assuming you have the URLs, but you will find a link to the Unofficial Ampeg web site with baby bass info on my Double Bass Links Page - http://www.gollihur.com/kkbass/basslink.html in the EUB section

I'll also second Chris' comment (and echo my own prior one) about the Eminence basses, as well as Azolas.

You may also want to ponder making your own, which is what I did.

 

Nil, check your private messages for my reply.

 

I went to the used music store near the Peabody and saw this crazy EUB. It's an Ampeg upright that's gotta be 30 years old. It's so wierd looking: the body is made of wood, about 1/3 the size of a normal upright, then it's surrounded by a 3 inch "bumper" made of plastic. The bridge is made of metal, either aluminum or stainless steel, and the volume knob is located right below it. The guy wanted $1600 for it. Anybody know anything about this bass? Is the price unreasonable for one in fair condition?

 

It's an Ampeg Baby Bass. The body is NOT wood, it's fiberglass

The bridge feet extend into the body and have small coils wrapped around them, so the pickup is actually a magnetic system but detects bridge motion rather than string motion.

$1600 is on the high side of the going rate.

 

Cool. Thanks, Brian!

 

I recently bought an Ampeg Baby Bass presumably from the later 60's. It was strung up with an astounding sounding set of Gut strings, plain D and G and Silver wound E and A. The A string was shreaded with the silver wrapper was coming off everywhere. I thought I'd try some other strings so I tried a set of Helicore Hybrids (Med) which sounded a whole lot like my Fender fretless (been there done that). Lost all those short notes and big round tone. Felt like super light flatwound electric bass strings. Hated them. Took those off and put on a new set of Labella 980's gut. That set, the E was dead or falsing, the A sounded pretty good, and the D and G were hollow sounding. I played two 3 set nights on them. Thought they might break in but I don't think so. I'll keep those as spares.

I put the E D and G from the orginal old set back on with the A from the Labella's and that sounds great again. Big fat tone, real big notes that have little to no sustain. Great for the Country and Salsa things I'm doing.

I'm probably going to use that set for awhile. Meanwhile I'm thinking ahead to when these things finally give up. I fear not to long from now. The E is already blacking out pretty good. They are kind of drifty and need frequent tuning. I'd prefer to just get a fresher set of the old things.

Thing is I can't figure out what these old things are. I've surfed around here and on Quinn's site and other places trying to ID these old Guts. They have Purple wrapper on the silvered strings on both ends. Maybe what looks like a little greenish thread underneath. The plain guts have nothing on them anywhere. They feel lighter in tension than the Labella's. Any guesses?

The local double bass guys are suggesting I try Spirocore's, Supernil's and Labella Black tapewounds. I'm still thinking gut. Pirastro Eudoxa and Olive's perhaps? Or Velvet Garbo's? Overkill with the Baby Bass? Any opinions?

 

I think labella makes ampeg upright strings...check
http://www.lemurmusic.com

 

Purple on both ends? If your E&A are flat-wound, they sound like Thomastik Dominants, which are actually perlon-core, designed to emulate gut. Your plain guts could be anything. If you're looking to get a complete new set, Lemur sells 'European Gut' (Efrano) sets for under $200, and Bob Gollihur sells Lenzners for about the same... Pretty affordable, as guts go.

 

In fact, they offer several DB strings sets in BB lenghts, but not a specific BB strings set.

 

[Brent Norton]"Purple on both ends? If your E&A are flat-wound, they sound like Thomastik Dominants, which are actually perlon-core, designed to emulate gut."

Could be, but If you mean flat wound like the helicore wrap its more like a roundwound. Pretty thin like small round gage wire. Interesting thought though. Perhaps a synthetic gut may be more usefull in regular giging.

 

For those of you that might be interested I've installed Spirocore solo strings in orchestra tuning on the Baby at the urging of some Salsa players. They don't have the roundness of tone or the warmth of gut but they are very consistent and punchy sounding. They have super sustain (almost to much) and clear clean note that is very useful and easier to play with than the guts I've used up to now. This is a tone I wasn't really expecting out of the Baby Bass. I have some Eudoxa's waiting in the wings for when I get bored with the Spiros but so far I'm digging the spiros. I've played a handfull of gigs with them and all is well. I've got a wood bridge with the K&K bass max pickup in a wing coming from Azola for more tone options and will post a review of that after I install it.

Ok I know it's a Baby Bass and not a real URB but hey someone may be scanning for this experience so here you go.

 

Anyone out there having experience with or knowledge about Colombian Baby Basses? I have come across at least four makers in the city of Cali making Baby Basses (i.e. old style Ampeg fiberglass body basses). I guess to some extent it reflects the popularity of salsa music in Latin America, plus it´s probably rather easy to make molds for the fiberglass bodies (all these guys also make conga drums). It seems they also make their own diaphragm pickups.

The makers are Bladimir "Blady" Torres (website http://www.valgame.com/html2/bladimir_basses.htm), Sendel (by one Fernando Garcia Mesa), M.O.G. (by Mauro Ortega), and Simet.

Some of their basses are straight Ampeg replicas, some have smaller bodies and headless necks, and some of them are quite futuristic, often finished in bright metallic paint.

I can´t say how they stand up to vintage Ampeg or new Azola or Ramirez basses, but the fact that one small Colombian town holds four bass makers is intriguing. I suspect there may be even more such bass makers in Latin America - I have seen several offering "baby basses", but then again it´s quite often used as a synonym for EUB.

(Pls no jokes about crack in the necks and other references to Colombian pharmaceutical export...)