Double Bass Best EUB for Tumbao sound

[Paquita_Bass]

Hello all,

I am a bit lost with EUB as I am only familliar with bass guitar. I am living in France and playing with a Fender Jazz Bass in a salsa band, I would like to have a true tumbao sound, and I am searching for a EUB to buy, if possible in France, if not in Europe.
Azola or Sendel seems to be the best references, but seems that no stores distribute these brands here.
My questions are:
- do you recommend an affordable "polyvalent" EUB models such as Aria SWB Series (available here in Europe) or should I go directly for a Baby Bass from Azola, Sendel or Ramirez ?

If I go for a Baby Bass, how does this sound for kind of music such as Swing Jazz ?

Thanks you for your help,

Regards,

Andry

 

[Rvl]

I have an Aria SWB Lite
Mine has both piezo and magnetic pickups
Piezo sounds best with the treble rolled off

The SWB 04 comes with a rosewood fingerboard , the rest of them come with painted maple. All the Arias use the same pickups and electronics.

I will also get an Azola in the future
Am waiting until a used one comes available


Personally
I would wait for a used Aria with piezo/magnetic
OR
Look for a used Azola and have it shipped to France
(but I too am looking for a used one)


Azola
-fingerboard is better
-the piezo sounds better
-Lightning bug has a hardcase(I need one for travelling)
-I really want to try the Latin option (but dont know what it is yet)

Aria
-mine has a magnetic pickup......I like it
-was much cheaper than an Azola(year end sale)
-electronics are good
-replaced the Pyramid strings with Gollihur's favorite (for the life of me I cant remember what they are)
-all the hardware works great and no problems
-I have the oak finish and dont like the other colors
-has side markers , which I like(especially after the audience has bought me a few beer)

But the big thing for me was money
Azola's here are $5000 and my Aria was much much much cheaper

Thanks and I hope you are happy with whichever you buy

Robert VanLane

 

[Rvl]

Dont know anything about Sendel , but they do look nice
Baby Basses are great but they are awkward to carry and travel with

 

[jsbarber]

I have an Azola Acoustic Bug Bass. It is the bug bass shape, with a spruce top and ash sides and back. Generally speaking, as the bass gets larger and as you move from solid body to hollow body the sound gets progressively closer to a DB. I chose the Acoustic Bug Bass because it retains the compactness but is a hollow, carved instrument.

Living in San Diego I have had a chance to visit Steve and Jill a few times, as I can drive to their place in about 40 minutes. They are very customer service oriented, and fun to talk with. You might want to look into ordering one, as the Euro is very strong these days. I also bought the hardcase for my bug bass, which I don't think they offer any more. The other nice thing about the Azola is that the string height is adjustable through a hinged neck.

But to answer your question "How does it sound?". It is not a double bass, and you don't get something for nothing. It loses some of the DB magic when you give up so much size. It will never bow like a carved DB that is for sure. But everything is a compromise. You must find something that meets your needs, and you can always have multiple instruments.

Jim

Jim

 

[pandrew]

i suggest an Eminence Travel Bass

 

[Rick McLaughlin]

Hello Andry,
For a variety of sounds, including sounds that work great in both jazz and salsa settings, I would check out AlterEGO basses, the babyEGO in particular. I endorse the Acoustic line and play my Acoustic Figaro when I play gigs that have straight ahead jazz, salsa, and various types of African music. I had two babyEGOs briefly and found that they played very nicely and that they sounded great in a variety of settings also. AlterEGO has a sponsored forum here (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=184), the website is here (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=184), and a link to my review of the Acoustic Figaro is here (Invalid Link Removed).
Best
Rick McLaughlin

 

[Paquita_Bass]

Thanks much to all for your advice and help.
I tried some full acoustic double bass this morning, and really sounds like I need a baby bass.
Sendel is making good offer for AMPEG TRADITIONAL: 1200 euros including shipment, cover bag and 2 years warranty.
Does anybody already buy from Sendel from Europe or US (I mean pay a deposit to the manufacturer via Westner Union and then be shipped the babybass) ? Is it safe ?

Regards,

Andry

 

[wxfloyd]

you can easily take a NS Design WAV4 bass and make it sound VERY much like a baby bass. I did something similar with my old Ergo bass, and it was VERY convincing! check out this video from bassist Joey Hernandez
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG5c-kYcneo
go to his website http://www.joeyhernandez.com/live/
click on the "photos" tab and then click "Setup". the last picture is how he makes his WAV4 get a good tumbao tone. You simply take some foam and place it under the strings right next the fingerboard-side of the bridge.

Now if you are playing in a salsa band and want the classsic sound AND look, you can't beat a baby bass. I've heard good things about Sendel, and I've emailed with them about buying one. I've just not taken the plunge yet. good luck!

 

[chema]

i have an ampeg baby bass and i love it. i play latin music and funk (primarily) on it and find that, while it doesnt quite sound like a real upright, it has a sound all its own which is beautiful and buttery. ive played a ray ramirez bass and liked the feel and balance alot more but, again the tone on those classic salsa albums i loved was made with an original baby bass.

i also use a fender jazz bass as my touring ax (still looking for a hard case) and have found that, through using flatwound or tapedwound strings and playing either a.lightly on the neck between the frets on the fretboard or b. with palm muting and thumb thumping, you can approximate a pretty good tumbao tone. or, if thats the only tone youll be using, you can do like el mariachi and slide some foam under the strings. in certain quiet gig situations ive even stuffed a rag or napkins under the strings to good result.

another paart of the tumbao sound is in the phrasing and economy of notes used. baby bass players cant execute the same as electric bass players given the physics of an eub and the thumpier/unsustained sound it produces.

that being said, as a fan of and professional performer of latin music, i cant recommend the original ampeg baby bass enough for achieving the true tone and feel of classic salsa.

im sure there are other basses that are much more playable, and which can approximate the "acoustic" sound of a real bass for jazz/classical contexts. there are also basses which are way more portable and durable.

 

[Uncletoad]

i have an ampeg baby bass and i love it. ...as a fan of and professional performer of latin music, i cant recommend the original ampeg baby bass enough for achieving the true tone and feel of classic salsa.

+1. It's the exact sound. It's also not much good for jazz or anything else really. I'll never get rid of mine, for salsa there is no substitute.

 

[Paquita_Bass]

You simply take some foam and place it under the strings right next the fingerboard-side of the bridge.

Thanks very much for this, since I haven't been here I was trying to get some expertise on foam sound with bass, it is really convincing for tumbao indeed!

+1. It's the exact sound. It's also not much good for jazz or anything else really. I'll never get rid of mine, for salsa there is no substitute.

Following research on the web, questions I have asked, definitely Baby Bass is THE tumbao sound. What is critical for me was its adaptability to other style, and unfortunately the Baby Bass fit only for salsa. The discovery of foam was a great things for me, thus I decided to go for a "standard" EUB from Azola: I ordered the Bug Bass II + their "Mambo Mute" system, which I believe will make me really for Tumbao, but also will allow me to move some swing jazz after...

 

[wxfloyd]

can't go wrong with azola. top notch company

 

[maverick5.0]

IMHO the best of both worlds ... Ray Ramirez Caribbean Elite !!!! full optioned and made of native cedar !!!! this is my elite with Bartolini pick-ups,maple bridge,African fingerboard...expensive!!!! but it's like I tell my fellow salseros " buy what you like and can afford "