Best Model for Upright Bass sound

[Grissle]

Heres a quick dirty example of my Jazz with Tapewounds direct into GarageBand

 

[Downunderwonder]

If your left thumb gets sore from hyper extending it, ie folding it backwards under the neck, you're doing it wrong.

Use a round grip. Your thumb gets tired but with practice you wind up with a better grip with your left hand than your right.

 

[Roy Vogt]

Thumb pluck and palm mute.

+1 That's my strategy if I have to get an upright sound on a tune. Ed Friedland did a column on this in Bass Player.

 

[Nephilymbass]

I rarely use the sound but when i do i really want it to sound authentic so my preference is using virtual instruments (what i actually use are samples of real instruments not digital tones) that I can record with a midi controller then put on the digitech jamman. If you can't play keyboard pr you really want to do it live there are a few midi pickups and midi converters out there so you can play the midi with your bass live. But it involves a laptop or a unit like the peavey musebox and midi converter

 

[BobWestbrook]

For a mute pad I sometimes use a lambs wool applicator pad for putting poly on wood floors, cut to a narrow strip to fit between pickup and bridge. Works pretty good if you get the right thickness.

 

[seang15]

Anybody say piezo yet?

Piezo, compressed, HPF. THUMB MUTE technique.

 

[totallyfrozen]

Even if the pedal DOES come out, it still won't be exact. The biggest question from the builder's standpoint would be "Will it be CLOSE ENOUGH that it'll set itself apart from the other DIY effect options that musicians are using right now?"

I mentioned that I use a delay to help approximate the sound. Would an "upright emulator" be enough for me to plunk down the cash and get it? No, because I already have the delay, and since the new pedal won't be able to match it exactly, there's no real need.

Right hand technique is always going to be key, because without it, you're still playing an electric bass. And since upright players do not typically use the tips of their fingers to play, there will always be that difference, which has a tremendous impact on tone.

When it really comes down to it, find out what qualities you want to mimic from the upright tone and sound, and figure out how to emulate THAT, not just "I want my electric to sound like an upright." Because when it really comes down to it, you're probably going to be the only one that cares, or even notices it enough.

Well, I see your point. As it is now, I just use R hand palm muting and thumb plucking w/the highs rolled off the tone knob. I know a lot of other guys do this too. Fine, but does that actually mimic an upright tone? Or could we just say it sounds like a P-bass palm muted with the highs rolled off being plucked with the thumb?
I have a Danelectro delay that imitates an old skool tape delay. I suppose that could add a bit of a Rockabilly feel to the sound (if that's what you want) but I'm not sure a delay aides too much in mimicking an upright bass either.
Using a fretless P-bass might help too.
What am I looking for in a pedal? Honestly, I'm not sure. I don't know what I'd want a pedal to do for an upright sound. I guess I'd want something that combines all those elements into one pedal. I don't even know if that's possible or if its the best way.

 

[Jon Moody]

Fine, but does that actually mimic an upright tone? Or could we just say it sounds like a P-bass palm muted with the highs rolled off being plucked with the thumb?

Well, according to whom?

Here's why I mention that. My main gig is musical theatre, and there are a lot of times I have no room in the pit to bring my EUB (or when I had it, my URB), so I bring an electric and do the typical palm-muted techniques.

I have gotten numerous comments from patrons saying "Where's the string bass?" after the show and then marveling that I got that sound out of my electric (and a very hi-fi sounding one at that). Are they experts in bass sound reproduction or tone? Clearly not, but they enjoyed it and to them, they were entertained and maybe a bit amazed at what you can do.

Is palm muting exact? No, but it's pretty close. And in the field, I seriously doubt someone is going to stand up in the middle of a show I'm doing and say "That book is supposed to be played on an upright, damnit! Honey, get up; we're leaving!"

So, back to the question. According to the patrons, I nailed that "upright" tone with my palm muting. According to the Music Director that hired me, the palm muting works really well in situations where I can't bring the EUB. As far as I'm concerned, that's enough for me.

 

[markanini]

I temporarily attached a guitar soundhole pickup on my bass with LaBella flatwounds. The results were surprisingly convincing: Invalid Link Removed

 

[paganjack]

fretless p-bass (or semi-hollow) flats and a foam mute.

 

[missbassfreak]

fretless p-bass (or semi-hollow) flats and a foam mute.

great for the upright bass sound!!

try it!!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f233/patton-mute-pad-985663/

 

[PaulieBe]

All of the above are good suggestions: the palm-muting, picks, note duration, short scale hollow bodies and listening to Joey Spampinato!

For me the real key is listening and absorbing the upright bass recordings to cop the sound of the air-push, the lack of tone and the note duration/decay- there is a big difference in upright tones between say, Paul Chambers and Big Crawford. Also, the function of the upright in a lot of roots music like jump swing and Check Berry era rock n roll (again, Joey,) can really dictate the way in which you are trying to cop the fake upright sound.

I personally think that muted electric thing kind of fails in a jazz context but in roots music, blues and jump swing, it really has its own unique thing. Also, country, country swing, blues and other contexts where the upright is thumping along really lends itself to this idea.

Watch Joey Spampinato on the 80's Chuck Berry doc 'Hail Hail Rock And Roll' He and Steve Jordan revamp that classic straight/swing groove and make something new and powerful out of it.

 

[pietrocefa]

Listen to great Steve Swallow, piezo PU, and copper pick hits on the very end of neck. IMHO (I play both) a subtle reverb can helps greatly. Regarding the use of the pick seems absurd, but using a good tecnique with the right moves (upstroke) works perfectly for jazz walking.