Best way to get upright sound?

[khutch]

I liked the suggestion to play an upright because that is the best and only way to get the upright sound. There are some other things you can try and I suspect they have all been suggested by now but I will second (or nth) them by listing them again: an electric upright bass, a Kala U-bass, and a Godin A4. An EUB will generally do a fair DB impression. I have heard clips of the Kala and Godin that sound fairly close too so they are capable if it with the right EQ and what not. Personally I use the poor man's approach: Jazz bass, flats, bridge pickup soloed, foam mute under the strings near the bridge, pluck the notes near the 12th fret. This is far, far from perfect and it will fool no one but it does sound a bit more like a DB than a Jazz bass normally does and you cannot beat the price! Assuming you already own a Jazz or Jazz-like bass....

 

[Gaolee]

Do any of the previous posters actually play Double Bass?

If you do then you know that rubber strings, ukuleles, P-basses (fretted or fretless), hollow bodies, foam, or TI Jazz flats do not make a DB sound.

One poster was correct: Get a DB.

Yes, I play a DB. No, BGs don't make a DB sound no matter what you do. They can approximate the sound, which is what the OP was attempting to do. He didn't want to buy or learn how to play a DB, so he asked a fairly simple question. It's not impossible to approach that sound, just impossible to recreate it exactly. There's a difference.

 

[Stick_Player]

Yes, I play a DB. No, BGs don't make a DB sound no matter what you do. They can approximate the sound, which is what the OP was attempting to do. He didn't want to buy or learn how to play a DB, so he asked a fairly simple question. It's not impossible to approach that sound, just impossible to recreate it exactly. There's a difference.

The biggest hurdle to overcome is to REALLY know what a DB sounds like.

When I read "foam", "tape wound strings", "ukulele", etc... I get the sense that these are NOT DB players, nor have they spent any quality time listening to a good DB players. So therefore, they are clueless.

 

[Gaolee]

Or maybe they were giving insights into what they have done that approximated the sound, in full knowledge that it is an approximation, not an exact match.

 

[FretNoMore]

EDIT: Never mind.

 

[1stnamebassist]

I play a goldtone fretted micro bass as well as a Kala fretless ubass. The strings last a really long time perhaps years if taken care of. If you are really concerned about the strings being around 10 years from now simply by a few sets. They are only about $25 a set. These micro basses are definitely not one trick ponies. I use them for all different types of music. They are a blast to play and people are always interested in what it is that your playing!

 

[vin*tone]

The biggest hurdle to overcome is to REALLY know what a DB sounds like.

When I read "foam", "tape wound strings", "ukulele", etc... I get the sense that these are NOT DB players, nor have they spent any quality time listening to a good DB players. So therefore, they are clueless.

Sigh. Or maybe they read the OP and are giving constructive suggestions rather than calling names. The guy has $400 and is not about to go buy and learn an upright. Many of us with DBs spend more than that on our pickups alone.

It took me about 4 years on a DB to be able to appreciate the difference between a $3000 and a $6000 instrument - so yeah I get what you mean.... but I still recommend he look at a Kala Ubass as a handy studio tool. He won't sound like Ron Carter but it will get him a decent take.

 

[flbass82]

In my trio, I bring my db as well as a godin a4 fretless. Now, I put Labella Black Tapes on the Godin and get a pretty cool sound for jazz, but in my opinion, still does not get the same "bloomy" sound that I can get with my upright.

If you really want that DB sound, and have a way right now to get a good sound with another instrument that comes close, I would keep saving for the DB.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Played upright since 1967. Have played fretless p-basses, and other fretless basses a great deal professionally. I play lots of electric, and very humbly play jazz frequently. A Rob Allen is nice, as is a fine carved upright, but the bassist is all that really matters.

The tone color of an upright is not one thing, and it often has plenty of highs, noise, clack, and sustain, depending on many variables.

My advice is to get any good sounding bass, record it unprocessed, AND PLAY GREAT JAZZ-STYLE LINES.
No one will care what instrument it is. Evoke it with your playing.

I could not agree more that it's the player that's what matters.

One thing I would suggest though is that if you don't play the upright and you want to capture the vibe of one go and actually spend some time with the big girl in your hands. Go to a store or better yet to friend who has one. Listening to records is fine but I think a lot of people don't really understand what a double bass really does. Most of your success depends on copping the articulation the upright requires....you need to touch your bass guitar like a double bass. Without this even a Mouse or or any other woody sounding fretless EBG won't get you as far as there is to go. With it you can do a passable job on a fretted P Bass.

 

[vmabus]

Fender Ashbory - closest I've found, used under U$200

 

[KohanMike]

I get the sense that these are NOT DB players, nor have they spent any quality time listening to a good DB players. So therefore, they are clueless.

Granted I just started learning the bass and never touched a double bass, but when I was the road manager of a singing group with a TV show, I spent 80 weeks over four years in recording studios with Ray Brown (and Monty Budwig as a sub), and now I'm the staff photographer for The Big Band of Barristers formed out of the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic (with 5 DBs). So I know what a good bass fiddle should sound like. With that I can say I think the mini u-basses do get close to the DB sound for me, not exactly, but close. That's why I went with a Gold Tone GT MicroBass with Thundergut strings, and having a smaller custom bass uke made with those strings.

 

[Korladis]

This may sound counter-intuitive, but honestly the closest sound I've heard to an upright is a fretless Rickenbacker with the neck pickup soloed.

 

[twoByFour]

Thanks to all who have provided constructive ideas. Now, I'm leaning towards getting a cheap fretless with tapewounds. It seems like fretless is really a requirement. As much as I might struggle to get good intonation on a 34" scale fretless, I think a UBass scale fretless would be really ridiculous (I know they are available).

 

[1stnamebassist]

Actually Ubass fretless is awesome unless your uncomfortable playing it in front of others which I sometimes have trouble with myself. But it's so easy to play and sounds so good I push forward! Good luck with whatever you get!

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Or maybe they were giving insights into what they have done that approximated the sound, in full knowledge that it is an approximation, not an exact match.

Maybe you're right but I'm leaning more towards clueless. The double bass is typically a very resonant, alive sounding instrument that bears little resemblance to the short thuddy notes gotten from foam mutes, palm muting, tape wounds with the high end EQ'd out....things people who don't play the instrument typically suggest. Sure a flat wound strung fretless won't hurt a bit but notice how many double bassists are commenting that your touch is the most important thing. But if some of you wanna talk about what to buy without acknowledging this best of luck to you.

 

[1stnamebassist]

As far as playing fretless on a Ubass it is extremely easy. Much easier than a full scale, at least in my experience as well as other Ubass players.

 

[Korladis]

Maybe you're right but I'm leaning more towards clueless. The double bass is typically a very resonant, alive sounding instrument that bears little resemblance to the short thuddy notes gotten from foam mutes, palm muting, tape wounds with the high end EQ'd out....things people who don't play the instrument typically suggest. Sure a flat wound strung fretless won't hurt a bit but notice how many double bassists are commenting that your touch is the most important thing. But if some of you wanna talk about what to buy without acknowledging this best of luck to you.

Yeah. This is why I think a fretless Rickenbacker is the closest sounding. An upright bass has a distinctive "woodiness" to the tone that not many electrics can imitate. For me, a true neck pickup that isn't too high in output comes closest to getting that sort of sound.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Yeah. This is why I think a fretless Rickenbacker is the closest sounding. An upright bass has a distinctive "woodiness" to the tone that not many electrics can imitate. For me, a true neck pickup that isn't too high in output comes closest to getting that sort of sound.

Anyone who doesn't believe a Ric does what you're talking about needs to take a moment here and listen to Chris Brubeck. Even so most of the vibe is coming from the fact he's articulating like you would playing a double bass.

 

[David Jayne]

Even so most of the vibe is coming from the fact he's articulating like you would playing a double bass.

+1000. It's about feel, rather than absolutes about tone. Although he gets a great sound, it's not an acoustic sound but pretty close to what Brian Bromberg gets from his DB with magnetic pickup. Feel, feel, feel.

 

[Korladis]

I'd like to get a magnetic pickup for my upright, actually.