Here's the bass page on Colorado Case (click here). I'm guessing that the Palatino EUB case will be similar to the one they make for my BSX (click here)
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Double Bass BSX Megathread
- Thread starter jokerjkny
- Start date
That's just mad... who in his/her right mind would stow away an instrument like this?Greetings, fellow BSX players. This Allegro was saved from a life under very poor conditions. It was neglected and stowed away in a deep & scary cellar by the former owner. When the bass arrived my house it was obvious that the bass needed urgent surgery. The fingerboard was covered with dents. Screws were missing and the bass needed a heavy clean-up. Two days at www.guitarworks.no made wonders. Fingerboard is leveled and polished, and it is all smiles! Put on a set of Evah Pirazzi weich, and took the bass along to a gig planning to use the bass on one or two songs. Ended up playing it the whole gig. What an easy-played piece of wood! The BSX is pictured along with an older stepbrother
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Great rescue! (i know this is a late reply, but it's a great rescue non the less)
About the gigbag.. Doesn't BSX sell them anymore? I got a bag with mine... It's wearing out a bit though, after all those years
I'm in the progress of making a flightcase. There's already a BSX flightcase available, i know... but you have to remove the neck.. and i don't want to do that each time i gig/rehearse.
My new custom BSX Allegro gig bag from Colorado Case is ready for my pickup! I'm making plans to go get it next week, and will post pictures here as soon as I can.
I'm seeking advice on whether an octave pedal like the Boss OC-3 will convert the sound of my EUBs to better replicate the sound of an acoustic upright? I play both EUB and acoustic, primarily for jazz/Broadway, and while I love the convenience of performing with the EUBs (my favorite is the NS-CR4), I miss the fuller sound of the acoustic. Will the Boss OC-3 or any similar device create a sound closer to that of an acoustic? Thanks much, Paul
Hi Paul,
Your profile doesn't show you having a BSX EUB, but perhaps you do and just haven't updated your profile.
Since you did post this in the BSX Megathread I will answer with a couple BSX-specific answers.
1. Re: an octave pedal. I haven't tried one but I don't think that's the answer to getting a more 'acoustic upright (DB)' sound. I have tried a Zoom A3 pedal which is a very neat little 2 channel pedal with phantom power, but I still didn't get what I consider a real 'DB' sound.
2. Specifically for the BSX: the bass comes with 1/2 size strings even though it has a 41.5 inch playing string length. That causes the bass to have greater string tension and result in an unrealistic long sustain, making it sound a bit like a fretless BG. I changed mine out to 3/4 lenth strings which made a drastic improvement. (I also mentioned this to the builder, but I don't know that he was impressed or made the change to fitting them with 3/4 lenght strings).
3. I found that by using my Ischell Contact Mic I get a surprisingly realistic DB sound. This won't probably give you as much 'punch' or volume as the installed piezos but, at least for lower volume situations, it might be worht considering. Here is a link to a recording using the Ischell on the BSX, you can judge for yourself.
Thanks for the heads up, i'll take 3/4 strings next time that i'll change them
And no, i don't think adding a octave pedal will give you a more DB-like sound.
I really dig the natural sound the Allegro has..
And no, i don't think adding a octave pedal will give you a more DB-like sound.
I really dig the natural sound the Allegro has..
I once bought Velvet Garbo's, but those didn't fit the Allegro.. the bass was way to small. So i installed them on my DB.
Hi Rick
Wow that sounds really great.
Just wondering if you’ve tried sitting in a regular chair?
One of the things that I really like about the BSX is I can practice in a regular chair sometimes at my desk while working on the computer. It seems for me to be less stressful on my back and shoulders .
Wow that sounds really great.
Just wondering if you’ve tried sitting in a regular chair?
One of the things that I really like about the BSX is I can practice in a regular chair sometimes at my desk while working on the computer. It seems for me to be less stressful on my back and shoulders .
If I was to put 3/4 spirocores on my BSX, I can see that a good length of unsilked string would wind around the post. On BG with flats, I've see this result in broken strings before ... broken at the time of putting on new strings.
@rickwolff Have you seen 3/4 strings wind the unsilked portion onto the post without it causing problems ?
My 3/4 D'Addario Helicore Hybrids fit perfectly with silk around the post and silk leading to the nut. The E-string is the only string with any unsilked portion of the string comes onto the post.
Yeah, that works.. but not so much for arco.
I've seen a folding barstool once.. like these Invalid Link Removed
Those look pretty comfortable.
Not to be use behind a desk i reckon.
I have modified my BSX somewhat, and run the 3/4 strings. See attached for pictures of tailpiece, which is custom, taller than stock from the body for even string angles and attaches strings further back, to simulate upright bass free string length. I still had to add some spacers to take up some of the extra string length due to the shorter headstock on these basses.
I was running 3/4 Zyex strings, which fit pretty good, but needed about 3/4" of spacers at end of string. I swapped the E for a spirocore, which is longer, and swapped E and A ends at the peghead, both of which required then required longer spacers.
I also have some silicone O-Rings that I run under the strings at the bridge which dampen the sustain a bit. Sounds very similar to an acoustic bass.
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Well the "scale length" of the BSX Allegro is 41.5", which is your typical 3/4-sized bass. What is odd is that apparently 1/2-sized bass strings are mounted...probably because the BSX after lengths at both ends is shorter than your typical 3/4-sized double bass. Given this, we do have fewer 1/2-sized string options for the BSX.
1/2 size strings can have a higher tension than 3/4 size strings, because the same pitch on a shorter scale gets less tension, so the shorter strings often get more mass to compensate that a bit.
But check my Excel file in my Dropbox (see signature) for the tension of certain sets on the same scale.
But check my Excel file in my Dropbox (see signature) for the tension of certain sets on the same scale.
If the distance from the nut to the bridge is 41.5” the tension will be the same as any other 41.5” scale bass independent of the length of string between the tailpiece/bridge and nut/tuner.
