The sort of crossover sound of an upright and a fretless bass guitar is appealing to me. What are your guys favorite sounding uprights? Mine is the baby bass, triumph, and the stagg
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Double Bass Does anyone here like the EUB as its own instrument?
- Thread starter rockabillykid
- Start date
I never felt compelled by the sound enough to go out and buy one.
...perhaps because I (unfairly) associate their tone with the direct/Underwood pickup UB sound that was everywhere in the 70s and early 80s.
I've had a Merchant Vertical Bass for a bunch of years. It's been subjected to some modifications on my part, some good, some not so much. That said, I used it on my last tour and a recording with Dan Hicks, who begrudgingly came to like it once he got over what it looked like, and the guy who mastered the recording, but never saw the band live, mentioned the "great acoustic bass sound".
Used to play a NS Design US series 6-string EUB. The current EU6 is almost identical.
I felt this bass had an awesome voice, but it was absolutely nothing like a really double bass. IMHO, it sounded pretty similar to a fretless bass guitar. But due to the 42" mensure it had a much stronger fundamental. The B-string was absolutely insane (in a good way).
The NS Design also had a lot of sustain and almost no punch on the front end of notes--very smooth and compressed sounding. So sort of the opposite of what we normally expect from a double bass.
When I first got it, I did try some experiments to get more of acoustic sound, but I felt none of them were remotely successful. After that, I embraced it for what it was. I did quite a few gigs where I switched between double bass, the NS Design, and also 6-string fretted bass guitar. I chose whichever I felt best suited the arrangement.
I was very pleased with the tone of the NS Design. The rational for buying it was so I could have a fretless sound and so I could keep my double bass fingering system fresh when I was assigned to pop groups where I played bass guitar. It did exactly what I wanted. FYI, I was not able to get comfortable on a fretless bass guitar, but I was immediately comfortable on the NS Design...aside from the weird concave neck design.
The only reason I don't still play the NS Design is because it was owned by my employer, and I have since retired. I actually won and paid for one on Ebay a few years back. The seller refunded my money and claimed the bass was damaged. They don't pop up very often at anything approach a reasonable price, and I don't think I have even seen a new EU6s available for a few years. Perhaps NS Design quiet quit making them.
I felt this bass had an awesome voice, but it was absolutely nothing like a really double bass. IMHO, it sounded pretty similar to a fretless bass guitar. But due to the 42" mensure it had a much stronger fundamental. The B-string was absolutely insane (in a good way).
The NS Design also had a lot of sustain and almost no punch on the front end of notes--very smooth and compressed sounding. So sort of the opposite of what we normally expect from a double bass.
When I first got it, I did try some experiments to get more of acoustic sound, but I felt none of them were remotely successful. After that, I embraced it for what it was. I did quite a few gigs where I switched between double bass, the NS Design, and also 6-string fretted bass guitar. I chose whichever I felt best suited the arrangement.
I was very pleased with the tone of the NS Design. The rational for buying it was so I could have a fretless sound and so I could keep my double bass fingering system fresh when I was assigned to pop groups where I played bass guitar. It did exactly what I wanted. FYI, I was not able to get comfortable on a fretless bass guitar, but I was immediately comfortable on the NS Design...aside from the weird concave neck design.
The only reason I don't still play the NS Design is because it was owned by my employer, and I have since retired. I actually won and paid for one on Ebay a few years back. The seller refunded my money and claimed the bass was damaged. They don't pop up very often at anything approach a reasonable price, and I don't think I have even seen a new EU6s available for a few years. Perhaps NS Design quiet quit making them.
I really like EUB as a separate type of instrument. But when I started using it actively, it turned out that jazz bands don’t consider it a double bass, and rock bands don’t consider it a bass guitar. As a result, no one needs his unique sound except me...
What modifications did you do to yours, Steve? I tried all sorts of things with mine and ended up just going back to the Barbera that was on it.
To me Eberhard Weber is the guy who really makes the EUB it's own instrument. In Latin music the Ampeg baby bass is liked for it's unique percussive quality that isn't really like anything else.
Mine came with an Underwood, a magnetic, and the preamp/mixer. Realist pickup under the bottom of the E side springer bar, some improvement in "woodiness of tone". Lifeline on E side bridge foot. Pirazzi Slaps (all synthetic) and done. It's clear, punchy, doesn't feed back at all, and everyone likes it.
I’ve owned three EUBs: Ampeg Baby Bass, Zeta Crossover and the Azola MiniBass I still own (but have put up for sale).
I was disappointed in the first two because they sounded nowhere near as good as just putting a pickup on my DB. The Azola comes close. Since I also play BG and for years played fretless BGs (now all sold), my only application for an EUB today is for travel.
I have been interested in the NS Omni Bass because it does not sound like an upright, but can be bowed. I’ve yet to find an application that would spur me to buy one, though.
I was disappointed in the first two because they sounded nowhere near as good as just putting a pickup on my DB. The Azola comes close. Since I also play BG and for years played fretless BGs (now all sold), my only application for an EUB today is for travel.
I have been interested in the NS Omni Bass because it does not sound like an upright, but can be bowed. I’ve yet to find an application that would spur me to buy one, though.
I've played an NXT 4 for 9 years now in Bluegrass and Jazz groups. It doesn't sound like an acoustic DB, close to an amplified DB but not quite, much more very low end and more uper mids. But I do like it, the sustain and decay is very much like a DB IMHO and works well with acoustic instruments. Was playing with a guitarist last night and was using my P, kept wishing that I had set up the EUB. Something about how the notes thump, sustain and the decay fills in the space with acoustic instruments well. With the P I found myself playing more notes.
I like my NS design 5-string (Czech).
I like where the tone sits between DB and EB. It has some aspects of each but it’s neither fish nor fowl. I appreciate it for what it is. It’s not a substitute for a DB and my expectations reflect that.
I was pretty interested in the Eminence basses that Gollihur sold for a long time but I never had a chance to try one and now it looks like they’re no longer being made.
I like where the tone sits between DB and EB. It has some aspects of each but it’s neither fish nor fowl. I appreciate it for what it is. It’s not a substitute for a DB and my expectations reflect that.
I was pretty interested in the Eminence basses that Gollihur sold for a long time but I never had a chance to try one and now it looks like they’re no longer being made.
Gollihur bought the trademark, marketing and manufacturing rights to Eminence basses and plans to reintroduce them after resolving some logistical issues. Details here.
I took a different path to draw the same conclusion.
In big band I switched between fretted BG, EUB, and UB. I played whichever instrument I felt was best suited for each song. We played variety of genres to include pop, jazz standards, and more modern jazz. I strongly preferred the real upright bass on jazz standards. I played the NS Design on the least amount of songs in our set list.
We had a performance coming up on a very small stage, so I would not have room for all of the instruments. I asked the band leader and several of my peers if they had any preference. Nobody seemed to want to make any suggestions, and several said I sounded great on all of them.
From my perspective the sound and feel of the NS Design is all wrong for jazz standards. In fact, I think it's even more out of character than playing bass guitar, because of the lack of thump and the crazy amount of sustain the instrument has. For this gig I chose the NS Design as it takes up the least amount of space.
Another part of my rationale: In my experience, audience members tend to be somewhat interested in this instrument and some seem to associate the vertical neck with upright. IMHO the association is not necessarily something that rises to their level of consciousness, as most audience members are not overly concerned with the bass or bass player.
After the show we had a reception and I was curious what the audience thought. Several people asked what sort of instrument I was playing, as they weren't sure it was a bass. I explained what it was and they seemed fascinated, or at least amused. I had several individual conversations where I asked how they thought the instrument fit in and suited the music. They all seemed to think it was great and fit perfectly.
My conclusion from this experience is most people did not care what bass I played.
After this performance I continued switching between all three instruments, as it mattered to me.
- Jul 28, 2009
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- Disclosures
- Is not compensated for endorsements. Does not sell for profit.
Seems like a lot of salsa bands prefer the sound of the EUB over a BG or DB. I do hear how a EUB sounds way better than when I hear a band with a BG, but that maybe just my association with a certain sound. Why never a DB instead of a EUB? I'm not knowledgeable enough on this topic to mention more than what I observe.
Is that the UB sound on those 70s jazz records? if so Im a big fan of that pickup.
I got to the point where I just accepted that (for me) in anything less than ideal sonic circumstances (small stage/amp/reasonable volume, or big stage w/mic to FOH and monitors), the DB/pickup combo simply isn't viable. I'd rather have an EUB tweaked to feel like my DB with the pickup that feels good to play and never worry about feedback or boominess.
AFAIK, specifically Ampeg and Azola Baby Basses. The NS Design I played would not be a fitting substitute for these instruments IMHO in the genres where they are popular. They don't sound like a real upright, but they do have a pretty strong personality.
The NS Design's incredible B-string may work well for this style (Merengue?):
My favorite EUB sound is that of Eberhard Weber. I’m still perplexed that there hasn’t been a company over the years who were allowed to make copy for a signature model in his honor. Seems like anyone can get a signature model bass guitar (regardless of ability); yet the man who basically invented the EUB and who was the first true master of it doesn’t have a signature model EUB.
"Is that the UB sound on those 70s jazz records? if so Im a big fan of that pickup."
You mean the CTI/RC recorded sound? Barcus-Berry straight into the board.
You mean the CTI/RC recorded sound? Barcus-Berry straight into the board.
