Double Bass and Electric Bass Compliment each other?

My advice: If you can't get a real double bass and a teacher to teach you to play it, wait until you're at a point where you can. Bass guitar and double bass are completely different instruments. I don't think it's possible to teach yourself to play double bass; you'll either end up getting frustrated or eventually hurt yourself. That said, once you can play both instruments, there are some aspects that cross over from one to the other. In my experience just building up some muscle from playing upright helped my electric playing, and without having learned upright there'd be no way I could play fretless decently now. Playing the music that often goes with playing upright (classical, solo, traditional jazz, etc) also in my opinion helps open your mind to new styles and techniques in playing electric. So I say yeah, go for it. But go about it the right way man!

 

I'm self-taught on DB and electric. I've gotten frustrated and I've hurt myself, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have studied DB in college or taken lessons. But it's possible, and I've done alright for myself. People seem to like how I play. Just recently logged thirty years in the biz.

This forum, along with Bob Gollihur and his links, is invaluable for a guy like me. Just being able to talk to a whole bunch of players in one place is great.

It is very definitely two seperate instruments, and I feel that one enhances the other. I don't get a whole lot of work on the electrics, but I'm glad to have them around for when they're needed.

Bear in mind that the Fichter is a third type of instrument (EUB). It's a valid choice if you want to play that particular instrument. I have an Azola EUB that's very nice. Don't expect it to perform like a DB, and you won't be disappointed.