Double Bass sound from Electric bass?

[ElvisBass]

Ok, so I work for an Elvis Impersonator, and I've been trying to dial in my sound as of late to get it closer to the master recordings.

My question:

Is there an effect combo/pedal that will help in the emulation of an upright bass sound?

For the most part it sounds good, I use a Fretless Peavy Foundation 2000 with medium flatwound GHS strings. I pretty much roll the treble off to nothing and keep the bass at mid range with the volume at about 2 or 3 so as not to rob the tone. I compensate the volume through the amp. This gets those nice warm smooth sounds I'm looking for BUT I can't get the nice double bass (THWAP) sound without doing a weird fingerplucking/slap hybrid (which is very un efficient and a pain in the rear).

So is there anything that will get me that THWAP? I was thinking maybe a small delay/reverb combo, but thought I'd check here first.

Thanks in advance!

 

[bongomania]

No. Sorry! For details, including what does work, please read the many other threads we've had on the subject. A delay or a reverb will only repeat what you put into them: no thwap in = no thwap out.

 

[niftydog]

That's what, three threads on this topic in the last week?

 

[dukerutledge]

I just discovered a great cello/upright bass bowing sound. Its great for ambient and quiet sections to fill out the sound more.

I use:

Fretless bass -> MXR Blowtorch -> Volume Pedal -> Boss DD3

The volume pedal allows you to fade in the sound like a light bowing technique and the delay lets it ring a little longer so that you can bring up the next note without sounding too choppy.

 

[René_Julien]

Just waiting for the hyenas to gather.


To ElvisBass

There have been several threads recently about the double bass sound on a bass guitar.
They're not tucked away that far.
Use search function, type keywords "double bass" (whole site or basses section or effect section).

Basiscly, there isn't an effect that can help you out.

Untill I finish the prototype of my "Double Bass Simulator".
Patent pending.


Being able to play fretless is an advantage.
If you can afford it: some semi-acoustic bass. (Rob Allen, Godin,...)
EQ like you already did.


I'm guilty of asking this question myself once.


edit: srry, didn't realize this thread was a day old and just got bumped.

 

[EADG mx]

I just discovered a great cello/upright bass bowing sound.

I use:

An upright bass

 

[Kevin Guin]

The advances in acoustic bass guitar design have been absolutely great in my opinion. Just the other day I posted a clip of my Veillette Mark IV in the Recordings section. I think it is on page three today. I have tried both Rob Allen and Rick Turner, both of which I would like to own. But this Veillette is truly uncanny for its ability to emulate the upright sound.

But the real truth of it is that the pizzicato hand technique is a crucial part of it. To get the sound out of an electric or an ABG the player needs to have listened to a lot of jazz (or acoustic bass in any gere) and assimilated the type of pizzicato gestures that upright bass players make. This makes a huge difference even if you only used a standard electric. I know, I have done a lot of that and can say for sure that your band leaders/members will appreciate the effort.

I played with a blind drummer on a number of occasions. His advice to me was to understand that the upright bass has a 'body blow' effect. There is a real booming attack that occurs and truth is, many times I have thought that a good standard electric fretted bass is better for this attack. My TRB-6 is an all around great bass for walking lines or anything else electric, but then on slow tunes you don't get the expression of the fretless...all roads, though, imnsho, lead to technique and musical sensitivity. Then again, if you got a Roland V Bass you would be good to go!

If you can afford to get another axe, I would suggest combing ebay or elsewhere for a Veillette or similar piezo-based ABG. The one in my clip that I just bought is a piezo only model 5-string and I am in heaven with that thing. Love it. Although I would like some other goodies on a more custom model...lol

This topic is close to my heart so I hope you don't mind me soap-boxing!

Good luck.

K

 

[DosiYanarchy]

i almost got some sort of double-tone from my micropog on the oct down setting. remove the oct-up and most of the clean tone. i was using my Jag Bass with roundwounds. try it with a fretless P-bass with flatwounds, and there you go (maybe)

also, i knicked something i saw on a lee rocker tutorial video, its basically the rockabilly double-bass slap technique, if your familiar with rockabilly and psychobilly (which id assume you are, at least with rockabilly) you'll know what i mean. i play it on the end of the neck, i can only make it sound good on the E and A strings tho and i cant do it very fast, i tried to do some clips but they sound lame. but the double-slap (with a muted note) sounds pretty authentic, at least to the style if not a dead-on tone. You said you used a weird slap/finger pluck thing, well i think i do the same, using 3 fingers on my right hand (im right handed) i pop the strings and then when i do the double slap i pop the strings, then slap the strings with the same fingers in the same position while my left hand mutes the strings then i pop the strings again. so in a line it sounds a bit like boom-chucka-boom-boom-boom

its definitely better for root-5th stuff rather than walking.