Doublers: Using bass guitar when you'd rather use your upright

I'm sorry if some of these suggestions seem obvious, but I don't know your starting-point. What are you using for an amp? Have you tried moving the amp, or pointing it in a different direction? Are you just using your amp as a monitor, and going through the FOH system? Are you micing the amp or are you going direct? Have you tried moving the bass - i.e. play in a different position on the stage?

Have you tried the Acoustic Image system? I've found that with my DB that combination is much less-prone to feed-back than using my GK-150ES with my DB, but that's in a jazz environment - haven't tried the AI at rock-volumes.

Hope this helps -

- Wil

 

Nice topic!

I have been in a number of louder situations, I regret to say. I have used feedback eliminators, raised cabinets up towards my head, put mic to the pa and a pickup to the bass, used a volume pedal and so on and so on…

I wish I knew now what I didn't know then. That is to find people or gigs that aren't so loud even if it means less dough. Your ears are taking a beating if you are trying to compete with a drummer and someone trying to get just the right amount of sustain via feedback on a tube amp driven Strat. I will admit it looks nice no matter how futile the experiment. I am tempted to get an EUB for this kind of thing.

You can try to remedy the problem, but in the end if the volume is enough for the lead guitarist to get nice warm sustain, you will be feeding back or at least on the verge. Doesn't your bass stink when you take it back home after playing a smoky bar where no one listens anyway.

Call me jaded, but that’s how I feel. It seems you need to buy gear and go to elaborate setups to get hopefully a good sound on the upright. Not to mention the wear and tear. I'm fed up. I don't hang around those scenes very often, but it seems a horizontal bass such as the Fender P makes for a better solution and saves wear and tear on your upright. Unless you are being paid more than the rest of the band to marshal all the extra gear to make it work, forget it.

IMO/YMMV
jc

 

Am I invisable?

jc

 

Brian, my question would be: Does the band want you to use the upright because of the look/vibe it creates onstage, or because of the sound? If it's the sound they want, seems they'd be happy enough with the Godin or a P with flats, doesn't it?

If it's only the look/vibe, I wouldn't worry too much about it...use what YOU choose since you're the guy that has to put up with all the hassle.

 

It's stage sizes that has ruled out the URB for me in perhaps two or three situations - just not enough physical room.

There was oner stage that I played perhaps 20 yrs ago that drove us all crazy and made me want to play ebass - it was basically a little box with a curved ceiling inset into the wall. It caused me to build a Hot Spot style monitor, a little box with a pair of Radio Shack 5" speakers and a mic stand mount that I powered with a second small amp head, so I could put my bass amp at the edge of the stage and put the monitor ear height facing across the stage. It wasn't volume in that room so much as the fact that you sounded very loud in the damn hole in the wall, and feedback was easily achieved, but the sound on stage couldn't escape out in the room. Oddest place I think I've ever played. If I could have gotten away with it I would have played electric, but the "big bass", as the owner called it, was one of the main things that kept us employed there.

 

Has anyone experimented with any of the larger-bodied acoustic bass guitars (such as Taylor)?

I was thinking that a fretless version of one of these instruments might be an almost acceptable substitute for those gigs when the upright just won't work.

 

I recently tried a Zeta educator EUB. I don't know what you think about those, but I think it has great tone. I'm seriously considering getting it.

As far a good UB-ish tone from a BG, I like the Rob Allen and the Rick Turner fretless basses.

 

For many years my Ovation elite acoustic/electric was my main bass, Before I moved to upright. I have nothing but good things to say about it. Now I don't know how you feel about roundbacks, but I found it much more comfortable than the Taylor and the Martin. And the Epiphone elCapitan and Washburn acoustic basses simply suck (sound wise).

Seems like you found a good comprimise though.

 

My Azola Bugbass has been a great "bridge" instrument for gigs that would otherwise require an EB. Sounds great, looks cool, everybody's happy. Mine is a floating top 5-string, which is way better than the lower end model I'd tried earlier. Last year, I played it in a big sports stadium in Tahiti, through a big subwoofed system, as the sun came up(!). THAT was mindblowing.

 

Brian,
To reply to your original question../<grin>/...

I am in a 3 piece jazz group with a female singer. I started with them playing an AUB. When I messed up the bass by shaving too much off the bridge trying to lower the action a little, I was "forced" to use my Elrick 5 string.
I got a bunch of complaints from the cats in the band before we started playing. Once I put a chunk of foam under the strings (to deaden) and rolled the highs off, they were extremely enthusiastic. Complimented the sound, my playing was much more confident (and in tune!!), and all in all, they now "allow" me to use my strap on and just leave the AUB at home!!

 

Interesting...I gotta try that foam trick sometime on electric. For me, if there's any doubt, I bring (in order of preference), double bass, electric upright, or an electric. Most people seem to prefer the double bass, but the Bugbass is gaining on it, especially in the acid jazz circles that seems to be popping up here. In all fairness, I've spent a long time and lots of $$$ getting my upright rig sounding good onstage; no doubt I pissed some people off with bad sound in the beginning. I think maybe it comes down to what one really wants to spend the most time playing; for me it's the double bass, but I love them all.