The most DB-like EUB I've come across is the Eminence, but the price is in a different ballpark. But if you really want it to play like a DB and somewhat sound like a DB, that is the one IMHO.
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Double Bass Electric Upright Bass?
- Thread starter zeppfan90
- Start date
The most DB-like EUB I've come across is the Eminence, but the price is in a different ballpark. But if you really want it to play like a DB and somewhat sound like a DB, that is the one IMHO.
I have an Ergo 5 that I modded to put more pressure on the nut and bridge, but I'm not enamored of it. I don't like having piezos on it; would rather have magnetic pickups. It does sound good tho, but any contact is amplified.
+1
I have an EUB and it's very limited in what it can do. You can't bow it and make it sound good, and it's just a bigger, less mobile fretless electric bass. Find a violin/cello/bass shop in your area and ask about renting a real upright. If you're unsure where to look, inquire with the band director at a local high school. They will usually know all the hot avenues for renting instruments.
And like someone else said, you can get a pickup to add on to the upright so that you can still use your current amp setup (though you may have to EQ differently).
By renting, you''ll be able to decide if this is a thing you're willing to undertake. A lot of bass players discover that an upright isn't their cup of tea. If that turns out to be the case, you can take the money you were going to spend on an EUB and buy a regular fretless electric used from TB, and get all the sound of an EUB in a smaller (and likely more comfortable) solution.
What he said! I have an NS OmniBass (35-inch scale due to hand issues) and it's a great piece of kit. For a full-size, I really liked the Azola I used to own. Unfortunately, both of these are relatively expensive.
dcr
They look cool but they're really just a vertical fretless bass, might as well just get a fretless bass w/ flats, they're easier to play. I could see if your strictly an upright player the EUB might be easier to travel with in a touring situation, but there is no substitute for the real thing
The Dean Pace is a great fretless bass. But it is not and will not ever sound or play like an upright. It is basically a fretless electric on a stand. But as a fretless electric on a stand it is a nice bass. As an upright it sucks.
For more of an upright flavor, any EUB with a body will get you the vibe, though none will get you there exactly. The only way to get an upright tone and feel is to play an upright. Many EUBs can approximate it, but not get there exactly.
Remember, an upright is an acoustic instrument. EUBs aren't.
I've got a BSX Travel bass and it approximates an upright fairly well. With the right EQ on the amp you can get a "sort of" upright tone out of it. It feels like playing an upright, but it doesn't sound like it exactly.
My Ergo feels like playing an upright neck (because it basically is the same size as a Kay neck and was patterned after one) but sounds nothing like one. It does rock however and is very portable.
For more of an upright flavor, any EUB with a body will get you the vibe, though none will get you there exactly. The only way to get an upright tone and feel is to play an upright. Many EUBs can approximate it, but not get there exactly.
Remember, an upright is an acoustic instrument. EUBs aren't.
I've got a BSX Travel bass and it approximates an upright fairly well. With the right EQ on the amp you can get a "sort of" upright tone out of it. It feels like playing an upright, but it doesn't sound like it exactly.
My Ergo feels like playing an upright neck (because it basically is the same size as a Kay neck and was patterned after one) but sounds nothing like one. It does rock however and is very portable.
Agreed. I own two fretless. One of which I have flat wound strings and a raised action. I honestly can't hear the difference between this and the electric uprights. The thing where the magic is with a double bass is the massive acoustic body which resonates in a beautiful way. A fretless with raised action will cost a fraction of the price of a stick and be easier to play. Either get the real thing or risk doing what so people I know have done and risk selling it within a year or two . Have you noticed the ratio of electric uprights for second hand sale compared to how many music shops have them in stock?
Your choice at the end of the day though.
Uh, not really. A regular sized EUB is gonna have a 41-to-42inch scale; longest scale you'll likely see on a fretless is 35 inch. And a good one with real upright strings and decent electronics doesn't sound anything like a fretless either. And yes, my NS OmniBass is fairly close to a vertical upright. And no, I didn't get rid of the full-sized Azola because I wanted to. Between arthritis and a thumb injury, I couldn't handle the scale any more.
But yes, a fretless with flats IS certainly easier to play.
dcr
I built mine because i didn't like the options that were out there at the time. It's great for switching between eub and bg. In my opinion eub is it's own animal so if you wasn't an upright, get an upright. My eub sounds fantastic but it sustains waaaay longer than an acoustic upright would and therefore does not sound like three real deal. It also does not sound life a fretless bg as some would claim. definitely avoid the dean. I played on one a few years ago and they totally suck. I like having my bass on a tripod so many of the production pieces wouldn't work for me. The only production eub that i have considered are the ns designs. Good luck.
If you want the feel and hold of a double bass don't get tripod stand EUBs.
You also should get an instrument where the neck ends (last position where your thumb can stay under the fingerboard) at the fifth or minor sixth (this is a major orientation point for double bass players) and not somewhere else.
The Stagg is probably the cheapest with an endpin and body support, but if you want it better, take a little bit more money out of the pocket and get the RDL rosewood fingerboard version. Much better. The new Staggs all have the improved headstock (not nce to look at, but more stable).
The Warwick Triupmph-Lite looks a bit like a Stagg in some details, but has the better body support, which is important too. So I would prefer this one over a Stagg.
Playing an EUB, the double bass feels easier to me holding the instrument, specially when bowing.
The most important thing for EUB and double bass is the setup. An adjustable bridge and lower tension strings are a good idea for a beginner.
You also should get an instrument where the neck ends (last position where your thumb can stay under the fingerboard) at the fifth or minor sixth (this is a major orientation point for double bass players) and not somewhere else.
The Stagg is probably the cheapest with an endpin and body support, but if you want it better, take a little bit more money out of the pocket and get the RDL rosewood fingerboard version. Much better. The new Staggs all have the improved headstock (not nce to look at, but more stable).
The Warwick Triupmph-Lite looks a bit like a Stagg in some details, but has the better body support, which is important too. So I would prefer this one over a Stagg.
Playing an EUB, the double bass feels easier to me holding the instrument, specially when bowing.
The most important thing for EUB and double bass is the setup. An adjustable bridge and lower tension strings are a good idea for a beginner.
As I've been considering picking up an EUB too, I have some related questions some of you might be able to answer.
I played upright and took lessons for a while (it's been more than a decade) and would just get a basic acoustic upright, but I drive a small car and don't think I could even fit a 3/4 scale in there to get it home. I loved playing arco before and this would be primarily for home usage, although I could see integrating it into the rock band I'm playing with, but I don't really care about it sounding like a real acoustic upright.
So, my question is, how different is an EUB in terms of feel? I know that thumb position is very different, but other than that?
I played upright and took lessons for a while (it's been more than a decade) and would just get a basic acoustic upright, but I drive a small car and don't think I could even fit a 3/4 scale in there to get it home. I loved playing arco before and this would be primarily for home usage, although I could see integrating it into the rock band I'm playing with, but I don't really care about it sounding like a real acoustic upright.
So, my question is, how different is an EUB in terms of feel? I know that thumb position is very different, but other than that?
Depends on which EUB, there are all kinds from a plank with strings to a slimmed down violin type body with a proper upright bass neck and fingerboard.
I was looking at the Ergo as a good value, but could afford to go up to a low end NS Designs or similar. I haven't really been shopping, but it's something I've been thinking about for a few months or so.
If you don't need "the look" of an upright, Rob Allen makes a killer bass that some say sounds more like a plugged in upright than an upright. Super easy to play - from an electric background - and transport. Also expensive, but they are nice.
That's the point I was making - that for an EUB to be any good, they are inevitably expensive. The OP was saying that DBs were too expensive - but in fact they can be less than an EUB. I bought my DB for a lot less than I paid for my NS CR5.
I'd love to play a real DB but it's simply not possible from a practical standpoint, I just can't and won't transport it. I still want the EUB to sound like a DB and not like a fretless bass though, otherwise I don't quite see the point. And that's where it gets expensive. Something like the NS (I owned one briefly) or Ergo are fun to play and look cool too, but they just don't sound too much like a DB.
EUBs are either too fixed (when using a tripod) or too wobbly with the bow (probably with a few expensive exceptions).
A small car should not be a problem for the bass, but maybe if you need to carry more than that. My bass builder told me, that they once put several 3/4 basses in an old Volkswagen Käfer (Beetle). Neck to the front, body to the rear should work with almost any car.
The Stagg EDB (specially the little more expensive RDL model with the rosewood fingerboard) sounds OK (keep the bass boost off). Not like a real DB, but close enough. But the body support is weak. The Warwick Triumph Lite seems to be better (specially the body support), but I never tried that one.
But the EUB is a travelling compromise or a different kind of instrument.
You might have a look at the Czech Ease bass from David Gage if you thing a normal one won't fit into your car.
BTW, I tried my double bass before I bought my last car. Not because it wouldn't fit but because I wanted as many seats still usable when my really large 5-string 4/4 bass is in the car. A rear door makes it much easier to load, but even with a four door car a 3/4 bass will fit an almost all cases.
A small car should not be a problem for the bass, but maybe if you need to carry more than that. My bass builder told me, that they once put several 3/4 basses in an old Volkswagen Käfer (Beetle). Neck to the front, body to the rear should work with almost any car.
The Stagg EDB (specially the little more expensive RDL model with the rosewood fingerboard) sounds OK (keep the bass boost off). Not like a real DB, but close enough. But the body support is weak. The Warwick Triumph Lite seems to be better (specially the body support), but I never tried that one.
But the EUB is a travelling compromise or a different kind of instrument.
You might have a look at the Czech Ease bass from David Gage if you thing a normal one won't fit into your car.
BTW, I tried my double bass before I bought my last car. Not because it wouldn't fit but because I wanted as many seats still usable when my really large 5-string 4/4 bass is in the car. A rear door makes it much easier to load, but even with a four door car a 3/4 bass will fit an almost all cases.
I transport my DB very easily in a small Toyota Corolla - no problem. I usually travel with our piano player and get her keyboard in as well as all the amps.
My DB cost less and is lighter than my EUB!
But anyway - the OP was not talking about transporting the DB - he was just talking about cost.
My DB cost less and is lighter than my EUB!
But anyway - the OP was not talking about transporting the DB - he was just talking about cost.
He was talking about getting an upright and thought an EUB would be cheaper (which is not correct) and that the upright might be too large to fit in his small car (which is probably also not correct).
So advice about the transport problem and the cost of EUB vs. double bass should help him to make the right decision.
BTW my double bass was more expensive than my EUB, but only because I bought the EUB used and the double bass new. Buying both new would cost about the same for each, but the double bass is better. But these are a bit higher price regions than a beginners instrument (but not higher for a double bass), around $5000 each I guess.
The problem with cheap instruments is that the setup often needs to be done. This is usually included if you get the instrument form a luthier, but cheaper EUBs (like the Stagg) are sold as is.
So you should check the fingerboard quickly for bumps by dialing in a lower action and look for buzzes anywhere on the fingerboard. But since the nut usually needs to be set up (on a Stagg), you might not be able to return the instrument after this modification is done. So better get an instrument that doesn't need any setup by a luthier or that includes setup by a luthier (not a guitar luthier at a large shop but a bowed instrument or better bass luthier).
THe double bass can get a bit more expensive than thought at first if you need a pickup too, often this in not part of the initial calculation.
So advice about the transport problem and the cost of EUB vs. double bass should help him to make the right decision.
BTW my double bass was more expensive than my EUB, but only because I bought the EUB used and the double bass new. Buying both new would cost about the same for each, but the double bass is better. But these are a bit higher price regions than a beginners instrument (but not higher for a double bass), around $5000 each I guess.
The problem with cheap instruments is that the setup often needs to be done. This is usually included if you get the instrument form a luthier, but cheaper EUBs (like the Stagg) are sold as is.
So you should check the fingerboard quickly for bumps by dialing in a lower action and look for buzzes anywhere on the fingerboard. But since the nut usually needs to be set up (on a Stagg), you might not be able to return the instrument after this modification is done. So better get an instrument that doesn't need any setup by a luthier or that includes setup by a luthier (not a guitar luthier at a large shop but a bowed instrument or better bass luthier).
THe double bass can get a bit more expensive than thought at first if you need a pickup too, often this in not part of the initial calculation.
