Double Bass EUB choice ?

[dbassnut]

Hi Matthijs, I'm about to pull the trigger on an EURB & I've narrowed it down to the WAV & the NXT (for portability) & the SLB-200( Just like the way Chris Minh Doky plays it) if I can get a second hand one. Don't really know much about EURBs so I'm really grateful for everyone here in the forum sharing their experiences & opinions. There isn't anyone in Malaysia that stocks EURBs so I'll have to buy it blind as I won't have a chance to try it out before hand.
I usually play an acoustic bass in a trio or quartet setting playing mostly swing numbers & some bossa stuff thrown in especially if I don't get thrown out first, lol. Also using a set of piezo's on my acoustic to boost the sound.
Hey, guys, I'd really appreciate your comments on my choices for an EURB so do jump in & let me know what you think.
Thanks, dbassnut

 

[Matthijs]

What's the NXT?

If you can afford something like the Yamaha SLB there are a lot of EUB's out there that will probably do better than the WAV. I was originally only looking for a cheap EUB replacement for my acoustic bass for rehearsals. The WAV did that perfectly, and more, but only after changing strings, replacing tuners and a lot of fiddling with the setup. Even factoring in the cost of stings and tuners and stuff, price/quality wise probably nothing beats the WAV, but there's a lot more out there that's probably better, It'll just cost you more.

You might learn more on this site: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[dbassnut]

Thanks Dbassnut,

I'll see if I can come up with something nice, using my new sound possibilities. Main thing is: I'm not in the habit of recording myself solo and most of my music is in a large, kind of bigband like, setting: not the best way to showcase the subtleties of a new bass sound.

The new sound does help in getting heard. The old options were a bit to fuzzy in the higher registers to my taste. We do some old school latin-american stuff where I really have to cut through with notes between the 7th and 12th position. My URB does that very well, but I like not to have to lug it around all the time.

Making comparisons to my old Czech URB now: Last week I tried bowing on the WAV for the very first time. I just didn't expect it to sound very good, so I kept my bow with the URB all the time. Much to my surprise: compared to the amplified sound of my URB the WAV wins! This might be due to the spirocores on my URB, and maybe I need to upgrade the piezo's (they're a not very widespread French brand). Still, I would have no problem using the WAV live for a bowing part.

Hi Matthijs,

I usually play in a quartet playing mostly swing & with a little bossanova thrown in, as long as I don't get thrown out that is. lol. Also bow a little from time to time at the local amatuer orchestra. So far, have managed to narrow my drool targets to either a wav, nxt or a used SLB200 if I can get it for the same price as a wav. Hey guys, let me know any opinions you have as I will have to buy the instrument without playing it first as none of the shops here stock it.
The kind of sound I'm looking for is as close as I can get to a grumpy ol acoustic bass if possible.

Thanks in advance,
Dbassnut

 

[dbassnut]

What's the NXT?

If you can afford something like the Yamaha SLB there are a lot of EUB's out there that will probably do better than the WAV. I was originally only looking for a cheap EUB replacement for my acoustic bass for rehearsals. The WAV did that perfectly, and more, but only after changing strings, replacing tuners and a lot of fiddling with the setup. Even factoring in the cost of stings and tuners and stuff, price/quality wise probably nothing beats the WAV, but there's a lot more out there that's probably better, It'll just cost you more.

You might learn more on this site: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Hi Matthijs,

My first choice is still the NS Wav or NS NXT (thats the new one supposed to be out sometime this month).
I'm only considering the SLB200 if I can get a used one for under USD1000. (well, I can hope can't I). Actually saw one on ebay but someone just bought it.
I think the WAV or NXT would probably be more portable than an SLB200 though but I saw Chris Minh Doky playing one on youtube () & really liked the sound plus the fact it more shaped like a double bass so I can transition over more easily.
Anyways, I'm currently waiting for the NS NXT to come out first before pulling the trigger.

Regards,
Dbassnut

 

[fred pratt]

For what it's worth, I've been considering an EUB as well --for traveling, when the DB and family don't all fit in the car; for playing gigs with my West African friends, where lower action and a more electric sound might actually help; etc.-- and so I tried an NS CR5M in a music store last week.

I was surprised just how different it was from playing the DB. Not just in terms of sound. Playing it in tune was a real challenge and required major adjustments, my DB experience notwithstanding. Plucking with my right hand was also a big challenge, since at the end of the fingerboard, where my right hand usually is, the strings were still remarkably close to the fingerboard and there simply wasn't that much room for my fingers to dig in. When I alternated right-hand fingers I had time problems, with notes coming out unevenly, for reasons I still haven't quite figured out.

In short, playing the NS EUB was more different from playing the DB than I expected it would be.

 

[dbassnut]

Hi Fred,
I would prefer to play an acoustic where possible but sometimes the headache of getting the instrument to outstation gigs in one piece is just not worth the risk. Thats why I'm looking around for an EUB. So far I like the NS because of the portability. Its one of the smallest EUB's out there that can use standard 3/4 double bass strings. & yes I am aware that it won't sound like an acoustic but hopefully I can get it to sound close to one.
As for playing in tune, hmmm, my pianist has been talking about that to me for a while... just kidding. Actually I've noticed that even for acoustic basses, the finger positions to play in tune can differ slightly as each bass is slightly different. I usually use a bow to get the intonation right during practice. On live gigs, I just use my ears, slide my fingers like crazy & cross my toes (can't cross my fingers as they're already sliding like crazy). . From what I've seen on the forums, Bob Golihur seems to be the best person in setting up an EUB to sound like an acoustic so I will probably be getting mine from him once I decide which one to get.
Soundwise, not many choices to listen for an NS Wav on youtube but the price is attractive. I like the SLB200 sound (check Chris Minh Doky playing one on youtube) & the sound is nice. However, the price is kinda high & it seems to get that sound you have to do a lot of modification. I'll only consider an SLB20o if I can get a used one for about USD1000 or so.
Well, I really appreciate any comments or advice you can offer as I won't get a chance to test the instrument out before buying one as none of the stores here stock EUBs.
Thanks,
Dbassnut

 

[fred pratt]

Hey, d,

I bought a WAV4 on the BG side. It's compact and a breeze to transport, yet it plays a lot like a DB, just easier because of the lack of a body and lower action. I'm really into that. (It was probably the five strings on the CRM I played previously that hung me up.) Very nice to look at.


I replaced the shot pickup it came with with a new one and played it on a jazz gig last night. I was underwhelmed with the sound, particulalry the G string. I had almost immediately replaced the NS G string with an old D'Addario I had lying around but it still sounded to me like the signal was running through a phase shifter or chorus or something like that.

I turned the tone knob almost all the way down and was flipping the arco/pizz toggle switch back and forth throughout the night, not sure which position I liked better. I got a number of compliments on how it looked, but one friend suggested to me very diplomatically that perhaps the sound I was getting wasn't the best one for that particular gig.

I'm going to tweak some more. But the WAV might not be my Holy Grail.

 

[dbassnut]

Hi Fred,
Thanks, I've got a couple of questions for you. Who did you get your WAV from? What was your set up for your gig? & what was the difference in sound for your CR5 & the Wav? Yes, I know that nothing beats the sound of an acoustic but having an EUB is going to make travelling a heck of a lot easier, not to mention less heart attacks worry about my acoustic.
It's going to be a big investment for me to get a WAV so I really appreciate your comments.
The NXT is finally out so I'm going to see which one I can afford.
http://www.nedsteinberger.com/instruments/nxtbass.php

Thanks, Dbassnut

 

[fred pratt]

Hey, dbassnut,

I got my WAV from a guy on the BG side of TB. (There's currently a dispute between us because the WAV did not work when it arrived via USPS. David Gage determined that the pickup was shot and he replaced it with a new one. (I should've just gotten a new one from Bob G. instead of trying to save what in retrospect seems like a small amount of money.))

I can't say much about the CRM5, since there wasn't a decent amp available in the store to play it through. It didn't sound very good under those circumstances.

At my gig on Saturday night I ran the WAV through my EA Micro 300 and Wizzy 10. That combo works fine for both upright and bass guitar and should've been fine for the WAV. It has a one megaohm input impedance, which is what's recommended. I also tried it though the F-Deck preamp, with 10 megaohms, and that didn't seem to make much difference. Granted, I only had a 3-band EQ on the Micro, plus the tone knob and toggle on the WAV, and Bob says to expect to need EQ. But I was raised to believe that any amplified signal should start with a good fundamental sound. I wasn't getting that. The sound was kind of flatulent in the arco position, and sounded like a bass guitar played with a pick in the pizz position. A musician in the audience told me it lacked warmth, even though I was backing off the treble and boosting the bass somewhat.

I need to go back and read all the threads about how others have dealth with EQ. But the phase-shifter/ chorus-type sound is troubling. It kind of reminds me of the artificial sound one gets with an acoustic guitar with a built in piezo. I don't really know what to think at this point. Going to spend more time with it this weekend.

 

[fred pratt]

Actually, it could be the amp. The Micro, I've just been told, is a Type D amp, known for its tranparency. Most guys playing the WAV are probably switching from electric bass, so they're probably playing through their Type A-B bass guitar amps, which have much more tone shaping.

The Micro is fine for upright, with its beautiful acoustic sound coming in, or for electric, which has magnetic pickups which have their own character and appealing sound, but maybe not for the WAV, which is just wood and a piezo. I'm told that the WAV setup requires more tone shaping than the Micro can offer. So maybe a preamp is in order....

 

[dbassnut]

Hi Fred, I'm still waiting for the final price tag on the NXT bass. Thanks for the write up on the setup you're using. I'm currently using piezo pick ups on my acoustic 3/4. Plugged directly to to the low input on an old Roland Cube 60.(Nope, I don't have a preamp either) I've got 5 knobs on the darn amp which I set as follows. Volume (5/10), Bass (+1), Middle Frequency (5/10), Middle Level (-1), & Treble (-1). I'm not sure how to use the amp but these settings seem ok most of the time except that I still don't really get a nice acoustic sound. I'd appreciate any advice you can give.
Thanks, Jones