Double Bass EUB for college?

[brlottermann]

Hey TBers,
I am a 1st semester student at Berklee College of Music, and I am a bass guitar principle. About 8 months ago I started learning the upright bass on a rental upright while still living in Washington, DC, and I was forced to leave the rental bass behind when I moved. I haven't played in some time, and I'd like to be able to practice even though its not necessarily my primary focus at the school. Here's the thing: I live in a dorm which is rather small and I have no space for a double bass. The school provides upright lockers, but they are in another dorm building which is a 10 minute walk from where I live (in the Boston winter, this is a long walk) and since upright is not my primary instrument I would have to pay an additional fee to rent out a locker. I am starting to think that it would be a better idea to just buy a relatively cheap EUB, keep it in my dorm, and be able to practice whenever I want without a hassle and without a cost.
What do you think? Would I be able to easily transition from EUB to double bass, if I end up getting one later?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Herbie 80's]

I wouldn't. In my opinion, an EUB will limit you - you can't play in orchestra, and it isn't an acoustic sound (and they usually sound terrible with a bow). Part of playing double bass is learning how to coax the acoustic sound out of the instrument, something you can't do on an EUB. If you transitioned from EUB to acoustic bass, you'd have to learn how to do that.

My main gripe with EUB is that some of them tend to sit differently than a double bass on someone's hip, and you can't sit with them. You'll get use to an EUB and then have a major shift if you go back to acoustic; you'll have to learn how to create a beautiful acoustic sound, and also have to relearn how to stand (or sit) with the instrument, potentially changing your hand position that you're used to (meaning you'll probably have some trouble keeping in tune for a while).

A 10 minute walk in the winter isn't far to go practice. I've lived much farther north than Montreal with a bass (easily going up to -40) and yes, it can be cold, but if you want to play an instrument, sometimes you have to do things like that.

EDIT: Just thought of this.. maybe you'd have to buy a second amp as well because your BG amp won't pair well with the EUB?

 

[Lee Moses]

When I was at Berklee in the early 90's, I kept my bass in one of the lockers even though I lived in Somerville. I just planned my upright practice to be between classes, so it wasn't a big deal at all. I wasn't getting a huge amount of upright practice in those days, but I pretty much got an hour or two every weekday.

 

[Pat Harris]

EUB and upright are two very different beasts with their own sounds, approaches, and sonic space. That said, if you have the money and want an EUB, go for it. I play primarily upright, but I also gig a fair amount on EUB and there are situations where each has its strengths. I can get a very convincing "amped up" upright bass sound from an EUB.

 

[valentina]

Brian,

I'm curious to know how it went last year. Did you end up using an EUB or did you go "traditional"?