Double Bass EUB in bluegrass?

[Zbysek]

Is anyone using EUB (electric upright bass) for bluegrass? How do you get rid of the sustain? Thank you.

 

[Holdsg]

just like in any other situation, in muting the strings after you pluck them.

 

[jthisdell]

What kind of eub and strings are you using?

I have an NS NXT4 that I have used for bluegrass for 5 years. Much improvement when I switched to Obligatos. The synthetic core deadness pairs well with a solid body eub.

 

[unbrokenchain]

String height is a big factor, at least on regular DB. Lower tension strings jacked up high usually kills the sustain. Though I prefer lower string height and to mute the strings manually so that I can also have sustain if I want it.. $.02

+1 on Obligatos for bluegrass

 

[Zbysek]

What kind of eub and strings are you using?

NS Design NXT4 with stock strings (Daddario electric contemporary).

I have an NS NXT4 that I have used for bluegrass for 5 years. Much improvement when I switched to Obligatos. The synthetic core deadness pairs well with a solid body eub.

I plan to switch to Daddario Traditionals. Do you know how do they compare to Obligatos? THX.

 

[jthisdell]

NS Design NXT4 with stock strings (Daddario electric contemporary).

I plan to switch to Daddario Traditionals. Do you know how do they compare to Obligatos? THX.

Yes, I used the Traditionals for awhile before switching to the Obligatos. The Traditionals were a big improvement over the Contemporaries. And much less than the Obligatos and in order to put the Obligatos on I had to switch out the tuners. Let me check, I may have a set of lightly used Traditionals still at home I could send you. I know I gave away the original Contemporaries but I think I may still have a set of Traditionals. Will PM you if I do.

Do you use a preamp with a 10megohm input (also called high-Z)? That makes a big difference in NXT tone. Some amps have an input close enough that you may not need a pre (my ToneHammer sounds prett good without it) but as a general rule a prewith a 10megohm input is needed. If you have the NXTa you may not need one as it has a nui;t in pre.

And yes, raising string height helps some. It comes set very low and is easy to raise.

 

[Zbysek]

Yes, I used the Traditionals for awhile before switching to the Obligatos. The Traditionals were a big improvement over the Contemporaries. And much less than the Obligatos and in order to put the Obligatos on I had to switch out the tuners.

That's good to know.

Let me check, I may have a set of lightly used Traditionals still at home I could send you. I know I gave away the original Contemporaries but I think I may still have a set of Traditionals. Will PM you if I do.

Thank you. That's very kind of you.

Do you use a preamp with a 10megohm input (also called high-Z)? That makes a big difference in NXT tone. Some amps have an input close enough that you may not need a pre (my ToneHammer sounds prett good without it) but as a general rule a prewith a 10megohm input is needed.

Yes, I do: either EBS Microbass II preamp (10 Mohm) or Trace Elliot ELF amp (10Mohm) or Broughton HPF DI (impedance selectable between 1 and 10 Mohm)

 

[turf3]

I regularly play with a guy who uses an EUB and he has a piece of foam rubber stuffed under the strings near the bridge (I do this on my Fender bass).

 

[Zbysek]

I regularly play with a guy who uses an EUB and he has a piece of foam rubber stuffed under the strings near the bridge (I do this on my Fender bass).

Is the foam stuffed above or below the bridge?

 

[turf3]

Is the foam stuffed above or below the bridge?

Above.

You have to experiment some. Any fabric store sells foam rubber in a variety of hardnesses and thicknesses. You can easily cut it thinner with a knife.

 

[marcox]

Several prominent newgrass bands (Greensky Bluegrass, Hot Buttered Rum) use Eminence EUBs. You might check on their bassists' setups for ideas of what (or what not) to do.

 

[bherman]

I use an eminence in a NewGrass band. No problems with sustain, some of the more modern, jam stuff we do sustain is good. For more traditional bluegrass I just modify my right hand technique a bit to get a flatter sound with less sustain. I use Corelli strings and a Krivo magnetic pickup, though a Grace Designs Bix preamp.