Get a beginner upright or a nice electric?

[Persona87]

I think it's a lot easier to carry an electric and a small amp compared to hauling an upright around.
Personally, i'd go for the Carvin. MM and P PUs on a six string sound intimidating. I'm half tempted to toy around with that building tool myself.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. My current bass is an active six string with soap bar humbuckers. I want to get a five string active/passive with a MM and a P. My current bass sounds a lot like a thick active Jazz because of the pickups and their location. I was debating between getting a P bass and a Ray and then I saw that I could build a Carvin with both types of pickups very close to their sweet spots. I've heard so much good about their products here and elsewhere and I liked the audio demos I found on YouTube, so I figured that I could take a chance with it and send it back if I didn't care for it as much as I thought I would.

 

[Stick_Player]

... pickups very close to their sweet spots...

Where is that exactly?

 

[Persona87]

I don't have any measurements for you but EBMM puts their pickups closer to the neck than a jazz bass bridge pickup but further away than a P bass and its location is part of what gives the bass its sound. Same for the P; a P pickup closer to the neck won't sound the same as a regular P. Builders call these standard locations the sweet spots because it's the classic location for these pickups and gives the classic sound.

 

[Bass Doc]

Well, this is a lot easier question to answer than most are making it out to be. The original poster said it himself"

"...but I do have a burning desire and that's something that's hard to tame..."

Answer: Double bass wins, without question.

Just my $ .02

Bass Doc

 

[LowG]

Contrary to other opinions here, in my experience Double bass practice does make you better at bass guitar, but bass guitar practice does not make you better at double bass.

Playing the bass guitar after working long and hard at upright is like taking a walk after training for a marathon.

 

[Stick_Player]

Contrary to other opinions here, in my experience Double bass practice does make you better at bass guitar, but bass guitar practice does not make you better at double bass.

Playing the bass guitar after working long and hard at upright is like taking a walk after training for a marathon.

This is an absolute fact.