How to Approximate an Upright w/ an Electric?

[Ric Vice]

Interesting that they chose to use the Fishman Full Circle Pickup as their sound capture source. It sounds like the Full Circle for sure,
retaining all the additional artifacts ( upper midrange emphasis and what I call zzzzing on the sustain and release of each note) Those
are characteristics that DB players will de emphasize with buffer preamps if its possible.

 

[theduke1]

This is what I use
Duke

 

[mongo2]

I played upright for a while until it got too unweildy for me to cart. My closest to uprighteous tone from an electric bass was an Ashbory, Kalla Ubass and Goldtone M-Bass.

The closest from a "standard" fretted electric bass was from my Ibanez AFB200, Hofner Ignition Club Bass and Hofner HCT President RI 500/5 all strung with nylon tapewounds and using upright style technique and note selection.

For a few years I used my DIY washtub bass with a roots band. I made it with a large oval washtub, a plywood soundboard, a maple "lump" bridge, a humbucking pickup from a Brice violin bass and the modified neck from a Squier Bronco strung with nylon tapewounds and mounted on a NS upright stand. It had a very reasonable upright-esque tone.

Though I assembled one ages ago, I never really got into fretless solidbody basses.

 

[dalkowski]

Kala UBass, I promise.

 

[Snaxster]

https://www.talkbass.com/search/36276704/?q=like+upright&o=date&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=8+36+225

 

[dougjwray]

Kala U-Bass, for sure.

Other than that, the closest I've ever heard was Chris Brubeck on a fretless Rickenbacker bass with Rotosound tapewound strings.
I'm not sure if your bass has a bridge pickup, but if it does, favor it, and pluck over the end of the neck. Flatwound or tapewound strings. Listen to upright players to try to mimic the attack and phrasing. Maybe try plucking with the side of your finger(s) rather than the fingertip(s). More "meat", less pointed attack.

That's about all I can offer... Good luck!

 

[mongo2]

Kala U-Bass, for sure.

Other than that, the closest I've ever heard was Chris Brubeck on a fretless Rickenbacker bass with Rotosound tapewound strings.
I'm not sure if your bass has a bridge pickup, but if it does, favor it, and pluck over the end of the neck. Flatwound or tapewound strings. Listen to upright players to try to mimic the attack and phrasing. Maybe try plucking with the side of your finger(s) rather than the fingertip(s). More "meat", less pointed attack.

That's about all I can offer... Good luck!

Yes, those are some of the upright techniques I was referring to in my post above. However, I favor the neck pickup on my hollowbodies for a deeper and more acoustic tone.

 

[dougjwray]

Yes, those are some of the upright techniques I was referring to in my post above. However, I favor the neck pickup on my hollowbodies for a deeper and more acoustic tone.

In fact, I think Chris Brubeck uses the neck pickup, too. In my experience, if you're specifically aiming for the singing "mwah" effect, the bridge pickup helps to bring that out. But upright can be more thumpy, of course.