Hybrid Question

Making the leap from a ply to a carved-top instrument can be disconcerting. You will not hear as much thump as you are used to, which can trick you into thinking your old ply was louder, but you should gain a lot of definition in your sound. IME a good carved-top bass, in a state of good health, will project a sound that is more string and less box, if that makes sense. Going from a Palatino ply to an Upton hybrid should be a thrill.

As far as care and feeding are concerned, try not to drop the bass or whack it into anything. Temperature doesn't seem to matter much, within reason of course. Try to keep the bass humidified to at least 40%, and keep that level of humidity as constant as possible. I own a fully carved and a hybrid, and give both daily attention to keep tabs on their state of health. My music room includes two hygrometers and a cheap cool-mist humidifier, and I use Dampits during the heating season as an extra precaution.

I have been told that hybrids, with their relatively stable plywood ribs and backs, are less prone to top cracks than a fully-carved bass whose maple ribs and back move with every fluctuation in humidity, stressing the much softer spruce top. My Shen hybrid was bought only recently, so I cannot say if this theory holds water.

What I think you should do is log off the internet, bop over to Gage's and play some basses. He occasionally has an Upton in stock. Maybe today's your lucky day.

 

so interesting, I've been told the opposite. and it's not like i know or anything. but I've been told that on a hybrid being that the ribs and back are rigid, will not move at the same rate as the top. so the top will be more prone to cracks!!! go figure!...

 

But, with a fully carved, top, back and sides, they all want to go their own way, so I would think this would be the greatest amount of stressors.

 

Yeap. Well I don't know. But it seems that each theory has some good points.

 

I have two basses, and the one the turned out to be a god jazz bass is a fully cared. and the one the i actually use for orchestra is an Upton hybrid. a hawkes hybrid from 2006. great arco sound.

 

Yes and no. You can get a digital hygrometer (not hydrometer) for a couple of bucks, and an adequate humidifier (some of which come with automatic, built-in digital hygrometers) can be had at Wal-Mart for well under $100. The environment around the bass will dehumidify for you, no batteries required.

I've played an Upton laminate and it was a nice bass. The cheapest Shen hybrid, the 150, is about the same price and feels to be of comparable quality. Mine can't hang with my old carved German, which has about 100 years of seasoning and playing under its' belt where the Shen has about six months, so some difference is to be expected.

 

Yes. But by buying from an established maker through an established retailer that risk can be minimized.

 

You could take a ride to to Brewster, NY to play some of Arnold's basses. They are frequently praised here on the forum.

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Some of the old Roth hybrids that I've played have been exceptionally good.

 

I noticed the same thing with my Kay and my carved bass. The Kay is a veritable weather gauge. The carved bass pretty much stays in tune all the time.

 

It's pretty simple, actually. A hybrid, having a carved top is absolutely more prone to cracks and needs more care than a ply bass. Yes, with a hybrid, you'd be wise to humidify properly and care for it as you would a fully carved bass. Generally speaking, fully carved basses are more prone to damage and are less robust than are hybrids.

As for sound, I disagree with Kungfus generalization. Many carved-top basses will seem less powerful than many plys. That need not be the case. For example, I play a fully-carved Upton Concert that has all the complexity of tone one would expect from such a bass but will also bury any ply bass I've played in terms of sheer power. All this is to say that it depends on the design and the sound that is targeted.

Sorry, Kungfu, I also disagree about the "feel" and quality of a Shen vs. an Upton ply. I've played a bunch of each and the overall design and build quality, IMO, are miles apart with the Uptons easily besting any Shen. This, not surprisingly, is reflected in the relative cost of each. If you know what to look for and look closely, you'll see quite a number of shortcuts (commensurate with price) on the Shens that don't appear on the Uptons. I think the Shens are fine entry-level basses and I recommend them highly and often at their price point. You often get what you pay for and, in this case, that turns out to be true, IMO.

In terms of playing ergonomics (neck profile, overstand, fingerboard projection, sound), IMO, the Uptons are much more of a "bass players bass" than are the Shens.

 

As I said above, I've played exactly one of each -- Upton and Shen -- which is a pretty small study. As for the price difference, I ascribed much of that to currency differentials, but whatever. I've played worse than either.

 

In every thread like this there exists the possibility for the discussion to shift from positive advocacy by a satisfied customer to shilling for one side by bad mouthing the other side. The line between can be muddy or grey. Exactly where that line is can depend on the personality or background of anyone reading such a post. Posts that fall very near this middle area can completely derail a thread. I would hate to see that happen to this thread.

 

Ah, you just had to add poison. There are not two sides at all. Geez, Upton sells many Shens and you know that. The two basses were mentioned before I posted with an opinion about differences. I added mine. The price points of the ply Shens and ply Uptons are quite far apart. It's hardly controversial to contend that, across two maker's basses, the one with the substantially higher price tag is of higher quality. They are hardly direct competitors at all. Now, comparing a Shen hybrid to an Upton ply is another matter entirely and, as discussed in another recent thread, the choice is much tougher, but the build and ergonomic considerations remain. Compare the Shen and Upton hybrids and you're back to apples and oranges again, with the expected price differential. Don't sneak around accusations of shilling. Have the guts to say it, if that's what you think and I sure will respond. On the other hand, you seem to take plenty of opportunity to knock the competition, especially in your conversations outside this forum. You have a financial conflict. I have no reason to shill for Upton. As I said, there aren't even two sides.

No Kungfu, it's way more than a currency difference. The two basses differ enormously and that really accounts for the largest part of the difference in price.