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Double Bass I have a problem

C

curbowkid

Jun 27, 2011
1,779
12
Brooklyn, New York
#1
Its been two days since i had my first dose of upright. The high is deep and strong. Now everytime i try to go electric, it just isnt the same... It feels like a cheap substitute for the real thing. I have an addiction to upright bass.

In all seriousness i have only had my upright for two days and now when i pick up my elwctric basses they just feel blah. Like theres something missing. I have honestly spent a good 13-14 hours playing my new upright since yesterday. Maybe more. Anyone else get the upright fever and essentially stop playing electric? Im considering selling my electrics to further my addiction
 
#2
Before selling any musical instrument give yourself some time to adjust. I can tell you from personal experience that the way you feel today may change tomorrow. I have been working hard on the upright for almost three years now, and I no longer practice electric bass. However, every now and then I will go to a jam or play a gig on electric, and I still enjoy playing electric bass. I don't know what your aspirations are with music, but a bassist that doubles has that much more to offer to potential bandleaders ,and music in general. IMHO. Or is this all a joke? you did post this in the humor section...:)
 
#3
Hahaha i posted in the humor section because i made it like one of those interventions with addiction.

I mean i play mostly as a hobby. I play things that sound good and feel good and just give me something to work on when im not working. After hearing and feeling the upright bass. The electrics just dont have that wow anymore. Maybe i just need better electric basses haha i do occasionally do recording so no matter what i have to keep them until i find something i can afford and fall in love with
 
#4
I've sold many instruments over the last 40 years. Some I really wish I had today, and others I have long forgotten, but when you do get something that connects with you there may still come a time when you are not all that enthused, and may consider selling it.. thats when you need to hold off, and let it sit there in the closet. Trust me in that sooner or later you will get the urge to play it again..
 
#5
I have unfortunately learned that. I sold off my conklin 7 string because it just didnt seem to be working for me no matter what i did. I ended up selling it to the evil guitarcenter of death. Where it still sits now beaten up and dented by disrespectful customers. Well it used to be pristine. Anyways im most likely not going to sell anything. All i have right now instrument wise is the upright, a modded out ibanez sr506, an ibanez s8 guitar and my first personal build. I have another in the tubes as we speak i just need to get around to finishing it
 
#6
I got bit by the bug almost 10 years ago. Sold off most of my guitars, all my guitar amps and didn't look back until recently when I found an electric guitar for a steal. Now I'm back at learning a little bit of it just to mess around and for composing on. I have two EBs but they're not worth anything and just toys to mess around.

My advice? Selling everything but maybe one or two axes to fool around on when you get bored (and you will get bored at some point). You can fiddle with the imitations and when you go back to real thing you'll remember why you made the switch.

But just remember that the music is what's important, not neccessarily the instrument. If you hear and feel it better with a double bass in your hands - there's your answer. But it's still just a tool.
 
#7
I sold the last bass guitar I owned around 15 years ago. I just wasn't really hearing it anymore and it had become just a tool of commerce for me. The gigs I was doing on BG weren't music that I was interested in and I was playing with people I wasn't interested in playing with. On top of that, I live in an area (as do you) that ABOUNDS with really great bass guitarists.
So, for me, this was a very easy decision.
 
#11
Uprights do sound better but how practical are they for the music you play. Yould look like a pretentious snob bringing an upright to a venue like a bar. Bluss would u really want so,ething like that around drunks and cigarette smoke.

You should mess around with your eq settings the amp can do alot to change your sound.

Also lowering your pickups can make it sound more upright like and less tinny.
 
#12
3star2nr said:
(sic) Yould look like a pretentious snob bringing an upright to a venue like a bar. Bluss would u really want so,ething like that around drunks and cigarette smoke...
Click to expand...


I couldn't disagree more.

I play my DB at bar gigs, at the county fair, or on the boardwalk at Venice Beach for the art festival. Wherever the gig is, my DB goes.

I doubt anyone regards me as pretentious snob.
 
#13
3star2nr said:
Uprights do sound better but how practical are they for the music you play. Yould look like a pretentious snob bringing an upright to a venue like a bar. Bluss would u really want so,ething like that around drunks and cigarette smoke.

You should mess around with your eq settings the amp can do alot to change your sound.

Also lowering your pickups can make it sound more upright like and less tinny.
Click to expand...

I dont gig, i play more as a hobby and do occasional recording.
And i know my way around an EQ. Its not that thats putting me off now. Its the electric sound in general.
 
#15
jazzbill said:
I got my upright in July 2010. My last Electric gig was Oct 2011. I haven't sold my electrics but I never play them or practice on them any more. All my gigs are on upright now.
Click to expand...

I'm the same - I still have a bass guitar, but it only comes out maybe once a year!

Once I got into DB, I just didn't want to play anything else and now it feels very weird with BG that you can't get under the strings and pull through them. Plus the G string on BG just sounds so thin and tinny - I just don't want to touch it! :p

I still like hearing great bass guitar players - I liked Marcus Miller's last album and I love the sound that Nathan East gets on the latest Daft Punk album, but I only want to play DB now.
 
#17
I started off on bass playing a fretless electric, then began DB. I only got into fretted electric after about two years on the DB. Turns out it was a neat sound (was inspired by Marcus Miller's sound) and was fun to play (after I had been hitting it hard w/ the DB for a while).

You might get back into it after a while. I keep one at work because my DB is "too big" to have around and my boss is a JERK.
 

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