Double Bass Is an EUB or electric cello suitable for a beginner?

[Fassa Albrecht]

I've FINALLY got the money to get a DB and I'm torn, and need some help on decided, between buying a student model acoustic instrument or an EUB.

I'd go for a full 'proper' acoustic bass but the two things that stop me are:

- I live in a house where some people work strange hours at work, or night shifts, and so they'll be in bed during the day, which is going to rule out playing ANY acoustic instrument. And certainly not a double bass.

- I play in church, and the acoustics mean that an unamplified instrument is likely going to struggle to be heard.

Getting an electric double bass or cello (which I'm also considering) would solve both my problems by allowing me to amplify when needed and then use headphones during times I need to be silent. But on the flipside, you NEED an amp to play an electric with any sound at all, which means more gear to carry.

But I'm unsure that with an instrument such as the contrabass an electric is a good idea for a complete beginner.

Any help guys?

 

[MNAirHead]

eub or cello will work.

 

[Fassa Albrecht]

Any recommendations on EUBS to consider?

 

[ThumpPlunkJunk]

If you're beginning, I'd say get the acoustic.

To my experience, they're better all-around instruments. And carting around an amp is going to be as bad as carting around a full-sized upright.

 

[TroyK]

Well, a cello, is a completely different instrument, as I'm sure you know. I can't even comment on a decision between the two. Do you want a moped or do you want a sandwich? If you were hoping a cello is somehow a stepping stone to DB, I would discourage that thinking.

An EUB can be a very good instrument and they do solve the silent thing. Personally they don't speak to me the way that an acoustic instrument does, but I do recognize the numerous advantages of them (travel, stability, silence when needed, probably easier to amplify). But they are not cheaper if that was pushing you that way.

An acoustic DB almost always needs amplification for pizzicato performance, almost anywhere. Some basses are louder than others, some rooms are better for it than others, some bands/other musicians are more supportive of acoustic accompaniment than others. The biggest factor in being heard acoustically is you and you haven't put in your time yet, I wouldn't expect to get by without an amp and pickup with an acoustic DB.

So, between acoustic db and eub, there are some factors of practicality, but those factors aside, which do you want to play? There's no wrong answer, they can both be fine instruments and you should chose the one that works better for you.

 

[nicechuckh]

I totally agree with Troy. I have an EUB and a DB, for quite awhile only the EUB, it will fit in my toyota echo etc. and it does have the curved fingerboard like a DB but as Troy said, most cost as much as a DB anyway. I play in church too. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you.

 

[J. Montgomery]

I've been renting and playing double bass in places for over 10yr now and no one has ever said anything about the noise.

Movies through the sound system, yes! Acoustic instruments, no.

 

[Fassa Albrecht]

Well, a cello, is a completely different instrument, as I'm sure you know. I can't even comment on a decision between the two. Do you want a moped or do you want a sandwich? If you were hoping a cello is somehow a stepping stone to DB, I would discourage that thinking.

I'm interested in both instruments for entirely different reasons, not to use one to learn the other. I've tried playing both and I KNOW that they're different to play.

Plus, what's steering me to double bass more so than cello is the simple fact that I can actually play a little DB already.

An EUB can be a very good instrument and they do solve the silent thing. Personally they don't speak to me the way that an acoustic instrument does, but I do recognize the numerous advantages of them (travel, stability, silence when needed, probably easier to amplify). But they are not cheaper if that was pushing you that way.

Plus an electric instrument CAN end up being more expensive to buy in the first place without the amp.

And I must admit that on the rare occasions I've played electric cellos/violins/DBs, they do seem a little 'off'.

An acoustic DB almost always needs amplification for pizzicato performance, almost anywhere. Some basses are louder than others, some rooms are better for it than others, some bands/other musicians are more supportive of acoustic accompaniment than others. The biggest factor in being heard acoustically is you and you haven't put in your time yet, I wouldn't expect to get by without an amp and pickup with an acoustic DB.

TBH I'd likely NEED to be amped in the church band where I'm ideally wanting to play. The room we use for the services isn't acoustically great to start off with, and then we have to deal with the fact that we've got 400 people who want to be able to hear us across two floors. Plus, as you say, technique is key to volume and at present I don't have that technique.

Plus my local classical instrument store is actually pretty good on stuff like DB pick-ups so finding one won't be too hard.

So, between acoustic db and eub, there are some factors of practicality, but those factors aside, which do you want to play? There's no wrong answer, they can both be fine instruments and you should chose the one that works better for you.

If it were the choice that you were standing in front of me, a DB in one hand and an EUB in the other, and you then offered me the choice of either, I'd likely choose the DB. I'd rather have an acoustic instrument which is playable on its own and then amped if needed to one which needs an amp all the time regardless.

@J Montgomery: You're lucky! My house's soundproofing is terrible. You'd probably hear me halfway down the street!

 

[damonsmith]

Many don't agree with me but I think a quality EUB like the Ergo, Yamaha silent, alter ego, NS etc. etc. is much better investment than a cheap plywood bass.

It is a useful tool to have later and you tend to get a better instrument for the money. I am most happy play my acoustic double bass but I'd rather play my well setup Ergo than ANY plywood bass I have come across.
(enter flood of mythical great plywood bass stories now!)

 

[Fassa Albrecht]

Many don't agree with me but I think a quality EUB like the Ergo, Yamaha silent, alter ego, NS etc. etc. is much better investment than a cheap plywood bass.

It is a useful tool to have later and you tend to get a better instrument for the money. I am most happy play my acoustic double bass but I'd rather play my well setup Ergo than ANY plywood bass I have come across.
(enter flood of mythical great plywood bass stories now!)

Major problem with the Yamaha silent instruments is that over here, they're expensive. HUGELY expensive. Far too much to justify me spending that kind of money when I'm likely to only play in church.

As to the note about the plywood, I deliberately waited until I could get the money together for a 'proper' DB than a plywood job.

 

[shadygrove]

If it were the choice that you were standing in front of me, a DB in one hand and an EUB in the other, and you then offered me the choice of either, I'd likely choose the DB. I'd rather have an acoustic instrument which is playable on its own and then amped if needed to one which needs an amp all the time regardless.

^ I think you've found the answer to your question

By the way, not all plywood (laminate) basses are bad basses. If you're planning to play a lot with the bow then by all means get a solid top - either a hybrid or fully carved, but for the roots type music I play I prefer the strong fundamental I get out of my plywood Eberle over the Shen and Christopher hybrids I compared it to when shopping. Plywood can also be an advantage it you think you are ever going to play amplified at loud volumes. In that environment the qualities that make a top responsive under the bow also make it more prone to feedback.

 

[shadygrove]

(enter flood of mythical great plywood bass stories now!)

Right on cue

I'm not saying my bass is in anyway a great plywood bass, mind you. Just that for some budgets and styles of music they can be a reasonable choice if you go with a reputable builder such as Shen, Christopher, Thompson etc... and stay away from the cheap chinese basses you see for $500 on ebay.

 

[fdeck]

Fassa's got a squeezebox, daddy never sleeps at night.

 

[nicechuckh]

My bass is a $500 bass from ebay. If you like to do the setup yourself, you can get a great deal that way. Mine now plays, looks, sounds, and sustains well. There are alot of posters here that have had the same experience. The problem is, you can't play it first and you don't know how well the companys quality control is, and if you got a bad one, I'm sure sending it back could be a big problem. Of course I'd recommend playing any bass before purchasing, but in my situation, (unemployed) I'm really glad those basses are available.
Anyway, Fassa, I hope you get just what you want and hope you enjoy playing DB for the rest of your life. Best of luck to you.

 

[nicechuckh]

An EUB can be a decent way to go also, I have one that I've enjoyed for several years, but a few don't even have curved fingerboards and to me, it still isn't the same as a UB for a number of reasons.

 

[damonsmith]

It needs to be a real, bowable EUB to be worth it. A plywood bass is fine to get started on, once I got my carved bass I couldn't get rid of my plywood bass fast enough. Some people keep one around for outdoor gigs or things they don't want to bring their nice bass too, but the EUB is great for that, too.
You can practice them quiet and they are still useful once you upgrade. I am not sure where you are, but I am guessing you can find a qulity EUB cheaper than a good carved bass.

 

[Jason Sypher]

It needs to be a real, bowable EUB to be worth it. A plywood bass is fine to get started on, once I got my carved bass I couldn't get rid of my plywood bass fast enough. Some people keep one around for outdoor gigs or things they don't want to bring their nice bass too, but the EUB is great for that, too.
You can practice them quiet and they are still useful once you upgrade. I am not sure where you are, but I am guessing you can find a qulity EUB cheaper than a good carved bass.

This surprises me Damon. Ergo huh? Who knew?

 

[Rumblejohn]

I play an electric upright in three different community orchestras. Although pizz is more "electric" sounding, arco is much more acceptable. When I started I thought that I would eventually upgrade to a hybrid double bass (and I still may), but as these orchestras grow in size, there have been few double basses added. One orchestra did a matinee and concert yesterday, and many people commented that they were impressed with how full the lower strings sounded. I was the only bass, and had to cover tuba also. Locally EUB's are becoming more acceptable.
Don't rush into it. Play as many instruments as possible, and buy what speaks to you.

John

 

[Fassa Albrecht]

^ I think you've found the answer to your question

By the way, not all plywood (laminate) basses are bad basses. If you're planning to play a lot with the bow then by all means get a solid top - either a hybrid or fully carved, but for the roots type music I play I prefer the strong fundamental I get out of my plywood Eberle over the Shen and Christopher hybrids I compared it to when shopping. Plywood can also be an advantage it you think you are ever going to play amplified at loud volumes. In that environment the qualities that make a top responsive under the bow also make it more prone to feedback.

It's going to be a subjective thing that no-oone is ever going to agree 100%.

My bass is a $500 bass from ebay. If you like to do the setup yourself, you can get a great deal that way. Mine now plays, looks, sounds, and sustains well. There are alot of posters here that have had the same experience. The problem is, you can't play it first and you don't know how well the companys quality control is, and if you got a bad one, I'm sure sending it back could be a big problem. Of course I'd recommend playing any bass before purchasing, but in my situation, (unemployed) I'm really glad those basses are available.

I LOOOOOOOVE doing my own set-ups! No seriously, I'd rather do it myself TBH. I did it with my violin, do it with all my other instruments barring my keyboard, simply for the fact I'm not always going to have someone to hand who can do it for you.

Anyway, Fassa, I hope you get just what you want and hope you enjoy playing DB for the rest of your life. Best of luck to you.

Cheers! I'll get there one day.....trust me to pick the biggest and most awkward to carry of all the instruments....

It needs to be a real, bowable EUB to be worth it. A plywood bass is fine to get started on, once I got my carved bass I couldn't get rid of my plywood bass fast enough. Some people keep one around for outdoor gigs or things they don't want to bring their nice bass too, but the EUB is great for that, too.
You can practice them quiet and they are still useful once you upgrade. I am not sure where you are, but I am guessing you can find a qulity EUB cheaper than a good carved bass.

Well this is the problem. Most of the EUBs I've seen personally are more like bowable electric basses than EUBs, or look and sound bad.

TBH the issues about quiet practicing could likely be solved by organizing my practice time a bit more effectively, something I must admit I don't do.

I play an electric upright in three different community orchestras. Although pizz is more "electric" sounding, arco is much more acceptable. When I started I thought that I would eventually upgrade to a hybrid double bass (and I still may), but as these orchestras grow in size, there have been few double basses added. One orchestra did a matinee and concert yesterday, and many people commented that they were impressed with how full the lower strings sounded. I was the only bass, and had to cover tuba also. Locally EUB's are becoming more acceptable.
Don't rush into it. Play as many instruments as possible, and buy what speaks to you.

John

Noted and will do!

 

[joe vegas]

don't get an instrument on the basis of it needing to be quiet around people, get it for its sonic power and beauty. 1000 years ago in my student days, i put socks in the f holes and practiced quietly when roommates needed quiet time. i still got all the work done that i needed to. also, you'll need am amp for anything you get, anyway. i say try to find a good 1/2 size plywood in good shape. you'll love the life-journey a double bass takes you on.