• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass My Ultimate EUB, IMHO!

#43
chuck norriss said:
But it sounds pretty good. I wouldn't beat up the guy just yet. I wasn't put off by 34" scale neck but I see how the immediate reaction was that it's an ebg turned vertical. It's more evolved than that.

Hey how about more videos with way less guitar, & you should smile more--you're on the verge of something good & you're going to sell a ****-ton of them worldwide.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Chuck. I'll get some more appropriate Youtube videos up when I can show a bit more in the way of comparison with the different sound options that the design represents.
 
#44
scojack said:
I think you are always up against it, trying to convince an acoustic DB player that an 'electric stick' can come close to sounding like DB and after years of building and experimenting I do agree. Add into that an Electric Bass scale length, Magnetic Pups and you end up with something that is quite a way from the instrument it is trying to emulate .
Its difficult also to look upon it as an extended range bass guitar (where the ground may be more fertile for this kind of idea) because of the 34" scale.

Great work on what youve produced so far though

Best of Luck
Ian
Click to expand...

Ian,
Thanks for the comments. I’m glad that there are others that realize that this is slightly more evolved than the run of the mill stick bass and could potentially have something to offer the bass world. I can tell you that I enjoy playing it much more than my 3/4 Englehardt for the many reasons previously enumerated by me in prior posts.
 
#46
bassteban said:
Like. I am also quite inspired by your handling of Mr Smith's- um, *comments*
Click to expand...

Thanks, bassteban,
Damon is guilty of nothing other than attempting to dispense “tough love.” I choose to disagree with his assessment of the design, but respect his opinion. It IS a diamond in the rough at present, so I can see why it’s met with skepticism. All I can say is that I’ve been designing and constructing musical instruments for a large portion of my considerable time here on earth and when something makes me cheese grin out of the shoot I’m pretty pleased.
With instrument design you can theorize all you want, but its when you start actually doing prototypes and building working models that the rubber hits the road.
 
#48
"What’s the CUB,E bass design status at present?" you may ask...

As far as where I’m at right now, I’m still playing with the design. I received a K&K dual preamp from Bob Gollihur so I can play with a belt clip blender rather than feeding the inputs to a multi-channel PA mixer. I’m also doing a new neck with a bit of modified geometry and layout to make the playing-to-travel changeover more in line with the finished design.

All this also means modifying my CAD drawing to reflect any changes made in the design so I can keep track of what I’m doing with the design.

The magnetic pickup will eventually be re-located to the “sweet spot” associated with most single pickup bass designs. The location at the end of the board was definitely a little thunder-heavy, so I’m thinking the new location might be best for a couple of different reasons.

When the new maple neck is done I’ll most likely shoot the body and neck with vintage amber stain and apply finish to get a feel for what a “finalized design” will look like. Don’t get excited, this one will still be relegated to the burn pile, sacrificing itself for the betterment of mankind in the process.
“No wine before it’s time…”

Sorry to be so long in the tooth about this thing, but it’s important to me, at least.
 
#53
Hi All,
Just a quick note to say I've substituted a K&K 3/4" piezo for my adjustable post transducer and the results were excellent. It makes a good design even better as there is no need to find the right balance of pressure on the transducer; attach the K&K with the supplied super glue gel and it's done!

Link Removed
 
#54
Rudy4444:

Keep up the good work. There's always room for something new in the bass world.
You are providing an alternative that is easy to play and carry around and may attract more people into the acoustic music bass world.
Once they are in, their next move could very well be the regular 3/4 instrument.
Good luck.
 
#56
I sing in a labor choir that performs at venues as diverse as street singing and stage performances. The CUB,E would be a perfect easy-to-haul upright bass these gigs . A perfect companion for my Phil Jones Bass Briefcase amp. A mountable fully-strung neck that couples acoustically to a resonating top is a really unique design idea. I have a few questions about the design.

How does the neck mount onto the body? Is the bridge custom made? Is the top constructed from solid wood or is it laminated?
How deep are the sides?

I bought materials to build another short-scale upright bass but found that ease of transportation became the critical issue for me. Any suggestions in construction of this design would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Richard Groomer
 
#57
Hi Richard,
The top is laminated from two pieces of thin baltic birch plywood. The total top thickness after lamination is just a bit over 3/16" thick. The side depth is 2-3/4".
Yes, the bridge is made by me, but it doesn't contribute much to the sound, as the string vibrations actually couple to the body through the connection at the end of the neck. The website has a lot of additional information, and be sure to watch the YouTube video as it will explain a lot for you.

Invalid Link Removed
 
#58
Rudy,

Thanks for responding to my questions regarding the design for the CUB,E. I have just returned from a shopping expedition where I bought a piece of 5.2 mm birch plywood for the top. One of the really great features of this upright design is the ease with which one could experiment with alternative top designs. It would be easy to build more than one.

I would like to see the effects of using other materials for the sound board. Several years ago Frederick Lyman published an article in the Guild of American Luthiers Journal about building an upright bass with inexpensive materials. He spent some time evaluating the tonal properties of construction woods such as redwood, cedar, and fir. He also spent time describing how to cut and laminate construction materials to get a quarter-sawn top.

I made a soundboard from construction-grade spruce for the Savart-Style Upright Bass designed by R.M. Mottola. Regrettably, I never completed the project. But I could salvage the material and use it to make an alternate top for the CUB,E. The Savart-style bass has a fairly thick soundboard which has plenty of material to make a carved top from.

Well, we're getting ahead of ourselves here but I am just delighted to think of the possibilities.

Best wishes,

Richard Groomer
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back