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Double Bass NBD
- Thread starter Ed S
- Start date
The sustain on this bass - especially bowing the E and A - is hard for me to believe. And when I'm walking pizz down to the low G or open E, I can dig in and get a growl that is unlike anything I could get out of my ply. Can't imagine what this thing would sound miked/amped!
So much basic stuff is just easier on this bass - such as in terms of tone and bowing - that I'm able to concentrate on much more specific aspects, such as bowing timing/pressure/speed... It is pretty clear that this is an instance of a better instrument creating the possibility for me to become a better player. Here's hoping I take advantage of that opportunity...
So much basic stuff is just easier on this bass - such as in terms of tone and bowing - that I'm able to concentrate on much more specific aspects, such as bowing timing/pressure/speed... It is pretty clear that this is an instance of a better instrument creating the possibility for me to become a better player. Here's hoping I take advantage of that opportunity...
Beautiful bass. I'm glad to read it's performance and sound exceeds your previous expectations. Money well spent!
And lovely kitchen btw, it looks like the "After" shot from an show on the HGTV network. Also money well spent.
These things keep their value, and make their usage over the years much more enjoyable.
And lovely kitchen btw, it looks like the "After" shot from an show on the HGTV network. Also money well spent.
These things keep their value, and make their usage over the years much more enjoyable.
Ha! Unintentional.
When I got transferred to my current job 6 years ago, my wife and I knew the area and the sort of house we wanted to be in. (I'm 6 min from my office!) As empty nesters, we wanted to get rid of as much as we could and have a house set up just how we wanted - w/o worrying about "investing for resale" or whatever. We asked the kids if they ever envisioned a need/desire to move back home, and the responses ran the gamut all the way from "No" to "HELL no!"
We were having trouble finding a house which had not been redone by flippers, asking a premium $ for poor quality which wasn't our taste.Long story short, when this house came up, you coulda filmed an ep of Mad Men in it. Love beads, reflective and flocked wallpaper, a mural of a parrot in the living room and an orange and turquoise tiki bar in the lower level. My wife walked thru w/ the agent, and each room they entered he said, "It's a gutter!"
Which was just what we wanted. We had 2 previous experiences of waiting to make home improvements until just before we sold, so the NEXT owners got to enjoy them. The house was built INCREDIBLY solidly, but we literally gutted every room - and even ended up replacing all the windows, the roof, and the siding - as well as much of the landscaping. We're very happy w/ the results. We really like the Arts and Crafts adage - "Have nothing in your home which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." I keep trying to convince my wife that I check both boxes, but she is having none of it.
At the very least, good to hear the money was well spent in creating a background for instrument photo shoots!
We really like the Arts and Crafts adage - "Have nothing in your home which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
Elbert Hubbard would be pleased.
Wow, that instrument looks excellent.
For what it’s worth, I have found that I prefer a bigger bass. I’m 6’1 and recently upgraded to a new (to me) bass that is larger than my old one. I actually found it easier to intonate on the bigger instrument.
Congrats on the new bass!
For what it’s worth, I have found that I prefer a bigger bass. I’m 6’1 and recently upgraded to a new (to me) bass that is larger than my old one. I actually found it easier to intonate on the bigger instrument.
Congrats on the new bass!
Ha! Unintentional.
When I got transferred to my current job 6 years ago, my wife and I knew the area and the sort of house we wanted to be in. (I'm 6 min from my office!) As empty nesters, we wanted to get rid of as much as we could and have a house set up just how we wanted - w/o worrying about "investing for resale" or whatever. We asked the kids if they ever envisioned a need/desire to move back home, and the responses ran the gamut all the way from "No" to "HELL no!"
Long story short, when this house came up, you coulda filmed an ep of Mad Men in it. Love beads, reflective and flocked wallpaper, a mural of a parrot in the living room and an orange and turquoise tiki bar in the lower level. My wife walked thru w/ the agent, and each room they entered he said, "It's a gutter!"
Which was just what we wanted. We had 2 previous experiences of waiting to make home improvements until just before we sold, so the NEXT owners got to enjoy them. The house was built INCREDIBLY solidly, but we literally gutted every room - and even ended up replacing all the windows, the roof, and the siding - as well as much of the landscaping. We're very happy w/ the results. We really like the Arts and Crafts adage - "Have nothing in your home which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." I keep trying to convince my wife that I check both boxes, but she is having none of it.
At the very least, good to hear the money was well spent in creating a background for instrument photo shoots!
And enough left over for a nice Upton! Congrats and enjoy.
That’s beautiful! Kind of a caramel chocolate that’s quite warm and inviting.
I feel you on the house thing! I’m currently in the market and can spot the “Home Depot Flipper” in my sleep...kitchen backsplash is often the first clue.
I feel you on the house thing! I’m currently in the market and can spot the “Home Depot Flipper” in my sleep...kitchen backsplash is often the first clue.
What cracks me up is when they talk about some style as dated, and I wanna ask, "How do you think the white kitchen, white and grey exterior, and interior barn doors are gonna look in 5-10?"
...Those barn doors...they look bad now and always imo.What cracks me up is when they talk about some style as dated, and I wanna ask, "How do you think the white kitchen, white and grey exterior, and interior barn doors are gonna look in 5-10?"
I’m just going to say it...
You sound a lot like @damonsmith describing why hybrids are better than ply basses for beginners.
I predicted it would be a solid instrument that won't hold you back. Sounds like I was correct.Not sure which of us should be more offended by that!
It also supports my theory that these aspects are possibly more important for practice than for performance. Having a well set up, nice sounding bass that is a pleasure to play is key for practice. I can power through a gig with buzzes, plywood basses and even nice basses with an unfamiliar set up. For my day to work in the practice room I need more.
Been (over?)thinking about this, as well as some of my past posts.
It is hard to compare my 2 basses, because they are so different. I readily acknowledge that my Upton hybrid is clearly a "better" bass than my Engle. And that means better for pretty much any level/style player.
But I'm not sure that necessarily translates into all hybrid > all ply for all players.
I wonder how my Engle would bow w/ the EP weichs. I'm sure it would not sound as good as the Upton, but the only strings I tried to bow on it were Innovation Rockabillys and EP guts. And at this point, I doubt I'll ever go through the effort of multiple string changes to see the difference.
There is also the incalculable emotional/aesthetic factor. The Upton is such an impressive piece, that I naturally feel the urge to step up my game, and derive pleasure from just seeing and touching it.
But I had my Engle set up for BG/oldtime - and it served me very well in that capacity for 10 years. I wonder how far I could've gone arco if I had intentionally set it up for that? I'm sure it would've hit limits, but not sure how quickly.
And, if someone expects to be a casual player - mainly pizz, with a tight budget, I could imagine making the argument that a low budget, well set up ply would be their best choice.
Also, I lack the experience to compare plys and hybrids at various price points. We'd probably all agree that a very good ply would generally outperform a cheap, crappy, hybrid, no? But I personally have no experience comparing - say - an Upton Standard or Cleveland New Standard ply to a Shen SB150 hybrid. My suspicion is that a huge percentage of beginners would be able to progress pretty far w/ a well setup Upton/Cleveland. And by the time they outgrow those, they would likely want something better than the SB150. But so many of you have so much more experience than I, that I should probably stay out of such conversations in the future.
And thanks to EVERYONE for all the posts in all of the threads which have encouraged me to think about things like this.
