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Double Bass Need help with my upright sound?

Melvin7822

Melvin7822

May 11, 2004
1,471
376
45
Broomfield, CO
#1
My upright is a 3/4 Panormo flat back fully carved upright. The strings I use are Thomastik Spirocore. I have a Realist installed on it. I also have a Acme Low B2 cabinet. Currently, I'm looking into the Acoustic Image Focus because I don't think I'd be able to afford or find a Walter Woods.

In the past I've been running the upright through my Alembic F-1X but I have not been happy with the sound. The upper strings just have that ugly hollow sound when amplified and the overall tone seems a little dark. I was thinking about adding an Underwood to my bass as well and using a blender. My favorite upright sounds are Stanley Clarke and Christian McBride. So kind of a blend in between is what I'm going for. I just want some clarity and a great balance between pizz and arco (my bass is incompatible with a Fishman Full Circle btw). What do you think I should do?
 
#3
I've had some of the same thing going on with my Realist setup - the Realist works well for me at lower volumes but in a bad room it gets eaten alive. I have a nice bass with a resonant top, and I get a nice sound in some places and unclear in others.

I just bought an Underwood for the same reason as you, and it works much better in difficult rooms and higher volumes. It has a more electric response but it will get your sound through. I was going to get a blender unit for them, but to tell you the truth I've just been using the Underwood for the last few weeks and its fine by itself...especially with Acoustic Image amps.

Will
 
#4
My feeling is that the realist alone don't
be happenin. The raven labs blender with
the underwood in da upper channel and
the realist in da lower channel (just a little
bit) works very well. Might start using a
wilson with the realist soon. Who knows...
 
#5
The last V. Panormo I saw for sale (which I think Kolstein actually ended up buying) was $80K. The last Hawkes Panormo I played at Gage's was around $20K.

What kind of Panormo you got?

I don't know how many other upright players use Alembic stuff, have you tried your bass and pickup through any other amplification? If I might ask, how long have you been playing upright? I know when I started out, I got a pretty terrible sound through the amp and was going through ALL kind of changes - strings, pick ups, amps, speakers. What I didn't really understand at the time is something Rufus Reid says very succinctly - what you get out of the amplifier is just an amplified version of the sound going into the amplifier. If you don't do a lot of playing without an amp - sessions, gigs where possible- or work with your teacher to get a good physical approach, it's going to be hard to get a big, focused, open sound that projects. And unless you have that on the bass, it's not going to come out the amp.

I generally don't play loud gigs. Even the big band stuff I do, I use my Woods and a little cabinet with a 12" in it (unless I'm just using a mic). I know Ray plays some gigs that aren't precisely jazz and that the volume gets kinda up there, so he knows whereof he speaks. But I use a Realist and really dig the sound I get out of it, pizz and arco.
 
#6
The setup on your bass sounds just fine. I don't think the Alembic is a good preamp for double bass however. It is too dark and muddy sounding. What you really need is a flat sounding amp. The Acoustic Image Focus would be a good purchase, especially matched with the B2. I was thinking about picking up a B1, but I am not playing many gigs with an amp any more.
 
#7
I might second the suggestion that the Alembic pre might not be good for upright. However, I also get mixed results with just the Clarus and the Realist...a kind of muddy and dark at high volumes. Its sounds fine for walking, but it doesn't give up great pitch definition.

I say try the Underwood with your setup...its bright, and if you're using Spirocores the brightness of the strings and pickup might balance the preamp out and sound fine.

I'm using some custom made 2x8 longthrow cabs I really like.

Will
 
#11
I had a simliar "hollow-ness" to my upper-mid register for a while. I was using a Realist too. I switched to the FC, but that only helped a little. Though I agree with Ed that you need to start with your un-amped sound, the biggest factor for me was getting an amp with a better EQ (I was using an SWR Baby Blue head and switched to an SM900. A bit heavy and expensive, but a great head for upright, IMO). If I can scoop out a whole lot of mid, my sound is alright. BTW I also just switched to Obligato strings, and that helped a bit too.
 

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