I am 73 and played acoustic double bass at my church for about 30 years—first in an orchestral setting, and later with a contemporary folk group. I finally had to stop using the acoustic upright because of significant arthritis in my knees, shoulders, and thumbs. My knees can give out when I am carrying the instrument, my shoulders have severe bone-on-bone arthritis that limits mobility, and my thumb joints make playing more difficult.
To continue playing, I bought both an NS Design WAV4 and an Ibanez UB804.
Several members of our group say they miss the upright bass sound and ask why I gave it up. Our church seats about 1,400 people, and with the acoustic upright I used a pickup running through the sound system. In other words, the congregation was mainly hearing the amplified pickup sound—not the natural acoustic sound of the bass itself.
I expected the WAV4 to sound most like an upright. In practice, though, I find it difficult to play and not especially satisfying sonically. It has a noticeable clacking sound, and the volume and response seem uneven from note to note: some notes are much stronger while others are weak. It is also more physically painful for me to play.
The Ibanez UB804 is much more comfortable and produces a stronger, more consistent bass sound through the system, although it does not sound as much like a traditional upright. Some group members want the upright-type sound back, but my wife and several parishioners have told me they think the Ibanez sounds better.
For someone in my situation—playing contemporary church music through a large sound system, while managing arthritis and mobility limitations—which instrument would you keep: the WAV4 or the Ibanez UB804? Have others found ways to make the WAV4 sound more even and less percussive, or is the Ibanez simply the better practical choice?
To continue playing, I bought both an NS Design WAV4 and an Ibanez UB804.
Several members of our group say they miss the upright bass sound and ask why I gave it up. Our church seats about 1,400 people, and with the acoustic upright I used a pickup running through the sound system. In other words, the congregation was mainly hearing the amplified pickup sound—not the natural acoustic sound of the bass itself.
I expected the WAV4 to sound most like an upright. In practice, though, I find it difficult to play and not especially satisfying sonically. It has a noticeable clacking sound, and the volume and response seem uneven from note to note: some notes are much stronger while others are weak. It is also more physically painful for me to play.
The Ibanez UB804 is much more comfortable and produces a stronger, more consistent bass sound through the system, although it does not sound as much like a traditional upright. Some group members want the upright-type sound back, but my wife and several parishioners have told me they think the Ibanez sounds better.
For someone in my situation—playing contemporary church music through a large sound system, while managing arthritis and mobility limitations—which instrument would you keep: the WAV4 or the Ibanez UB804? Have others found ways to make the WAV4 sound more even and less percussive, or is the Ibanez simply the better practical choice?
