Double Bass OK, here we go again. EUB as substitute for URB for URB player.

[brianrost]

Acoustic AB50 amp. (I will probably replace the amp at some time, but for the relatively low levels of volume I work at, it gives me enough "lift" over the horns.)

Keep in mind that when amplifying a DB at low volumes, the amp is adding to what the bass itself is projecting (providing the "lift").

With an EUB the amp is responsible for all the sound, you may find you need something more powerful.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

Horsefeathers. Used Merchant Vertical basses occasionally pop up for less than that amount, and the MK EUBs being made in Italy can be had for under $2k shipped to the US, though I have my doubts about pearwood as a fingerboard material. A TB member owns one and posted a clip downboard a few months ago. It's an impressive-sounding fence post.

I don't know how much MK basses go for and haven't seen a price list. If the cheapest is near $2K, great.

OP stated $1.8K or less, but my point still stands, it's only going sound marginally better than the next soundpost. Certainly the form factor is preferable to me. Finding something used is a bit iffy, I haven't seen any merchant basses F/S (I wouldn't mind getting one myself). You're more likely to find a used Palatino too, which means it's even less money.

Palatino + fingerboard dressing + pickup + strings is still likely going to be <$1.8K I'm guessing new. And you will end up with the same sound as all fenceposts do not have hollow chambers. Virtually all the EUBs I've owned (whether on a tripod or endpin) have roughly sounded the same: nasal and somewhat brittle. Finding the right form factor is more important as well as added features (that flight ready MK looks pretty sweet). Sound wise, the pickup makes all the difference with the best results I've seen either with a Krivo or a Full Circle.

 

[Michael Eisenman]

You can occasionally find used Eminence basses—even removable-neck—for $1700-2000 here on TB. After you decide what you're looking for, put an ad in the Wanted section of the Classifieds.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

I don't know how much MK basses go for and haven't seen a price list. If the cheapest is near $2K, great.

$1500 plus ~$300 shipping, via eBay, which is why I mentioned them.

Not wanting to hurt Bill's business or sellers of used MVBs I won't say what I paid for mine, but it was a hell of a lot less than the OP's budget and the bass had been gigged once. It's since paid for itself many times over, and actually sounds and feels like a bass. No nasal skronk here.

I did NOT like the Eminence I had. The Palatinos go for $550 or so retail. I don't consider them a serious instrument.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Lots of foam down by the tailpiece. Any idea why? Hard to think it would affect the sustain much down there.

The foam is there because there is no real tailpiece, at least not one that is able to vibrate. Therefor the underlengths tend to ring with very low damping. Adding the foam to the underlength add damping to them and avoids unwanted ringing.

Well some add foam at the bridge under the playing part of the string to shorten the sustain, but that's a complete different thing.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

Not wanting to hurt Bill's business or sellers of used MVBs I won't say what I paid for mine, but it was a hell of a lot less than the OP's budget and the bass had been gigged once. It's since paid for itself many times over, and actually sounds and feels like a bass. No nasal skronk here.

That's probably true, given the spruce bars - they might sound the best of them all. I've played Ratzo Harris' 6 string version but that thing was heavy.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Mine is a fiver and marginally less bulky, but it's not a feather.

 

[okcrum]

For less than $1k and a little work replacing the strings and upgrading the (cymbal) stand, an Ergo might be best value. It won't move quite like a DB since it's on a tripod, though.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

I'd very much like to hear how Ergo owners come out after a fingerboard planing.

 

[okcrum]

^^^ I'm sorry. I am unable to parse this sentence into anything that makes sense.

How does fingerboard planing make Ergo owners "come out"?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

The fingerboards on those basses aren't separate pieces of ebony, so when it eventually needs to be planed you're cutting into the neck. I don't see that ending well.

 

[okcrum]

The fingerboards on those basses aren't separate pieces of ebony, so when it eventually needs to be planed you're cutting into the neck. I don't see that ending well.

Ah, thanks. So far, so good with mine, after five years. But it's a mahogany one, which I don't think Jesse makes anymore. With Corellis, it's probably the minimum wear situation. I guess it'll end eventually with a marine epoxy overcoat, or actual fingerboard added, if it ever gets that bad.

 

[jthisdell]

Limited experience with other brands but my NS NXT4 has definitely been a "reasonable" substitute for a DB. Good quality craftsmanship and feel to it. There have been a lot of comments about how players don't like the tripod stand but I have been happy with mine. As others have noted, it frees up your left hand from holding it up, which is good. My bandmates in two very different groups (bluegrass and gypsy jazz) like the sound and I get a ton of compliments. IMHO for any of the EUB's your cab and preamp choices are critical in getting a good tone, hifi seems to work better than vintage. Getting tone I like has been more work than getting used to the instrument itself. The NS is very portable, I can get my whole rig in my Miata. Try that with a DB! Now one caveat is that the NS is really designed for BG players who are interested in DB (like myself) and experienced DB players tend to not like it. But it seems that all of the EUB's are an exercise in compromises.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

I'll take a palatino over an ergo any day of the week. And I used to own an ergo.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Then I'd get a Palatino and invest in a Krivo Pickup. That combo should work well.

Yep.

 

[Schlyder]

I would like to get a Kydd bass.

KYDD Basses

 

[turf3]

Yep.

Hi Jeff,

Was the example sound file intended to represent the Krivo pickup? What's a Zeta? I assume it's not some variant of the Palatino EUB, but it's also a non-acoustic EUB? So I assume you posted the sound file to demonstrate the Krivo pickup (with appropriate downstream stuff), and the implied point is that the EUB you attach it to won't really matter if it's solid. Did I understand that correctly?

Because, I thought that was a pretty good "imitation upright bass" sound.

 

[carl h.]

Zeta is a manufacturer of electric bowed instruments no longer in business. They are quite playable, but the examples I have gigged were on the heavy side.

The picture appears to be a Krivo pickup mounted on a zeta bass.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Hi Jeff,

Was the example sound file intended to represent the Krivo pickup? What's a Zeta? I assume it's not some variant of the Palatino EUB, but it's also a non-acoustic EUB? So I assume you posted the sound file to demonstrate the Krivo pickup (with appropriate downstream stuff), and the implied point is that the EUB you attach it to won't really matter if it's solid. Did I understand that correctly?

Because, I thought that was a pretty good "imitation upright bass" sound.

You understood perfectly. I posted this because the Zeta is similar enough to the Palantino (although as Carl says it's solid and a bit heavier) to give a basic idea of what the Krivo is going to sound like on an EUB. Probably as good a sound as you're going to get from an inexpensive EUB and definitely the least amount of ****ing around to get a sound.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

A bass buddy of mine who owned a Zeta Crossover happened to run into the president of the company after he moved out to Cali some years ago.

The guy apologized to him for how his bass turned out, hahaha...