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Double Bass Palatino Megathread part I

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#761
Hello again everyone. I was doing some of my late night thinking (can be dangerous! XP) and after testing out the bridges I have made of plexiglass, wenge, and zebrawood I was wondering if it would be beneficial to find out what wood compliments which range of notes best, and according to that make a multiple layer wooden bridge so that each string has a different kind of wood it rests on. You would end up with a wooden bridge that has four vertical stripes going down it. Anyone think this would benefit the sound at all? I may have to do some research and try this. More on this later; oh and I'll have some bridge pictures up tomorrow with some very short sound clips following a little later on that day hopefully. :)
 
#762
I was wondering if anyone could comment on how the stock bass sounds arco... the piezo pickups kind of scare me as far as using a bow. I imagine it would be very shrill?

I should say I'm not necessarily looking for something that will sound like an acoustic upright with a bow but I want something that will have a nice tone regardless. I plan on using it through pedals in an experimental settings so it's going to be covered in reverb and delay anyway.
 
#764
I have several preamps I could use so maybe it would be okay.

One other question, does the palatino have a 'heel' like a real DB? Although I'm a pretty poor player I've played classical UR for a number of years so if my technique and muscle memory could translate easily to the palatino that would be spectacular.

I considered the wav4 but no heel or corners make playing by feel in the upper register pretty daunting.
 
#765
Update - having bought one of these for myself last Christmas, I haven't been able to spend as much time on it as I would like, but I'm slowly getting to grips with it. Gigged last night and really enjoyed the vibe with Link Removed I was booked with (this clip's on fretless BG, I'm afraid, recorded before my EUB initiation).

The bass usually attracts some comments and questions as EUBs are a pretty rare sight over here and it's a distinctive design, is it not?

Anyway, I really like the Palatino in almost all respects expect for the pre-amp (or maybe the pre-amp/pickup combination). The main problems are a "thin" sounding sort of tone (I find myself playing with a lot of bottom end boost) and a really noisy signal. I'd ideally like something that would be a direct drop-in replacement. I've read about the various swaps done by folks in this thread, but there don't seem to be too many choices that would fit in without modification. Can anyone advise me on my best options?

Thanks guys.
Bill
 
#767
Like I've often said before, think of the VE 500 as a platform to work from. I've tried using piezo film pickups with some success. The David Gage pickup might work but you'd have to work on the " bridge holder" I cut out the ends of that so I could fit a better bridge in there and with the size of the Gage pickup you may have to cut off more wood to make a fit there if not trim off part of the Gage pickup element. I have considered getting rid of that wood and mounting the bridge directly on the body. That would make the use of a David Gage pickup simple.

In general, you are better off to get rid of the stock electronics that come with the bass. Junk is junk and the sound can only improve. I'd go with a K and K preamp but there other brands out there probably just as good.
 
#768
I have recently become the owner of a "blem" bass. I have been messing around with it while I wait for new strings to come in the mail (D'Addario Helicore Hybrid Lights). I have managed to stop the dreaded tailpiece ring with some high density gray foam. I was wondering if anyone has tried any material other than rubber inner tube type stuff under the pickup. I have tried a few densities of rubber including a piece of 1/16" dense rubber, some thick electrical tape and even a thin mouse pad. The denser material seems to balance the boom with the thinness the best. The less dense the rubber, the muddier the sound. Has anyone tried sheet cork?

What about optimum bridge placement with the stock bridge? Small changes in location on the pickup affect the sound alot. It seems that I usually get 3 out of 4 strings sounding good with one kind of dead. Will this go away with better strings?? :eyebrow:
 
#770
I suppose I answered my own questions. I seem to have had success with new D'Addario strings and some 2-ply, 0.060" thick ESD mat under the transducer. As far as the bridge, transducer and alignment, I push them up towards the neck as far as they go while centering them in the wood trough. As long as the bridge is sitting correctly on the 'ducer, volume and tone are good. Nice woody thump with the tone control roughly at half way..:D
 
#771
gd500 said:
I suppose I answered my own questions. I seem to have had success with new D'Addario strings and some 2-ply, 0.060" thick ESD mat under the transducer. As far as the bridge, transducer and alignment, I push them up towards the neck as far as they go while centering them in the wood trough. As long as the bridge is sitting correctly on the 'ducer, volume and tone are good. Nice woody thump with the tone control roughly at half way..:D
Click to expand...

I have D'Adderio Hybrid strings on the Palatino I just sold. You are right finding the sweet spot on the tranducer is very important to get the best sound out of the bass. Better strings make a world of difference and even out the sound.
 
#773
I didn't know we got filmed at this festival but if you look hard to the left you can see me and the VE 500 off to the side. The sound quality is literally blowing in the wind and the lighting was low budget like the festival but there you go.




This will probably get posted on our website sooner or later.
 
#774
I finally figured out to post a video on Youtube. No sound samples due to lack of A/V techs available today.

Hopefully this link should work



It's a quick guide to what I have done to the VE 500 to date. I'll post a video with sound samples when I get some time. It's another big gig weekend coming up.
 
#775
I went and tested a Palantino two nights ago. The only issue for me was a difficutly getting the instrument to balance. The guy at the store, a bass player, but not upright player, was trying to show me, another bass player, how to get it to balance. The end pin was standard like a Double Bass. There was a removable part that he said was reminicient of teh side of a standard DB and that putting it into the center of the chest was the way to do it.

I struggled and stuggled and had no luck. As an Electric Bassist who took DB lessons quite a while back, but never practiced UB since then (3 months worth of lessons), it seemed strange fo this to occur.

IS it easier to balance with the brace off?

Was my salesman incorrect with his advice?

Also - To make matters worse, the only practice amp was a cheap little Johson Brand :rollno:
 
#776
I gave up on the side brace due to balance issues. Someone else on here put a really nice pad on the stock brace. I tried a cheap version of the Eminence side brace and gave up on braces altogether.

Balance is an individual thing and the difference with a stick type bass and a regular DB is an adjustment. We all learn one way or the other.
 
#777
Great idea with the video of modifications, bassbob! :) Do you happen to have any clips of that bass alone? I am a little curious about the revolution pickup.

As far as my mutant bridge experiments go, I made a bridge out of four strips of wood glued together so that the G string would be resting on zebrano, the D on walnut, the A on padauk, and the C on wenge just for the heck of it to see what it would sound like. It actually doesn't sound very good, except for the D string which sounds decent, so I'm ditching that idea for now and I'll try a solid walnut bridge. I'm also running some ideas of making a new tailpiece through my head . . .
 
#778
bassybill said:
The bass usually attracts some comments and questions as EUBs are a pretty rare sight over here and it's a distinctive design, is it not?
Click to expand...

yeah, seriously! it's kind of mixed compliment when someone comes up and says, 'wow, i really liked...your bass'

anyway, have fun with it!

bassybill said:
I'd ideally like something that would be a direct drop-in replacement. I've read about the various swaps done by folks in this thread, but there don't seem to be too many choices that would fit in without modification. Can anyone advise me on my best options?
Click to expand...

me too - i'd love to hear recommedations, folks. cheers.
 
#779
Last night I played a jam and virtually everyone who entered the room had to ask about or comment on my Palatino. I actually shrug and say "It's a cheap Chinese bass." Maybe I'm letting the mystique die when I say that, but I cannot tell a lie.

Say - has anyone here ever adjusted the truss rod on theirs? My neck is, in my opinion, too straight, and could use a slight bow... maybe...:hmm:
 
#780
spoonido said:
Say - has anyone here ever adjusted the truss rod on theirs? My neck is, in my opinion, too straight, and could use a slight bow... maybe...:hmm:
Click to expand...

I did have to adjust my truss rod. There was way too much relief. First, I took out the allen head bolt, lubricated it, replaced it, then tightened carefully. I seemed to work a bit although I can't fix the slight up-bow of the fingerboard past the body towards the bridge. Oh well, you can't have everything for a few hundred bucks. ;)
 
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