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Double Bass Palatino & NS Design Wav 4

jzbass6

jzbass6

One Nation Under A Groove
Mar 22, 2006
920
20
73
Calumet City, IL Chicago Area
www.myspace.com
#1
I'm posting this not as a this vs that, but to get some thought on this whole EUB thing. I've been playing EB for years and like some many others I wanted a DB but ended up going the EUB route. I recently picked up NS Design Wav 4 that sounded very upright like in the store but when I got it home and compared to the sound of my Palatino EUB the Palatino sounded much better and more realistic. The reason for trying the Wav 4 was portability, much smaller, lighter and a case for the bass, stand & bow in a nice little package. I tried different amps and settings with still the same results, I really wanted to get the sound happening with the Wav 4 and sell the Palatino. I'm I missing something? or as they say, "it is what it is" ? With that said I have nothing against my Palatino, great EUB for the price and more, your thoughts
 
#2
I don't have the Wav4, but I do have the Palatino. I used to run it through a Tech21 BassDI into a GK microbass. Since then, I've got an Eden WT260 and the matching CX110 cabinet. With this setup, I don't need the Tech21 box at all.

I switch between the EUB and my DB with Revolution Solo, and all I do is tweak the enhance knob a few notches on the WT260. This knob boosts the bass and high end, and I have it off for the DB and about 9 o'clock for the Palatino, so there's plenty of headroom for adjustment.

I'm tempted to see if Sam Ash has a Wav4 in the store today - it's on their website. I would really like something that's easier to carry around and setup, though I'm pretty happy with the Palatino on a drumstand once it's assembled.

If I can get a decent sound with the Wav4, I would use it for those big band gigs where I have about 2 sq ft of floor space (ugh!!)
 
#5
I'm fixin' to pull the trigger on one or the other of these possibly this weekend. I'm wondering if the the NS WAV is worth over $200.00 more than the Palatino. I could order the Palatino as I type but need to save $200.00 more to get the WAV. Just wanted to bump this thread to see if anyone is familiar enough with the 2 to give an opinion. Thanks.
 
#6
What kind of bass are you guys look for, or what styles do you play? I have the palatino for something to practice classical on and its OK, not great but I can usually dig a decent arco sound out of it with the right preamp settings. I have hard time with the lack of any land marks for you left hand, which I'm sure is even more of a problem on the WAV4 (though it has markers right?) If you plan on doing much classical stuff I might air on the the side of the Palatino, because it has the aluminum bar that acts as the upper bout of the bass. Jazz wise since I've only played one I can't tell, much but I'm not real impressed with the electonics on the Palatino.
 
#8
I just received a Wav 4 today. I play an Englehardt EM-1 for bluegrass. I immediately changed out the stock strings on the Wav with Obligatos. Sounds much better. Much like Jazzdude, I'm running into a Tech21 bass DI and then into an SWR Workingman 12. Sounds pretty good. Not quite like the Englehardt w/ K&K bass max pickup, but pretty close. So far, I'm very pleased.
 
#9
I got a deal and a half on a Palatino EUB that had some shipping damage ( the neck popped out of the joint cavity and some of the electronics were shorting out. ) I've been playing this at gigs for the last two weeks and tweaking with various pickups, strings and preamps.

The Palatino thread here has been helpful as well as the good old soldering iron down in the workshop.

At this point I have a Rev Solo in the treble wing of the bridge fed into a K and K preamp and then into my GK backline combo 1-10. This has a pretty good URB sound and it compares to my Englehardt which also has a Rev Solo pickup.

I talked to a dealer in the area who sells the VE 500's and he said he didn't think the quality control on the basses is very good. I think he may be right. I got ahold of a pretty good one in terms of the neck, fingerboard and body.

The stock electronics are junk in my opinion so I ripped all that stuff out of the bass. I bought an Eminence bridge here in town and that will be the next mod to the bass.

I played the US version of the WAV 4 at a local shop last year. I didn't get a real good idea of the sound but the neck and fingerboard seemed pretty nice. I plan to check out the WAV 4 someitme if any of the GC's in this area ever get one in.
 
#12
to answer the original poster's question, the first thing I thought of is that you don't have a buffer preamp to match the high impedance of the WAV4's piezo pickup. the WAV4 is a passive system, whereas the palatino is run off of a 9-volt battery. Therefore the palatino does not require a buffer preamp. When running the wav4 into an amp that does not accommodate to high impedance pickups, you will usually get a weak, anemic sounding signal with little to no bass response. you need an input impedance of at least 1 MOhm. Most bass guitar amplifiers only have around 500 KOhm.
 
#13
I've played both (owned the palatino and tested the Wav 4 at a friend's house).

The Palatino stock came with the whole host of problems discussed in this forum's Palatino megathread...ringing tailpiece, crappy pickup sound without tire inner tube under bridge, needed bridge replacement, strings were crap (I had to replace strings), and even with all this, it felt uncomfortable...plus it was heavy to carry around.

In comparison, the Wav 4 was effortless to play, less weight to carry, looks built better, the electronics are WAY better and really doesn't need any modifications (maybe better strings...but the stock strings are gig-worthy).

I don't think there is a contest...the Wav 4 is better. I sold my Palatino and I'm currently in the process of securing a Craigslist sale for a Wav 4.
 

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