Show Us Your Rob Allen Basses Part III

[Chef]

Man, that is super cool!!!!

here a Deep 5..
walnut "bastogne" top

 

[asbs]

Thank you very much !

Rob is doing amazing tools.

Man, that is super cool!!!!

 

[jazztonebass]

I'm getting the hankering to get another RA. I'm open to any of his three (Deep 4 excluded) but have a tone question for those familiar with all of them.

I'm looking for the Rob Allen with the most upright bass complexity and timbre but without a huge low end. I'm not really trying to duplicate an upright's tone. More like the way you can listen to a solo upright and hear all this character in the tone. That's what I'm looking for in an RA. But, I need to minimize the runaway low end. In a lot of places I play, that would destroy the sound of the band.

And I'm not sure if they are exclusive. Can you have that character and complexity without the large low end?

Any thoughts?

Don't fear the low end. Use your EQ to dial the RA in. Just like an upright, you can tailor the RA to the room. Took me a long time to figure out that my EQ is as valuable as a cutting tool as it is a boost.

The RA's can have some tonal extreems in the lows and highs. Cutting uber lows and piezo highs a tad while boosting the mids may give you what you are looking for. Rob says the Deeps are closest to what you are describing by the way.

You may also want to consider a Hofner Club Bass for what you are after.

 

[nostatic]

My previous Deep 5

 

[asbs]

very classy without fretlines...

My previous Deep 5

 

[nostatic]

My current Deep 4 - still walnut but different vibe

 

[asbs]

So nice also !!!

Is there a big sound difference with the bastogne wood ?

My current Deep 4 - still walnut but different vibe

 

[AudioDwebe]

nostatic,

Man, that four string is pretty.

Bet it sounds awesome!

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

Don't fear the low end. Use your EQ to dial the RA in. Just like an upright, you can tailor the RA to the room. Took me a long time to figure out that my EQ is as valuable as a cutting tool as it is a boost.

The RA's can have some tonal extreems in the lows and highs. Cutting uber lows and piezo highs a tad while boosting the mids may give you what you are looking for. Rob says the Deeps are closest to what you are describing by the way.

+1, my experience with the Deep 4 fretless. I use the Fdeck Pre for curing the ultra lows and (since my amps have limited EQ) an Empress ParaEQ pedal for fine grained control of various frequencies and Q settings.

 

[Christian Houmann]

I've talked to Rob about it and have almost pulled the trigger a few times. I have a couple of other basses being built that are E-C so I'm going to see how they work out b

I'm thinking about that as well. Might go with 33 scale

 

[77PBass]

I'm thinking about that as well. Might go with 33 scale

I've spoke to him about the High C and he recommends a 33" scale.

 

[spade2you]

Would you ever imagine a Deep 5 with a hight C ?

I've been contemplating ordering one of these for a few years. Ideally, I'd want a Deep 6, but that's not currently an option. My goal would be a 34" scale Deep 5 with a Hipshot Detuner on the E string to get a similar vibe to my MB2 6 string.

 

[77PBass]

Went back and looked at my emails from Rob. He recommended 35" for a Deep 5 with a B and 34" for a Deep 5 with a high C.

NoStatic, you gave up a 5 and went to a 4. What was your thinking behind that?

 

[spade2you]

Of note, the high C on my 6 string sounds killer in 35" scale. Sometimes I think about simply restringing my MB2 5 string.

 

[asbs]

the Deep 5 in 35" bring a wonderfull B string.

I sure a 34" E-C with the drop tuner as you said would be a great instrument.

I've been contemplating ordering one of these for a few years. Ideally, I'd want a Deep 6, but that's not currently an option. My goal would be a 34" scale Deep 5 with a Hipshot Detuner on the E string to get a similar vibe to my MB2 6 string.

 

[Quackhead]

I want a Mouse 5 fretless, which Rob only offers in E-C tuning.

 

[spade2you]

I want a Mouse 5 fretless, which Rob only offers in E-C tuning.

I attempted to do this a few years back, but couldn't afford the tooling costs. If I didn't love my Mouse 30 so much, I'd love to get a Mouse 5 string. Of course, if I had a heck of a log of money, I'd get that and the Deep 5 ASAP.

 

[nostatic]

NoStatic, you gave up a 5 and went to a 4. What was your thinking behind that?

Somewhat of a long story/backstory. After learning on 4-string I fell in love with a Zon 5-string fretless in '00 and made the switch to 5. I bought a Zon fretted to go with it and that pair of basses was what I used for the next 10 years. I started to get back into playing more and started on somewhat of a merry-go-round of 5-string basses in both 34" and 35" scale. I ordered up the Deep 5 from Rob during this period - spectacular instrument.

Then about two years ago I started to rethink my playing approach, and then decided to "start over" and began studying with Ant. A little before that I had picked up an MB-2 4-string and was digging that. I picked up a fretted 4 and got a Fodera bug as well. Eventually I found myself playing much more 4-string and not having a B-string was simplifying my lines. I ordered the Deep 4 and for awhile had both the Deep 5 and Deep 4. Last year I got my first 5-string E-C (33" scale Fodera Matt Garrison Standard) and that switched on another light bulb.

After going back and forth and back and forth, I finally decided that I was going to standardize on 34" scale, and go with 4-string and 5-string E-C - no B-string (instead use a drop tuner on the 5s). That led me to sell the Deep 5 as it was 35" scale.

Who knows where I'll end up in a couple of years, but for now I'm happy with the tools I've got, and am thinning the herd down to just my essentials:

Deep 4 fretless
Fodera YYD 4 fretted

I will be selling my MGS 33" scale 5'er, and have a pair of 34" scale 5-string E-C Foderas being built, one fretted, the other fretless. So the plan is to have those for situations where I want to comp more or need the high C, otherwise I just bring the 4s to a gig. The new upright is a wildcard but totally different beast.

 

[77PBass]

I ordered the Deep 4 and for awhile had both the Deep 5 and Deep 4. Last year I got my first 5-string E-C (33" scale) and that switched on another light bulb.

After going back and forth and back and forth, I finally decided that I was going to standardize on 34" scale, and go with 4-string and 5-string E-C - no B-string (instead use a drop tuner on the 5s). That led me to sell the Deep 5 as it was 35" scale.

Ahh...so that's where I got the 33" 5'er scale in my head. It must have been one of your posts. Sounds like you have done all the hard work for me!

I played a maple top Deep 4 at Rudy's in NYC and it was killer. A tad bright for my tastes but that is easily rectified with the onboard eq. The bass got those beautiful hollow body tones you get from a UB and the neck was fantastic. I am 75/25 5 or 4 string. I like my bass solos in the upper register and feel like if I get the 4, after a while I'll wish I got the 5 E-C.

 

[bherman]

I am trying to find a gig bag that is a good fit for my mb2. I bought it used and it came without a case (actually, it did but was a cheapy).

I've been using a Levys bag - really nice but doesnt fit the bass all that well - most bags are designed for a bigger-bodied bass thats longer, so it slides around a bit. Any suggestions would be appreciated.