• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Stagg EUB megathread

#201
stephencoxbass said:
Hey, I made a comparison video of the Palatino and Stagg bass. I play them both pizz and arco. It's on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWdlqVGa9-4

I'm not the best with the bow, but hopefully it'll give you an idea.
Click to expand...

That video is EXCELLENT! Apart from anything else, it confirms that I made the right choice in getting the Stagg (mine's a nice blue one) rather than the more elegant-looking Palatino. I'm currently waiting for a German-style bow from Thomann, but meanwhile, if you haven't already heard them, here are a couple of instrumental tracks featuring my Stagg. And a ukulele, a Stylophone, and (in the second one) penny-whistle, chromatic harmonica and badly-played electric violin, all played by myself...

Invalid Link Removed (music and lyrics by Pete Shelley)

Invalid Link Removed (music and lyrics by Burt Bacharach and Hal David)
 
#203
DoubleMIDI said:
Hi,

I can definitely deny Thomastik Spirocore Mittel/Medium. The original strings are much softer than Thomastik Spirocores.

I haven't played Red Label yet, but I doubt they are Red Labels. Red Lables are massive steel core and these strings don't sound like massive steel core strings.

I assumed they are Olympia strings (from Korea, like the Stagg EUB), but they are not. The Olympia sound like thin massive steel core and have different colours for the strings.
For the price of the Stagg EUB they must be some cheap strings, probably a specially made string for the Stagg EUB.

Jörg
Click to expand...
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I've found a European source for Stagg DB Strings.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/stagg_db_55110_st_strings.htm

They are apparently made in the US (or at least "made with US Nylon"... whatever that heck that means)

@ 27Euros or $36 ... they are very, very inexpensive...

Looking forward to upgrading mine...

Cheers,

N.
 
#204
So I went to the music go round today to check out their brand new, straight out of the box Stagg EDB.

I was pleasantly surprised at the overall feel and similarities between it and my acoustic upright bass at home. I noticed no problems with the intonation(maybe I found a lucky one :)) and the plastic things that stick into the side of the bass work perfectly for my playing. I play sitting down with the bass leaning against me so the plastic things imitate that quite well.

The sound is just as people have said: in between a fretless electric bass and acoustic upright bass.

I primarily play upright bass in jazz band so I have the vertical finger plucking going on in order to get more meat into the string. When I used that way of plucking on the Stagg it sounded good on all the strings but the A string; which sounds pretty clicky and unnatural no matter where you play with your left hand. Also, the endpin would vibrate completely randomly while I was trying it out. In the first 10 minutes it sounded fine. Then the vibrating started and turned me off of the bass.

The folks at music go round said they would fix it up for me so I don't have to worry about getting a luthier to do it. I plan on going back in the next week to see if they do a good job fixing it/ if I will buy it.
 
#205
So my Stagg 3/4 scale just broke last night. A few months ago, a piece of the nut chipped off, right next to the g-string and below the tuning pegs. Last night, it broke off a little bit more, just enough so that the groove where the g-string normally rests split in half and doesn't hold it up anymore.

I'm currently at university and will be leaving to go home in a week, where I can fix the EUB, but what should I do until then? Should I superglue the chunk back together or just leave it alone? I loosened the string enough so that it won't snap, but now I'm a bit worried about neck tension.

Thanks,
Ry
 
#208
I know some of us have modified the Stagg endpin so that it doesn't rattle...

But has anyone fooled around with changing the endpin to see what that does to tone?

Quite a few people speak (very) highly of using a wooden endpin. Looks like a fairly easy mod..

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9078549#post9078549

On a purely intuitive level, this makes some sense to me...Thinking that it might add some warmth to the tone. And having listened to some audio samples, I'm encouraged.

Anyone tried this?
 
#209
Hey all.
I just got my stagg about month and a half ago put it Thomastik solos on it, and i can say that after that the bass really sings thru my Markbass cmd 151-p. However since i have a few bands where i play slap lines in rockabilly/country songs, i can't get slap out of it to sound right. Any suggestions, what can i do to upgrade the tone? I still would like to keep the original stagg tone because i really like how it sounds for jazz/pop. Do you think that some kind of transducer could be put on the back of the fingerboard so that it could catch it, and i would like to have the optional switch to turn it on and off to switch between the original and rockabilly sound. Can it be modified to work like that?
Thanks for all the answers.
 
#210
I have had this instrument for about 3 months now. I purposely held off on giving any reviews anywhere until really giving it a good run. I must say, I am really very impressed for the money i payed for it. I have played several jazz jam sessions and an outdoor folk/rock gig and it has proven to just the ticket.
1. Construction is nice and sturdy overall, yet there is much room for mods if that's what you're into. Honestly, new strings are not far down the line ( any suggestions would be GREAT) and just because i'm curious , the pickup too.
2. I really get a kick out of practicing with the headphone and aux inputs.
3. The smooth and impressive fingerboard.
4. Sound has been outstanding. The hiss and hum i have seen in other posts is non-existent. The tone i get from any bass is very personal and seems to come out nice...as long as sound is clean up front...my stagg has had no problems there.
(as for the many posts that state the sound is a cross between a fretless bass guitar and DB...that is spot on...but that is exactly what i was looking for. I think the sound is going to definately depend more on the player than the instrument and i welcome that)
5. Was concerned about how the overall "feel" would be and this thing feels great..a bit awkward in the thumb position frankly, but may just be need a lil getting used to.

BOTTOM LINE : I LOVE THIS THING
Remarkably versatile; strong "ooh and ahh" factor. sound is clean
 
#212
I suspect that the improvement in tone would be much less noticeable in a solid body instrument like a Stagg. The body does not vibrate with the note as a resonant system the way an acoustic instrument does. The popular modification of placing rubber sheets or pads under the pickups beneath the bridge feet is done to isolate the pickups from the body to lessen incidental noise from bumping it etc. If the body were resonant, this mod would negatively affect the tone. (all of this is pure intuition, as I haven't tried a different endpin)

nickidame said:
I know some of us have modified the Stagg endpin so that it doesn't rattle...

But has anyone fooled around with changing the endpin to see what that does to tone?

Quite a few people speak (very) highly of using a wooden endpin. Looks like a fairly easy mod..

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9078549#post9078549

On a purely intuitive level, this makes some sense to me...Thinking that it might add some warmth to the tone. And having listened to some audio samples, I'm encouraged.

Anyone tried this?
Click to expand...
 
#213
I bought a Stagg 3/4 EDB secondhand (mostly for practising on headphones). Within a couple of weeks I have broken the D string machine head....

Does anyone know where I can get a replacement - single or set? Or is there a better replacement option that fits easily? (The originals seem very flimsy or I don't know my own strength!)

I live in the UK so preferably a UK supplier, but any tips, hints or suggestions gratefully received.

Cheers
Ralf
 
#214
I have 4 tuning machines available, I bought a stagg which had a broken tuning head. (the wooden frame was shattered) I bought 5 tuners alike to convert it to 5-string as I was rebuilding it. I am afraid postage might be a bit high from western Pensylvania in the US. I am about to leave on a trip as well, and wouldn't be able to ship for a bit more than a week. If you don't find anything else, let me know, and perhaps we can work it out.
 
#215
The soldered connection on the socket has broken. I've done a bodge job to hold it together so that it's playable.

But, lacking the equipment, I haven't soldered it.

I'm going to take it to my local guitar place and have them do the job (hopefully on the spot).

But, then I got to thinkin' :confused:

While he's in there... is there any virtue to upgrading to a better quality socket? An "expensive" one costs $10-15... and the labor cost would be the same for fixing my old as installing a new one.

N.

ps... Why the heck doesn't someone invent conductive superglue?
 
#216
nickidame said:
While he's in there... is there any virtue to upgrading to a better quality socket? An "expensive" one costs $10-15... and the labor cost would be the same for fixing my old as installing a new one.

N.
Click to expand...

It would be a good idea to upgrade the socket since it costs so little. The oem jack socket can sometimes make a poor connection with some jack plugs... I think it has been mentioned in the megathread before.
 
#217
Hi, just thought I'd add my name to the satisfied Stagg EUB owners. I got mine last weekend at Victor Litz' sidewalk sale. He had a bunch of b-stocks for $249. Most had cracks in the headstock. To make a long story short, the one I got was cosmetically perfect, but required you to pull out on the plug to get sound, easy fix. I thought I might have to replace the jack, but as it turned out, once I got it home and pulled the jack plate off the problem went away, so I just carefully put it back on... still working! :hyper:

Mine is sunburst, and I'm glad I was able to get one at half VL's normal price. I only played URB for 2 yrs in Jr Hi some 38 years ago, so it's not like I have any skills, but I had every other configuration of bass in my collection, so I figured I'd try my hand at URB again.
 
#218
@dabbler: Thanks! I've been to Victor Litz just this morning. They had 5 left. I got the last one that did not have a crack in it. Two had cracks in the headstock, one in the body, and one the headstock was knocked clean off. I'm just wondering what happened. Could this be merchandise that really fell off a truck?

As many people have said before, it's not quite the same as a double bass. Your touch has to be between a bass guitar and a double bass. If I forget and pull the strings like a double bass it sounds terrible! I had to run mine through a graphical equalizer (Behringer BEQ700, cheap but it does the job) to get a sound that I like. I also put some rubber under the bridge feet to deaden the twang.

This thing has kind of a cheap feel to it. For example, the fingerboard and neck are one piece of wood coated in a simulated ebony enamel. You get what you pay for. If you're looking for a gigging bass to help pay the bills, move on. If you're a hobbyist and just want to play around, this is a pretty good toy.
 
#219
Don't rule out the Stagg with the headstock smashed off. I bought one on eBay in that condition, and converted it to a 5-string. Actually a fairly simple process: a flat piece of phenolic board for the headstock, new grooves in the bridge and nut, one more hole in the tailpiece, and a set of matching tuning machines. I shielded the electronics cavities with foil tape and put a piece of soft tubing around the top end of the endpin (to lessen the rattling). One of these days, I plan to put rubber under the bridge feeet. All said, I have an instrument which is quite playable for a total investment of less than $300 US.

Pictures of the project here:
Link Removed
 
#220
I played one of these the other day and was blown away. As a long time EB player wanting to pick up DB I think this is a good transition. Any specs on this bass is good. I also want to know about what strings I should put on this (are the stock ones no good?), because I'm interested in other strings other than the stainless flats. Prices of nylon strings?

Any info would help, I literally know nothing.

thanks
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back