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Double Bass Stagg EUB megathread

#342
As I have reported recently in the orchestral technique subforum:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f5/can-not-bow-d-string-775865/

I seem to have the exact same problem as Servail with my Stagg. Only in his case the A-string has substantially lower volume and in my case in my the D-string. Like Servial, I have no problem whatsoever with pizzicato but bowing just not seems to work. To me, the string vibrates visually and audibly (un-amped) similar then the other three strings. But when bowed and amp-ed its volume is significantly less.

In an attempt to find the cause, I messed around with bridge and piezo pickups. I got inconclusive results. There were occaisions that I thought I found an improvement but I was not able to reproduce this.

So far I'm stuck, any suggestions are welcome. If need be, I'll replace the strings but I'd rather know in advance if that's the real cause indeed.

Joost
 
#345
Playing my stagg edb is something I look forward to everyday! I have an issue though. When I play a f# (and sometimes b) on the E string, the string rattles and sounds like a regular bass would if you weren't pushing hard enough. It appears that the string is hitting the neck again a little bit above my finger. How can I fix that?
 
#350
Hi all

I've never really played DB, but I had another EUB a few years ago. I'm interested in getting into it again, so I've managed to get a Stagg on loan over the weekend to see what I think.

I've been playing around with it this morning and it's a lot of fun! It's unmodded, so there's a bit of a hum, but not too much. The strings are (I think) Pirastros. For the tone I'm thinking of, I rolled the top off my Genz Streamliner and backed off 2.5KHz, and gave the lows a bit of a nudge. The sub-bass control on the Stagg is rolled right off. Shoving a bit of foam between the neck and the bridge really made a difference, IMO. I know there's nothing like the real thing, but in a mix it's not a million miles away!

Here's a tentative clip from my time messing around with it this morning. Excuse the sloppy pitching and technique.. it's my first day. :-)

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I have a couple of questions...

Can someone recommend some strings that are warmer than the Pirastros? It would be nice to not have to cut the highs on the amp so severely.

Also... does anyone have experience of the Stagg and the NS Design range? What would I gain by forking out the extra ££££ for an Piezo-only NS Design?

Thanks, all.
 
#355
wateroftyne said:
Thanks, Francois! I could probably handle a little more tension if it meant the notes were warmer and 'rounder', but not too much. Does such a string exist?

Would gut strings feel completely alien to me? Would they be practical for use in a country / blues band?

Thanks for helping a noob :-)
Click to expand...

I think many players in that music style do use gut strings.
You may want to try Eurosonic strings too.
They are thick and sound somewhat similar to gut strings, but they have a steel rope-core, so they are less susceptible to weather changes.
The top strings are a bit twangy at first, but they settle in after a few weeks.
I suggest the light gauge.
You can get them from Bob G. among others.
(not affiliated, just an happy customer)

P.S. you may have to file the nut slots for the wider diameter of these strings though. A task that you'll want to have done by a qualified luthier.
 
#357
Francois Blais said:
The fingerboard probably needs to be properly planed.
Click to expand...

These fingerboards are a resin coated wood, so a re-planing may not work very well. Try adjusting the truss rod. Go slowly, a quarter turn at a time. Tune up and check for the buzzing after each quarter turn. I had to fiddle with mine when I first got it. It takes a while, but you only have to do it once.

I also had to change the strings. The stock strings are terrible. I use Evah Pirazzi E and A and weedwhacker D and G. I play a full set of guts on my double bass, and I think set-up gives me a feel and sound that is close to gut, but it's cheaper and does not require maintenance.
 
#358
Recently got my Stagg EUB from DJM {UK) – great service from them and their couriers!

Packaging
The instrument was supplied in a stout cardboard box with a reasonable amount of packing. It was inside its gig bag which gave a bit of extra protection. There were no instructions apart from a diagram showing how to insert the hip and hand supports. I didn’t get on particularly well with those so left them off.

Instrument
The instrument is mostly wood – probably some kind of maple, as stated by others although I can not verify without stripping off all the paint. The whole instrument is finished in a kind of black epoxy paint which makes the body resemble plastic or metal in places. The nut is plastic or nylon and the bridge is wood. The nut had to be filed down a fair bit, and once done; the dot markers were pretty well spot on. I checked them with a Korg CA-30 as my ears are not well trained yet. They were accurate up to the fourth position where the neck meets the body but started to get a bit flaky further up the body; probably because of the action being fairly high. The fingerboard is straight i.e., not concave so the action cannot be lowered much without buzzing. Having enquired with a Luthier about shooting the board, it appears that it would almost double the cost of the instrument for the paint stripping, shooting and refinishing work. Would have cost about £100 if the fingerboard was plain ebony. Major bummer in my opinion. The bridge needs re-profiling to get even string height; the centre strings are too high. Not a big problem and easily done by a competent DIYer. I don’t know how you would get a spare if anything went wrong though, so I’m making an alternative top section from scratch and leaving the original as is. I’ve never had an acoustic bass so I can’t compare the sound quality but I like the Stagg sound and it’s definitely bassier than a bass guitar – if that makes any sense! I had no problems with hum but there is a light background hiss in the headphones from the amplifier. I don’t find that a problem for practising. The ‘bass boost’ function is a matter of personal taste but I’m sure a decent external amp would make a much better job of profiling the tone. When I had the bridge off, I noticed that the pick-up wires were laid in a circle in the post sockets rather than just straight runs as I have seen in other examples. There was a minimal level of shielding inside the body but it seems to be doing its job.

The bass can be played arco as there is sufficient curvature on the fingerboard but there is no bow supplied. I had a go with an old violin bow and had no trouble with the action. My religion is jazz though, so I will be mostly plucking!


MP3
The mp3 input is a good feature and allows you to play along with a track and make a complete prat of yourself in perfect privacy. The mp3 volume is controlled by the mp3 player and the bass is controlled independently with the amp control. You can therefore achieve a perfect match between the two. I used my Sansa Clip and played California Dreaming – cool! My bass sounded much better than The Mamas & Papas’.

Gig Bag
The bag is nylon with a synthetic fur lining. There are two internal pockets, presumably for the support pieces and an external pocket for a bow. The bag appears reasonably well made for the price and of course, doubles as extra protection for transit. An allen key and a chord for connection to an amplifier are supplied.

Stagg Stand
The Stagg stand does not come with the instrument but is a ‘must have’ item in my opinion. The bass can be held securely in a playable position (about 10deg from the vertical), with the top support in the waist of the body, just above the volume knob and it makes it much easier to practise that way. The only criticism I would make is that the stand does not go down to minimum height i.e., floor level with the spike fully retracted. This could prove to be a limitation for those who are vertically challenged. The lowest setting with the stand fully locked out has the nut at 5’8” from the ground which equates to notch 9 on the spike. I’m 5’10” and this is perfect for me. With the stand partially folded it will go down to 5’4”, which equates to notch 6 on the spike and is still reasonably secure. It could probably be lowered another couple of inches by repositioning the top support; it would mean drilling another hole in the upright pillar. I may be missing something (there were no instructions with it), but it appears to be an oversight which I would not have made if I had been the designer. It will go up to 6’5” for persons of a lanky disposition! The stand folds down to a reasonably compact form but there is no bag for it.

Conclusion
Considering the price, this is a fair instrument for someone who doesn’t mind a bit of fettling and is good for practising in ‘silent mode’ with the headphones. I’ll definitely keep it for the time being and if I turn out to be any good, I might invest a grand plus for a proper acoustic bass – might have to buy a bigger house first though!

Hope this is helpful to anyone considering purchase.
 
#359
I've been playing my Stagg EUB for several months now, after having it converted to a lefty by my guitar tech. I bought the Stagg stand, and use it to play upright, more than to use as a bass stand. I've come up with several playing options, which will be shown in the pictures below....

When I use the stand, I use a ball-loop bungee strap to transport it like so....
IMG_0217.jpg


but I usually carry it like this, with legs out....
IMG_0218.jpg


Here's a picture of the bag...
IMG_0219.jpg


and a pic of the bottom. This happened very quickly; the material just isn't tough enough, but what I'll do is cut a circle out of 1/2-inch ply, and put it in the bottom. For now I've put a plastic lid from a 32oz spackle tub in the bottom. I'll post a pic of my fix later...
IMG_0220.jpg


OK, this is just an artistic shot, with the bass on the stand...
IMG_0221.jpg


This is a side-view of the bass on the stand.... notice the "latch" snapped in place. The latch-end broke off, but it is still functional...
IMG_0222.jpg


And a close-up of the bass with the neck support holding the neck just below the bass-boost knob. Notice that I swing the neck latch in-between the body and neck....
IMG_0223.jpg


One last shot in the stand with the peg dropped down. I'm 6'0", so the peg is out eleven notches....
IMG_0224.jpg


Next post will be playing option #2.....
 
#360
OK, so this is my second playing option, and this works quite well when there's not much stage space, or I'm doing a small gig, where I don't have to play very loud. Although, The cab is a Euphonic Audio Wizzy 4ohm-12 inch speaker, with an aftermarket ceramic, and can get quite loud for it's size... perfect for small clubs/coffee shops/garden parties etc.....

This is my rig, ready to set up - Folding bar stool, EA 12" speaker cab, and my Walter Woods amp...
IMG_0225.jpg


This is how it looks setup, with the stool over the top of the amp and cab. Not taking up much real estate with this!
IMG_0226.jpg


Because I'm sitting, I put the floor peg out to eight rings....
IMG_0227.jpg


And a side-view of the body-wing, which I had installed on the left side, because of I'm a lefty! Notice the dots in the side of the neck. Stock dots are painted on - I had my G-tech put in Mother-of-Pearl dots, and a new nut made of ebony...
IMG_0228.jpg


This pic is to show how the body-wing, cable, and tuner go into the outside pocket. It's a very long pocket, so it helps to put the wing in first, so you don't have to dig the small stuff out of the bottom. Putting the tuner inside of the wound cable keeps it up at the top. The hand lotion helps my fingers glide over the flatwounds....
IMG_0229.jpg


And last, just a pic to show that I only use a dab of the lotion, and rub it in my hands. It really helps, and doesn't leave much behind on the strings, which I wipe down when I'm done playing.
IMG_0230.jpg


Hope this helps, and gives you some ideas on how to handle this col beast! Next up - trying to play it with a guitar strap, and see how that feels. Will let you know how it works out....
 

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