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Double Bass Stagg EUB megathread

#482
blowabs said:
Sam Ash Direct has the Stagg hard case for $75 With free FEDex shipping from Fl. Not bad.... Everybody wants way more. They were back ordered for a while.
I hear they are made well...??...
??...
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I picked one up from Sam Ash first thing after I got my Stagg. I never trust gig bags. I wouldn't necessarily say it's a stellar hard case, but it's not terrible, either. It seems to be made from a thin plywood -- it's significantly better than those cheap cardboard cases, but not as good as the hard case that came with my Carvin electric.

The storage pocket easily fits both bouts as well as other small accessories. The bow holders don't work, at least with my german bow. They seem to be installed with violin bows in mind (my wife's violin bow fits perfectly), so I'm not sure they'd even work with the shorter length of a french bass bow.

Other than the bow holders being useless, I like the case and wouldn't carry my EUB anywhere without it. Definitely worth the price.
 
#487
Opened my soft case one day to see my headstock dangling by the strings... (defective neck, and Stagg replaced it no charge). After putting on the new neck, I ordered the Stagg hardcase (about $100, with shipping to Hawaii). It's light, but sturdy enough to protect the bass, and I know longer worry about damage to the bass.

I found that if I put my French bow in upside down, it is held more securely by the twist-latch. All-in-all, I'm pleased with the case... As with others on the thread, it didn't take long for the endpin to create a hole in the bottom of the soft case. Placed a plastic lid from an old spackling container in the bottom, which worked OK until I stopped using it.

Played the bass at two gigs over the weekend, and am enjoying it more and more. Just so you know, I bought the Stagg bass stand, and play the bass in the stand. That way, it's much easier for me to switch back-and-forth between the Stagg and my electric bass.

I've been lucky that I've had no issues with the headphone jack, rattling endpin etc. Oh yeah, the headstock snapped off, but that's a distant memory now..... :)
 
#490
DoubleMIDI said:
The thread diameter of the Stagg's adjusters is much larger than of my Full Circle's (metrical thread).
So you might need to fill the holes and drill them new.
If you are lucky, you might find a thread adapter.

I doubt that any Stagg owner did that.
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Did a bit of measuring (with some different nut sizes corresponding to the Full Circle sizes, and a micrometer that frankly didn't help!) and it seems the Stagg has 5/16-18 threads. So I've bitten the bullet and ordered with that thread size - should be 10 days before I get it, but will let you all know the results when it does show...man, I hope it fits... LOL

Mainly doing this because I spend most of the time practicing without plugging in, and I like the sound it makes which is definitely DB-like, but the in-built pre-amp doesn't seem to translate as well as I thought it would. Let's see what happens...
 
#492
DoubleMIDI said:
BTW, the Stagg has piezo cable pickups. Maybe you like to grab the signal there or after the first amplifier?
I wouldn't put so much money into a Stagg like buying a Full Circle for it (but they are more expensive in Europe than in the US).
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Bit late, already ordered it LOL! I'm in the UK but found a place in the States selling for $229 with free shipping to Europe, so thought I'd give it a try. I know it seems a bit much for a Stagg, but I'll have it for when/if I move to a real double bass, and I guess I was curious what kind of difference it would make. I've already got a Fishman BII for a UBass so I can adjust the tone too and play with the sound. And I really must thank you again for the advice on the Spirocores; it's only a subtle difference but they're so much better than the stock strings for tone and vibrato, and I think 4/4 strings are a way better fit on the Stagg.
 
#493
Don't forget VAT and customs you have to pay for stuff from the US.

The underlengths are of the Stagg are longer than on my 4/4 acoustic, so 4/4 strings are indeed a good idea, but not really neccesary (the 4/4 Spiros are only 6 cm longer than the 3/4).

Good luck and keep us updated with the Full Circle on the Stagg.
 
#494
bluebird28 said:
Hello Jason, here is the information directly off the box the strings from Stagg came in.
" 3/4 & 4/4 Acoustic & Electric Double Bass Strings-Medium
Playable Length 135 cm / 53 inches
Total Length 164 cm / 64.5 inches

Thy are Nickel Flat Wound Medium Guage 55 G, 67 D, 87 A, 110 E

Ref. DB-55110-ST"

I hope this helps in finding what you need.
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Any idea what the string tension is on these? I'm thinking about replacing mine with better strings. With a proper setup, I'd say the stock strings are an acceptable tension for me, but since I have little experience with strings I'm not sure where they fall on the spectrum of string tension. Would they be considered standard, high, or low tension strings? I'd like to go comparable or lighter if possible.
 
#495
I put Presto Balance Hybrid Medium on my Stagg. (Not available in the US, but from Jonas Lohse in Germany who also sends stuff abroad.) They have a very little bit more tension, the G is a bit thicker, so widen the nut slot for the G or the nut might crack (like mine).

They are nice strings, also available in light and ultralight, which might fit your needs better.

But for a double bass sound you need some tension (and I felt even the Presto Balance Hybrid Medium are on the lighter side). Not too much on the Stagg or the headstock may break, but 4/4 Spiro Solo strings tuned to orchestra pitch might be fine and a bit lighter.
The stock strings are not so bad, but as a double bass player (who likes a bit lighter double bass strings) the stock strings a a bit too light and have a bit too much sustain, so they sound a bit like a fretless bass if the action is rather low. (Double bass action is about 5-6 mm below the G up to 9-11 mm below the E at the end of the fingerboard.)

The longer 4/4 strings are good for the Stagg, because the underlengths on the Stagg are longer than on most double basses and the string scale is a standard 3/4 string length. You can always cut the strings on the thin silk wound part as long as you fix the silk end with a drop of glue.
Most 3/4 strings will fit too, but some are too short for the Stagg.
 
#498
I played double bass when I was younger but gave up when I was 15... So as the result of my mid life crisis I have owned a Stagg EUB for around 4 weeks now. Have to say I'm impressed and even played it through an ipad at a conference last week. Old McDonald had a farm never sounded so heavy metal!

My question is will I notice the difference if I put new strings on it? The stock strings that it comes with are pretty good however there is a rattle when I press the fingerboard in certain positions on the E String. Will new strings sort it out as I've tried everything I can think of eg raising and lowering the action and padding the string with cardboard where it rests.

I've read loads about strings on this forum, but I still don't know which would be the best? I think I can get D'addario and Spirocore in the Uk but will they effect the sound coming through an iPad or just be easier to get notes with rather than having a rattle? Also can someone please explain the difference between metal and synthetic strings in terms of ease to play with?
 
#499
It is not only the string but also the shape of the fingerboard and the height of the strings.

I have two Staggs. One has a good fingerboard, I can play it with a rather low string height, but the other one might have some small bumps on the fingerboard, so on some motes I get some rattling if I set the string height too low.

Some strings may have a different energy distribution on harmonics in the string and therefor a smaller displacement for the same volume, mostly the brighter ones. So you might want to try Spirocore Weich 4/4 (S42W) on your instrument and hope it gets better. I won't try to use the 3/4 Spirocore Weich (higher tension) or any other higher tension string, since the headstock of the Stagg may break under the high tension.

You also might need to adjust your playing a littel bit to avoid rattling on the E string.

Synthetic core strings have a little bit higher diameter on the upper strings, so they are easier for the left hand, most of them sound a bit darker than undamped steel strings, at least after a few weeks/months. Strings with a braided synthetic core are more flexible and easier to the left hand than solid core synthetic strings, which are often rather stiff.
 
#500
Wow. Thanks for the informative response. I'll certainly try to get hold of the exact strings you mention... I take it that I'll notice more difference in playability rather than sound quality?

I think being perfectly honest here I have egg on my face, as after thinking about what you said about string thickness and an uneven fingerboard, I realised that marking the finger position for notes with thin strips of electricians tape had created the rattle. It is now a lot better as I simply removed the tape. Thanks for pointing that out. I can now lower the action again. Thanks for the synthetic string explanation too. I think synthetic core strings might mean I have apply less pressure with my left hand ? If this is the case I'll notice a big difference from the stock strings as they are rather stiff.

Cheers for sharing your experience. This forum is great...
 

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