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Double Bass Stagg EUB megathread
- Thread starter derrenleepoole
- Start date
Arrived 4 days after ordering. Looks and feels great.
Now I gotta learn how to play the sucka. Any advice on playing in the sitting position? I can play comfortably standing using the hip support, but sitting is a different story. I've lowered the endpin all the way, but my left hand is still in an awkward and uncomfortable position, and the bass is twirling all around while I'm trying to play. I guess I need to dig the hip support into my gut to stabilize the rotational axis?
Also, it sounds good when playing with electric bass right hand fingertip technique, but when I try to "play big" with the fleshy side of the index finger as recommended by all the double bass instructors I get a LOT of buzz. I suppose I'll need higher action than on my fretless EB if I want to use AUB right hand technique?
Now I gotta learn how to play the sucka. Any advice on playing in the sitting position? I can play comfortably standing using the hip support, but sitting is a different story. I've lowered the endpin all the way, but my left hand is still in an awkward and uncomfortable position, and the bass is twirling all around while I'm trying to play. I guess I need to dig the hip support into my gut to stabilize the rotational axis?
Also, it sounds good when playing with electric bass right hand fingertip technique, but when I try to "play big" with the fleshy side of the index finger as recommended by all the double bass instructors I get a LOT of buzz. I suppose I'll need higher action than on my fretless EB if I want to use AUB right hand technique?
At least 5 to 8 mm free air distance between strings and fingerboard (end). one mm more is better. If it still buzzes you got one with a baldly planed fingerboard (then give it back until you got one with a better fingerboard).
For sitting you need to sit high like on a bar stool, like the DB players do.
For sitting you need to sit high like on a bar stool, like the DB players do.
The 26 inch stool I had in the garage in combination with leaning the hip support onto my belly works perfectly! No more awkward left arm positioning.
The major rattling I was hearing turned out to be the end-pin, which seemed to rattle at this one particular length for some reason. Changed the length, no more rattle.
The action has a little bit to be desired. I'm at 13mm for the G and 15 mm for the E. Any lower and I start getting buzz. I'll live with it for now since I've got to build up some muscle and callous anyway, and I'm not at the point where I can play anything fast yet.
Oh, to have a luthier in the neighborhood!
The major rattling I was hearing turned out to be the end-pin, which seemed to rattle at this one particular length for some reason. Changed the length, no more rattle.
The action has a little bit to be desired. I'm at 13mm for the G and 15 mm for the E. Any lower and I start getting buzz. I'll live with it for now since I've got to build up some muscle and callous anyway, and I'm not at the point where I can play anything fast yet.
Oh, to have a luthier in the neighborhood!
Being dissatisfied with the action on my new Stagg, I gave the truss rod a good 1/4 clockwise turn, and lo and behold, I was able to lower the action lower, and lower . . . and lower . . . I finally got the E string side of the bridge to rock bottom without getting buzz. The D string mwahs all the way up and down the fingerboard, so I can't go any lower, but now the string height is just below 10 mm all the way across!! Gotta be careful about how hard I pluck now, though.
Thanks to radula for his post on how to fix that annoying endpin rattle. Stupidly easy fix.
And thanks DoubleMIDI for all of your posts regarding string recommendations. I'm thinking 4/4 Spirocore Lights?
Thanks to radula for his post on how to fix that annoying endpin rattle. Stupidly easy fix.
And thanks DoubleMIDI for all of your posts regarding string recommendations. I'm thinking 4/4 Spirocore Lights?
Have a look at the Classifieds for used Spirocores. They are cheap in the long run because they last almost forever. Other strings need to be changed after one to two years. And used Spiros sound good are better to play than new ones. You don't need to fight with the play-in time that can last several months, depending how hard and long you play.
@VWB - what colour bass did you get? Mine is blue, which seems to be one of the less common (less popular?) versions.
Should I consider these?
Thumb position is EXTREMELY awkward for a guitar/EB player. Who thought of this torture?! I will need some super easy-to-play strings to learn these impossible techniques!!
If Thomasik Superflexibles in Solo gauge are suitable lighter gauge strings, I might spring for a new set since they're significantly cheaper than Spirocores.
Thumb position is EXTREMELY awkward for a guitar/EB player. Who thought of this torture?! I will need some super easy-to-play strings to learn these impossible techniques!!
If Thomasik Superflexibles in Solo gauge are suitable lighter gauge strings, I might spring for a new set since they're significantly cheaper than Spirocores.
Most of my instruments seem to be blue or green. No particular reason - I just love those colours!
There was a wealthy businessman in the 1990s called Scott Chinery who for reasons best known to himself commissioned 22 world-class luthiers to each build a 17"-wide archtop acoustic guitar finished in a specific shade of blue. Unfortunately he died shortly after the guitars were completed, at the tragically young age of 40. His "Blue Guitar" collection has been exhibited worldwide.
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No reason why a suitably skilled Stagg owner couldn't strip off the factory finish and replace it with whatever colour they wanted - it's all (fairly) solid maple. You can't see it from my photomontage, but the real colour of my Stagg bass is much deeper than it looks there, and you can see the wood grain quite clearly through the transparent blue lacquer. You'd never guess that it cost £330 ($500) - it looks very classy.
