Double Bass Stagg EUB megathread

[shrinklizard]

Hi,

I wasn't completely happy with the sound of my Stagg. The plucked sound was too boomy, and when bowed, the middle 2 strings were much lower in volume than the outer strings. So I decided to build my own piezo saddle, using 4 piezo transducers from dealextreme ( [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ).
Each string has it's own piezo now, and the piezos are just below the strings instead of down under the feet of the bridge. The bridge is a simple piece of spruce, and between the piezo and the string is a small piece of rosewood.
The arco sound is much better now, and I think the plucked sound is more realistic, too, althoug the A string is somewhat softer than the other strings.
Here's an audio clip (please consider the fact that I'm an absolute beginner on double bass): Link Removed
And here's a picture:

Regards,
Jaap

Sorry, This post is sooooo old but I've encountered and solved this problem in an unexpected manner. Something that fights logic but works. I tried (and tried) balancing the pots on the board (G versus E pickup) to no avail. Middle strings seemed to always be out of balance. Out of desperation I simply disconnected (the plug) from the board that runs to the G string side pick up wire (piezo). Bingo, all strings in perfect balance. I run the instrument bass boost on zero, use Helicore mediums and run it through a Roland micro cube bass rx on "B Man" setting.....OMG, it sounds almost exactly like an acoustic UB (bowed) which was my goal all along. Bump the instruments bass boost or switch amp to "super flat" for pizzicato.

 

[ErikvanD]

Exactly the same experience here. Bowing sounds a lot better with only the E side pickup connected and pizz with both sides connected. I even tried fitting an external switch to be able to simply switch the G side pickup on and off but so far with no succes.. A switch in the pickup wire itself does not seem to work as this hums like crazy... I might take another shot at this mod in the future

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Eric, instead of switching the hot wire you can shorten the piezo or disconnect the piezo hot wire and connect the hot input to ground (the other piezo wire). That should work without noise.

 

[poomwah]

Hi, guys and gals,
I've looked through a lot of this thread, but the tiny phone screen is giving my eyes fits.
Is there a comprehensive list of differences between the standard and the RDL? or a list of all the different models and generations? One, I'd like to know what I've got, and shopping for a second one, I want to make sure what I'm getting.
I know to look for ones with the blockier head stock.
Is this correct?
Old style has the headstock that is sort of "dished out on the front"?
Newer style has blockier headstock whether its standard or RDL?
RDL has brown fingerboard and standard has black?
any of this right? any other differences to sort things out?
I'm seeing a lot of variations, different profile head stocks, different fingerboards, blocky headstocks with the truss rod adjustment at the head, blocky headstocks with truss rod adjustment at the other end of the fingerboard.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

The thicker headstock is preferable, because the thinner one can easily break if something bangs against it from the side. The older version is still available at some retailers, so better get the thicker one even if it doesn't look as nice.
You can also get replacement tuners more easily for the thicker headstock, since these are standard bass guitar tuners. For the thinner headstock you need to keep the peg and use the rest from a new bass guitar tuner.

I highly recommend the RDL rosewood fingerboard, since the standard one is black epoxy coated wood. So in case you have a non-plan area on the fingerboard you can plan it of even make the camber deeper if needed. Removing the finish on the RDL fingerboard is no problem, you can reseal it with linseed oil. So if you need to work on the fingerboard, better remove the whole finish from the playable area of the fingerboard and reseal it with the linseed oil.
If you try to remove the epoxy finish from the playable area it can easily happen that parts of it get off on the side or even rear of the neck. The whole neck of the standard necks is one piece of wood, not a neck with an attached fingerboard.
The sound of the epoxy covered neck is a bit harder, specially if the strings are slapped. The rosewood gives a nicer sound if you try to get a double-bass-like sound.

The trussrod has no function, since the neck is much stronger than a BG neck. So forget the trussrod unless it buzzes. In that case you might tighten it a bit.

 

[ErikvanD]

Yes, the rosewood FB really looks, feels and sounds much nicer! My trussrod just kept on rattling so i filled the slot with silicon sealant.

One addition: the newer version with the thicker headstock also has the screw in supportbars. The older ones were just push fit and came loose pretty easily.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Just to show a different view:
My old Staggs have no problems with the support bar just sticking in the rubber tube inside the body, but I hate the screwed things in a newer one, since they are rather hard to get fixed.
Since I disliked the newer body I got with the rosewood fingerboard, I took an old body (with a rather badly shaped neck) and changed the neck for the rosewood one with the stronger headstock. I got all of the Staggs cheap (less than half the regular price because some minor flaws), the rosewood one even without tuners (needed to buy some, since they old ones didn't fit) and without electronics and needed to make a camber into the board. The camber needs to get a bit deeper, but it is the nicest Stagg I got.

But the support bar is not that great. A more solid one would be better. So better build your own support bar.

 

[LowDown Hal]

I've read a lot of people switching to Helicores.
Can someone educate me on what to expect from light, vs. medium, vs. heavy?

Thanks

 

[DoubleMIDI]

For a solid body like the Stagg EUB a light string should be preferred. I have a few different solid body EUBs and the Medium strings feel a bit stiff on them but work well on an acoustic upright.
Even the Helicore Light strings have some tension.

 

[Pavle]

Good evening to Stagg EUB's owners)
I Bought my Stagg Eub Deluxe about 1 year ago, and gave it to luthier to convert to left handed playing.
He made a new ebony nut , and is installing support on the left side of the eub body.
Fingerboard is no need to replanning except it "right-hand player friendly" beveled to E string
Action is about 9-10 mm now/

Main problems of this EUB for me are:

1.endpin rattle
2. D / G sounds louder than A/E (bow, unplugged)

Also I want to install new one-piece maple bridge and on/off switch for electronics.

 

[Pavle]

Eric, instead of switching the hot wire you can shorten the piezo or disconnect the piezo hot wire and connect the hot input to ground (the other piezo wire). That should work without noise.

Do you know, inputs for E and G piezos are similar?
(I did not change places after left-handed convertation, but...)

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Do you know, inputs for E and G piezos are similar?
(I did not change places after left-handed convertation, but...)

This is out of my memory, I might be wrong, but ...
when you remove the angled metal sheet with the controls, you see cables coming from the two piezos plugged into the PCB. Just exchange them.
If it doesn't work, I think there is a potentiometer on the PCB where you can adjust the relative level of the two pickups.

 

[Pavle]

This is out of my memory, I might be wrong, but ...
when you remove the angled metal sheet with the controls, you see cables coming from the two piezos plugged into the PCB. Just exchange them.
If it doesn't work, I think there is a potentiometer on the PCB where you can adjust the relative level of the two pickups.

Thank you!

I did it, now all strings in balance.

 

[Pavle]

 

[rolandm]

LMAO! That's the most awesome afterlength damper I have ever seen!

 

[btate]

Playing while mounted on the stand

Sixway’s idea and thank you!
Back in an old post #532, Sixway came up with the idea of playing while mounted in the stand. I recently tried it and it’s perfect for anyone who missed the post. Really no modification necessary, just lower the neck rod all the way down and mount the saddle under the fingerboard as shown.

I am not quite 5’10 so about 2 ½” shorter than Sixway which made the saddle fit even better for me- (cradles the enlarged part of the body as shown while the pin end is also nicely supported too)

For the first time since learning to play, I find it suddenly natural to not be tempted to “grab” the neck while playing. The bass stays put and doesn’t twist, and I never did get used to the rods sticking out.

Felt right as soon as I tried it but with one small issue that I fixed. I like to “snuggle up” to the bass while playing but the knob that locks the saddle stuck annoyingly into my beer gut! I relocated the knob to the other side as shown in pix which made it perfect.

The nut is spot welded with 2 small dots to keep it from spinning when the knob is tightened. I carefully filed the weld away using a 3 corner file and eventually cracked the nut free using a 10mm socket. (protect the surface with some tape before you begin) After remounting it on the opposite side and securing with the knob again, run a small bead of 5 minute epoxy around it to replace the weld.

Last thing, I haven’t done it yet but there is a gap you can see in the second pix between the body and the strap of the saddle. I think I will put some foam rubber there to eliminate any ability for the bass to twist.

 

[richardg1952]

I've had a custom Mooradian gig bag made for my Stagg. $400 including shipping from Boston to Oregon. I'm so pleased. The gig bag that comes with the Stagg is sad but it keeps the cost down. The Mooradian gives the instrument the protection and respect it deserves. I had generous sized pockets added to the design. The larger pocket holds the sawed off heavy duty music stand tripod base that holds the Stagg during breaks.
Check out the photos.

 

[hartgroves]

I'd like to help keep all Stagg EUB users aware of the simple fix for string imbalance (as per post #821), remove the 'controls box' and disconnect one of the piezo feeds (they are 3.5mm jacks into the board-mounted sockets). I'd been quite happy with the pizz sound, but arco, the A string was very quiet. Looking at the back of the board, with the piezo leads coming up, I removed the right hand one. I now have good balance arco & pizz, didn't bother figuring out which piezo I'd disconnected, maybe either would do!

 

[rolandm]

Or you can always just use the set screw to turn the G-side down (provided it has one).

 

[Naplesllew]

Headphones question--

There seems to be a lot of differing/conflicting comments on headphone hissing. I just got my stagg yesterday and got horrible hissing from the headphone out jack. I looked through here, and this doesn't sound like a ground hum. This sounds like amp hiss. One poster indicated his high-impedance headphones didn't show any signs of hiss from the output. I wanted to see if new owners in particular universally experience this hiss. I don't have any phones over 32 ohm, so haven't tried higher impedance phones yet. The hiss is same volume no matter where the volume or tone pots are set. Changing battery doesn't affect it.

I use a relatively inexpensive set of Sony headphones with my deluxe Stagg and the sound is clear aand hiss-free. Don't know what the impedence is, though.