Strings to sound like a double bass?

[Just Wrong]

What strings sound most like a double bass?

 

[Lee Moses]

Gut, IMO.

 

[PBandJazzBass]

The typical approach is flats or Tapewounds with a foam mute by the bridge. Plucking at the end of the fretboard can also help.

If an electric also has a piezo pickup, it can get some of the finger noise of the attack.

I guess it could be argued using a fretless bass can also help. A string vibrating against a metal fret is different than directly against the fingerboard.

 

[michael_t]

What strings sound most like a double bass?

What bass are you trying to get to sound like a double bass?

 

[Yahboy]

Tape wound + fretless P + plucking hand on neck joint area + double bass plucking technique..

 

[trothwell]

Here's some Rotosound 88 tapewound strings on a fretless Fender Jazz bass:

 

[MCF]

What strings sound most like a double bass?

La Bella or DA tapes. It depends on the bass and amp too.

 

[Neon Blues]

I've only recorded one EB where I honestly felt I got close:

Short Scale Precision > La Bella Deep Talkin Flats > Foam > Plucked at the Neck > Touch of Reverb > DI with SVT Setting

 

[2F/2F]

It's largely technique and setup, not strings.

That said, a variety of tapewounds will move you to a closer starting point. The Fenders and the Rotosounds are the top two on my list. Not a fan of GHS, and haven't experimented with LaBella.

 

[DCCat]

It's largely technique and setup, not strings.

That said, a variety of tapewounds will move you to a closer starting point. The Fenders and the Rotosounds are the top two on my list. Not a fan of GHS, and haven't experimented with LaBella.

IME, the Pyramid tapes have more of an upright vibe than any other tapes I've tried (LaBella, DA, Fender, GHS). Especially on fretless and most especially the E & A strings. Have not tried Roto, however.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I'll just leave this here:



Recorded with one of my active basses (I honestly forget which) using my BOSS GT1-B.

 

[devnulljp]

 

[themickster]

What strings sound most like a double bass?

The double bass sound comes from its big, hollow body. You're unlikely to get that from a solid body, amplifier and speaker. Flat wound strings will get you a little of the way there, but listen to The Animals' We Gotta Get Out of This Place. I wouldn't say that the bass guitar sound matches a double bass. The nearest you will get is to hold your bass guitar against a wardrobe and play it.

A double bass can be made to sound like an electric, by having a built-in pickup, but you can't go the other way.

 

[amper]

What strings sound most like a double bass?

43" scale length ones mounted on a double bass.

All kidding aside, this is a perennial weed on TalkBass and every other bass guitar discussion forum or email list that has ever existed. And the real answer is: there is no easy solution to getting an electric solidbody bass guitar to sound anything like an acoustic upright double bass.

There are a variety of things you can do to try to get close, but no one of them in isolation as going to get close. It's a combination of things: instrument design, string choice, pickup design, playing technique, muting, signal processing, etc. All of them are necessary.

I suggest if you want to chase this dragon, you read the existing threads on this topic which can be easily found with a search.

What works for me is a fretless StingRay with 3-band EQ and piezo bridge, flatwound strings, an acoustic resonance enhancer pedal, foam bridge mutes, right hand technique more commonly see on double bass than on bass guitar, a slight touch of hall reverb, and an amp that is also popular with double bass players.

My Warwick doesn't have piezo, but it does have cello strings, D'Addario Prelude 4/4 medium tension cello strings.

What works for you may vary.

 

[amper]

In short, if you want a bass guitar to sound like a double bass, then you need to build a bass guitar that is constructed more or less the same as a double bass.

 

[Acoop]

Yeah,
#1 Purchase and learn to play a double bass.
#2 Send a lot of time and money chasing a sound that could have been accomplished by following #1.

 

[JazznFunk]

At best, you'll be able to approximate 'double bass through a piezo pickup', and then not really. There are so many factors that make forcing an EB to sound like upright nearly impossible. BUT - you can get 'close enough for the tourists' ears' with flatwounds or tapewounds, possibly a mute of some sort near the bridge, and creative EQ. Listen to a lot of actual, real double bass to get the sound in your head, and then take a bad picture of that.

 

[40Hz]

It's largely technique

^This.

You can’t fully duplicate an upright bass sound on bass guitar. But if you employ more of an upright bass playing technique you can provide enough auditory hints that it will come across as one. Or at least enough to satisfy most ears.

An upright bass player will approach the way he or she constructs a bassline differently than the way a bass guitar player normally would. So it’s a good idea to listen to as much music with an upright bass player as you can to get a feel for the stylistic differences.

As far as strings go, the general consensus seems to be to use tapewounds. And they do work well for that. But I’ve also gotten a decent enough upright sound with a set of very dead roundwounds on an ABG. And I know one bass player who gets an amazingly authentic upright vibe going with flats and a fretless bass. So again, it’s less about the strings and more about the player.

Luck!

 

[scuzzy]

if you won't commit to the big fella, buy a bass Uke. they get that vibe, although they lack the nuance.

 

[2saddleslab]

The best I've found is this combo of TI flats & Gretsch 6072 RI.