Strings to sound like a double bass?

[Giraffe]

This is the closest I've ever come to the DB sound. LaBella black tape wound strings on a Rob Allen MB-2 and a Deep 4.

Nothing odd or unusual here. I had used TI Acousticores for years, but they sound more like a model of a DB, with the freaky low tension giving the strings an exaggerated mwahh, and the big upper mids and highs. The LaBellas are more work, but they get fat bass and detailed mids through the undersaddle piezos. Smooth bloom, controllable mwahhh, and a rolled off high end that doesn't require much work, if any.

These basses have hard lined fretless boards and bridges, simple but well-executed undersaddle piezo pickups, and lightweight bodies. Rich, vocal tones. If I knew how to post soundclips you could hear what they sound like.

There is a ton of technique involved, for sure. You can get a friendly DB-like tone out of a lot of fretted electrics if you practice enough!

 

[Jay Corwin]

I was hoping to get in the ball park of this tone with my Fender bass (either a P or a J). I know I can’t possibly exactly get there, but good enough is good enough for me.

Well judging by the video what you're going after is probably double bass amplified with a piezo and a tube amp from the 70's.

 

[logdrum]

Meh - higher action, flats, and attitude aren't the sole ingredients, and you will not fool anyone by attempting an 'upright sound' on a fretted axe. I've played double bass and electric for my entire musical life, and the techniques don't really transfer between the two at all - the full body is involved in tone production on double bass - not so much on electric. And, high string height isn't always the answer to tone on double bass... it depends on the bass. But that's a topic for another thread, in the Double Bass forum. You can get a surprisingly big sound out of a double bass with far lower string height than most imagine. A lot depends on string choice there as well. So many variables.... so many different kinds of 'upright bass sound'. All of this being said, on electric you can get close to emulating that 60s/70s pickup-heavy double bass sound pretty well... because you aren't really hearing the bass itself in a lot of those instances. Think Nils Henning Orsted Pedersen, Eddie Gomez, and even Ron Carter.

I also play the double bass. I mostly practice on the double bass and I bow. But rather than condescend folks who do not have an upright bass, the goal should be to learn how support the music that requires a double bass sound with what you have and that's what I am trying to say here (Jazz, Folk , Bluegrass). You do need to raise the action a bit because you want a clear sound that's not buzzing on the frets or fretboard. I am not suggesting 1cm but a mm or more above what most folks here set their bass to be. Yep my DB is not set that high and I also use weich or solo specially when I was playing salsa. The same with my electric -- light flats.

My answer really is you can't. Just get a double bass but it may come across as not being nice. Not even those uke bass with rubber strings or euB, sorry you just can't. But you can support straight ahead jazz, blue grass with an old precision with dead rounds or flats. Spending money on other gear really does not buy you much . Might as well get an upright. And rockabilly -- forget about it. That needs an upright with guts or weed whackers.

 

[JSandbloom]

I’m a terrible upright player, so when I need a ‘convincing’ upright sound. I use an acoustic bass, with tapewounds and fingering at the edge of the fretboard. If you’re recording put a mic pointing at your fingering location and a hair toward the soundhole. Gets damn close in a mix, fretless acoustic bass will get you closer. It’s obviously not going to fool a person who knows upright but in a mix it’s close enough.

 

[JazznFunk]

I also play the double bass. I mostly practice on the double bass and I bow. But rather than condescend folks who do not have an upright bass, the goal should be to learn how support the music that requires a double bass sound with what you have and that's what I am trying to say here (Jazz, Folk , Bluegrass). You do need to raise the action a bit because you want a clear sound that's not buzzing on the frets or fretboard. I am not suggesting 1cm but a mm or more above what most folks here set their bass to be. Yep my DB is not set that high and I also use weich or solo specially when I was playing salsa. The same with my electric -- light flats.

My answer really is you can't. Just get a double bass but it may come across as not being nice. Not even those uke bass with rubber strings or euB, sorry you just can't. But you can support straight ahead jazz, blue grass with an old precision with dead rounds or flats. Spending money on other gear really does not buy you much . Might as well get an upright. And rockabilly -- forget about it. That needs an upright with guts or weed whackers.

What was direct communication was not condescension. It was simply an attempt to point out that it's more complex than just buying strings to make an electric bass sound like an upright. Directness is sometimes seen as harshness, which it is not.... and TONE is not well communicated in the typed word.

 

[Lee Moses]

I love acoustic, but an electric bass can sound great in pretty much any context an acoustic can. And I don't think people need to obsess about making one instrument sound like another. Vive la différence!

 

[Pings Bass]

The one going around in my head and constantly evolving (there's only one song, and I just keep writing it)

 

[amper]

I'd love to own and play a double bass, but realistically speaking, that's not going to happen for a variety of reasons. I'd love to own a Takamine TB10, as well, but that too is not going to happen.

I was just thinking today about the fact that musicians can be surprisingly conservative when it comes to the tools they use and recommend to others. I very much enjoy exploring where others fear to tread.

 

[lunarpollen]

It depends on what you mean by "like a double bass"... A double bass is capable of a wide range of sounds depending on the playing technique, the string type, etc. not to mention the different sounds you will hear on recordings that are dependent on when, how, and in what context they were recorded. Any single bass guitar won't be able to emulate the range of tones a double bass can make, but a bass guitar is capable of getting some sounds that are quite similar to a few of the sounds a double bass can make. To get the best suggestions, you'll need to be more specific about the particular double bass sound you are trying to emulate. If you can provide some links to youtube videos or soundclips that have examples of the type of double bass tone you are trying to emulate, people will be able to better advise you.

 

[coy garcia]

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

That's how I do it.... too lazy to bring a DB to a gig and switch back and forth.

 

[Snarf]

What strings sound most like a double bass?

Spirocore, Helicore, Lenzner, Pirastro, etc etc . . . . . . attached to a double bass.

 

[Just Wrong]

It depends on what you mean by "like a double bass"... A double bass is capable of a wide range of sounds depending on the playing technique, the string type, etc. not to mention the different sounds you will hear on recordings that are dependent on when, how, and in what context they were recorded. Any single bass guitar won't be able to emulate the range of tones a double bass can make, but a bass guitar is capable of getting some sounds that are quite similar to a few of the sounds a double bass can make. To get the best suggestions, you'll need to be more specific about the particular double bass sound you are trying to emulate. If you can provide some links to youtube videos or soundclips that have examples of the type of double bass tone you are trying to emulate, people will be able to better advise you.

This here is what I was referring to:

 

[themickster]

This here is what I was referring to:

I stand by what I said before

 

[DaveParker39]

Whatever Jack Bruce used on his fretless Thumb sounded like it to me.

 

[devnulljp]

Because the ONLY thing that will ever sound like a Double Bass "is" a Double Bass.

I tried playing in a jazz band with a PBass, and did all the flats, roll the tone down, foam, but it still didn't sound anything like the real thing, so I ponied up and bought an upright. Best thing I ever did musically, it's really in demand round my way and I end up playing and recording with everyone (I have 6 separate gigs next week -- 2 on the same night with 2 different acts -- alone).

 

[lunarpollen]

This here is what I was referring to:

OK, yes flatwounds would definitely help, and ideally a fretless bass, with a pickup closer to the neck... There's definitely a lot of compression going on and it also sounds like the amplifier preamp is being pushed to the point of soft overdrive; it almost sounds a bit chorusy at times because of the extra harmonic content.

 

[Dabndug]

IMHO these elements will get you close to the sound of an upright with a piezo pickup played pizzicato:

Flat wound strings;
Hollowbody bass (fretless optional);
Technique.

Since an injury has prevented me from playing upright for more than a few minutes at a time, I've been using a Hofner (strung with either Pyramid or LaBella flats) to cover that material and it works well in the context of a seven piece jazz band.

In a sparser context, my guess is that this compromise will be less satisfactory, but still workable.

 

[fdeck]

I was hoping to get in the ball park of this tone with my Fender bass (either a P or a J). I know I can’t possibly exactly get there, but good enough is good enough for me.

What I suggest is to really work on reproducing every aspect of that playing style, perhaps even transcribing some of it, on whatever electric bass is the most comfortable and playable for you. Really nail it. Then maybe even move on to a few more recordings by the same bassist. I think you'll find it "lays" well on electric.

Then decide if you still need different strings.

I'm an upright player, and that bass sounds different than mine, because the bassist is different than me. The first thing I notice is that his playing seems quite informed by electric bass playing styles (as is mine), with a sprinkling of what I'd call upright bass cliches such as raking over muted strings.

 

[groovepump]

I tried playing in a jazz band with a PBass, and did all the flats, roll the tone down, foam, but it still didn't sound anything like the real thing, so I ponied up and bought an upright. Best thing I ever did musically, it's really in demand round my way and I end up playing and recording with everyone (I have 6 separate gigs next week -- 2 on the same night with 2 different acts -- alone).

Sounds wonderful! have fun !!!

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Hofner bass with Pyramid Gold flats , using just the neck pick up.