Takamine B10?

As far as I'm concerned, this is an acoustic BG, not an EUB.
Playing a BG in upright fashion doesn't transform it into an EUB, methinks.
If you play an upright horizontally, does that qualify it as a bass guitar?

 

I've played one a few times. A very nice instrument - attractive woods and antique finish. It's more like playing a URB than you'd expect, with a nice arched ebony fingerboard. It's easier to play it upright on the spkie than in guitar position.
Not one for the traditionalists, but if you need a more compact instrument this may be useful. Not loud enough acoustically to hold its own in a group, but I guess that's pretty normal.

 

With so many of the bass lines I hear at gigs coming from sequencers or the keyboard player's left hand, I'm in favour of any kind of bass that has strings.

 

A very good point indeed.
What really counts is the final result, no matter what you use to get it!
Furthermore if you're more comfortable with the smaller instrument.
Is it bowable?

 

Interesting B10's Thread Link

 

I haven't actually tried to bow one (I've only ever played them in guitar shops) but the bridge/fingerboard radius certainly looks as though it's designed for arco. The first one I played had roundwounds and sounded more BG-ish, but recently there was an older one in a shop with flatwounds and it sounded much more like a URB (or at least a good EUB).
The used one was selling for $3000 Australian - the sales guy said retail was $5000!

 

I always love reading these cranky emails by doublebass purists who scoff at any instrument that doesn't boast the same dimensions as the instrument they lug around..... Its like a red badge of courage or something- I have played double bass for 30+ years; orchestral, chamber, jazz, bluegrass- whatever. I also own a EUB, myriad fretless, fretted, 4,5,&6 string instruments, and have even played minimoog bass on stage- so get over yourselves- its the frequency and function that we are concerned with-
The Takamine propably isn't the right instrument to play the Hindemith sonata on, and my 110 year old german flatback isn't going to sound very good on "Thankyoufalettin'me Be myself Again"........

Right?

 

Yup, that's me. http://www.markzandveld.com
All the recordings of " 'Round Moonlight" and "Girl-Talking!" are done with the B10. On "Daytripper" I've used also Fenders, a Crafter 5-string acoustic and a Yamaha BEX that has an interesting mix of magnetic and piezo pu's. There are also video clips now on both sites.

Thanks. The thread that tumbao posted the link for features my opinions about the B10 - no need to repeat it here.

I also recently received from Takamine a custom built fretted version of the B10, for horizontal playing. There's a pic on my personal site.

 

It is in fact technically an ABG, but it is designed to be played upright. Would that be an UABG .

To me it feels more like a mini UR than a BG though.

Curiously, on several occasions announcers introduced me with: And on contrabass.....
Apparently, if it's played upright most people (but notably not Upright players) perceive it as an Upright.

If lay people ask me what it is, I generally describe it as a minicontrabass, that is avoiding the technicalities and most easily understood.

 

i used that bass on the intro track on my band's album.

perhaps the most gorgeous tone on that record, and it was spur of the moment, no fancy crazy preamps or compressors

 

Beautiful playing in all your ensembles.