Double Bass Using an EUB with a stand?

[Android Entropy]

Hi,

I'm about to take the plunge with EUB. I've been playing fretless and fretted BG forever, but other than for six months when I was a teenager, I've never played upright.

So here's my question. When I look at it from a distance, it doesn't seem that you'd necessarily want any of those funny spacer things to simulate the normal distance from the body as on upright. I can see that the acoustic body against the player body keeps the neck anchored, but other than that it looks like it is just in the way. (Excuse me, I'm ignorant)

It seems to me that playing while seated on a chair or stool with the EUB secured by an adjustable stand would be ideal. I can even imagine that the stool might be part of the stand. That might make everything less bulky and really strong, if properly designed.

Does anyone do this?

- Andy

 

[carl h.]

Too many EUB's are fastened to drum hardware IMHO. I prefer the mobility of a standup bass.

They are out there and easily found.

 

[Tom Lane]

Different strokes for different folks. Some folks like the EUBs anchored to a stand so it can't move or rotate and others prefer to move around more when the play and then having an anchored instrument is awkward. The advantage to having it fixed, I think, is that you don't have to work to hold up the instrument, or keep it from spinning. Try 'em both for a while before you make up your mind. Personally, I like to sway to the beat a lot and so and end pin works better for me. David Friesen plays a short scale EUB that he had made for him that he has fastened to some sort of stand. He carries it onto airplanes in the overhead bin. Works for him!

 

[Up and Away]

I have a Yamaha SLB 200 and I find that the "funny spacer things" that mimic the bass body work perfectly for me.I like to move a lot when I play and can't imagine playing using a stand but it obviously works for some people.As said above,different strokes....

 

[mrpackerguy]

I prefer a stand. I double, and even in any given combo gig, I double and I just find it easier leave the EUB on its stand and pick up the bg. Saves time.

 

[dreamadream99]

I never played upright either. I started out on an Eminence EUB, and there was no reason to use the waist extender. It is only for people who need to duplicate the feel of an upright. I don't.

 

[Android Entropy]

I never played upright either. I started out on an Eminence EUB, and there was no reason to use the waist extender. It is only for people who need to duplicate the feel of an upright. I don't.

I got my EUB a few days ago - my first upright experience. I don't have a stand so far. So far I'm using a bar stool, and I do find the waist extender useful. I'm kind of surprised by that. I also use my left leg against the back of the EUB. It seems like a pretty comfortable position overall. I have no desire to stand up. I don't have a stand but I'm still interested in the idea of using one, although less so since I've already found a comfortable position. One thing I can already see is that I'll either need a stand or the waist extender as a brace for thumb position. That's the other thing that strikes me coming from fretless BG - I'm going to need to learn thumb position way sooner than I thought. You can't even really get to the octave area without it!

 

[Jon Moody]

For doubling gigs, I'll use the stand on my CR-5M without issue, as like many have said, it facilitates switching between the two. Often, I'll play the EUB in a seated position, much like David Friesen (I am a fan) or like a cello. However, if I have the room, I'll use the endpin attachment, as it allows the closest "feel" to a traditional string bass. Plus, I find when the EUB is on the stand, the vibrations from playing the instrument really affect string cross-talk; not so much on the endpin attachment.

 

[cchorney]

I've been an electric bass player for 30 ish years, and an upright bass player for a few months. I went back and forth repeatedly as to whether to get an upright bass or the electric equivalent. I ended up choosing traditional upright. And now that I've been playing a few months, I can see some advantages to both, but I'm glad I went the way I did... for now (eventually I can see me having one of each).

Advantages of traditional upright
Sounds exactly like what it is (some EUBs have to be heavily EQ'd and have effects applied to hit "the sound"
Doesn't need an amp for solo practice and for some smaller gigging applications
The body provides something to push against your body to give counter force to your finger pressure.
The body of the bass against your body provides resistance to the instrument rotating unintentionally while playing.
The heel of the neck gives you clues as to where you are on the neck.

Advantages of EUB
Way easier to transport
Takes up less space in the house/apartment
Some come with lines or side marker dots to ease transition from electric bass

 

[elgecko]

I bought my NS EUB with the normal tripod stand AND the endpin stand. I could never get used to the endpin stand so I sold it. I can and do "sway" my bass on the tripod stand but there are only three directions to choose from and I have orient the legs to optimize those directions.

 

[Kragnorak]

Too many EUB's are fastened to drum hardware IMHO. I prefer the mobility of a standup bass.

They are out there and easily found.

I have an Ergo, but my biggest problem is the stand. I don't trust it, for one thing, and worry about the bass swinging fatally towards the floor. I prefer an endpin so that I can play more naturally. The other problem with the stand is that it wiggles when I'm using vibrato. That is not a problem when you are bracing the instrument against your body, but it's a major problem when trying to play on a stand. Upright is challenging enough without having to expend extra energy to stabilize the instrument!

 

[rhopper]

I have an Ergo, but my biggest problem is the stand. I don't trust it, for one thing, and worry about the bass swinging fatally towards the floor. I prefer an endpin so that I can play more naturally. The other problem with the stand is that it wiggles when I'm using vibrato. That is not a problem when you are bracing the instrument against your body, but it's a major problem when trying to play on a stand. Upright is challenging enough without having to expend extra energy to stabilize the instrument!

I switched to Pearl drum hardware on my Ergo and it is much better.

 

[eyvindwa]

I have an NS EUB, and I use the stand. However, I would like some more mobility. I have tried their strap system, and while it works, it makes arco playing somewhat awkward. I use my EUB mainly for arco (and bass guitar for the rest), so I wonder: how does the end pin work when you play with the bow? How do you stabilize the bass? Do you have to work hard just to keep it in position? (Disclaimer: I have no "real" DB training, and I am mostly self-taught, so my technique is probably not the best either.)

 

[equill]

I tried using the stand, but it was too flexible - I want something I can actually pull against, rather than trying to finger it like a BG. Never having played an acoustic bass, I went on to just lean the neck back against my shoulder, and that works fine for me.

End pin? That looked way too complicated. I found some 10mm steel rod, cut it to length, stuck one of those rubber end-balls on it, and slid it up the tube. Lots of windings of gaffer tape wedge it into place and stop it shifting around. It's a dirty hack, but it's working so far.