Double Bass Why EUB's? plus NS design and Ebay Questions

[damonsmith]

I've found most bandleaders are pretty flexible about it nowadays, if you can play. There was some resistance to it in the early days of EUBs, but most are even okay with my playing the NS BassCello at this point.

I play the real bass whenever possible, because I just flat out play better on it. But I don't think most people will have any qualms about hiring, say, David Friesen because he plays a funny little bass.

Regarding buying a DB vs. an EUB, in my case, it isn't either/or. I play DB, and I own an EUB in order to sound as good as possible for those times when I can't use the real thing. To put it another way, in order of preference for me, it's 1.) My own double bass, 2.) a rental double bass of good quality, and 3.) the EUB.

YMMV.

I am pretty much in agreement with you, but I prefer my double bass first, but prefer my Ergo over amplifying the double bass. The extra strings really help in terms of the give and take.
I would also word it as when the context seems to call for EUB, I use that.

I was in Chicago a couple weeks ago and had my Ergo for a gig but had a recording with a master of subtle chamber jazz, Guilermo Greggorio, so I borrowed a bass. I got the right sound, but I enjoyed playing the EUB the next on a gig much better.
But I do a agree, you are best off having both instruments.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

I haven't run into many situations where I couldn't get a double bass amplified properly. Maybe it's just the nature of the music that I usually play on DB, but after a certain point, it's up to the sound crew. I haven't had feedback problems with the DB in recent memory.

One of the first times I really realized the potential of EUBs was at a concert at a big sports stadium in Tahiti, maybe 20,000 people. That was a situation where it was great to have the control over the sound that the bass (Azola, at the time) afforded me. I seriously doubt that I could have easily gotten as good an "upright" sound out of a real bass in that venue. So I figure I'll always have an EUB of some type to play when the time is right. Actually, I've really started to enjoy my BassCello in its own right recently.

 

[damonsmith]

I can get a good amplfied sound, I just like acoustic bass, and the Ergo amplfies a lot cleaner. I have a strong enough sound to play in most contexts fully acoustic, so I used to get pissed when I had to amplify, now I just bring the EUB.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

Sounds like we're pretty close to each other. I love to play unamped whenever I can... quite a bit at present. I can get close with the AMT mic and some pickup, but something is always lost in translation. I've spent a LOT of money trying to get the "my sound but louder" thing going.

I guess you probably play a lot more arco than I do as well... and that usually points out the shortcomings of amplification to a greater degree than does pizzicato.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

Actually, in looking back at the original post, I think I may have muddied the water a bit by blabbing on and on about why I play the various instruments. I sometimes forget that not everyone plays for a living. Sorry about that.

If you hear double bass in your head, that's what you need to get. A double bass doesn't really take up much more space than an EUB and an amp.

Damon's point about cost versus quality is worth taking into consideration; you are highly unlikely to get a double bass of any quality for the price of an Ergo EUB. But then you also have to consider the expense of an amp as well. So it depends more than a little on your available budget. If you have an adequate bass guitar amp, you might want to look at the EUB option seriously.

Regarding NS quality, I haven't seen the low-end models, but the quality of my BassCello is exemplary, very high indeed.

 

[damonsmith]

The funny thing is, the EUB improved my amplified double bass sound too, since I really had to get a handle on the knob twisting to get the EUB right, I can really get a great amplified sound out of the double bass, I rarely use it but it gets a good tone, great for arco too.

 

[daHammer]

If you want the convenience without losing the acoustic DB look, you could try an Eminence. They were out of my price range, but I think they are a great compromise between portability, look, and sound.

Good luck.

This agrees with my experience with my Eminence bass, which is really a semi-acoustic instrument although it requires an amplifier to be used for other than practice. Once amplified the sound is practically indistinguishable from an amplified full-size acoustic bass.