mtroun

I've got Velvet Garbo D and G in the post, that I bought off BC last week (cannot predict arrival due to the weather). It will be interesting seeing what they are like with Spiro E and A. Probably not a good 'blend' but I've been listening to lots of Sam Jones and Dennis Irwin lately, looking for some thump...

I've tried doing some gigs ampless recently (small venues, acoustic jazz) but I'm still on the fence. I thought it felt great but I was asked to turn up and the drummer wanted to play louder. I'm hoping to get more volume out of the bass by switching to gut top strings. Anyone got any experience of playing ampless on gut?

Ron Carter/Tony Williams Ron Carter/Elvin Jones Ron Carter/Billy Higgins Sam Jones/Billy Higgins David Williams/Billy Higgins Dave Holland/Jack DeJohnette Sam Jones/Louis Hayes Paul Chambers/Philly Joe Jones Walter Page/Jo Jones Eddie Jones/Jo Jones Buster Williams/Albert "Tootie" Heath Buster Williams/Ben Riley John Patitucci/Brian Blade Larry Grenadier/Jorge Rossy Dennis Irwin/Kenny Washington Peter Washington/Kenny Washington Probably missing some, I'm a big fan of jazz rhythm section alchemy as you may have guessed...

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1356957810' post='1915539'] And a pot of [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/gewa_bass_kolophonium_451310.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...nium_451310.htm[/url] ? [/quote] Can't go wrong!

[quote name='FLoydElgar' timestamp='1356699556' post='1912549'] Yeah looking at peoples string height Mine is double o.O! Yeah, I wouldn't suggest raising it this high! Jazz on my bass isn't as smooth... too much Clarity in the strings due to the tension on the strings! I presume you picked up a solo model too? My tutor owns a Lott double bass and I was going to take Pauls Lott model when I was there earlier this year... but I am really glad i picked the smaller one as it makes a massive sound! :3 [/quote] Mine is also a solo model yes. The sound is definitely massive... I have raised the action a lot since I bought the bass to aim for a big, classic straight-ahead jazz pizz sound. It's hard if you're not used to it but I don't find it hard to play.

Just switched from German to French, to match teachers. I have to say I find French easier, but I do have a better French bow. Either way get a teacher, I've generally not been able to afford a teacher and just soldiered on with awful technique and ended up hurting myself!

[quote name='FLoydElgar' timestamp='1356630507' post='1911835'] @mtroun I too Own a Bryant (Soloist Model (No.96 2011) It is superb value for what they are... Classical and a bit of jazz/blues G10mm-E16mm string Height Claude Marchand Bow Belcanto strings Orchestral set [/quote] Wow, high action! I've heard some say classical players generally employ a higher action than jazzers, but my friend who is a fantastic classical player employs a really low action on his Martin, I was making it buzz like crazy with my jazz technique.

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355970854' post='1905243'] Looks like that! By the way - I checked out those Paul Bryant basses on the web. BEAUTIFUL instruments. Being in the USA, I hadn't heard of them. What do they generally go for, if they are in good shape? [/quote] I'd say Paul's prices are definitely below the odds considering the quality of sound his instruments produce. My bass cost £3800 but another Bryant owner advised me to insure it for much more as Paul prices his instruments to move. Paul uses less ornate wood than the majority of luthiers (though it depends on the instrument) so he can pass along that saving to the customer. I can't be sure but, being the owner of Paul Bryant's bass no.101 that I may own the very last bass he made before retirement. Mine is still very young at the moment but it produces a fantastic sound and is opening out nicely.

Modes are useful to a point but ultimately there's a lot more to it than knowing what notes are available, there's a heirachy to each note and its relevance to a chord. A good teacher will set you off on the right path but also consider transcribing some walking bass lines recorded by great players (Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Ray Brown etc) and considering how each note relates to the chord changes. Might seem like an obvious thing but study with a professional jazz bass player if you can, this tends to be their speciality!

I played a Kala U bass and thought it sounded like a P Bass with flats. Definitely not a double bass sound. I've never heard anyone make a 34" scale instrument sound like a double bass and neither have I heard an electric upright that sounds like a double bass.

I've played a couple, including one at Thwaites some time ago. Make sure you get it to a proper luthier asap for a proper setup as it will improve the playability no end. Enjoy!

Looks like I'm winning on string height. You can get addicted to raising your bridge, especially if your bass sounds bigger and better the higher you go.

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355850111' post='1903657'] I didn't think about the Oliv - that's a great idea. Pricey strings, though. [/quote] Indeed, pricey, but since the Spiros last forever it might balance out. My last Oliv lasted 2 years before I took it off and even then the windings were fine so the horror stories seem to be an exaggeration, at least in the climate I'm in. I took it off because it sounded really dead, I think I'd like that with a set of spiros!

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355847884' post='1903613'] Thanks Mtroun. You may want to try Obligatos or Evah Pirazzi for G, and maybe G and D, and then Spirocore for the rest. Many have found this a delightful combination. Of course, Charlie Haden has often used gut for G and D, and Spirocore for A and E. For me, that transition is a bit too stark. [/quote] I'm probably going to get an Oliv for my G, I have used Evah Pirazzi with Oliv in the past and Obligatos on my teacher's bass. I'm also considering Anima or even plain gut. Love the Spirocores, they're just a tad too bright!

1. What style of music do you play most often on double bass? Jazz 2. Given that, what string height do you use for each string? Roughly 13mm on the E to 8mm on the G 3. What brand/model of strings do you like? I use Thomastik Spirocore Mittel, but I'm planning on changing the G string soon as I find it a bit bright. 4. What double bass pickup? David Gage Realist, again would like to swap it for something else, in this case a DPA 4099B 6. What amplification? Mark Bass CMD 121P combo. I also have a Yamaha DXR10 powered speaker that I'm intending to use as my main amplifier when I'm using a microphone-only setup. Bass is a Paul Bryant Soloist model.

My take on it (as a Stingray owner) is both Warwicks and Musicman have taken the hit on prices recently because of the rise of the boutique bass. Before the widespread adoption of the internet, most bass playing folks would have only really seen Fender basses. Musicman and Warwick basses (along with Wal, Spector, Status, Pedulla, Alembic etc) were generally quite rare and spectacular to the average music fan and hard to come by in the UK. All of these brands have had at various times had well-known players (Flea particularly influenced Musicman sales in the 90s) playing them and they had a sense of 'other' to punters. What the Bass Centre, Bass Gallery and now Bassdirect have done is introduce brands to the consciousness of players and gradually into mainstream acceptance. I notice that the Bass Gallery used to have far more Warwicks and Stingrays because they were popular with pros in the 90s/00s. More recently the arrival of Roscoe, Dingwall, Nordy, MTD etc into the consciousness of players (particularly with Talkbass and Basschat increasing the hype) has made Musicman and Warwick seem far less exotic. I would agree with some that Warwick shot themselves in the foot by turning into a massive company and it seems pros have generally moved on from the Warwick fad, at least in the UK. Music Man are just keeping on keeping on I suppose. I'd say a lot of younger bass players still aspire to play a Stingray because they represent a certain quality but it just so happens that the used market is over saturated with people moving on from their Rays. I certainly find mine a little bit frustrating because I've played other basses which can do lower action and weigh a lot less but it's a solid, professional-feeling bass and let's face it, the majority of players aren't looking for a high-performance instrument. As a footnote, Wals went completely out of fashion until Justin Chancellor repopularised them. I'm waiting for Jaydees to suddenly massively increase in value!