randythoades

Hi all,

Just bought some strings off Clarky for double bass. Great communication, description and delivery. Couldn't ask for more. Thanks

PM sent

Thanks Phil.

I will look at those too. I am expecting my son to give up quite quickly so something I can continue to use for pizz at home is probably ideal if I am spending that money.

Cheers

1 hour ago, philparker said:

I would consider a secondhand set of Pirastro, Evah Pirazzi's, which I think are one of the best hybrid strings to cover both arco and pizz. They can often be had for around the £100 mark and often appear on the Basschat Ads.

As for set up, if you have an adjustable bridge, anywhere from 8-11mm from the E-string to the end of the finger board, to 6-9mm from the G-string to the end of the fingerboard - (not definitive) would be a good target for string height.

There are better strings for orchestral, but the suitability for pizz diminishes.

Thanks Phil

I would consider losing some of the pizz suitability as it would be for me at home more than anything else, but he might like to do a bit of jazz too as they also run a jazz band at school. Mainly for orchestral though. Thanks, I had already looked at the EP strings but a price of £200 + put me off a little!! I will keep a look out for some in the Classifieds..

I do have an adjustable bridge so I will see how much adjustment I have left and maybe bring it down a little, my normal setup is normally higher than that.

Very much appreciated.

Morning all,

just looking for someone to point me in the right direction. My son (a 5' 9" tall 14 year old) is showing an interest (FINALLY) in my upright bass. He plays in the school concert band on clarinet so can read music and is competent but several new clarinetist have joined so he is one of many... The band struggles with bass frequencies as there is no tuba, bass clarinet etc, not even a cello. Bass duties are currently held down on keyboard (not piano) by one of the trumpet players who has had to move across, so I am sure a bassist would be very appreciated.

So, I am keen to embrace this new found interest by providing what I can, but realise this might be a flash in the pan. I was going to use my spare bass and make it more suitable for ochestral use. I am a rockabilly and bluegrass player so I use low tension steels (Blast Cult lowlifes) with a high-ish action and it sounds terrible with bow.... so I need to change strings and set up to be more appropriate for him as well as allowing me to still play pizz at home to a degree when inspiration strikes.

What strings would suit a student bassist looking for orchestral use (and still be able to be played pizz), and what can I do to the setup without having to spend a fortune getting it set up fully? Does orchestral need a low action or s a medium high action ok?

If he takes to it and gives it a couple of months practice then I would happily buy him his own bass or give him mine properly and set it up with a £250 set of strings and full setup, but money tight as it is for everyone so would prefer to spend less than £100 if I can. But on the flipside, i don't want it to be hard and for him to give up because it is harder than it could be.

thanks in advance

To remove yourself slightly from the McCartney connection you could try the Hofner Club bass too. I haven't tried one but looks to be still much lighter than a solid body.

7 hours ago, meterman said:

Hiya folks, hope you’re all warm and well and lockdown isn’t driving you all nuts. I need to ask the Basschat collective mind some advice about lightweight basses.

My left shoulder is knackered through a combination of old rotator cuff tear / weakness after a biking injury. It’s bad enough at the moment that if I pick up my bass with my right hand it’s painful in my left shoulder straight away. Even sitting down to play is painful. Reaching for a low F on the E string hurts, for instance. 

I’ve had recurring trouble with this shoulder for years and sometimes I can’t play bass at all. Just wondering if I’m destined to only play a Kala U-bass for the rest of my days or if something like a Hofner Violin bass might work for me? Anybody here had a similar problem? Or do I just man the flip up and hammer the co-codamols any play through it? 😆

A mate of mine switched from Jazz bass to a Violin bass after his back and shoulder problems got serious, and I’m wondering if I might have to make that decision too. I remember seeing old pics of Robbie Shakespeare playing a violin bass so I know they’re not just for Macca fans. Anyone else here gone through the same kind of thing? Thanks in advance 🙏 - Lee

I have exactly the same issue with left shoulder. I swapped to a violin bass (a 1969 Aria copy as it happens) and it works fine for me, I don't think I could go back properly to a long scale. I roll the tone back a little and play with a pick so narrow spacing is a benefit, and it works fine for anything from 50s rock and roll up to The Killers.

I did try to use a Slinger strap that I imported from the USA. It carries some of the weight on your waist. I tried both the Sling strap which has a waist strap as well as a shoulder strap and also tried a full waist only strap. Both worked well for a bigger bass, the waist one in particular, but you can't bend down to pick up your pint during a set!!

But I don't need to worry with a violin bass, it is light enough. I get quite a few comments as they aren't that common on our circuit, but sound wise is good.

15 minutes ago, Phil Starr said:

All PA speakers nowadays are designed to be as flat as possible, there is nothing special acoustically about those that are marketed as FRFR instrument speakers. There's no magic to speakers for bass either the rules of physics and economics still apply and cheap small speakers are still limited in their bass handling ability compared to larger and more expensive ones. There are still bargains and good value for money to be sought out but if something looks too good to be true it probably is something to be avoided.

All FRFR really means is that they are trying to design something that is flat. You can always tell if music is acoustic or amplified and there will be slight variations in sound between PA speakers, so it is worth trying them and of course deep bass is always problematic at high volumes for any speaker. The fact you are looking for modest volumes with the PA doing the heavy lifting helps of course.

Yamaha's active speakers are really highly rated at the moment. In listening tests a couple of years ago I thought RCF's had a slight edge on vocals and QSC make good kit. My current band use them as PA. I'm not sure that the difference between the best brands would be that obvious with bass. Those Yamaha's will tell you straight away if this approach is right for you.

The only thing you are likely to find is that we have got used to 'voiced' speakers where someone has tried to make the speaker easily likeable. FRFR can be underwhelming at first, spend some time getting the eq right for you before you make a inal decision.

Thanks for this. I understand. I will give them a try over the next couple of weeks. I will try first with the Tech 21 Q-strip as a preamp as it has some really effective EQ and is great for recording.

12 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

I don't play upright (wish I did though) but it should be no different from going through the PA.  the thing is that plenty of people have PA speakers so it shouldn't be a problem to find one to try out. If you live in Somerset for example.

Ha! Very goood point... should have thought of that...!!!

I will ask my previous drummer, he has access to a full Yamaha PA with his other band. During these times I am sure it wouldn't be a problem to borrow one.

Sorry if this sounds a bit dumb though... would a standard active PA speaker be flat enough response? There seems to be specific FRFR speakers so I assumed they were different. The higher end ones seem to mention that they would be suitable as flat response but doesn't mention that on the Yamaha DXR for instance...

4 minutes ago, jrixn1 said:

One additional really good thing about powered speakers, which is nothing at all to do with "FRFR", is that most of them are designed with the option to tilt into a 45° monitor position.  I can hear myself a lot better with something in front of me pointing at my head vs something behind me pointing at the back of my knees. 

That is also true, I would find that helpful. Also the option to place on a stand.

I am glad that others have used an active speaker for upright, I wasn't sure if it would be at all a viable option. The best sound I got for myself was using an old Carlsboro keyboard amplifier in an obscure reheasal room, but just not enough volume, so I am thinking that active PA would be similar.

Just now, thebassist said:

How about a Barefaced Super Midget? I see a fair few upright bassists pair one of these with an Acoustic Image Clarus amplifier.

https://barefacedaudio.com/products/super-midget

Thanks, I have looked several times at the BF cabs and have been very tempted.

I am happy generally with my Ashdown in the sound department, nice, fat and round, but keep thinking about option of just having the one active cab and preamp so I could run upright, electric and acoustic guitars all through the same one as needs dictate rather than having different solutions for each instrument. Save a lot of storage.

Plus a BF cab and a clean powerful amp like the AI would take me well over the cost of something like the RCF or QSC along with a decent preamp pedal which I could use as a multi purpose amplifier.

Would an FRFR like the RCF be suitable for upright bass too if I used something like a Tech 21 Q-strip or F-Deck?

To play live on upright I use an Ashdown ABM 115 combo which feels a bit excessive so I have been thinking about swapping out my cab for a FRFR cab. I also play guitar and already use modelling straight into PA.

I don't need huge volume as I could split it into PA, just for rehearsing, practice or monitoring.

Would be good to rationalise all the equipment and use the same speaker for both guitar and upright as needed.

14 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

 

 

Isn't there a polarity issue to be overcome?

 

Smooth hound used to sell a polarity converter for about £2. I needed one to power my receiver unit from my normal pedal board supply. Doesn't appear on the website now though as a separate item, only as an accessory when you purchase a main unit.

2 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

I have the same, and I like it too, but I have a couple of issues with the build quality (especially the cover for the battery compartment), plus it has a stand-alone receiver unit which occupies space, is too flimsy to put on a pedal board (IMHO) and is too light to use without velcro-ing it to something heavier! Nothing insurmountable (pun intended) but I fancy the plug & play simplicity of the X-vive.

The Smooth Hound doesn't mention its input impedance, and neither does the X-vive, but I do trust Gollihur and they state that the X-vive has the >1MΩ that you need for piezo pickups. Add to that a rechargeable battery system, and I think it's worth my while to give it a try.

YMMV obviously.

Incidentally, I do like my Smooth Hound and I have no plans to move it on. 

Yes Jack, I agree, the Smooth hound receiver is a bit of a pain actually, but I did put it on my pedal board as I have a board of always on pedals (preamp etc) that I shove to the side of me when i play, not to stomp on, so it hasn't been a problem. I did have an early base unit which kept picking up interference despite being sent back for repair, but I was impressed enough with the service and product to buy another so now I have 2 transmitters synced to the unit as a backup. I do like the idea of the plug and play though. But with a rechargeable system, what do you do if it goes down mid gig? With the smooth hound you just put in another couple of AAA.

I use the Smooth Hound Classic for my DB which works well for me.

I can see now that you are central London so I would like you post if possible...

Hi Dave. Thanks for this. Just been looking at reviews on acoustic guitar and general studio use. The HPF seems all I would need on upright with minor eq adjustments as I would only want clean and powerful without much colouration or drive. But I think I could have multiple uses in a small home studio.

So I think I will go for it please. I can send you a paypal payment tomorrow if you send me an email address. I can't see on this screen where you are based but I think I would needed posting to Surrey.

Cheers Simon

Hi Dave

This looks interesting. Do you think this could be used as a preamp and eq for upright bass pickup for home recording? I use mic when I can but want to add some definition with pickup as well on certain songs. Looking for something possibky multi functional that could be used for acoustic guitar di, electric bass di and upright bass.

Cheers Simon

DM sent

DM sent

I no longer have my Stagg but I also had similar problems. Not enough for me to worry about to be fair but defintiely some hiss. I started using my Vox amplug Bass which accepts an mp3 input and just used normal cable out of the Stagg.

PM also sent if not too late!

On 12/12/2019 at 10:20, Bruno Maia said:

I thought any double bass would fit upside down on passenger seat of most cars. If the neck does not detach, it is the same hasttle for flights. Less weight to carry to/fro the car is the only positive factor I see here, which would be much appreciated by my sore back. Although I use Bass wheels, sometimes it is necessary tro lift,  daily climb up stairs to my home studio, stages, etc. 

Ha! Yes, you are right any will fit in, I use my full size on in the same way but it is a bit of a faff to get in and out properly.

It is very surprising though just how much easier, lighter and better to manoeuver the slimline version is. You wouldn't think it, but it makes a huge difference. I still prefer the look and sound of the full size version at home but do use the slimline the majority of the time for the convenience if I go to band practice.

On 01/10/2019 at 17:29, AndyBass said:

Well, decided they’re not for me in the end (sounded great and worked great with the Schaller, but just cannot get on with the feel and gauge of steels) so they’ll be up on the for sale board soon with one more gig on the clock.

That's a shame, I am the opposite, I really like the feel of steel compared to something like the Innovation and Presto. And I always get small blisters with nylon strings that I don't from steel, not a huge inconvenience but slightly annoying all the same. I haven't played much these last couple of months due to a wrist injury so I haven't tried my new BC strings on my second bass yet, but still love them on my primary bass.

I like the Presto's, don't get me wrong, I just prefer the feel and silkiness of steels compared to the synthetic or nylon wrapped strings so prefer the feel of the BC on a longer playing session. My favourite actually was the Innovation Honeys but they won't work with mag pickup as not enough metal content and I much prefer the sound of the mag pickup to the various piezo I tried.

I did think of trying the Spirocore Solos and then tuning them back down to standard pitch but not looked at this further as it seemed a lot of cash to splash on another 'maybe' to go with the various sets of Spiros and Prestos that I have in the cupboard that I really ought to sell on!