TheG

I used to play a Ned Steinberger CRT4. I was never 100% happy with the sound I produced although I was nearly there. To me my sound was really transformed by using an ART Tube Preamp which fattened the sound up nicely. I used to play it through a GK150 amp and at a later stage I bought a GK extension speaker which I absolutely loved. On the first gig I stacked them up one on top of each other and was disappointed with the sound. (I really don't know why) Then I tried separating them either side of me and the sound was amazing. The sound of the bass wasn't coming from any single point but all around which made it a different playing experience. Today I'm playing more double bass through an EA Doubler and Bergantino speaker. I love the fatness of the Realist but it doesn't give me the clarity so I blend it with the Fishman Full Circle (after a quick chat and a bit of advice from Geoff (Thanks Geoff)). I still use the ART Preamp which does tend to add a nice fat, warm organic sound. Ive tried one set without and one set with and much prefer it with.

I have blended that configuration of pickup in the past at have got excellent results. I love the bottom end of the Realist and the Underwood gives it clarity. However I have done this using my EA Doubler and I know you don't really want to go down that route. But one thing to consider is being able to individually EQ the two pickups if possible. I like to be able to adjust the bass end of each pickup to get accurate results. The Doubler has a variable phase knob which has helped in a couple of instances but hasn't been essential so far.

Thats a good price. I thought it would have been more than that.

Hi Buzzy what sort of money do they charge for hiring a bass and for how long etc? Ive always known it could be done but never known how much it would be. I went to Thwaites when I was looking for a new bass. Excellent shop with a lot of good sounding basses.

I knew who you were because I remember you posting when it was originally shown. Don't sell yourself short Rev that 5 seconds definitely counts!!!!!!

Yes indeed! I have had to educate someone recently who was giving me a lift. They were saying "yes we'll put some bags under the neck" and I was like "NOooooooooooooo!". Well not quite as dramatic as that but you get the jist!

Originally I bought a stand like this until I left it at a gig one day. Good, strong, sturdy stand and the extending arm that holds the neck was, although a little flimsy, a good feature as it retracted into that stand for ease of portability. [url="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/orchestral-strings/glasser-bass-stand"]http://www.musicians...sser-bass-stand[/url] Didn't have a stand for a while but after looking around for something that was portable found this stand. I LOVED the design and it folded away very neat and compact. I was always a bit dubious about the construction of the arm holding the back of the bass though. My fears were realised when one day the flimsy looking weld broke and the arm came off. Thankfully my bass wasn't on it at the time. A CLOSE SHAVE IN MY EYES!!!!! I really wouldn't recommend one of these. [font=Helvetica][size=3][url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tiger-Music-SIS14-BK-Double-Stand/dp/images/B002UP0L98"]http://www.amazon.co...ages/B002UP0L98[/url][/size][/font] Later I looked around and searched the internet for every conceivable type of double bass stand available including a couple of odd ones on Chinese websites that you lean the bass on sideways. (very odd and not too stable I imagine) [url="http://www.themusichaus.co.kr/shop/goods/goods_view.php?goodsno=2563&category=007004005"]http://www.themusich...egory=007004005[/url] In the end after months and months of deliberation, internet searching and not knowing what to buy I opted to get one of these. I bought it but when it arrived found it to be a bit cumbersome for transporting around from gig to gig. For this reason I sent it back. Although I must say it was well built and did a good job if it were to stay in the same place. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/stagg_sv_db_double_bass_stand.htm"]http://www.thomann.d..._bass_stand.htm[/url] I really liked the look of the Hercules stand (I like Hercules stands). Very stable, a simple idea and looks very sturdy but not having seen one in the flesh I thought it seemed to have a very large footprint and knowing the space we get on stage can be minimal I didn't go for it. [url="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/orchestral-strings/hercules-stands-double-bass-stand"]http://www.musicians...uble-bass-stand[/url] In the end I bought a Stentor/Ingles bass stand that comes very highly recommended by Golihur. I must say everything they say is true. It is portable, it doesn't have a massive footprint, its very stable and has a securing system to hold the neck so it can't fall out forwards. Very stable side to side and also very stable forwards. It is the least stable if you push the bass on the stand backwards but I always make sure the back is facing towards a wall or corner or a place where nobody is going to go behind it. So no problem there. Only problem is (as mentioned by others as well) is that the foam they use to protect the bass on the holding arms isn't very hard wearing and consequently after a few weeks of using it gets worn away down to the metal. This is easily remedied by taking it off and replacing it with black rubber tubing that looks identical but isn't going to wear away. I know this seems a bit crazy buying something that is going to wear away in a few weeks but the design of the stand is so good and practical this outweighs any negative points like this. [url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/images/ingles1.jpg"]http://www.gollihurm...ges/ingles1.jpg[/url]

I can get my bass in my wife's Peugeot 107 and the amp on the front seat. Ive also got a bass in a Fiat Cinquecento when we had it as a courtesy car. That is an even smaller car. I lay the bass on its back (rear seats down) with the neck sticking out between the driver and passenger seats almost touching the rear view mirror.

I saw you…………………….. and It was a good 5 seconds! Noticed the double bass and honed in on it straight away. So does that mean you've used up 5 seconds of your 15 minutes of fame? Good job!

Christian McBride Trio is playing at Band On The Wall in Manchester this coming Sunday the 17th. Anyone going? I will be there! Im going from Birmingham and trying to get there early as poss. Cant wait!

Saw Larry Grenadier break a string on a gig with pat Metheny. I always keep a spare set of old strings just for peace of mind.

Yes ................. Cobblers! Thats what I need to get my Screw on Rubber sorted out. Cool.

Cool video link Hector.

Thwaites told me they hire out basses to lots of people all the time.

I've often wondered what effect moving the sound post can actually do. Could this solve a dead E string problem. Or more to the point if the sound post moved could you wreck your sound instantly. I know of one bass player who bought his own sound post adjuster to try this out. I've done some recording recently and there was no amp or pickup in sight. Just a couple of mics. Surely this wouldn't have been good with a dead E? Saying that I know what BassAce means amplified is a different kettle of jellied eels.

I think trying out a load of basses good and bad can make you more aware of what is good and bad in a bass. Knowing a bad bass sound is just as valuable to know. I have seen basses for sale on here by respected BCers and then the bass condition/sound backed up by other respected BCers. That is a good recommendation in my eyes/ears especially if both BCers play the same style as yourself. So there is no right or wrong way just the way your gut tells you. When I started looking at basses I didn't even know what I wanted really. I did have a concept in my head but I'd never played that many different basses. SevenSeas wasn't the Thomas Martin bass 10k plus vat = 12k? Also when people start music college they don't necessarily have expensive basses such as this (not sure about classical?) Some don't even own a double bass if they start on electric.

Would that cello accessory fit a double bass though? I think I've seen someone with one of these on a double bass but this particular model is for cello. If I found one for bass I would get one because they look excellent. My worry would be that the hole that the end pin fits into isn't big enough. Anyone seen these for sale for a double bass anywhere else?

I use a black sheet of rubber that is 5mm thick and around 200mm x 200mm square as one of my solutions rather than a floor protector. An older end pin had a screw on rubber which eventually broke. Great I thought I'll just buy another to screw on. Couldn't find one anywhere so I searched and found a luthier who would make me one (and a spare) up. Unfortunately I could'nt justify spending £15 each.

We want the E string story! We want the E string story!

The offer from George was genuine and no big thing to him at all. I don't think they make loads of them and then have a surplus lying around. I went and tried one out but the next time I went it was sold and they didn't have another to try. So if they made one up specially they would still be able to sell it on no problem at all or have it as a demo model which gets played it a bit from people trying it out etc. Obviously thats if you didn't order a pink one with green spots. Thwaites were fine and down to earth. One thing I noticed with practically all the shops, was when I said "This bass is Great but the E string seems dead", etc nobody really offered any explanation or opinion as to why or what could be done. It didn't really seem like it was a dead string either to me. I could only assume that they purposefully have no opinion as it will sound different with each player????? I don't know! Maybe my finger was dead or something? I think all of the basses mentioned here have good reputations. I don't think you need to find the best make as they are all good. Just the right one that suits you.

I recently started practicing a little on a bass that I had previously decided had a bad sound although other people seemed to really like it. I was wondering if it was my ears that were different. Anyway with a little experimentation it has started sounding different to what I had originally thought. Still nothing on the Jay Haide though but still a significant discovery for me. I did go to Paul Bryants house but non of the basses there were suited to me. Thats not to say Bryants are inferior as BassAce's Bryant sounded excellent. Bargain prices too as mentioned above.

Sorry Im not Nick (Im a Mike). Just remembering George Martin did say to me if I ordered a bass to my specification and didn't like it I was under no obligation to still buy it. Because he could always sell it on regardless. Cool. Also remember he said Zoltan Dekany had a Thomas Martin himself. Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Course is excellent judging by the players that come out. Most of but not all of the teachers travel up from London as well. Also in one of the replies I got in a previous post Bilbo said "Personally, I would rather just buy one and spend time playing it instead of driving around the country looking at them." which has stayed in my mind since seeing it. I still think I did the right thing driving round but then again I think Bilbos words seem to have some substance too. Especially as now i am experimenting with different sounds on the same bass currently.

Hi SevenSeas Around a year ago I was hunting for a bass in exactly the same price range as yours. I definitely wanted an old bass not a new one. I went round a load of shops etc Stafford, Nottingham, Birmingham, London and tried out around 40 basses altogether. I also went to see BassAce and tried his basses you talk of (very kind of him). In the end out of 40 basses only 3 spoke to me (that were for sale). Thomas Martin, Jay Haide and an unknown Hungarian make bass. The other 37 weren't bad basses obviously they just weren't right for me. In the end it was between a Martin and the Jay Haide Queniol. I tried the Martin Bass by going to their workshops which were pretty impressive and very friendly. His basses in this price range are bought in from Hungary unvarnished with the front and back only tacked on with a bit of superglue so they can easily be got off. They then work on the body, refining it. Then make the rest of it it to your specification ie colour, hardware, bridge, strings, etc, etc. George said it would be the same price for whatever you wanted (Im sure it must be within reason). He said because they get them in ready made it halves their costs which they then pass on to the customer. So they would treat you the same as someone buying a fully carved instrument (ie you get to pick colour, hardware, bridge, strings etc, etc). The only difference to them is that they have half the work done for them by the Hungarians. I was very impressed with the whole set up. They do 3 sizes by the way large (full size), medium (3/4) and small (solo?) - cant remember the correct names sorry but I liked the medium sized on best. The aftercare George described sounded excellent. ie after you buy they would expect you to come back for tweaks after you and it had settled in. Finally it was between the Jay Haide and the Thomas Martin. In the end I took the Jay Haide out on approval and really liked it. Since trying out the Thomas Martin it had been sold and so I couldn't try it again so decided to go with the Jay Haide seen as I really liked it and never looked back. The Jay Haide is excellent. Again I never went out to buy a new bass (2007 practically brand new) but none of the others in my price range suited me regardless of the age. I think the player must be matched to the bass. One of the best shops for choice of good instruments was Thwaites in London. [b]You can read previous posts on my exploits over a year ago here:[/b] (How To By A Bass) [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/171751-how-to-buy-a-double-bass"]http://basschat.co.u...y-a-double-bass[/url] and here: (Where To Buy A Bass) [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/176717-where-to-buy-a-double-bass"]http://basschat.co.u...y-a-double-bass[/url] One of the bass teachers at Birmingham Conservatoire is Arnie Somogyi a Great player himself. In November he's doing "Arnie Somogyi Mingus Project" in the CBSO Centre in Birmingham (November) which should be excellent. I think its a workshop and show. Anyway he has been known to buy in basses from Hungary and pass them on to students after he has finished with them. My point is that if you are going to be working with a teacher they can occasionally put you in touch with the right leads to buy the correct bass for you after hearing you play and working with you. Just another idea. Its a long way but if you are up in The Midlands way anytime you are more then welcome to come round for a try and a chat.

Impressive! Very professional looking! Keep it up Geoff!