timbass

Many thanks for sharing this - very interesting.

Chef by Jane Taylor is good for female lead and great DB part too. Find the soundtrack and lyrics on her excellent website http://www.janetaylor.co.uk/music

[u][b]Maidenhead, Berkshire[/b][/u] Peter Tyler - really nice guy, sold me my German Blonde and a copy of his book: 'About the Double Bass - A Players Guide'. 1 Oak Stubbs Lane Dorney Reach Berkshire Maidenhead SL6 0DW Phone Number: 01628 621 560 eMail: [email protected] [url="http://www.tylerbasses.co.uk"]http://www.tylerbasses.co.uk[/url]

Check out this thread http://basschat.co.uk/topic/171865-amplification-feedback-woesnow-cured/page__st__20 - FYI I have now moved onto an Armstrong pickup, the Schaller was good but a bit microphonic and hummed a bit. The AKG C411 makes the sound come alive, but without the mag pickup in the mix the sound is a bit thin.

I really like my Hidersine, bought it last September from [url="http://www.djmmusic.com"]DJM[/url] and it works well for me, very reasonable price - £53.50

I am sure your amps are fine, Genz-Benz are amongst the best. The problems will be pick-up and pre-amp/mixer. If you want to chat about my trial and error trip to Kent Armstrong mag pu and AKG 411pp mic then pm me or find me on Facebook.

I searched for expert opinion after looking at and trying DBs on ebay and in music shops, realising that I knew nothing. I fortunately found [url="http://www.tylerbasses.co.uk"]Peter Tyler[/url] (a real expert) who was very kind and after listening to my background and aspirations, found and sold me a DB that I play almost every day because it makes me happy.

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1361803655' post='1991094'] Interesting post Tim. Most of the jazz players I know are against magnetic pickups because they can make the double bass sound like an electric bass. But for you, mixed with the microphone, it apparently works! Where does you microphone go? To the PA? Or an onstage amplifier? In other words, what is your entire signal path? [/quote] The magnetic pickup on its own lacks character, overtones and acoustic resonances that constitute the DB's big sound. It doesn't work well for arco either. The AKG 411 PP mic on its own lacks the low-end weight and "thump", also brings feedback at high gain. When mixed correctly through the Bose ToneMatch, I put the master output from the ToneMatch into my Phil Jones Suitcase and for most gigs this is fine. I can get all the sounds the DB makes including fingerboard sounds. If I need more, then I put the auxiliary output from the ToneMatch through the main PA mixer into our 2x Bose L1 (plus 4 B1s) PA. Then, theoretically there is 1750W RMS to play with and a great, true as amplifying can ever be, DB sound. Expensive, rather, but better than piezo for me.

I recently replaced the Schaller on my DB with a Kent Armstrong. Aaron was a pleasure to deal with. £100 well spent.

I am no expert and after listening to live DBs, researching online and talking to bassists, I started with Piezo bridge pickups, and then moved on through an intense 9-month experimental period. I now use an AKG C 411 PP, a small condenser mic that attaches with re-usable black putty, I stuck it below the bridge after experimenting with other locations, as well as a Kent Armstrong magnetic pickup (upgraded from a Schaller). After trying 3 mixers, I settled on Bose ToneMatch and I am now happy. I don't get feedback problems (that were bad with piezo pickups I tried) and mixing the output from mag pickup and microphone give me a true DB sound at any on-stage volume I need. I play in jazz quartet (some arco passages) and R&B bands. I use Thomastik Spirocore medium strings (steel).

I think it is worth listening to other bassist's amplification set-up and, when you find one you like, ask what kit they are using. It is likely that the pickup and pre-amp are important things to look at, your amplifier is fine. For what it is worth, I tried piezos and hated them, I now have a Schaller pu and an AKG C411P mic through a Bose ToneMatch mixer, Thomastik Spirocore strings. I get a sound that I and my band like, it works for arco as well as for jazzy pizzicato with no feedback problems (that I had in bucket loads before).

Thanks everyone for the useful suggestions, far better than wading through lots of google pages.

Anyone got any more useful sites?

This is a useful web site for double bass people: http://uprightbass.com

[quote name='daflewis' timestamp='1347875192' post='1805900'] Hi Tim, Checked out some YouTube of the L1 system - looks really interesting - you've obviously had good experience with it, is it the holy grail for db? Or perhaps somewhere close... (I love my suitcase too!) [/quote] I really like the Bose L1. IMO it gives as true reproduction of subtle audio. It sounds as loud at the back of the room as 3 feet away (line arrays do that) and the bass lacks the boomy monotone that most bass speakers seem to produce between 40 and 100 Hz. If I play a passage of classical music through my expensive AKG headphones and then play it through the Bose L1, they sound very similar. Our band plays with the 2 Bose L1s behind us all, we hear exactly what the audience hears. The 750W (unverified by Bose, but popularly known) gives lots of headroom playing to audiences of 300. For the first couple of gigs with the L1s, our Hammond man brought his Roland amp to gigs, he no longer doubts and revels in the round sound. I would recommend trying the L1 in a studio setting, playing a range of music and styles through it. 2 x B1 per L1 is important for bass. Expensive but well worth it. I have built and operated a number of PA systems and so far the Bose is the best for my needs.

German Blonde Bertha here is 15.4 cm (6.06 inches) at the F on the E string but I also measured at the G position on the E string - 13.3 cm (5.24 inches) because at the F position, the curve up to the headstock makes the dimension bigger there, confusing the issue I think.

I think it all depends on what kind of band(s) you play in, what kind of music and the volume level you need. After trying Bose L1 and ToneMatch mixer plus Phil Jones Suitcase, I have stuck with these after trying lots of other combinations. Still looking.....

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1348670527' post='1816728'] + 1 very true,i bought an EUB first of then a propper DB very shortly after,wouldn't look at an EUB now (no offence to EUB players btw) [/quote] I totally agree, nothing sounds like a DB and if you like that sound, you have to get one. EUB is great but it is NOT a DB.

I bought a [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/km_141_mkii.htm"]K&M 141 Mk iii[/url] and love its German engineering, quality and stability.

Good to read of your experience Ash. I bet everyone remembers their first DB gig. Mine was at my daughter's wedding, with 170 guests in posh hotel. No pressure then! It went really well and we managed to play the request for the first dance - [i]You've Got a Friend In Me[/i] by Randy Newman after 1 rehearse and a couple of run-throughs earlier in the evening. My daughter is still talking to me. I agree, DB definitely makes you redefine what bass is about and brings so much more feel an intonation to those songs that need DB.

[quote name='timbass' timestamp='1348431248' post='1813606'] I bought one online from DJM last week - great value. [/quote] Thanks for the tip.

[quote name='MandShef' timestamp='1347364653' post='1799775'] I've got a Hindersine bag [url="http://www.djmmusic.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=DBB"]http://www.djmmusic....desc.asp?ic=DBB[/url] which I think was good value at just under £50. Padded, strong zips, lots of handles, handy extra pockets and rucksack straps. No wheels though (I ended up getting one of those fabulous bass buggies!). [/quote] I bought one online from DJM last week - great value.

[quote name='daflewis' timestamp='1347875192' post='1805900'] Hi Tim, Checked out some YouTube of the L1 system - looks really interesting - you've obviously had good experience with it, is it the holy grail for db? Or perhaps somewhere close... (I love my suitcase too!) [/quote] I like it loads, because it has a clean, wide frequency response, tons of head-room with 750W RMS each side and feedback much reduced. We play with it behind the band so we don't need monitors and it sounds the same at the back of the room.

I don't know if my limited experience might help you - see my post here: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/185503-ehrlund-eap-where-to-buy/page__view__findpost__p__1805565

For what it is worth, as I am no expert, I have experimented with pickups with the following results: Piezo - bridge wings mounted: I hated the clicky treble sound and loads of feedback Schaller mag pickup - nice and mostly feedback-free, but lacking DB character and not much good for arco [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/akg_c411ph_mikro.htm"]AKG C411[/url] condenser contact mic stuck to the belly below the bridge - very nice, great for arco but slight feedback. Mixing the AKG C411 and [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/schaller_kontrabasspickup.htm"]Schaller[/url] gives a great balanced, true sound in my opinion and feedback is rare. I tried the Headway EDB-1, nice mixer but not enough features to put compression on the Schaller channel. So I saved up for a [url="http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/speakers/portable_amplification_systems/accessories/l1_tonematch_acc.jsp"]Bose ToneMatch[/url] mixer and haven't looked back. Sounds great through Phil Jones Suitcase and Bose L1 P.A. against loud drums, Hammond and vocals.