PaulKing

Thanks Rabbie - I'd love to try those too! Hey, Debouchet's in a different league to amateurs like me, but cheers!

... and then if I like them more than Lamberts ... those other 2 basses will need them on too. Agh

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1411641577' post='2561403'] So is he no longer associated with Cordes Lambert? And out of interest are the new Pirastro strings guts? [/quote] He still stands by Lamberts as best full nylon/whacker set. He's working with Pirastro to develop an affordable E and A to balance perfectly with a selected plain gut G and D, specifically for slappity slappity. He's gone for a wrapped synthetic (nylon) E and A (rather like, err...Lamberts I guess .... pulls quizzical Austin Powers type expression) So this'll be the next 'must have' string for me, but I'm guessing it'll come in around £250-£300 a set, for a fractional improvement on Lamberts. I better start saving, cant resist...

Just chatting with Nic Dubouchet, french slapper extraordinaire, about his new/soon-to-be-released Pirastro signature string set (exciting!!) Remembered this little Dubouchet tribute I did by copying a little ditty he posted online once. Wish I could get stuff like this in live... ;o) [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZrufPYrMPo&list=UUrOlaBkAkN1yrRQLtUmRGxA&index=10"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZrufPYrMPo&list=UUrOlaBkAkN1yrRQLtUmRGxA&index=10[/url]

... and make sure everyone is prepared for the upright to lack the punch and definition you get with e-bass on stage. Amplifying this beast is not for the faint hearted, and getting anything like the power of a loud electric is quite a challenge. Don't give up though, its worth it... I've started doing some rocksteady in my jump blues band, it caught Gaz Mayall's eye and he took us to Glastonbury because of it!! [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4jz-x-OrCY"]https://www.youtube....h?v=l4jz-x-OrCY[/url]

And of course Lamb, in a trip-hop / dnb stylee. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auzkkhKxMsE[/media] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY1qETRJN-c"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY1qETRJN-c[/url]

Oh jeez of course, Red Snapper.

Photek, the Hidden Camera EP... Amazing stuff. DnB... links added above...

Early tracks by Photek had killer bass samples... I'll find the names. Edit: Hidden Camera EP [media]httP://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrnyAheEmgA[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6phlbyUUIB0[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyL-jS5L4BM[/media]

Keeponehandloose, you're up to 2 Kay's now? Ace! M1 and S9? Where did the blondie come from? I could bring Kay and King Mortone, both pre 1940...

Yeah I'd be up for that, family diary permitting. All my basses have guts and Lamberts... I can share a bit of slappity too, though I wouldn't claim a masterclass!

I don't know that pick up well so can't comment - sits under feet of bridge like a Realist doesn't it? Shadow make good pick ups though, so I'd stick with it now unless you just can't get good results. Their SH950 wing pickup is a direct copy of the classic Underwood http://www.underwoodpickups.com ... although, as many people only use one element of the Underwood pickup, the Shadow single element version always seemed a good bet! Shadow available from Thomann.com, Underwood only on eBay or direct from States with ridiculous duty to pay. Often can pick one up for £30-£60 on eBay , pounce if you see one, can always pass on at no loss.

Definitely go Innovation at this stage in the game (or Presto ... like what Mr Clarky says) I'd say Innovation Silverslaps rather than Rockabillies ... though there ain't much in it. For slapping in particular, the Supersilvers give a woodier gut-like percussion (better for rockabilly), while the Rockabillies give a brighter plasticky clack. Worst name choice ever by Innovation ... the Rockabillies are NOT best for rockabilly. They're great for pizz though, and have a slightly more defined sound than the Silverslaps. Supersilvers are the same as Silverslaps just higher tension and so more focussed sound too. As for switching strings ... yeah lie it on its back, change two at a time ... outside and inside to keep tension even ideally. Don't stress though .. most cheap basses you can take them all off without post falling (usually fitted too tight, like those Gedo basses ... shouldn't stay in place shipped upright unless they are way too tight!). It might fall if you're unlucky ... that's part of the fun. Anyway, everyone should be able to reset their sound post. It's a right royal PIA and part of the joy of owning a db ;o)

Welcome to the dark side. Prepare to be troubled by this for the rest of your life ... so embrace it and enjoy! You're covering the two essential problems of amplifying double bass here ... replicating natural acoustic sound, and getting feedback-free volume. [b]Natural tone:[/b] You can pretty much forget trying to recreate acoustic sound by any other way than sticking a microphone in front of your bass. The only flaw in this method is that you're still mighty prone to feedback, so only low volume works really well, and you need some separation from the bloody drummer. But it's the only way. Otherwise, various combinations of piezo pick-ups and microphones can get a pretty natural acoustic tone, but it will never be the real sound of the bass (to your ears at least ... fine to the audience). The task is just to decide what sort of tone you like, and find the right pickups to do it. For jazz at low volume, a David Gage Realist is all you'll need to add some prominence to your bottom end. Many jazzers claim it gives natural tone - I won't have it, my theory is they're used mainly in situations where the acoustic mids and highs of the bass cut through enough on their own, the realist just lifts the bottom end to make the whole thing appear louder. My personal favourite for cheap, simple, controllable, reliable, comfortable tone is the Underwood pickup. Never goes wrong. Your amp will make a difference too - most bass amps have their own characteristics and colour the sound. Great for e-bass ... death to a natural double bass sound. Research the various 'transparent' bass amps that upright players like ... I like Markbass, there are plenty other options. [b]Feedback[/b]: Is your pickup is properly mounted? (You don't mention what sort you have ... some are notoriously prone to feedback). A wing pick up too tightly or loosely fitted can pinch the sound, force you into too much gain and signal:noise ratio ... all leading to more feedback. Next thing is your EQ/preamp settings. Keep gain down, try not to go too far over mid way. Use master volume to control level. Some people actually crank master control all the way up and adjust gain to set stage level - which ensures gain is at lowest level possible. If your pre-amp has a phase switch, try it ... can sometimes suddenly remove feedback at the flick of a switch. If your preamp has a low-cut/depth control use that too ... it can ditch barely audible low frequencies and tighten up your sound - both more natural and less feedback prone. Some people go for 31 band EQs which mean you can dial out feedback frequencies. I'm sure it works, but it's a bit overkill really. Also, don't fall into the mistake of automatically scooping your EQ ... unlike ebass, you'll almost always want to cut some of the bottom end to avoid a boomy, muddy sound that suffers from bottom end feedback. Fishman Pro Platinum is a great bit of kit. A bit bulky, but a one stop double bass tamer: - Phase switch - Depth (=low cut) control - Very sensitive, well selected EQ bands - Compressor - Transparent sound - Line, Tuner and DI outs ... What more could you want? (Yes I use one ... ) Just don't bother with the BP100 pickup .. nasty scratchy nasal devil's work. If you have to have a Fishman have a Full Circle. Boss GEB7 is widely used and very effective, use it for now. Just don't boost the gain too much ... ANd make sure you have a Boss power supply unless you want lots of hissy noise... Another option - damping/muffling. I use f-hole covers to cut the acoustic volume. Others find them a cheat, but they work in an instant, no feedback! Others use foam wedges under tailpiece/neck to dampen the vibration of the bass body. That works too, though no doubt affects the overall resonance of your bass, and so subtly affects the tone too. You can always use a mag pickup and steel strings too ... combined with a piezo you can get certain great tones (Ian Jennings for example), but to my ear there'll always be a hint of e-bass to it... plus it's just wrong ) Ultimately, your best amplified tone may not be quite like the bass itself.. indeed it may even be better. For example, I get better amplified tone from two of my basses than the third - although that one has the best acoustic tone of the lot. Happy fiddling.

I did a heap of research on these fine student basses a good few years ago. I'll see what I can remember off top of my head. In the 1960s and possibly early 1970s, Boosey and Hawkes imported these basses to England from Czechoslovakia (unlike the Golden Strads which came from Hungary). The Excelsior model was made at a well established, state run factory in Luby - a district well known for stringed instruments. For most of that period, the brand 'Aria' was used by the factory for all state manufactured export instruments, so many B&H Excelsiors are also labelled Aria inside. The state factory eventually went private, and renamed itself ... Strunal (which stands for something like STRinged instruments from Luby). The Strunal factory is of course still going ... (I got most of this from the actual woman who used to run the export division in the 60s...) The model numbering convention has been maintained by Strunal, who still make instruments that bear a passing resemblance to these earlier Luby basses. (The model numbers are also used by Thomann on the modern Strunal basses they sell). 50/4 is the Excelsior model I've seen most (there are dozens around) .. 50/2 almost certainly denotes a lower spec - probably tailpiece / fingerboard, maybe the ply-wood used - and maybe finish too. The glossy finish on yours tells me it's from the latter part of this history so likely early 1970s. It's in pretty good cosmetic condition. Owners of these basses all say the same - they have a gorgeous warm tone, they stand a load of beating, and are typically well made. It's a shame yours has had a neck break, but so long as the neck is at the right angle and isn't moving that isn't a problem now. If it isn't a nice fix, using hide glue etc, it'll affect the value, but it aint the end of the world. Your string height is high - that may be because the neck has been re-fitted at slightly the wrong angle - too far forward. Not totally end of world, but wrong ... it means you'll always end up with a slightly low bridge, and it might affect the tone / volume by causing slightly lower tension .. but it'll be a bit easier to play. These are great basses: as a low cost, great sounding starter that wont fall apart, as a robust and reliable live / touring bass ... I've had mine for years and still take it out where I don't want to risk a precious vintage bass. Here's a couple of clips of mine in action at Glastonbury this year - completely acoustic [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtqxfm0fxUQ"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtqxfm0fxUQ[/url] [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ5gOX3hmME"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ5gOX3hmME[/url] Enjoy, don't rush to get a new one. These things need ENERGY to create sound ... so play it HARD ... it is not a guitar! Use your WHOLE ARM, not your fingers. Unless you are Stanley Clarke.

I find holding the bass firmly using the cranium as a pivot makes playing it much more stable.

It wouldn't be out of any of your leagueses I promise you. But panic over, I think the very talented Jamie Lawrence is gonna stand in. Jack .. the President is playing beautifully, even without neck reset. Until I'm out of debt it can wait, but I'll come running for you help when I have a few more gig tokens in my wallet. Was very tempted by that Harmony H22 on ebay last week ... uber-cool. bit too pricey though, on top of recent bank-busting purchases.

Any of the bluesey types on here interested in a nice gig on Apr 10th? Aint Nothin But. With Jerry Tremaine and the Setting Suns. Fab T-Birds / Dr Feelgood / Howlin' Wolf / Chicago blues gig. Upright or e-bass. Easy gig, 12 bars, lots of E and A, short set played a couple of times through... Jerry plays regularly with Wilko Johnson, once played for Bad Manners (!), and has just recruited Rowland Rivron on drums. No fixed bassist, so potential for future gigs. Let me know or hit him up on fb.

Thanks Douglas ...

Oh yeh, not forgetting pickup fix/ replace. New pup is about £100, I've seen them.

Jack, Dad (!), Thanks. Yes, already plotting to extend the scratch plate pin, glad that wasn't a dumb idea. In new position intonation is as good as I need, with that pin just making contact. By the time I get some fret wire in it'll take the strings another few mm back, enough to get it right. I'll nick the wires from the bridge I took off my Kay 162 (made my own bridge for that...). Seems clear the strings are too close to pickups, so a neck reset will fix that. New strings ... New bridge (thomann have them for £27... wonder if they're decent ebony) ... neck reset... I love buying old guitars, never a bargain. At least I'm used to the costs of uprights, so eveything Hofner seems cheap in comparison!

Aye, gave it a good workout at a rehearsal tonight, intonation was interesting, shifted the bridge back 6 or 7 mm and made world of difference. It can't go too far back cos the scratch plate has to connect to it with that little wire pin, and it only reaches so far. Lovely to play... the strings lack punch in the upper register, but it belts out big round defined lower notes. Have to watch the E doesn't hit the pickup with big clonk and signal loss. Can't wait to get some labella flats on, I think they'll give me the balanced full tone I'd prefer. I'll take you up on the beer and Denmark St trip at spme point. What do you reckon I should budget for a neck reset ... I'm used to double bass luthier prices which would make this bass a write off pretty much... And yes, lots of bridges available on Internet, I've seen them. Cheers

Picked up the bass, light as a feather, plays like a dream with ancient lightwieght roundwounds (43-97) on it, so easy on the fingers (at least when I'm used to Jamerson deep talkin La Bellas... I reckon the neck has shifted slightly, as you predicted ... the bridge has been altered: adjusting wheels removed, I think the base trimmed down a bit cos its wonky, and the fret wire long since gone, so the strings sit in grooves across top of bridge. (See pics). Presumably this all to cope with raised action if neck has shifted? What do you think? I'm surprised the bridge seems held in place by the pickup, wedged up against it ... is that right? The bridge is also attached to the scratch plate by a wires that sits in a little hole ... so I'm guessing it IS in the right place. But other basses I've seen have a clear space between the bridge and the pickup. Neck doesnt seem warped - Even held down at 1 and 24 there's barely any clearance beneath the string, so it seems pretty flat. But unfretted there's a good 6mm at the 12th which feels right on the edge even to me. What do you reckon? I'm not about to get the neck angle reset as it plays like a dream already ... but if I want to replace the bridge I guess I'll need to bite the bullet.

Jack, is it that wuju / manju (?) place that does Hofners ... I've seen them down on Denmark st. I'll take you up on that if I need to, sounds likely. Happy days... a week or before I can collect though..