PaulKing

Yeah I'm guilty of slapping about 75% of the time, though I know the limitations and potential for ear ache. And most players frown on it... But it does have a real role when done tastefully, in jazz or roots style. I play jump / west coast blues in the style of Hollywood Fats / Junior Watson - slap bass played like Larry Taylor, Willie Dixon, Ernest Crawford. I love it. It's mostly single slap, which defines and adds punch to every pizz note, it adds the jump to jump blues... Most jazzers don't take it seriously ... but check out Milt Hinton. He's no Ray Brown, but he's got rhythm and melody. Also the strings you use make a whole lot of difference. Most players on steel strings sound like an accident in a sheet metal factory when slapping. Gut or Nylon (like the Lamberts Nic Dubouchet uses, me too...) have a beautiful rhythmic thumpy click to them. And some rockabilly players have a dedicated click pick up which can, if over-used, dominate the amplified sound. Nasty. Mark King did us no favours. Nether does manic psychobilly clickattaclickatta. But I'm still a fan of the sound. If ever I can hear myself dissapearing in the mix I get jiggy with the slap and there I am again, punch!

[quote name='bartelby' post='1263340' date='Jun 9 2011, 09:58 PM']I think my eyes are playing tricks, as the "radius" seems to be asymmetrical and have a sharp ridge running the length...[/quote] I agree it's a m*nger, but before you get too critical ... no your eyes aren't deceiving you. The sharp edge along the fingerboard you describe is a Romburg Bevel, designed to increase the vibrating area of the E string for increased volume. It's a pucker double bass design feature. oops. Now I feel superior, get me.... edit: Excellent, the profanity filter wouldn't let me say m*nger! Bet it won't say m*nge either. Or clunge. Ah. There, beat it.

[quote name='tedgilley' post='1258699' date='Jun 6 2011, 06:07 PM']Thanks, BA, I got that impression from the site and an email from him. I have other opportunities to buy a used double bass right in my own state, but I'm kind of looking all over. Two of the reasons I'm thinking plywood bass are price and easier maintenance (less possibility of top cracking, etc.). TG[/quote] Youtube Joe Frick playing Thompson basses. Sound pretty amazing... if you like slapping. But don't forget Upton and Lemur for quality ply basses, maybe a bit more expensive though. You can also pick up an Englehardt or a Strunal, new or second hand. they're everywhere in the USA, you'll have no trouble. You try buying in Europe, much harder.

Like they all said. There can huge variation in 'standard' 3/4 sized basses, even in the string length, which makes for differences in tension. 7/8 basses have same string length range as 3/4 basses, but bigger body, makes them quite bulky to transport, and heavier, but can lend a boost to the low end when acoustic. You also need a bigger gig bag to get the damn thing into. 4/4 do mainly crop up in classical these days. There's just no need for most band situations. Plus they have longer string length, which increases tension a bit, makes them a tiny bit harder to play.

[quote name='bassace' post='1243940' date='May 25 2011, 09:51 AM']Interesting that. I bought the Blonde from Peter Tyler. It's quite nice and I use it for, er, the more 'challenging' gigs, like outdoors or gigs that might be a bit rough ([i]moi?[/i]) It has a distinctive triangular profiled neck. Do you know anything about it, Paul?[/quote] No, not that bass. I may have seen it at his place a couple of times. I got the term 'German Blonde' from him, I took a couple that I owned to him for some work (including the B+H I still own, which I believe he restored years ago for someone else) and he called them that, showed me a couple similar that he had in stock. Only thing is, my B+H is Czech of course, and was certainly not blonde originally... but he still called it a 'German Blonde'. What a thoroughly lovely man. With a house full of basses .. 3 floors of them. Poor Mrs Tyler.

[quote name='bassace' post='1241201' date='May 23 2011, 09:04 AM']Whaaaat? Paul Bryant 3/4 DB Thomas Martin 3/4 Concert DB Upton Professor DB Unknown German Blond Lami DB[/quote] Well you're in a different class from me... Upton Professor ... sweet. There's only one person I know that describes unlabelled blonde laminated basses as 'German Blondes'. Did you buy it from Peter Tyler? Or me?!!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1239894' date='May 22 2011, 01:29 AM']They are addictive though. I could justify three double basses at least and I don't have a single full-time gig on DB yet.[/quote] Noone in their right mind can justify owning 3 double basses. (cough)

[quote name='steve' post='1238593' date='May 20 2011, 07:20 PM']shhhhh, I've been watching that! [/quote] £562!!! That is one hell of a good price, for one hell of a good bass. Anyone smiling round here?

I don't reckon there's much to be gained by learning ebass first. Go for the upright from the outset! There's also a stunning Artia B+H bass on ebay at the moment. I have one, very very good entry level basses. £410 with a day to go. Worth a grand I'd say. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/size-Double-Bass-Artia-made-Boosey-Hawkes-/300556558297?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&hash=item45fa911fd9"]ebay[/url]

+1 on all that. I used to get mine in a mini. An old one. Scroll in footwell, passenger seat reclined. Not recommended. I've never bought anything but a hatchback in 20 years for the sole reason of carrying around basses. I can get two in the back of my Golf hatchback, easy peasy.

I cut myself a set of those doug's plugs (sorry doug). I bought a hi density foam kickboard (kids swimming float) and cut it to shape, leaving a small lip around the top surface. Cost me a tenner and a couple hours fidling with a modelling knife. They take 10secs to install, hardly noticeable on stage, reduces feedback massively. I tried making a set like John Slobluesine made, neater design that fixes inside the f-hole with no lip on the outer suirface. Totally invisible, but a right faff to install I found, and you're limited to less dense foam. I've played with big loud Brian Setzer Orchestra type band, raucous guitar, loud drums, no probs. Piezo pickup, Sensible gain staging (pre amp LOW gain, amp LOW gain, HIGH master volume) plus added EQ control and phase switch from the Fishman Pro Plat sorts out most feedback issues for me.

[quote name='Clarky' post='1233620' date='May 16 2011, 08:58 PM']Hi all, I have Silver Slaps on both my DB and my Eminence EUB and love them. I like the woody, plummy tone I can coax from them and especially the low tension. However, I am installing a mag pickup on my DB, as I think this would be a useful fall-back if my piezo is going feedback-crazy in my very noisy 14-piece band. Hence I need a steel-containing string on my DB. I have some Presto Ultralights which are similar to Silver Slaps but not quite as nice IMHO. There's loads of Spirocore love out there but how would a Silver Slaps player like me get on with Spirocore Weich/softs or other softer steel strings such as Velvets or Evah Pirazzis? Do any share any of the characteristics I like so much in Silver Slaps (low tension, soft feel etc)? As you all know, buying DB strings is an expensive exercise and I don't want to make a costly mistake here! Thanks , Clarky :-)[/quote] Hmm, don't think you'll get much closer than Presto Ultralight. Velvet Garbo wor for lots of folk but I found them really clanky and metallic. They're copper too ... does that work for mags? Evahs ... I've never tried. Hows the Rattlin Bone gig? Must get to see you sometime in London, love the sound of that band. We should get together and swap notes sometime too. Paul

I change my mind which is favourite on almost daily basis. Sometimes the Mortone looks stunning... doesn't really do justice this picture. But currently Framus and Kay are favourites. Got sent this page from an old Framus catalogue by Michael off DBC ... certainly looks like my bass on the right, except cutaway version obviously. Nice. ...

I'm just showing off really, but I have to share my pleasure at having plywood like this knocking about in my house...

[quote name='bob_pickard' post='1203144' date='Apr 18 2011, 06:11 AM']nope no label on mine although there's various scraps of paper, dust and general muck floating about inside - Paul any other definitive marks on your Framus at all?[/quote] Nope. Actually I recently mailed Christian Foyer at the Framus Museum in Germany, even he couldn't be certain. he said it's impossible to tell if the label's gone, as there were other makers doing similar things. All he could say was it certainly LOOKS like a Framus, what with all the edging and stuff, and that Framus was by far the biggest maker ... so chances are very good that it is. An added complication, I'm informed, is that Framus actually commissioned out-of-house luthiers to build basses for them, so many different styles and builds exist. Only notable feature on mine is the engraved number inside the peg box, just above the nut. 990 or 066 ... can't tell which way up. I'm blown away by the power and punch of tone from this bass ... as good as my old carved bass, which was notably powerful and pure. Heavy though.

Are we thinking Aria Excelsior here guys? Maybe. It's not American, if that's what anyone was thnking.

Difficult to say ... any label? Looks like it could be perfectly decent, if it's more than a few years old that's good. Bridge is warped, or on upside down. Should scoop downwards, so the curved surface is on top, flat surface below. I wouldn't start messing with stripping or revarnishing, unless you want to go into full refinish as major project. If it has a nice tone ... what more do you want?

Opinions differ, as you can see. In mine .... Mag pick ups CAN sound good, but most often they sound like e-bass. You have to set up and EQ with care and skill. With a piezo pick up it's easier to get a faithful sound, but they too can sound compressed. Proper pre-amp can help, if it's needed. Feedback can be a problem, but it can be avoided with care even at very loud volumes. For rockabilly sound, authentic tone and click is easiest with piezo. The Underwood or Shadow single paddle wing piezo (is it 950?) are fabulous, and pick up plenty of click for most people. If you want very clear click or psychobilly clatter, you will find a separate clicky useful. K+K Bassmax or Rockabilly Plus (with attached clicky) are great pick ups. I've got a Rockabilly Plus going over in classifieds right now, but not the preamp/blender. You need a blender to set levels of each pick up (enter a whole world of tweaking and fiddling...) If you are playing VERY loud, thrash/psycho loud, a mag pick up will be easier to use. You will definitely need a separate clicky to get a proper click sound. Nothing worse than the sound of steel strings hitting magnetic pick-ups.... pop pop pop. My choice, for pretty loud R'nB with slapping all night long ... Underwood piezo. Plain and simple, easy, reasonable amount of click, faithful tone. Don't need preamp going in to my Markbass Amp ... though I use a Fishman Plat Pro because phase shift and EQ work well. Underwood is £130 new from Vivace, but occasionally crop up on ebay. That said, I used K+K without any complaint for years. If you are really new to amplifying DB for rockabilly, I'd keep it simple to start with. Learning how to EQ your bass is quite an art, having to deal with the confusion of a clicky is just adding to the complication. You'll have a laugh doing it, but you'll get better results quicker with a simple pick up.