Rabbie

Superb for look, tone and practicality IMO. In fact, I need to get me another one soon for my main bass.

As per Bilbo suggestions, plus add: Blues; there's a great album with Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim, I think it's called "aux Trois Mailletz" (spelling probably wrong) and it's published by Gitane. Willie also played on most great recordings from Chess Records in the 50s, bridging the gap between blues and rock n roll. You won't need anybody else to listen to blues double bass IMO. Rockabilly, well, any 1950s Elvis, Carl Perkins and later Eddie Cochrane and Gene Vincent will put you in the picture of what the bass does there. For modern Rockabilly start with the first Stray Cats album then maybe download Brian Setzer latest Rockabilly Riot album to get to grips with the modern sound. To add another dimension to your Jazz knowledge, don't miss out the joys of the players that started it all. Check out the genius of Milt Hinton in the Cab Calliway recordings (and follow his unique swinging in later recordings like the charming "Partners in crime" with Ralph Sutton). You may want to check out great modern slapping in the context of Western swing by getting an album from the Hot Club of Cowtown. Finally, for me the best jazz player around now is Carlos Henriquez of the Jazz at Lincoln centre orchestra with Winton Marsalis. Their brand new album Live in Cuba is fantastic and you get an overdose of Latin and jazz DB on that one. As I said, this one just sits alongside what you have been advised this far. I'm quite jealous you still have to listen to these great albums because you are gonna have a great time!

I'd say focus on how you sound acoustically. Everything else depends on that. A friend of mine recounted a beautiful story to me about meeting Milt Hinton when he came to the UK. The judge told him that if he was gonna slap, just practice and forget about all the nonsense about steel or gut strings. Personally, I prefer how guts sound and how much easier they are on the hands, but Milt and Djordie Stijepovic did/do it on Spiros and sound amazing, so there. Once you get your technique and sound to where you want it, as long as you control feedback and roll off the high mids, curb the treble and tame the bass, you will sound ok on stage too.

Good on ya mate, you'll be fine. I'll tune in!

That's good to know, thank you very much.

As the Rev says: you're fine, don't worry.

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1441308743' post='2857858'] Where is the fun in that? [/quote] I agree

Also of course it depends on what sound you wanna hear. If you don't need to shake bowels with your low notes, then a PJB or AI combo are great, really fantastic hi fi sound.

Just to go against the grain here, I have owned and played a number of cabs with small speakers and found that although yes, the allow for good articulation on DB, they also just don't move enough air and do not produce a satisfying bass sound. A modern 12inch speaker is much better in my opinion. In a band, I have had great result stacking 2 x 12 inch cabs, no boom with good eq and no feedback with good pickups and preamps. I am currently waiting on a fearless 115, which will be an experiment in upgrading to a 15 inch on double bass. People I trust tell me that it absolutely rocks for DB, so I wait with excitement and will report back after a few gigs.

[quote name='lobematt' timestamp='1440500087' post='2851239'] EDIT: Is this the one? http://www.thomann.de/gb/david_gage_the_realist_kontrabass.htm [/quote] Yes that's one option, good sound but open to feedback at high stage volume (I.e. Rock n roll volume). Sorry to be a pest but it's worth noting that although most manufacturers state that their pickups can be happily used straight into an amp, you will almost invariably need a preamp to match impedance and produce a realistic sound. There are oodles of preamps available, I suggest starting with a second hand one like an old fishman platinum pro bass from this forum or eBay. That gives you a reliable gigging tool while you enter the never ending quest that is finding an amplified tone that really makes you happy.

I can normally hear myself totally acoustic in a trio with drums (brushes) and jazz guitar, in fact I often prefer it to having an amp in these small settings as the amp messes with my dynamics. Still, all changes if the guitarist has a loud amp and vocals in the monitors, in which case a small amp may well be the best thing for you, something like the Genz Benz 3-10 would be great for that, with something like a realist pickup or just a bassmax for ease and cheapness. PS - well done on your first DB gig. May it be the first of many many more!

Spot on Paul. As usual great posts from Paul King leave very little else to say. Only advice: practice loads and ignore the frustration you will get loads of before becoming proficient. Muscle memory takes a while to build. You will get blisters until the callouses build up. RELAX: slapping when tense does not work. Technical advice is never an absolute as Paul quite correctly says, BUT as long as you can get your finger under the string and pull it in time with the music, the action is right. String tension needs to be loose enough for you to be able to slap them against the fingerboard without walloping it with all your might. Pickups: I would say get an underwood, forget about the G side element and only fit the E side. Or go expensive and go Blast Cult but it's an investment in sanity (no feedback, no pream, full control of clicky). Contact mics (Ehrlund, Schertler) are a possibility at bluegrass stage volumes and sound great (but carry a pickup in your bag just in case) Tuition: YouTube has everything you need, you will find the approach that suits your body and personality best. Most of all: it's great fun! You'll have a ball!