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I added small side markings with nail varnish a few months ago purely for gigs where hearing myself can be challenging. I hardly ever look at them but they occasionally help as a sanity check and can provide a "safe place" if I panic.....

Of course, you can call this a crutch, and adequate practice and consequent muscle memory should remove the need for them, but I like having them there all the same.

I thought that those little battery powered Roland combos (Micro Cube RX) were supposed to be OK for upright, especially for what you say you need it for.

Edit: Looks like the RX is discontinued and has been replaced by https://www.thomannmusic.com/boss_dual_cube_bass_lx.htm

I own a Platinum Pro and an FDeck but I always had results that were fine going straight from pickup into my amps (formerly GK MB150 and now Warwick Gnome). This is true for all the pickups I've used, including a J-Tone.

I'm not saying don't get a preamp/HPF, but I'd try without before spending money on one.

I had one for a while from @benbastin  - it worked very well and the stability / simplicity aspect was good. However, my daughter started learning DB so I needed something adjustable again.

I didn't notice any difference in sound but that might say more about my ears than the endpin itself....

I read some comments on Talkbass about the Rumble combos being good for DB...

21 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

He was a drummer and wanted to “share his knowledge and experiences”, apparently. 

In my experience, people who have something to say that's worth hearing generally don't offer their "wisdom" unsolicited like this....

3 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

I did a gig yesterday and someone came up to the singer and started telling her where she was going wrong. It was quite upsetting for her and I’d not want to make anyone else feel that way.

That's really bad. What's wrong with some people that makes them think this in any way appropriate? At the end of the day, your singer has the gig, she's getting up there and performing, and anybody who doesn't like her singing can go and play their own gigs. I hope she's ok.

Thanks, yep, there seem to be a good second-hand market but here in Ireland it would probably take a while before something suitable crops up. I'm still interested to find out what the newer ones are like if anybody has any experience.

I've tried searching but there's a confusing number of different versions with similar names so I thought I'd start a new thread. Anybody got any experience of these newer models e.g.

https://www.thomann.de/ie/warwick_rockbass_streamer_lx_5_mrh.htm

I'd like a five string and I've always liked the Warwick sound, but I don't have money for anything too pricey so I was wondering how these cheaper ones hold up?

This is highly individual, and probably doesn't even apply to many people who are driving etc, but I never drink before or during a gig, not even a small beer beforehand. I find it always messes with my concentration.
 

There seem to be a couple of things going on with this thread. There can definitely be a bit of a "joyless" approach taken by some experienced players towards people starting out that says that you'll only get decent after years of rigourous technique and lessons (I haven't heard anybody on Basschat take this approach btw). And then are other people who think that you should get a bass and just start playing and having fun. The two are not mutually exclusive, and as somebody who is self-taught (in the sense of having virtually no in-person lessons) I definitely think that just playing is possible. However, bad technique on DB more than most instruments can definitely hold you back - both in terms of causing pain/injury, but also (as @neilp points out above) in terms of playing in tune.

I'm not as good a player as I'd be if I'd adopted a more consistent/rigorous approach to playing and practicing, and I've had several points where I've had to re-learn and ditch bad habits (particularly after watching better players than myself in person or online). But I've always enjoyed the journey and so I guess what I'm saying is that DB is both fun AND challenging at the same time, but it's definitely worth paying attention to getting some of the basics right when it comes to technique. And there are people here on Basschat that can definitely help with this....
 

Haha - it crossed my (very immature) mind as well .....

I found this video pretty helpful so thought I'd share it:
 

Obviously there are lots of approaches to playing scales, but I liked this one as the shifting is consistent and it only takes a small modification to generate each of the other scales as well.

Not for a second claiming that this is the best solution for all situations but I've found it's a nice one to have in the arsenal....

I bought a bow from this seller when my daughter played DB on recommendation from her teacher

https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/yitamusicviolins

I only play pizz so I can't vouch for them directly but it seems fine

Not sure about how much low end is required. I find for jazz gigs on DB you don't really want that "feel it in your gut" low end anyway so the PJB works well. But if I wanted more of that kind of thing I'd probably match the Gnome/BAM with the TE Bassbox 110 cab instead (which is still very light)

I have a Gnome amp (the smallest one) and a PJB C2 cab and it's loud enough for jazz gigs with drums, keys, guitar, singer in pub/restaurant. 

8 minutes ago, hpc364 said:

Thanks, at that price, everyone hopes they are good.

Haha, yep, they're very expensive alright. I've had the same set on for about six years and they were second hand when I got them. They still sound OK but I keep thinking about getting some new ones....

3 hours ago, hpc364 said:

Oh ! These strings are very expensive !

What are decent strings ? I was thinking about Gut-a-Like, Pyramid, in that range.

I'd agree with @Bloopdad1 about Evah Pirazzi - I use the light ones and they're really good.

On 26/08/2024 at 23:28, MacDaddy said:

 

I bought it! 😁

 

I'll write more later, but first impressions were it's easy to play, although gonna have to brush up on technique.

I thought I'd find my own way, and played quite happily in the shop for about 20 minutes. However when I got home my picking fingers were aching, so I'm gonna need some advice!

It looks great and I can see why you enjoy playing it. In terms of advice I'd say getting your right hand (plucking) technique as close to DB is probably first on the list as this will have more impact that you might think on making it sound more like an upright (assuming that's what you want, of course...)

Since it's same scale as BG then I'm not sure about left hand technique, but it's probably worth trying to get familiar with 1-2-4 fingering anyway and raising your elbow so your wrist isn't too bent.

But ultimately all that matters is that you carry on enjoying it!

That action is at the higher end for a steel string "jazz" setup. Not badly so, but it might be worth considering getting a setup and/or adjustable bridge when you next have some money after buying decent strings

23 minutes ago, TheRev said:

My amp tone is dominated by mids and treble for this very reason - too much low end and I either can't hear the note with enough definition to pitch properly or I get feedback.  The PA gets a full range signal from the DI out on my Fishman pre, then the signal goes throgh the HPF and out to my amp, so it's only me who hears the trebly sound. Everyone else gets the full range signal back from the desk in their monitors/IEMs.  My monitor has no bass signal from the desk to prevent feedback.

On a decent stage that isn't too boomy, I can increase the low end in my amp enough to have a fairly satisfying, full sound, but otherwise I just suck up the lack of low end and trust it sounds good out front.  

That's kind of the same as me alright, except I don't use a PA, so I have to try and get the balance right through my amp. 

The problem with too much treble / mid for the player IMO is that for walking bass especially you lose some of the "pulse" which is such a feature of DB, and because of the way that the DB notes "bloom" after being struck it impacts the music's swing/timing in a significant way. There's a good reason why so few "straightahead" jazz players use BG even though it would be so much more convenient (there's obviously a looks thing, but I can honestly say that avoiding hefting a massive piece of wood into some of the smaller spaces would override any fashion reasons for using DB).

Anyway, I'm hoping that when I get an Fdeck it will tighten up the bottom end a bit....

On the Stax side of things, Green Onions is a good one (although I just found out from wikipedia that Lewie Steinberg played bass on this, not Duck Dunn as I'd always thought).

Played my third gig last night with the PJB C2 cab (plus small Warwick Gnome head) and I was able to hear myself really well in the drum/bass/piano/vocals lineup, even though the cab was on the floor at my feet right next to the kick drum.

In terms of hearing, I find I have to overcome my natural dislike of the high-mid sound from the piezo pickup - I usually have mids turned way down but I've started tweaking it upwards a bit. It sounds a bit nasal when the bass is playing on its own, but "in the mix" it helps me to hear my own intonation while not really detracting from the overall sound.

3 hours ago, adriansmith247 said:

Sounds like my experience. The solo Sounds great in low volume situations but gets lost when loud. Unfortunately I tried the realist but was getting crazy volume difference between strings with the E string really quiet and the G really booming. 
I may try going back to my trusty shadow pickup despite the sound

I don't experience those volume differences but the Realist is very bassy and I tend to knock all the EQ way down on the amp. I've just ordered an Fdeck to see if that smooths things out a bit ...

I used to have a rev solo and while it sounded natural, it didn't cut through. I use a Realist Copperhead now and it's much better. Not quite as "hi fi" but pretty loud and I never have feedback issues with it. 

I also recently switched to a PJB C2 cab (5 inch speakers) and this cut through better than my old GK MB150 did. 

Obviously there are lots of combinations, but I reckon a louder pickup might be a good place to start.