TheRev

I stand corrected re: the bridge....

The couple of Staggs that I've played weren't finished to anything like the same quality as the Aria SWB - rough edges, lumpy paint jobs and a rather hissy sounding preamp. I've lent my Aria to a number of players at gigs when the engineer just couldn't get rid of the hiss. The stagg also has a plastic (or plastic coated bridge) where the Aria has a solid wood bridge. Having said that, if you strip out the preamp and use a decent outboard pre (like a Fishman platinum) and whack on a decent set of strings, you'd end up with a very decent sounding bass and for less money thn the Aria. The finish would still suck though.....

It seems that most of us are OK with someone 'having a go' as long as they ask nicely. Others (like OTPJ) have a strict 'no chance' policy as their bass is their livelihood - I've used this excuse myself on more than a few occasions, even though I'm not a pro player. But - what are peoples' feelings about bass bashes? Would you be happy to let anyone at a bash play your bass? At the last south west bas I found myself in a weird place of being surrounded by an abundance of amazing gear but with no idea of who to ask for permission to play it.

I approach it with 9 pints of Smithwick's before shouting at the band for not playing enough rebel songs.

Hagstrom HB4 - relativley cheap and totally retro

I'd buy it and just replace the black guard with a red tortie one - a very droolsome combination IMO.

It certainly looks the business - let us know how it sounds in anger. I'd be interested to know how these compare to something like the Thomann 2 basses. Anyone out there got one?

Yep, I reckon a contribution is fair.

I'd love to try a set of Velvet Aminas but I'm afraid I'd like them and be forever doomed to forking out £250 for a set of strings....

If I were in your position, I'd buy the Palatino/Harley Benton EUB. Then, find £100 to buy a set of Helicore orchestra (or similar) strings - used strings often come up for sale here so you could get them a lot cheaper if you're prepared to wait. When you whip off the old strings, remove the bridge and slip a couple of pieces of inner tube under the pickup (see the Talkbass Plaitino modification thread for details). String up with your new, decent quality strings and get pluckin'.

Sorry, no - I haven't got around to recording anything with it yet. As with a full on DB, technique and string choice make a big difference to the sound. With the stock Helicore hybrids, I can get a nice woody growl, with a set of Innovation Honeys I can get some serious old school thump. I'd recommend that you use a preamp with the Eminence. On the Eminence website, the blurb says that the Realist pickup can be used without a pre - this is true but I found that it lacked low end. I use a Fishman Platinum which thickens everything up nicely.

[quote name='Mr Bassman' post='734379' date='Feb 3 2010, 07:19 PM']I think it's overpriced for second hand, Thomann have them at £1796 new![/quote] Fair point - I paid a gnat's under £2000 for mine when the exchange rate was less favourable. Perhaps you could call the Gallery and see what they can do? Either way, if you have the cash waiting you might as well buy new - I don't think you'll be disappointed. I bought mine direct from SMART distribution - have you checked out their price?

The Eminence certainly feels more like a double bass than EUBs like the Stagg, Aria lite one and the NS WAV - the neck in particular is spot on, though I imagine any EUB in the £2K price range will feel 'proper'. Sound wise, it sounds like an amplified double bass, by which I mean the sound you'd get from the pickup on a double bass. If your gigs are amplified with little or none of the acoustic sound in the mix then I doubt your ears would be able to tell the difference between a Eminence and a DB on stage. I bought mine purely on the reputation they have on the talkbass EUB forum and I'm very, very happy with it. The Kolstein has a lot of good things said about it too. It looks a lot bigger than the Eminence though and I think it's a lot more expensive? The [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/BassProductListingTemplate.cfm?Brand=Eminence&type=Acoustic%20Bass&Cat_ID=18"]Gallery[/url] in Camden have an Eminence for sale - bargain at £1700.

I have a transcription from an old copy of Bassist magazine -some of the fills are quite different from the Bassmasta tab. I can scan it and email it to you if you want it?

I have one. It's great. ..and I'm not selling......

[quote name='Faithless' post='721127' date='Jan 22 2010, 01:12 PM']Yep, no problem with that, but, as I've mentioned before, Friedland's book covers the very basics, and, you can use audio samples for playing over and over again, till you get it.. More helpful, I'd say, than Youtube stuff..[/quote] It's not just youtube - he has .pdf files for all his lessons. I'm not suggesting that it's superior to Ed Friedland's book but it's prety good for a free download. Just sayin'

[quote name='bassace' post='720924' date='Jan 22 2010, 10:38 AM']Just seen this post. I'm playing at the Old Duke tonight (22nd). Happy to have a chat with any BCer re Double Bass thingies.[/quote] Ooh - I'm out on King Street tonight! Definitley pop my head round the door.

[quote name='Faithless' post='720602' date='Jan 21 2010, 10:16 PM']If you're a new cat into walking bass, it's ESSENTIAL to get a copy of Ed Friedland's - Building Walking Basslines. Clear, informative, demanding, interesting. Starts at very basic things, and then dips into messy ones. It's made from printed (pdf) version + audio [recorded audio track for each exercise]. been working on this for over a half-year myself.. Works for me. Great stuff. Hey, and don't forget to try each line in the book in at least 6 keys (F, Bb, Eb, Ab, C, G - most common keys in jazz!) If you're having trouble finding this book, give me PM, we'll sort something.. Good luck with this, Faith.[/quote] I'd also recommend Dave Marks' walking bass lessons which are available from his website. I found that once I'd got my head round the basic walking bass theory, it was much easier to hear the bass parts on recordings. Dave

Yeah - I'd be interested. I still have a hankering for a proper acoustic bass....

Technically, I'm also a wannabe DB player - the closest I get to a DB is my Eminence EUB! Having said that, The Eminence is about as close as you'll get, feel wise, to the real thing so if anyone wants to have a go, drop me a PM. AFAIK, Cremona House (and many other violin shops) do DB rentals (when available) so if you're unsure as to whether the doghouse bass is for you, you could do a lot worse than hire a bass four a couple of months. I hired a bass for two months at a cost of £25 per month when I was considering buying a proper DB - I loved it but ended up buying the Eminence for purely practical reasons. Dave

Mr Danny Thompson. Solo at 3:18

I've found a transcription for 'so what' on the interweb but I'm buggered if I can remember where. I'll try to find it. You could try searching for bass 'transcriptions' rather than bass 'tabs' - it's unlikely that a double bass part will be written out in tablature as DBs don't have frets.

There's something about Ivory/white basses with tortie guards that gives me a happy. Ohh, you filthy bitch, you want it, don't you....

Mint, innit! You do realise that once you start on DB, you can never really go back to bass guitar? It just doesn't feel right any more. Good luck with the new mission, playing upright is an amazing experience - it'll change how you approach music and you'll never be without a gig. Chicks dig it too.

Hi Jebo. The [url="http://www.violins.bristol-uk.com/repair_prices.htm"]Cremona House voilin shop[/url] on Park Row do bass set ups. As for lessons - I'm happy to show you a few (very) basics in right and left hand techniques or you could get in touch with Gcordez on here who is offering [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=64670"]proper DB lessons[/url]. Dave