marvin spangles

Hi Wondering if combining the Wizzy with a contra ex would supply the missing lows . I have a contra ex but am considering the following lightweight options EA doubler with Ten2 ex or EA doubler with Wizzy Obviously seduced with the lightness of the Wizzy. So do I keep the contra ex and go with the wizzy or sell the contra ex and go with the ten2 ex. Any opinions

[quote name='stinson' post='1088544' date='Jan 13 2011, 08:21 PM']Somewhere in the region of £800 - £1,000 depending on condition, modifications etc.[/quote] Hi Stinson Curious to know why it would be worth so much as you can get a new US Precision or Jazz for less. I ask cos I'm shedding a load of gear to make way for a new rig for my Double bass. Need to get lightweight stuff. Cheers

Hi What is a realistic asking price for a 1977-78 Fender Precision bass. Works fine now but could do with a bit of tidying. Sunburst finish – well what else is there. best regards Marv

Pops would be my preferred but Nyman and Carlsson (possibly the same rosin with different names) are good too.

[quote name='fatback' post='1050576' date='Dec 7 2010, 03:32 PM'] I'm just wondering about how good a training for intonation it is when it doesn't help you correct other than by guesswork.[/quote] One of the fundamental problems inherent in playing the double bass is the ability to play in tune. Developing an accurate muscular memory is essential. Going to a teacher (at the age of 50) and doing some classical stuff really helped me big time with my intonation. I am sorry I didn't do it years ago. You talk about guess work. The whole issue is really to take guess work out of it. eg Try playing a two octave scale on one string. If you have to gliss to the correct pitch then you have learnt nothing. Be very critical . Do it slow until you can play it in tune without adjusting.

Hey great strings and at this price a real bargain. Bump!

I agree buy a good quality plywood. Save your money and get a pro player or good teacher to go with you when you decide to buy. Realistically a decent plywood bass will set you back around £1000-1200 new. Be wary of cheap basses on E bay especially the low end Chinese ones. They tend to be badly constructed and barely playable. If you could rent one for a trial period from a luthier or reputable dealer you'd get a better idea before you commit. I can't comment on the E bay bass recommended by Paul King. However I would try and contact the seller to see if you could try out the bass. Good luck

[quote name='Greydad' post='825629' date='May 2 2010, 04:46 PM']In my 8 weeks so far of playing double bass my right index (plucking finger) has become noticeably larger than my left index finger Is this normal for a double bass player? Or is something going horribly wrong? Callouses I expected: physical enlargement of my limbs and extremities as a consequence of the move from electric bass has never been mentioned here. What else can I expect? Will my right arm lengthen until my knuckle scrape along the ground? Do I have to switch to playing lefty for a while to even things up? Neil[/quote] doesn't sound right to me. Do you suffer any pain when you pluck the strings.

[quote name='guyl' post='822756' date='Apr 29 2010, 10:07 AM']Would really appreciate your bowing advice: I have no problem making the G & D strings sing under the bow, but the A and (especially the E) sound rubbish. It takes a lot of effort to make the string respond and quick/short notes are full of waspish buzzing. It's like the bow doesn't grip the string quick enough. Is the only answer to practice more, or does anyone have any tips - rosin, bow, effort etc? Thanks[/quote] Hi guy You don't say how long you have been using the bow so it is hard to assess your problems. There are many variables at play here. String type. Quality of Bass Quality of Bow Playing technique. Getting the lower notes to speak is always a little more difficult. You would be best spending some time with a teacher who can observe your technique. All this aside. Try placing the bow on the E or A string. Don't get to obsessed with bow weight or pressure. Try and allow the weight of your arm provide the pressure. Pull the string just enough to 'cock' it and hold . Get use to that feeling of cocking the string. Then complete the stroke by pulling the bow and producing a long even sound. Just try down bows for now. Up bows involve the same approach though will be more difficult because you really have to think about where the weight of your arm is applied to the bow. There are some very useful videos from Andrew Anderson and Jeff Bradetich . Both players are great teachers and will give you a good leg up. Good luck.

[quote name='lobematt' post='807256' date='Apr 15 2010, 03:55 PM']Hi there I've been playing electric bass for 10 years and want to move into upright bass as well. I've decided to go acoustic over electric (which I was toying with for a while...) and I don't have a very big budget. Probably less than £500. As far as I'm aware there aren't any shops stocking upright basses by me so don't really have a chance to try out any basses but I have found this bass/case/bow deal on the internet and was wondering if anybody could tell me if it's worth getting this one or hanging on for something else? [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Woodwind-B...s-and-Case/1O1"]http://www.gear4music.com/Woodwind-B...s-and-Case/1O1[/url] Thanks![/quote] strange I have seen this exact post word for word on Talk bass.com. posted under the name Fishbrain. Is Lobematt and Fishbrain one in the same person? There was plenty of good advice given on talk bass (three pages) from a lot of knowledgable bass players. Either you have your heart set on this bass and you are looking for some sort of validation of your choice or you are in hoc to Gear4 music. In any event I think that 500 pounds will not get you much in a new bass. It is possible however to pick up some second hand plywood basses that might be playable .But be prepared to spend another couple of hundred to get the bass Set Up properly. The Double bass is very difficult to play at the best of times . You will make the job even more difficult by getting something that might instill bad habits or worse still cause injury. Rent a bass . Save your money and buy from a reputable dealer. You should get a pretty decent student bass for around £1200. It is possible to get something cheaper but very unlikely. BTW I think it is great that you have decided to play Double Bass and I in no way want to discourage you. Just don't buy in haste. If you know a teacher of Double bass that could go with you to look at this bass then you might get hands on advice.

Hey Fatgoogle do your self a favour and try a trip to Galway to Tom Barrett. He has a pile of basses and might have something to fit your budget. The bass will come professionally set up and you will be establishing a relationship with a Luthier which is an advantage when at some future point you want to trade up. I really wouldn't recommend buying from Thomann sight unseen unless you are willing to spend at least another 300 euro getting it set up. He has some of the lower end Shens which are very good value. At least you will be able to try some basses out. pm me and I'll send you his email address.

[quote name='gerryk' post='767979' date='Mar 8 2010, 01:57 PM']Hi Geoff That having been said, I recently brought my bass to a guy in Galway (yeah I know, a bit of a treck for yourself) for repair, and he loaned me a Chinese bass priced at €1800 to use while I waited on mine to be done. The bass blew me away, and I almost decided to buy it for gigging situations where I wouldn't want to put Bryant in the firing line!. He sets them up himself, and really gets every last ounce of quality out of the instrument, with excellent playability that really left the Bryant feeling like a monster after getting used to the silky action on the Chinese one. Cheers, and happy hunting, GerryK[/quote] Hi Geoff I got a fully carved Rogeri Willow (Shen) from Tom earlier this year. I wanted a bass that I could use for classical gigs while I keep my La Scala for Jazz only. My La Scala is in for repair at the moment with Tom Barret and so I am using the Shen Rogeri Willow for all gigs . I recently did two recording sessions. I was delighted with the sound of the bass. Old School woody and gut like ( I use Belcanto strings btw) cost was 5000 Euros. I think it is remarkable value. Might be worth a trip to Galway. He has many other basses too. Good luck

Hi Sorry to hear about your bass. Any chance you could post some pics of the flight case. ta

[quote name='saxobass' post='725618' date='Jan 26 2010, 07:30 PM']So don`t dismiss laminates out of hand, there are some beauties out there. Good luck.[/quote] I agree totally. there are some really good playable Laminates out there. A well set up laminate is better than a poorly set up hybrid or carved. You are more likely to get a playable laminate in the 'cheap' end of the market. BTW I have nothing against chinese basses. I own one myself and it is a great bass. I am aware however that e bay is littered with cheap chinese basses that have been bought by newbies to the DB only to find the instrument falling apart .As I've already said take someone that is experienced with you when auditioning a new bass ... you could save yourself some money in the long run.

[quote name='fatgoogle' post='667867' date='Nov 27 2009, 11:46 PM']Are spiros any good for bowing, ill take them if they are. I dont really like the strings on my DB but i have no idea what they are.[/quote] I see from your profile that you haven't been playing DB very long. In that case I think spiro may not be the right string for you. In many basses they tend to be quite scratchy and unforgiving of weak technique. That being said they are a great string for jazz and general pizz playing and very hard wearing. There are other hybrid strings that might suit you better at this stage of your playing.

Try the Marcello or Telleman sonatas. The Capuzi Concerto in D. They are very playable. You should look at the ABRSM syllabus for the various grades for Double bass. It will give you a good introduction to the Double Bass repertoire. You might even consider doing some of the grade exams. String wise. The easiest to bow ime are Tomastik Belcantos. Evah Pirazzi are good too.

[quote name='Stu-khag' post='695591' date='Dec 29 2009, 02:04 PM']hey guys, a friend has offered to sell me a double bass for £250 in a soft case plus a pickup for £100. I havent seen it yet so will be having a look in the next few days.[/quote] I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. If however you have your heart set on it take someone experienced with you that can make an informed judgment.. In fairness I started on a £300 plywood. I spent the same amount again to get it playable. In the end you will almost certainly trade up so why waste money on cheaply made gear. Realistically I think you should be looking to spend around £1200 to get something decent. As for chinese made basses there is a lot of 'crap ' out there. There are some real bargains too. eg Samuel Shen makes very good basses at affordable prices. If you could rent one while you try to save for something decent. Good luck in your quest.

[quote name='jackp86' post='689806' date='Dec 20 2009, 03:09 PM']Hi My name is Jack I am a bass player I play both bass guitar and string bass. I am currently studying the MA level in popular music. Part of the course requires that I do a project into an area which interests me. I have chosen to research into the role of the bass player with the shift from the string bass to the bass guitar within the 1950s to present and including popular music styles. I was wondering if you could please help me by answering a short questionnaire in relation to this, to form a true opinion. Thank you for your time and for helping me with this. Jack 1) How long have you been playing Bass Guitar/String Bass for or both? 20 years or so on both 2) If you don’t play string bass/bass guitar have you thought of doubling up on either to get more recognition as a bass player? 3) Who are your favourite exponents of both string bass/bass guitar? Stanley Clarke for both. I actually don't know many doublers. heroes would be Ray Brown, Charlie Haden Dave Holland. 4) Do you think that both the bass guitar and string bass are important as bass instruments? Yes both have unique roles depending on the music genre 5) What genres do you think are important for bass players to listen to? All genres but you can't ignore the great Jazz bassists and their performances. Worth listening to all the RnB greats Bootsy Collins etc Personally love all the bass lines in Steely Dan recordings also Stevie Wonder's bass lines are great even though a lot of them are played on synth. Finally check out JS Bach's bass lines they teach you so much. 6) Do you think electric guitarists can learn to play bass guitar more than string bass? I don't really know. My own experience of listening to guitarists play bass is not a happy one. They don't think of the Harmonic\rhythmic role of the bass. 7) Do you think bass can be used to solo as well as accompany other instruments? Of course? 8) Do you think it is important to learn to sight read? Absolutely! Reading is an essential tool for the pro bassist. You will get more gigs. 9) What do you think of bass guitars such as 5 string/6 string e.g. as being an add-on to the bass players role? I have no experience beyond 4 strings. 10) What are your opinions on electric upright basses as a substitute for the string bass? Generally they are second best. There are many good EUBs eg Azola but they just can't compete with the organic double bass. 11) What is the best amp to use for bass guitar or string bass? I use an Acoustic Image Contra for small gigs. And the Acoustic Image Focus III into a Euphonic Audio cab for loud gigs or bass guitar gigs. 12) What pickups for string bass are the best for capturing the natural tone of the instrument? I have used the Shadow, Rev solo and Full circle. My favourite by far is the Full circle[/quote]

I have used a Shadow , Rev solo and Full circle. The Full circle wins hands down on my bass. Good woody amplfied sound no feedback problems unless you really yank the volume excessively good even response throughout the fingerboard and across every strings. The Realist seems to get a lot of good reviews . I haven't any experience with it though I don't like the way it leaves a mark on the top of the bass. Good luck in your quest.

I wouldn't touch that bass with a barge pole. Don't rush into a decision you'll regret. As for cheap basses there are bargains out there. A good cheap bass well set up can sound really good amplified. It's when you come to use the bow that you 'sort out the wheat from the chaff' . Good luck

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='512673' date='Jun 13 2009, 10:51 AM']I love my Spiro E and am a little nervous about replacing it. The Major[/quote] hi Sorry to hear about your tuner\string disaster. Hope things turn out ok for you. I am surprised as I thought that spiros were a higher tension than evahs but i could be wrong. Anyway here's my experience with the strings you mentioned. I have used evahs and yes a great string They are quite loud on my bass... dark sounding and a little shorter sustain. I prefer Belcantos for bowing though there's not much in it. And different strings react to different basses . I used to swap belcantos to spiro mittels depending on the gig. It was getting a bit much so as a compromise I now have a Spiro E and belcantos on the others. The spiro E bows fine and as you know it has a great pizz sound. Dominants are a possibility too. They feel a little stiffer under the left hand but they have a good front end attack and a nice sustain. They are a little more difficult to bow than the evahs but not terribly so. Good luck

[quote name='subaudio' post='487140' date='May 13 2009, 06:55 PM']I can also add my Zeller hybrid as trade for the right bass, I'm based in central London[/quote] Ask yourself why you want a fully carved bass. At the price point you are talking about there's nothing much out there. Those that are available at that price will need a few hundred pounds to get them set up properly. Obviously you want to improve on your present bass. IMO you shouldn't get hung up on the Fully Carved thing. consider a good ply or hybrid. Don't act rashly. Better to save your money for something you can live with. You should also consider whether or not you will be mostly playing amplified or ampless. If the former then there is really no benefit whatsoever in having a fully carved bass. A cheap ply bass well set up and with a good pick up is worth much more in terms of playability etc than a poorly set up cheap carved. My advice would be to stick with your Zeller and start saving towards something that lights your fire. Go and play other basses from reputable dealers. best regards peter