franzbassist

I've ummed and ahhed about getting an EUB for a long time, but the music my band have been playing in the last year has made having [i]that[/i] sound all the more appropriate, so I finally took the plunge last week and got an Aria SWB Lite-BIS courtesy of Al at The Gallery. Wow... So why the Aria? Well, I spent a good amount of time on the WAV and a few minutes on a Palatino as well, but to me the Aria is a much better instrument both in terms of playability and especially the sound you can get out of it. I'm sure this is due to the two pickups; the piezo gives a lovely air to the notes, with lots of finger and body noise, while the magnetic pickup dials in lots of body. The two band eq works on both pickups at the same time, so you balance the output of each pickup using their volume controls. A little bit of hiss from the mag, but I can live with it and may improve the shielding in due course if it proves to be an issue. I've played a lot of fretless, almost exclusively in the last few years, so the plain fingerboard holds no fear for me, and even the bigger stretches due to the longer scale are okay as I have big hands. The neck is obviously much deeper though, so that will take a bit of getting used to, as will the higher action, but that's all part of parcel of going upright I guess. So I dive straight in and take the bass to rehearsal the night I get it. I set the end pin so first position is at eye level and make sure I'm plucking the strings near the end of the fingerboard with the side of my fingers. Straight away the tone is really good, with the bass carrying through really well, and the band absolutely love the look and tone. So I am really chuffed. The Aria is a quality starter I think, and should keep me going for a good few years. Gareth

[quote name='BassBod' post='625190' date='Oct 13 2009, 04:38 PM']I guess i'd better go into hiding for a few months...change my name...maybe take up the banjo....[/quote] Banjobod? No no no, has no ring to it at all!

Rather than just using the newspaper's league tables, also see what students think of a specific course via the National Student Survey results at [url="http://www.unistats.com/"]Unistats[/url]. It may not be perfect (it only surveys final year undergraduates for example) but it's probably the best judge of individual courses. Gareth

I'm just glad to see Wals back in production!

[quote name='Mr Bassman' post='614652' date='Oct 2 2009, 11:52 AM']Thanks for the plug Gareth[/quote] We aim to please...

[quote name='JayX' post='614641' date='Oct 2 2009, 11:29 AM']Yeah, that's the one Mr Bassman linked to[/quote] Ah, hadn't noticed the link was already there, apologies to all...

Surely you need [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=61427"]this[/url]!

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='613439' date='Sep 30 2009, 11:33 PM']Very good, thanks for that.[/quote] It is my pleasure to serve.

Bob Gollihur's site has a huge amount of advice on all things upright. His product descriptions are really detailed, and he has this to say about the WAV 4 strings: [i]The stock strings are a light gauge steel that serve as a reasonably decent hybrid sort of sound, but the instrument responds well and can handle most standard 3/4 size upright bass strings. I and others report good success with strings such as the Pirastro Obligatos, which are a popular, heavier gauge upright bass string that delivers a more traditional sound, with less sustain and more body than the stock strings. Keep in mind, however, that the tuning machines are similar to bass guitar tuners, so very heavy gauge strings (like the Eurosonics) typically cannot be accommodated. However, since the pickups are piezo-based, which sense vibration, most any 3/4 size upright bass string can be a candidate. They designed the rear control cover that allows you route the excess string around the bottom of the bass and anchor them in keyholes. [/i] Just the info you need methinks?! Cheers Gareth