butterfingersbeck

Herbie described the "fuzz" circuit as "a couple of resistors". My guess is that they were actually diodes, and yes, you can create a passive distortion circuit using nothing more than a pair of Schottky diodes wired head-to-tail in parallel. No battery, no other components. Don't believe me? Here's one I made earlier, demonstrated on electric piano, guitar and bass. There is even a circuit diagram:

I haven't posted here for a while, but I thought I'd give you an update. I have now had my blue [url="http://www.shopzilla.co.uk/rd?t=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thomann.de%2Fpartner_redirect.html%3Fpartner_id%3D25293%26page%3Dthoiw2_stagg_edb_34_mbk_prodinfo.html&mid=115085&cat_id=13779&prod_id=948966032&pos=0&rf=af1&b_id=17&bamt=162c6b386698cc86&ppr=1e1b78044f7959c4&oid=948966032&country_code=GB&atom=10981&bid_type=0&af_assettype_id=12&af_creative_id=8&af_id=11444"]Stagg EDB[/url] for four years, and while I don't gig with it very often, it is one of may favourite instruments. Last year I had the electronics looked at by a local luthier who screened the control compartment and replaced the 1/4" output jack. I have put a piece of foam under the strings where they enter the tailpiece to dampen the resonance, and have also lowered the bridge. I often use the bass when I'm jamming with my 14-year-old elder son Thomas, who is a talented blues and folk guitarist, and I occasionally play it along with a Squier P-Bass Special when I dep with a [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Blues-Brothers-Augmented-Reality/dp/B007KITSW6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351201327&sr=8-3"]Blues Brothers[/url] tribute band. My intonation has greatly improved, and my right-hand technique is more "correct" than it was, although I still occasionally find myself playing with my fingertips to play faster!. I no longer use the Stagg's metal brace; it just doesn't feel right to me, and I actually prefer the feel of the bass without it. Sadly the bow I bought got broken, and I haven't found a need to replace it yet. Anyway, here is a recording I made recently of a song I wrote called "Genie". Along with the Stagg, I play Wurlitzer electric piano, organ and synth brass, as well as singing, rhythm programming, production and editing. [url="http://soundcloud.com/simon-beck-3/genie"]http://soundcloud.co...on-beck-3/genie[/url] Enjoy!

BTW, I've reviewed my right-hand technique, and I'm getting a much more authentic sound by using the side of my index finger instead of my fingertips! Seems that if you play it like a bass guitar, that's the kind of sound you'll get. Interestingly, many years ago I tried the opposite - standing a bass guitar upright on a chair and playing it with the side of my finger, and indeed I got a sound which was reminiscent of an upright bass!

Just looked at Thomann's website - they still have the EDB listed (at a higher price than I paid) but they also have a more expensive model with an ebony fingerboard. Only one small photo, but it looks identical to the EDB apart from a slightly different pegbox design. Apparently it's SO new that it isn't even on Stagg's own website...

Just got the bow from Thomann (forgot to order rosin! ) and it is a very lovely object. I can't see anything wrong with it, but time will tell. Once again, thanks for all your advice! [attachment=47783:bow.jpg] I have plans to record more slightly odd instrumental versions of romantic ballads from the 1960s under the title "Uneasy Listening from the Cosmic Lounge", using my Stagg bass alongside Theremin, Stylophone, ukulele, Wurlitzer piano and all kinds of other stuff. Watch this space...

Just noticed that Thomann (where I bought my bass) sell a 3/4 German-style bow for under £50. I'll order one, plus some cheap bass rosin. Thanks for your advice, everyone!

[quote name='fatgoogle' post='776493' date='Mar 16 2010, 06:03 PM']Yita music do bows for between 50 too 150 sort of thing, and one around 70 like i got are pretty decent, a tad heavy but fine for all round purposes.[/quote] I'm a bit concerned about ordering directly from China. Not that I have any problem with the supplier or anything; simply the added cost and paperwork of import duty etc. It's not something I'm used to, and I'd rather get something from within the EU (irrespective of where it was actually made) as I did with my bass.

Here are a couple of my solo multi-track efforts using (among other instruments) my blue Stagg EDB 3/4 electric upright. First of all, an instrumental version of the classic [url="http://www.alphabeck.co.uk/music/buzzcocks.mp3"]"Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)"[/url] by seminal punk band Buzzcocks. As well as the Stagg bass, I am playing a green Mahalo U-30 acoustic ukulele and a Dübreq S1 Stylophone. Drums are a loop programmed in HammerHead RhythmStation 1.0, a great if basic freeware drum machine. The second track is an instrumental cover of Burt Bacharach's [url="http://www.alphabeck.co.uk/music/walk_on_by.mp3"]"Walk On By"[/url]. This uses two bass tracks; one pizzicato and the other played with a violin bow for the sustained notes at the end of each chorus and under the fadeout. Other instruments are: three ukuleles (one rhythm and two leads in harmony), Stylophone once again, chromatic harmonica, penny-whistle and (very badly played) electric violin, triple-tracked and detuned so it sounds like a string section. Drums are once again from HammerHead. Enjoy (or otherwise)!

Ow! Never realised that there were two [i]kinds[/i] of bow! I knew about overhand and underhand grips, but I didn't know that the actual bows were physically different. The German style certainly looks as if it could deliver more... oomph?... to the strings, but they seem to be quite difficult to find compared with the French style. What originally happened was that I played my recording of "Walk On By" to my 78-year-old dad (who had kindly paid for my EUB in November as a 48th birthday present) and mentioned that I had used a violin bow. He apparently discussed this with his girlfriend (whose cousin was the late Norbert Brainin, founder and first-violinist of the Amadeus Quartet!) and they decided that I "must" have a proper double-bass bow! So I am to buy one and invoice him, but I don't want to spend too much on something that I won't necessarily use very often (even if it isn't ultimately my money!) Once again, thanks for your advice!

Thanks for your feedback, everyone! Not sure how often I'm going to use a bow anyway, so I'll just get the least expensive one available (described as suitable for 3/4 or 4/4 size basses). It's about £30, which fits in with my "cheap and cheerful" approach to music gear... Looking forward to trying out the techniques you described! PS - should I invest in bass rosin? What is the difference from violin rosin? [attachment=44811:instruments.jpg]

I did a home recording the other day using my Stagg EDB 3/4 EUB, ([url="http://www.alphabeck.co.uk/music/walk_on_by.mp3"]link to recording[/url]) and I decided to play some notes [i]arco[/i]. Not owning a bass bow, I used the bow and rosin that came with my electric violin, and the results were OK, but I have been told that a real bass bow would give a more even sound and be easier to use. Two questions: [list=1] [*]Should I get a 3/4-size bow to match my bass or doesn't it matter? [*]How do I hold the bow away from the bass while playing [i]pizzicato[/i]? I ended up doing one [i]pizz.[/i] and one [i]arco[/i] take, but that's not ideal, and not possible when playing live. [/list]I'm self-taught, so any information would be helpful! Simon "Butterfingers" Beck London, UK

[quote name='Mateybass' post='660749' date='Nov 21 2009, 03:57 AM']I noticed that problem on mine too but I just nudged it back into an upright position without slackening off, it seems to happen when the strings are slackened off and retuned that it goes slightly out of alignment, screwing the bridge allen bolts all the way down whilst holding the thumbscrews to preserve height for the action seems to do the trick. It certainly hasn't moved again, even after transporting it to several gigs.[/quote] Thanks a lot! I did this and it looks a lot better. Not getting much treble response through my PC speakers - all the delicious buzzes and swells I hear unplugged are getting lost, and it sounds a bit too much like a fretless bass guitar, even with the Sub Bass full off. Any thoughts? Simon "Butterfingers" Beck London SE26

One other thing - the bridge seems to be leaning a few degrees towards the nut. Is this a problem, and if so can I just slacken off the strings, reseat the bridge and retune?

[quote name='butterfingersbeck' post='658070' date='Nov 18 2009, 01:35 PM']Thanks! Here is my first recording with the Stagg. It's a rough-and-ready version of Joe Zawinul's classic "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy". There are two Telecaster tracks - sorry about the playing, but guitar's really not my instrument! Percussion is a loop I made in HammerHead 1.0, a great freeware TR-808 simulator. I can only apologise for the suspect intonation on the Stagg - it's the first time I've played upright bass for years, and I'm not that proficient anyway. But the sound is great. [attachment=36618:mercy.mp3][/quote] I'll re-record it sometime using a Wurlitzer piano instead of the guitars - it's one of my favourite songs to jam on, and the original Cannonball Adderly recording has that amazing combination of Wurly and acoustic bass. If you haven't heard it, it's on YouTube. Essential listening for upright bassists, vintage keyboard nuts, just about anyone...

Thanks! Here is my first recording with the Stagg. It's a rough-and-ready version of Joe Zawinul's classic "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy". There are two Telecaster tracks - sorry about the playing, but guitar's really not my instrument! Percussion is a loop I made in HammerHead 1.0, a great freeware TR-808 simulator. I can only apologise for the suspect intonation on the Stagg - it's the first time I've played upright bass for years, and I'm not that proficient anyway. But the sound is great. [attachment=36618:mercy.mp3]