Takamine TB10 or DB10? What’s the difference?

[Rob MacKillop]

According to the Takamine website, the TB10 is discontinued, but they have no mention at all of the DB10. What’s going on? They both look and sound the same on the videos I’ve heard. 

[Rob MacKillop]

To answer my own query…I found a German Takamine sight which gives more information:

 

The DB10 Pro Series bass is entirely handcrafted, leveraging the wealth of experience we've accumulated over five decades.
This unique hybrid bass guitar retains the familiar 34" scale length, but the neck radius corresponds to that of a double bass—you can even use a bow to play it. It includes a retractable endpin specifically for this alternative use. This fretless instrument (without frets) produces a rich and powerful bass sound with harmonics familiar from a double bass.
Its Palathetic™ pickup from Takamine is considered by experts to be one of the most accurate and natural electro-acoustic pickups available.

 

The TB10 Pro Series bass is entirely handcrafted, leveraging the wealth of experience we've accumulated over five decades.
This unique hybrid bass guitar retains the familiar 34" scale length, but the neck radius corresponds to that of a double bass – you can even use a bow to play it. It includes a retractable endpin specifically for this alternative use. This fretless instrument (without frets) produces a rich and powerful bass sound with harmonics familiar from a double bass.
Its Palathetic™ pickup from Takamine is considered by experts to be one of the most accurate and natural electro-acoustic pickups available. With the Cool Tube® preamp, the only tube preamp for acoustic guitar, you can leave nothing to chance when it comes to amplification.

 

So, both models are the same, but the discontinued TB110 has the addition of the Cool Tube preamp. 

 

I love the double-bass sound of these basses, much closer to an upright than anything else I’ve heard. The negative for me is that I did try one for 30 seconds 12 years ago, and found it required a really strong right-hand pluck. I’m not from that school at all, unfortunately. 

 

So my quest for a DB sound with a lighter technique continues. Perhaps the Godin Ultras might get me close. I’m not a fan of the Mwah! that it seems is coveted by most fretless players. 

 

Edited Monday at 20:23 by Rob MacKillop

[itu]

Then a professional setup would change the bass entirely. 

[Rob MacKillop]

Yes, rather negatively I fear. 

[Hellzero]

Rob, the Godin definitely sounds like a fretless...

 

You are right when saying the Takamine TB10 or (D)B10 sounds close to a double bass.

 

I had both, but didn't like that really really really thick neck (even if I have big hands with piano player fingers), that said mine were set up with a low action and Thomastik JF strings, which are (very) light tension and helped the ease of play.

 

That said, if you could find a Leduc U-Basse with its patented free floating top, I think it would tick all your boxes, especially the first generation with a bolt-on neck and twin Fishman piezo, but you have to like the headless design.

 

These basses do have the acoustic sound you're after (with regular gauge flatwound strings) and very little mwah inherent to the construction.

 

Use a translator as it's in French: http://ubass.free.fr/index.php?page=22

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Many thanks, Hellzero. I had not heard of the Leduc U-Basse. It sounds very interesting. However, I have just ordered the Godin A5 Ultra…it should arrive on Tuesday. If that fails, I’ll look for the Leduc! 

[Bolo]

On 06/10/2025 at 22:23, Rob MacKillop said:

Yes, rather negatively I fear. 

Would you care to give some background on this? As it seems like a counter-intuitive response.

[Rob MacKillop]

It does, I agree. My thinking was that the DB and TB both need thick double bass strings and high tension in order to I get the sound they do. By getting a tech to make it more playable for me - I have a fairly light touch - it would change the nature of the instrument for the worse. I decided the basses were perfect as they were, and the problem was me. I looked elsewhere, and bought the Godin A5 Ultra. We shall see how I get with that when it arrives Wednesday next week. 

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Bolo said:

Would you care to give some background on this? As it seems like a counter-intuitive response.

I read it as inferring that an important element of it’s DB-like tone is the high action, that if you lower the action it will sound increasingly like a fretless electric bass, albeit a very large and slightly unergonomic one.
 

I had one for a year or so, yes it can do DB, but as is so often said, if you want a true DB sound, it’s so much easier to do it on a DB.
 

The Takamine is beautifully designed and beautifully engineered but as an instrument it is neither one thing or the other. If I had the funds spare I still wouldn’t buy another 

[Beedster]

4 minutes ago, Rob MacKillop said:

It does, I agree. My thinking was that the DB and TB both need thick double bass strings and high tension in order to I get the sound they do. By getting a tech to make it more playable for me - I have a fairly light touch - it would change the nature of the instrument for the worse. I decided the basses were perfect as they were, and the problem was me. I looked elsewhere, and bought the Godin A5 Ultra. We shall see how I get with that when it arrives Wednesday next week. 

 

2 minutes ago, Beedster said:

I read it as inferring that an important element of it’s DB-like tone is the high action, that if you lower the action it will sound increasingly like a fretless electric bass, albeit a very large and slightly unergonomic one.
 

I had one for a year or so, yes it can do DB, but as is so often said, if you want a true DB sound, it’s so much easier to do it on a DB.
 

The Takamine is beautifully designed and beautifully engineered but as an instrument it is neither one thing or the other. If I had the funds spare I still wouldn’t buy another 

Great minds 👍

[Bolo]

That makes sense, thanks for the replies 

[Papbear3012]

Yeah, it’s odd. The DB10 might just be a regional or renamed version of the TB10. Takamine probably phased one out quietly without updating the site.

[Aalin]

For the TB10, I agree, if you lower the action you loose the DB sound, but it’s easier to play.
I lower the action of mine, but with a good EQ and a CTP CoolTube Preamp, you can find back a sound which is more or less as the original one.
Maybe the difference between the D and TB 10 is the new preamp, the CT4-DX. No more CoolTube.

[Hellzero]

On 06/10/2025 at 22:17, Rob MacKillop said:

So, both models are the same, but the discontinued TB10 has the addition of the Cool Tube preamp.

Urm, urm...

[Aalin]

HI HellZero
Don’t have the Godin, but have the TB10 and the Leduc with the old twin Fishman piezo.
Don’t know if that pickup sound better than what Leduc puts after on the U Bass.
Ubass strung with La Bella 760N Black Nylon Tape as recommended by Leduc himself.
As you my TB10 is stung with Thomastik JF 364, light gauge, easy to play.
I’m not a fan of the Ubass headless design, when I bought it, Icould have it with a head, but Leduc told me that this will make more sustain, and in final I thought that if Leduc built it like that (headless), there is a reason that it could sound better and bought it like that.
Like you I’m not a fan of the mwah.
The Ubass is very light also.
Just to share my impression.

[petebassist]

Tried the TB10 a few years back. Loved the tone, but too heavy for me to gig with for long unless sitting. I didn’t get to try it upright with the pin out but guessing you wouldn’t be able to stand as not long enough. Would be a great all rounder studio instrument I think.

[Aalin]

I play it sitting as a regular bass, some play it like a cello

[Aalin]

It's  a so beautifull bass that on stage even if you play badly, people will like your playing.

No I'm jocking. 😀😀

[Hellzero]

@Aalin, the newer piezo pickups (one per string) installed is the RMC and as great as it can be on a fretted, the Fishman BP-100 twin piezo is more able to capture the acoustic tone of the instrument, that's why I asked to put one in my U-Basse 6 fretless (the last ever built as my friend Christophe is retired now) with the Fishman PowerChip preamp that gives you back the slightly missing low end.

 

 

Where are you located in France ?

[Aalin]

I have a spare BP-100 twin piezo I bought, in case of.

What preamp you have ? Leduc put me first a bartolini one, and latter change it for, I don't know what. But not sure I prefer the new one, even if I'm not a fan of Batolini sound.

Leduc is retired, but I hope still in activity for maintenance. I had it on phone a year ago and need to see him for maintenance my 4 string U Bass.

I live in Paris, If you pass to Paris, we can see each other

Edited 6 hours ago by Aalin

[Hellzero]

2 hours ago, Aalin said:

What preamp you have ?

As mentioned, the Fishman PowerChip, which is a mixing buffer preamp with low impedance output.

 

And I don't go to Paris anymore as it's a nightmare to drive there...

 

But if you come to Christophe's place for the maintenance (that he still makes for his instruments even if he is 71 years old and retired), I'm living 45 minutes away, just across the border on the Belgian side, so I may come there and meet you with my U-Basse 6 fretless. 😉

 

And just in case anyone wants to know, the magnetic pickups on the above pictured Leduc are the amazing Q-Tuner from the Netherlands.

[Hellzero]

Just in case, @Aalin, there's this thread about Leduc basses:

 

 

[Clarky]

I had both TB10 and DB10. As noted, the only difference was the preamp. I gigged it with an added strap button, bass guitar style, or on its stick, upright style - video of latter here https://wilybo.com/acoustic-band-videos/1982-2/

 

It was thumpy and great for DB style sounds (I had my most recent, with the cool tube preamp, strung with Rotosound TruBass black nylon strings) but a bit heavy (especially in its tank-proof hard case) and clunky. I sold it in the end as I barely used it in the bands I played in. Were I to go acoustic Americana again, I would consider re-buying

Edited 3 hours ago by Clarky

[Aalin]

1 hour ago, Hellzero said:

Hellzero

HI, I keep in mind the Fishman PowerChip preamp to talk with Leduc when I will see him for maintenance, 
I will tell you when I go, probably before the end of the year. Thank’s for the meeting proposition at this occasion.
I really agree with you about the Paris nightmare to drive in Paris.

One day, the price I paid to park a car during a gig makes the money I earn quite for nothing

 

[Aalin]

Clarky
So the diffce between the T and D is the preamp, as you mentioned