Dean Pass Upright Bass

[pantherairsoft]

Hi people... My first post in the Double Bass/EDB forum! Woohoo :-)

I'm thinking about buying my first... Something different, I play rock and so will work I into the music I play. I was after something with some serious punch and after some google searching heard some reviews of the Dean Pace. It sounds to be exactly what I'm after.

The Bass Gallary have a previously owned one in, which is in fantastic condition and they are asking £499 and can ship to me.

Questions... Anyone here have experience with them and canfirm the build and sound quality to be reasonable?

And,

Given finding one at new retail now seems to be impossible, is the asking price reasonable condsidering what these may of gone for when you bought yours?

Shep

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

A few people (who may or may not have seen or played one in the flesh) might chip in dismiss the Dean Pace as being nothing more than a vertical fretless bass guitar and therefore pointless, but in my opinion that is utter ignorant BS! i used to own one and absolutely loved it. The upright position influences a different playing style and consequently your note choices and rhythms are likely to be different to playing a fretless bas guitar. If I hadn't found a good deal on a Ned Steinberger 5 string CR5M a while ago I'm sure I'd still own & use mine. The other criticism is that it is no good for bowing, but it was not designed for that, so if you're not interested with bowing, for fingerstyle its great fun and looks cool.

I played a lot of gigs with the pace. It had a punchy and growly sound which was very easy to hear in the noise of a two-guitar rock band. The materials and quality were good except for the case which looked good, but seemed to be made from expanded polysytrene covered in fabric. The stock strings were very rough & stiff flatties - hopefully they'd have been changed for something better on the S/H one you're looking at.

The electronics in mine (an early one- don't know if they were ever revised for later models) consisted of a bridge with piezos and a preamp which only had a single volume knob & no eq knobs. Not a problem if you have a decent eq in the amp or on a pedal - although if you take the access plate off you can tweak bass & treble trimpots on the PCB.

A few things which really transformed mine into a really classy sounding instrument for me were a setup including filing the slots in the rosewood nut to get the action low, a behringer ADI-21 acoustic DI/eq pedal - a bargain for £25ish which took away the piezo harshness to really sweeten the tone, & a set of Thomastic JF344 although JF345 would probably fit better.

Regarding price - I sold mine for £380 a few years ago & chucked in the TI JF344s it was wearing along with my first ADI-21 (which I had to replace when I realised how much I used it on other things.)

You can get a new Dean Pace for £440 delivered:
[url="http://www.djmmusic.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=DGB-PACE-CBK"]http://www.djmmusic.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=DGB-PACE-CBK[/url]

Mine had a natural maple finish which with its flamed facing looked a lot more classy than the solid colours.

Edited February 28, 2010 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[pantherairsoft]

Cheers for the feedback. Sounds like it's just what I'm looking for.

I have seen a few go for cheaper 2nd hand, but they were also well gigged, and at the mo there appears to be pretty much none of them around...

I'm very very tempted. Cheers again

[Mr Bassman]

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='759856' date='Feb 28 2010, 04:04 PM']Cheers for the feedback. Sounds like it's just what I'm looking for.

I have seen a few go for cheaper 2nd hand, but they were also well gigged, and at the mo there appears to be pretty much none of them around...

I'm very very tempted. Cheers again[/quote]

Basschatter Oldman has a 5 string he may sell.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='759848' date='Feb 28 2010, 03:55 PM']A few people (who may or may not have seen or played one in the flesh) might chip in dismiss the Dean Pace as being nothing more than a vertical fretless bass guitar and therefore pointless, but in my opinion that is utter ignorant BS![/quote]

.....and here comes one of them.

I've played a couple of them,and although they a aren't bad instrument ,they are not an upright. I've
used the 'vertical fretless' line about them before,because really that's what it is.In fact,the Pace has a shorter
scale than most fretless basses.
If that's what you want then go for it,but don't fool yourself into thinking that you are an upright
player. If you want an inexpensive electric upright,I'd be more inclined to look at something like the
Stagg or Palatino.

[Mr Bassman]

[quote name='Doddy' post='759925' date='Feb 28 2010, 05:21 PM']If you want an inexpensive electric upright,I'd be more inclined to look at something like the
Stagg or Palatino.[/quote]

Or [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=64057&pid=759916&st=0&#entry759916"]this bargain[/url]!

[pantherairsoft]

Nice, and maybe a bargain... But out of my price point.

From the sound samples I've heard the Pace did sound like an upright rather than a fretless electric though. Am I over looking something that you consider to be a dividing line between the two?

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

I was thinking of getting one myself,but don't think I could do rock covers with it.Have enough basses ,so don't really need it.
I f I did,it would probably be red or something bright.
I've seen them go for less than the top of this page. Maybe someone will take my eden combo in a straight swap.

Edited February 28, 2010 by RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='Doddy' post='759925' date='Feb 28 2010, 05:21 PM']In fact,the Pace has a shorter scale than most fretless basses.[/quote]
Most fretless basses are longer than 35" scale? i did not know that.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

The last 30 secs of this track give an indication of how my Dean Pace sounded with TI Jazz flats and Behringer ADI-21
[attachment=43861:o5b_For_...ts_Worth.mp3]

[OutToPlayJazz]

Having played both, I'd go for the Stagg. One of my pupils has one & it really nails the EUB sound, especially at the price point. Red is seriously cool, too.

[cupples]

I've just picked on up for £299 from a dealer, used. It's a bit battered, but sounds good with the LaBella tapewounds, great in fact! Not a proper upright, no, but as easy as pie going from my usual 34" fretless bass, no thinking involved!

One problem that some of these basses seem to have is an annoying sporadic buzz, worse when you touch the strings. It's a problem with the earth wire running to the bridge, it seems to lose contact after a while. Mine was doing this. Just unscrew the bridge, and solder on a small round thingy to go around one of the screws, or just bung it into a screw hole when you're reattaching the bridge.

I would recommend one, as long as you've had a good play at it, and can get it cheaper than 499...

Andrew

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='761605' date='Mar 2 2010, 10:43 AM']Having played both, I'd go for the Stagg. One of my pupils has one & it really nails the EUB sound, especially at the price point. Red is seriously cool, too.[/quote]


+1

A Stagg with some foam wedged underneath the strings can do a great DB impression, i disagree with the colour choice though, i thought it looked horrible in red. Black all the way!

They come up for around £220 - £270 2nd hand too

[Doddy]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='761510' date='Mar 2 2010, 09:00 AM']Most fretless basses are longer than 35" scale? i did not know that.[/quote]

My mistake-I thought they were short scale like the Kydd.

Everything else I said,I still stand by.