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Can you 'slap' a Stagg EDB rockabilly-style?


Clarky
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I have a Zeller 3/4 DB that I want to teach myself to slap when I have the time (got the Weedwacker strings on it). My band fancies slap-style bass on a couple of our more psychobilly-influenced tracks and - given the impracticality of bringing a DB and my Rick 4001 to gigs - I wondered if the Stagg EDB-3/4 would manage it? I know it won't sound authentically DB but is it possible to slap and will it come close sound-wise?

Thx Clarky

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[quote name='wateroftyne' post='208533' date='May 28 2008, 11:53 PM']I could slap my old Bassix EUB, but it had hollow chambers with piezos inside.

An entirely solid body EUB, though? Hmmm... I don't think so.[/quote]
Thanks! Just saved me £250 of GAS!

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[quote name='wateroftyne' post='208533' date='May 28 2008, 11:53 PM']I could slap my old Bassix EUB, but it had hollow chambers with piezos inside.

An entirely solid body EUB, though? Hmmm... I don't think so.[/quote]

Ok, just to be contrary - I'm guessing that it will be physically possible to go through the motions, i.e. to put the clothesline type strings on the EUB, raise the string action up high, and start slapping away at it.

To be perhaps ignorant - the rockabilly bands I've seen playing live haven't exactly been subtle in terms of their approach to acoustics. The last band I saw were very loud, and the double bass player had filled his DB with foam, I believe for two reasons: to allow him to stand on the DB, and to reduce feedback generated by the acoustic properties of the instrument. In other words, he made it sound and behave more like an EUB.

Another rockabilly band I saw, the DB player put the DB through a massive pedalboard, so I guess he wasn't an acoustic purist either.

If you could try before you buy that would be ideal, but I suppose that isn't possible in this case :-(

Jennifer

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[quote name='endorka' post='208589' date='May 29 2008, 07:31 AM']Ok, just to be contrary - I'm guessing that it will be physically possible to go through the motions, i.e. to put the clothesline type strings on the EUB, raise the string action up high, and start slapping away at it.

To be perhaps ignorant - the rockabilly bands I've seen playing live haven't exactly been subtle in terms of their approach to acoustics. The last band I saw were very loud, and the double bass player had filled his DB with foam, I believe for two reasons: to allow him to stand on the DB, and to reduce feedback generated by the acoustic properties of the instrument. In other words, he made it sound and behave more like an EUB.

Another rockabilly band I saw, the DB player put the DB through a massive pedalboard, so I guess he wasn't an acoustic purist either.

If you could try before you buy that would be ideal, but I suppose that isn't possible in this case :-(

Jennifer[/quote]

I've no doubt you could - physically - slap it, but I'm just wondering how successful it would be sonically.

Does the Stagg have a magnetic pickup, or a piezo in the bridge? Or none of the above? Anyone know?

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I've slapped my Aria EUB (in the privacy of my own home, of course) a few times to get a handle on the technique and I thought it sounded OK and the Stagg is pretty much a copy of the Aria.

The peizo picks up enough fingerboard noise for the percussive sounds though you need to be careful with the preamp volume on the pulls.

With a set of nylon strings on, I don't think it would sound an awful lot different to a slapped acoustic - especially to a room full of pi$$ed up psycobillies.

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I haven't got my Stagg anymore, but from memory I think it's a piezo bridge pickup with very limited controls (vol and tone). It should be relatively easy, however, to fit a mag pickup on the fingerboard. Most successful slappers seem to have additional electronics to help out.

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Thanks everyone for advice - consensus seems to be that it would be possible with the addition (probably) of an extra p/u on the fingerboard to pick up the clicks/slaps and possibly changing strings to nylons

Great place BassChat!

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[quote name='john_the_bass' post='208614' date='May 29 2008, 08:39 AM']I would have thought most Rockabilly/Psychobilly slappers would have a piezo on the bridge and another on the fingerboard just to pick up the slaps. If you've not got the fingerboard piezo, how are you going to pick up the clicks?[/quote]

MB1. :)
If you dont eat your meat!....How can you have any pudding?

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Oh ok then....


No, but I can slap a monkey


Happy now? :)

On a more serious note, I have messed about with slapping on my NS Wav and it's not bad. The bridge piezos do pick up a fair amount of the attack and you could always boost the tone control which just makes Wavs clicky sounding anyway :huh:

Cheers
Alun

Edited by Alun
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[quote name='Alun' post='209089' date='May 29 2008, 06:33 PM']Oh ok then....


No, but I can slap a monkey


Happy now? :)

On a more serious note, I have messed about with slapping on my NS Wav and it's not bad. The bridge piezos do pick up a fair amount of the attack and you could always boost the tone control which just makes Wavs clicky sounding anyway :huh:

Cheers
Alun[/quote]

to tell you the truth , the whole thong about rockabilly slap bass is the slap sound which is the note and the slap ,plus the actual vision of the 3/4 double bass , you can get a good cheap rockabilly set up german bass on ebay for a very good price !!

if ya ask me , it's well worth the hassle of humping ya slapbass around the moment ya get onstage and wrap ya legs around the big fat girl.................. rockabilly heaven

and a good tip is , go for the k&k rockabilly pick up kit
hope this helps
kev bucket

www.myspace.com/kevbucket

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[quote name='kevbucket' post='209366' date='May 30 2008, 08:56 AM']to tell you the truth , the whole thong about rockabilly slap bass is the slap sound which is the note and the slap ,plus the actual vision of the 3/4 double bass , you can get a good cheap rockabilly set up german bass on ebay for a very good price !!

if ya ask me , it's well worth the hassle of humping ya slapbass around the moment ya get onstage and wrap ya legs around the big fat girl.................. rockabilly heaven

and a good tip is , go for the k&k rockabilly pick up kit
hope this helps
kev bucket

www.myspace.com/kevbucket[/quote]
Thx Kev Bucket - agreed it looks tons better (and I have the DB already), its just the logistics that worry me - for example, for band practices I have to schlep on London Underground to NW London but live in SW London - impossible with a doghouse

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[quote name='bassace' post='208617' date='May 29 2008, 08:40 AM']I haven't got my Stagg anymore, but from memory I think it's a piezo bridge pickup with very limited controls (vol and tone). It should be relatively easy, however, to fit a mag pickup on the fingerboard. Most successful slappers seem to have additional electronics to help out.[/quote]


It's got a piezo and a sound chamber so it picks up any slaps against the fingerboard and stuff ..
I can't slap so I don't know how successful it would be for your thang though ...

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