NickA

Truth is, if you can play a fretted bass without buzzing the frets, then you can play fretless in tune. I suppose once you know where the notes are on a multi scale having frets or not makes no odds. I'm still struggling a bit with 5 strings...having only played 4 stringed instruments for 50 years. Old dogs new tricks etc. multi scale's a step too far for me I think. 🙂

Daddario hybrids...I used a set for 18 years. Easier to bow than my set of spiros. Various people told me they're the worst of both worlds tho, poor for bowing and pizz! Swapped to Eva pirazzi ( advised to get the full tension sort though as...apparently...they bow better ). Then yesterday watched a video of Yuri Goloubev, who says he really likes helicore hybrids! Spiro weichs are nice; had them on a loan bass while mine was being mended. I prefer the Eva's if there's any bowing to do tho.

Fair do's. Mine came from bass bags ..and was badged as a Keyboard stool. Included a not very useful back rest. Maybe not quite the same. The vinyl didn't last long and the padding went soft. Upgrade on the IKEA bar stool I used before tho.

I recently swapped from this very stool design to the k&m. Much prefer the k&m. It has a height adjustable foot rest, memory foam padding and an ergonomic seat that tilts fore /aft. Most importantly it doesn't squeak like the old one.... which is now confined to the garage for when I've some soldering to do at my workbench. Glad you like it, but IMO the price was the only really good thing.

How in heavens name do you play that in tune????

In the east midlands too. Every town has a jazz jam session now with some people going to all of them. It's the new blues! Despite helping to organise a couple of them, I've gone from being in demand to being in a queue. But we're mostly rank amateurs. I think "proper" jazz musos have mostly moved on to bass playing that's contrapuntal without following the restrictions of walking.

Bought my one and only double bass from Peter in 1988. He seemed pretty old then ( to my much younger self). Is he still in business? The website is still there... I'm having a similar problem with Andrew McGill who has one of my bows but won't reply to my messages.

I have that or something very like it: https://ecmrecords.com/product/nuove-musiche-rolf-lislevand/ Sprang, I think, off the success of the "officium" recording of Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard ensemble. Kind of jazz / early music fusion resting on the thoughts that some parts of early music were improvised. There's another called "in darkness let me dwell" with the wonderful Barry Guy on bass ( not a man to do a walking bass line!). "Corruscating" by John Surman in a similar sort of vein, featuring classical string players who also do jazz, with Chris Lawrence on bass. Back in the land of straight jazz; I thought it was only old fogies like me, playing 50s mainstream ( "modern" ) jazz who still did walking bass lines. You don't hear Dan Berglund, Yuri Goloubev or Liran Donan doing it much. Personally, I love playing a good swinging walking bass through a load of changes ...old fart me tho😁

Bass bags do custom cases. They'll get anything made up. Give them a call and talk to David ( NB: you might be on the phone a while 🙂 ).

Amazing looking bass! Never heard of the make so looked it up. Your man Antonio doesn't get a good rap! http://www.chionline.com/Antoniotsai/ Hope yours is a good one.

My problem is owning a Wal custom fretless. I just look at my bass wall, on which also hang a fretted 4 string Warwick dolphin and a fretted 5 string Wal MK2 and think ...I'll just take the fretless Wal, it's just so £_&-ing lovely. Now and then I do need frets or a low B, then the MK2 comes out. The dolphin is nice at home, for playing classical music on... and when I come over all 80s and need to slap something. Nice problem to have I admit.

Didn't realise alembic were such a big outfit. I've been to the electric wood workshop.... but as its a small converted cowshed, there isn't much of a "tour" to be had. Fraction of the size.

Well its an improvement on the original anyway. Upper fret access on bolt on necks is often an issue.

😂😂 That's the spirit! Sure the great makers of the 18th century would have done exactly that!

My fretless is 86, two string guides, black knobs. Guess it's whatever was in the parts bin. Unlike today,they used to knock them out apace. These days, the exact colour of the knobs and kind of string guide is probably what people specify, along with the special stained finishes, custom finger board inlays gold hardwear etc etc ...no wonder it takes so long to make one now. 🤔

Not a pro1. That's a custom ( aka MK1). Looks like a nice one too. £7k isn't far off the mark these days. In fact this is about the cheapest one out there today. From the wear on the knobs, it's Wal & Pete Stevens era not a Paul Herman. Late 80s? There are some silly prices out there eg a fretless custom on reverb for £12k and a nearly new MK2 4 string that sold in Denmark for about £12k ( inc vat).

Closer to Anthony Jackson's Fodera "contra bass". Whole different instrument to dB or electric imo. Impressive bit of kit, tho I wish he'd shut up and just play it.

Anthony Jackson has a very particular sound ...it's not very dB like, it's unique; very damped. He's a genius. It took a while for me to appreciate that as it's sometimes hard to hear what he's playing! You're right that I like a complex dB sound, that's why I play one ..the "thump" is a part of it, the mwah is too ( spiros, low action, diagonal pizz strikes). You don't get that sound from the old Paul chambers etc recordings it's true, but I think that sound is to an extent what you could get from 1950s/ 60s recording tech and old style strings. If Mr PC had had access to spiros,and a selection of realist pickups and modern mikes he'd have sounded different!? ....maybe? That Oscar Peterson recording is superb... and I'd say the bass sound is really complex, full of nuance and tonal variety. It's like listening to black velvet. But as previously said ",there is no one dB sound". If heavily damped thud is what you want then a block of foam and tape wounds on a P might float your boat, but it's not a sound I can get ( or would want) from my double bass. I guess I'd like to sound like Eddie Gomez (😂) ..and some people say he sounds like he's playing a fretless electric. Tho I'd settle for Danny Thompson on Solid Air! (😂😂) ...as if.

Sounds awful, like an overdamped thuddy p bass. Some strange idea of how a double bass sounds. Where is the lovely change in timbre you get during the decay of a double bass note.

I like this one. But there is no "upright bass sound". Someone playing rockabilly on a laminate bass sounds quite different from Charlie Haden or Eddie Gomez playing jazz on something ancient. Personally I'm going for a softer high-mwah sound whereas others are after a well damped solid thud. Too right, who plays the same lines on electric and upright?

Oooo half position. Simandls favourite. Painful. I avoid going there whenever possible. But if you're playing with saxophones it's unavoidable .. and a well developed left hand is essential.

Looks nice. Looks fairly new. Properly made too. It's a shape that's quite popular for modern factory basses .. look at the Eastman &Jay Haide basses ( made in china) and they have the same steeply sloped shoulders, violin corners and round back. Could almost be an Eastman vb305 https://www.bassbags.co.uk/product/eastman-vb305-double-bass-evah-pirazzi/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwx-CyBhAqEiwAeOcTdQ2WGSSYTKVKXhiVLCUXtU2ZcvgB1DWnYidR9Sq7imKrBqWfU9uWVxoCXjkQAvD_BwE But it has different tuners and the extension looks as though it was built with the neck which is unusual ( they're usually added later) and the dark stain on the neck is unusual too ( usually bare oiled maple). Is that a repaired crack in the front tho? Could have been repaired / restored .. Where did you buy it? Did the seller not know it's provenance? If you take it for an insurance valuation to somewhere like timtoft or thwaites they might have some ideas. Pretty common with basses that you just never know. I know the history of mine, but not who made it..it's just "German, late 1800s"...and a nice restored one I nearly bought, which looked new, was "English, maybe Hungarian, around 1900".

Maybe mod a series 2 by replacing the op amps then 😉. Tho there are likely other things in there using power (voltage bias resistors or sommat) The 1x9V batteries in my Wal basses last for years.

That's because a plucked violin sounds like someone dropping ball bearings in a tin bath, whereas a pizzicato bass sounds sublime.

Ok! Sounds good. I've only ever had two double bass lessons (.both classical). But I play the cello too, so the transition wasn't that hard. Did work through a lot of simandl tho:and needed the lessons to get out of a rut. Left hand Technique for jazz and classical is the same, but few classical bass teachers know how to do a proper jazz style pizzicato! Also worth finding someone to help you with which notes to p!ay. I only really got into jazz by playing at workshops, sessions and then a regular band. There's a limit to what you can learn at home on your own. And there are no end of jazz sessions about these days. The main difference from electric is the muscle work involved. I'd advise playing a bit every day and doing a lot of dull half position semi tone stuff to build up your left hand... and don't cheat on left hand Technique: stick to proper positions keeping fingers 1 ,2 & 4 a semi tone apart, else it's easy to get lost and out of tune ( no chance for a quick glance at the frets!) Good luck & report back!