Staggering on

Your tutor might be able to help you stand more comfortably but if you are new to upright bass you can expect a bit of discomfort until your body gets used to what is at best, an awkward position. Your left arm and hand will need to develop more strength which will happen as you play more. I play standing because I like to move a lot when I play and whether it is DB or EUB I'm on my feet, it just seems more natural to me. After a long gig or practice session I am sometimes a bit sore but I think the fact that I move a lot helps avoid pain. If you are in an orchestra or other formal ensemble you can't move around but in the small jazz bands I play in it is OK. I am 72 and started upright about five years ago and my left arm is the first area to start feeling pain but that is partly due to age and my dodgy technique and I find using the bow is worse for me than pizz. Good luck and have fun. 😊

Congratulations, what a great way to start 2019! 👍

Perfect! 👍

Looks great! Always exciting to get something new, especially a DB.👍

About four years ago I switched from EB to an EUB for the jazz and swing bands I'm in. I started with the Stagg which was OK but several months later I came across a used Yamaha SLB 200 at a great price and it is much better than the Stagg in terms of playability and sound, although others on here don't like the Yamaha it works for me.Of course it is also much more expensive. Then last summer I bought a DB and with the right pickup and strings it is a whole new world of fun. Now I use the EUB for some gigs where space and/or access are issues and the Engelhardt DB on the rest of the gigs.Both work great and I have had lots of compliments and questions about both instruments. I guess my suggestion would be to try as many EUB's and DB's as you can and go from there.I was lucky to be in England last April for the BC double bass bash and got the chance to hear and play a number of EUB's and DB's. I was really impressed with the Eminence EUB but it is pretty pricey. Check out the stuff for sale on BC, often real bargains show up. Upright is hard work but it is great fun, for me it's the best way to go and my playing has improved a lot since I've gone upright and when you play upright you feel like a "real" bass player! Go for it!😊

Thanks, but it's probably just because I'm old. 😉

I have posted this pic before on BC. I just had to buy the shirt when I discovered it online and here I am posing with "Marilyn", my blonde double bass. I always get comments when I wear the shirt, especially if I'm playing "Marilyn".

Sounds like a good plan, take care of yourself first.

Sorry, but I'm passing them on to someone over here(Canada) and quite frankly they are in very bad shape and are not really very playable. They were played a little when new about 10 years ago when the previous owner of my bass bought them and then the bass just sat in a basement storage area until I got it last summer and the storage time was not good for the strings, probably due to dampness.The G also had some issues with rough spots on the winding. At this point in their life I don't think they would be a fair example of what the Corellis are really like.

Just like most of the finer things in life such as a nice single malt....😊

Good one!😉

Careful now, there are some other banjo owners (including me) on this site and an angry banjo player is not a good thing! (I'm not angry,I'm loving this...😉 )

The strings have been on for about a week and have settled in and I am delighted with how they sound and feel. I have played one or two hours each day and have done mostly pizz and some work with the bow and love the brightness and clarity. The tone and volume from string to string are both very even and consistent as I move up the fingerboard, not too far in my case. I opted for the Zyex light gauge and found they are quite a bit thicker than the Corelli 370 F strings and a slightly higher tension but I love the feel of them, very easy to play and easy on the fingers.I have played unplugged and also through my amp and the volume and sustain are very good both ways. I will be using them on the next gig in a couple of weeks and hope they will sound as good through the PA. I know they will cut through the rest of the band better than the old strings and the bass will be more audible so I better get to work on a few of the tricky parts before we play in public, the "dull thud" that I could hide behind is gone and there are real notes now!😊 I ordered these from Gollihur and had a chat with Mark about what I was looking for and took his advice, excellent service from people who really know about the products they sell... and they are bass players! Thanks for the comments from BC members in the posts above.👍

Guilty plea re your first sentence, former teacher and still trying to get over the "correct the error"syndrome...I'm working on it and liking all the good stuff on this site, technical and personal.In OT I even made a resolution for 2019, a first for me. Good vibes and wonderful support from almost everyone on here make it a good part of my day.😊

Beedster and Vinny and others are right, be very careful. I am not a cardiologist but here is my experience. It depends on many variables, most importantly actual damage to your heart and of course your physical condition and general health.In 2017 I had angioplasty and a stent on October 10 and played a three hour gig on my EUB on the 14th with the doctor's OK.I had second stent put in another artery on October 25 and played a two hour gig just over a week later and played several more times in rehearsals and gigs in the next month, again with the doctor's OK. I had not had a heart attack and there was no damage to my heart, this was preventive work to clear some blockages.I am a lucky person in very good health and very fit due to my work as a farrier and an exercise program.I was 71 when the angioplasties were done and I have had no problems working or gigging since but I also stay in touch with my doctors and have had regular follow up appointments and tests and work hard to stay fit. I felt great and the doctors agreed that I was clear to work so I did and I am still working and gigging in two bands. Your situation will be different due to the fact that you had a heart attack but I was very lucky. Please note that I am NOT saying that my experience is typical nor am I suggesting that anyone should do what I did.You will have to feel your way through this with your doctors and do what you can when you feel ready. Many of us on here have had heart issues and I'm sure you will get lots of good advice but above all, be careful and take no silly risks. Good luck and all the best for a quick recovery so you can get back to playing bass.

What about lefties? I believe you know one.😀

For the third year our jazz quartet played an early New Year's Eve gig yesterday (Dec 28) at a nursing home where about 75 residents/patients gathered with some family members and staff for a party to celebrate NYE. We play in a lovely big room with great acoustics and decorated with balloons and lots of other appropriate things including hats and noisemakers. We did two sets and then had the big countdown at 3:00PM(!) and the balloons came down from the ceiling nets and we launched into Auld Lang Syne as the residents toasted and cheered in the new year. It is a fun but also sad gig as many of the residents struggle with various afflictions brought on by old age or disease but the music always seems to get through to them and some dance or clap along and some sing along with us. Even most of the people with mental difficulties (dementia and others) respond to the music and at the end of the show seem to be a bit more "alive" , if I may use that term. I guess for many musicians this would be a very odd gig but we have come to look forward to it and work hard to make it a good time for everyone, including the band. A sad fact is that when we go back again many of this year's audience won't be there and as we all get older we realize how precious life is and how lucky we are to have music in our lives and that we can brighten up the day for others doing what we love to do. This gig always reminds me that life just flies by, we should try to do what we can while we are able and have fun with our music and use it to cheer up others as well, and that is not always easy as life throws stuff at us.We play in many different venues but this gig always makes me want to get moving and take what I can from whatever time I have left. OK, sermon over, time to wish everyone a great year in 2019.😀

Jazz quartet gig playing for cocktail time at the local lawyers association Christmas party.We did this gig last year and it was a repeat booking at the same venue which was the bar area (small) at a golf club.At the 6:00 start time a couple of people arrived and by 6:15 the place was jam packed with about eighty lawyers and guests trying to get as drunk as possible as fast as possible. We just played on although I have no idea what it sounded like.We did our usual fare and a few Christmas songs and treated it as a paid rehearsal.The crowd was so loud in the small space that it was hard to hear the leader when he called the tunes, same as last year so we were prepared.We played straight through for just under 90 minutes when they were called to the dining room and our work was done. Full pay for a three hour gig and we played half of that and were on our way home and even managed to sample a few of the finger foods the guests were served.My ears are still ringing and it's not from the band.A few people did come over and said how much they enjoyed the music but I wonder what they could hear, sometimes you just have to take it as it is and keep going and smile.I used my Yamaha SLB 200 instead of my DB due to the very small area for the band and it sounded great as usual.

Best for me is my Engelhardt Swingmaster ES 9. She's big, blonde and sounds great and gets as many compliments for her looks as her sound.On top of that she is fun to play and easier to haul around than I thought. My EB and EUB are good but this big acoustic has taken me to another place. No worsts yet but I'm waiting for a new set of Zyex strings to arrive and I'm hoping they will be another good purchase.

You've nailed it again Dad, covered the topic perfectly.I was about to post most of the ideas above but you've done a better and more thorough job. 👍

Fun gig with the seven piece "little big band" yesterday at an elementary school. We played a few songs including some Christmas music and then got to sit in with the school band and play along with about twenty-five kids aged 13 and 14. The best part was watching the kindergarten kids(age 5) up on the stage as they sang through Rudolph, Jingle Bells and We Wish You A Merry Christmas complete with actions.Brought a tear to my eye as I recalled seeing my son and his classmates doing the same thing some thirty-five years ago, quite a magic moment and the little concert put me in a better mood for the Christmas season.

Thanks for the link, I saw that and it was very positive and is one of the reasons I decided to try them. Once I have them on my bass I'll get back on here and do a bit of a review of them, although with my limited experience on DB and EUB it won't be very technical. I guess it will be more of a comparison with the Corelli's that are on the bass now.

Thanks, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear. I will order a set today and hope they get here before Christmas, our Canadian postal system still has a backlog due to a recent strike by their employees.

Thanks for the info, I think I'll order a set. Anyone else have experience with these strings?

I think it's time I put new strings on my Engehardt ES 9 bass and Mark Gollihur recommends Zyex for Kays and Engelhardts. I play pizz on gigs but use the bow at home sometimes when I am practicing and apparently these strings are not too bad with a bow.The bass came with ten year old Corelli 370 F strings and they are getting pretty dead. Any input about Zyex strings would be appreciated. Thanks