TheRev

[quote name='Clarky' post='1002629' date='Oct 27 2010, 03:58 PM']So does anyone have a nice playing Eminence they wish to move on?[/quote] Nope I've had mine just over a year now and it's really starting to open up (aided by very good strings and improved technique). I've just finished some recordings so if they're not hideously out of tune I'll post a link so you can hear what an Eminence sounds like. For what it's worth, I bought my Eminence unseen and unplayed purely on recommendation from other users.

Ah- without a preamp it will definitely sound thin and weedy. The Realist pickup can be used straight into a bass amp, but it really needs to be a DB specific combo with the right input impedance. I always use a Fishman Platinum Pro with my Eminence. I can't really comment on the set up as I went from the Aria to the Eminence via a month or so of a hired DB so I have only limited experience of what e real DB feels like. All I can say is that the Eminence felt much more like the hired DB than the Aria did. The stock strings on the Eminence are Helicore hybrid mediums, which are a bit stiff. I've got Velvet Garbos on mine, which are much lighter to play and sound the dogs doodahs.

Did you try the Eminence plugged in? That's kinda how they're meant to be played. I've owned an Aria and now own an Eminence. The Eminence feels and sounds much more like a double bass than the Aria did. IMHO of course.... what strings are you using on your Aria? The right kind of strings can go a long way to getting you on the way the proper DB sound. Having said that, no EUB is ever going to sound like an unamplified DB, just as no amplified DB is ever going to sound just like an unamplified DB, but you can get close enough to fool most punters and on a good night, you can even fool yourself. I've long since given up trying to 'sound' like I'm playing double bass and just concentrate on getting a decent sound that sits nicely in the mix - this always has a better outcome for the song, band & gig than having an 'authentic' DB sound.

Very very nice.... I'd prefer a bit more growl and a bit less thump in the bass sound but that's just me. The sound as it is fits pefectly with the track. Are you in the Canteen for the jazz jam on Monday? I'm in town Monday night and if this is the sort of quality going on, i'll make a special effort to pop in.

[quote name='Zach' post='993832' date='Oct 19 2010, 05:46 PM']Have you got any recommendations for stuff with nice bits of DB to be listening to? Am also ignorant of most of the big names on upright, so some pointers for who to look at would also be cool.[/quote] Everyone has their own no 1 players, but my personal faves are: Jazz: Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. Bass by Mr Paul Chambers who is a total legend. Other jazz names to check out are Charles Mingus, Ray Brown and Dave Holland. A good modern jazz outfit to check out is E.S.T. Folk: Anything with Danny Thompson, but to get started, Solid Air by John Martyn and anything by Pentangle. You should also check out Beth Orton's Central Reservation and Trailer Park albums with the wonderful Ali Friend on bass. While we're talking about Ali Friend, check out his latest folkie/acoustic band, Clayhill and especially the 'Mine at Last' CD. Drum'n'bass: 'Brown paper bag' is a must listen (all hail Si Johns) as is anything and everything by Red Snapper (Ali Friend again). Danny Thompson has had the most influence on my playing, as much through his playing philospohy as through his music, His emphasis is on tone, feel and notes, in that order. There's a very noce interview with him in the latest BGM.

I'm a rather diminuitive 5' 4'' and I can reach everything. I rented from Cremona House on Park Row. Around £30 per month IIRC. There's a couple of Bristol based DB teachers on here so you won't be searching for too long.

Ouch. I dislocated my right index finger playing video golf (story for another time) four days before a gig. I played the gig but I had to use my middle and ring fingers as my index finger had swollen to the size of a Lincolnshire sausage. It stayed that way for about 2-3 weeks, not helped by having to do a lot of computer work using a mouse. All in all I reckon it was about 3 months before I could play without any pain and possibly a year before I regained full movement Like you, I had my finger yanked back in place almost immediatley, but the A&E nurse reckoned that the quicker it was put back in place, the less swelling there would be. As for playing a DB gig in two weeks... I don't think you'll be able to do it, you just won't have the strength in your joints to stop a note and that's before you take into account the pain and possible further damage. If it had been your right hand, you could get away with just using your index finger for plucking, but unless you can play your parts with just your left index finger, I reckon a gig is out of the question.

Good point - it really is in the fingers. The's a Youtube vid of Chris Mhin Doky playing his SLB200 and it sounds amazing - but again, he's changed the pickup and electronics. IIRC, a lot of the TB comments referred to early versions of the SLB200, which, as you've said, was intended puerly as a silent practice instrument. I believe that later instruments had redesigned electronics more suited for amplification. For me it was really an issue of not having to faff about with the electrics. The Eminence had a reputation for sounding good straight out of the box, wheras the general concensus was that the Yamaha needed fettling to get the best from it. That's not to say that I can't make my Eminence sound sh1t....

[quote name='Beedster' post='986206' date='Oct 12 2010, 08:38 PM']Wow, are people negative about these instruments sound-wise (in fact there is a monster thread on TB in which the SLB is pretty much hammered by everyone, and I mean everyone, and it's been going for 10 years [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=352752)"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=352752)[/url]. But I have no idea why? Chris[/quote] This was why I went for an Eminence over the Yamaha. I like the feel of the Yammy but the issues over the pickup/pre and the overall sound just put me off. It's interesting that the Contra made such a difference - I'm seriously considering investing in one.

Have a look at Dave Mark's lessons on walking bass (www.davemarks.com). The lessons are based around typical jazz II-V-I progressions and really help to get your ears used to hearing where the bass should go. Once you've got the basics under your fingers, you can easily make it up as you go along. To begin with, I wouldn't worry about which modes go with which chords etc, just get used to following the changes using root, third, fifth, seventh type stuff, then add in some passing notes on beat 2 or 4, then, once you're comfortable with that, start thinking about modes and fancy pants scales. A lot of jazz isn't as complicated as you might think. If you have a copy of 'Kind of Blue', try playing 'all blues' - it's a pretty simple repeated bass part. For what it's worth, I'm in the same boat as you - approaching 40, indie (which I still love) bands don't want you, I don't want to play blues or standard pub rock...so jazz it is!

Free or Cream. If I can't have those then Dark Star.

Has anyone swapped their stock MM pickup for one of the Nordstrand direct replacements? I love the feel of my MM Sterling but have a hankering for a warmer & fuller bass end. Apparently the 4.2/4.3 does just that so, any comments?

Are you sure that going into the FX return doesn't bypass the preamp? I run my Platinum Pro into the FX return of my LMII and twiddling the knobs doesn't do a thing.

Anything by Johnny Cash, root-fifth all the way. Love cats by the cure is a good one as it's a strong melody which, is probably already in your head and will help with your intonation.

That Ibanez is the whippet's wedding tackle - there's just something about semis with Darkstars. Yum.

[quote name='walbassist' post='968667' date='Sep 26 2010, 06:31 PM']Ian's waiting on stock, so that'd be very handy if you would.[/quote] Looks like 1/2 inch.

[quote name='Twigman' post='973844' date='Oct 1 2010, 12:46 PM']And we have the luxury of most of our gigs being fly aways to the Med for a Fri/Sat show, so we get a weekend away with the lads with someone else footing the bill and come back with more cash than we left with - could you do that with a covers band?[/quote] Yes. I have done in the past and lots of people I know still do. On Tuesday I happend to run into a harmonica player who used to be in my (95% covers) band. Next week he's flying to Toronto with his function (covers) band, all expenses paid, to play a wedding for which each member will take home about £500. I used to distinguish between my 'covers' bands and my 'originals' bands but my 'covers' band does a couple of original songs and my originals does a handful of covers...... Plus, the covers that my 'covers' band do tend to be pulled about & rearranged to the point where some of them sound nothing like the original wheras the covers played by my 'originals' band are straight carbon copies. As has already been said, a good song is a good song and a good band is there to entertain an audience, not to stoke their own egos about playing 'their' songs. Does it really matter who wrote the song? Really? I could put together a set of original songs in a couple of weeks but they won't be very good songs and the fact that I wrote them doesn't elevate their quality above any other song.

[quote name='Clarky' post='971921' date='Sep 29 2010, 05:43 PM']What ever happens I don't think I will ever get near the Velvet strings you mentioned (from a quick internet search, £270 a set, good grief) [/quote] That's what I thought and yet here I am with a set of Velvet Garbos. Worth every penny. If you are going to splash out on a new set, you could do an awful lot worse than the Velvet Blues at a distinctly more affordable £120.

Welcome. You belong to us now....

[quote name='Clarky' post='971757' date='Sep 29 2010, 02:38 PM']All very helpful gents. So if I were looking for a 'growly, plummy' type sound in a band setting, playing slow/medium-paced blues/ragtime type music (with piano, drums, horns, backing singers, guitar, vocals) which would be your preferred strings, Silver Slaps, Honeys or one of the others mentioned?[/quote] If only it were that easy..... The quest for the 'right' double bass string is long, tortuous, confusing, expensive and often leads you right back to where you started. Strings that sound growly & plummy on my Eminence may sound lifeless on your Aria. Strings that sounded growly & plummy on my Aria might not sound growly & plummy on your Aria because we have differing left and right hand techniques. In short, prepare yourself for a bit of experimentation and expense (if you thought £40 for a set of Elixirs was steep - wait till you see how much a set of typical DB strings will set you back). Anyway, strings to look at: Helicore Hybrids Thomastic superflexibles Pirastro Obligato (v. popular synthetic gut) Corelli TX (these get a lot of love on the Talkbass EUB forum) Innovation Honeys. Essentially you're looking at synthetic gut or orchestral strings. It's probably best to avoid the steel pizz strings (Spriocores) as they're a bit too bright on EUBs even though they sound the dog's doodahs on a proper acoustic bass. My advice would be this: When your bass arrives, play it lots. If the sound works for you, leave well alone if you decide it's too bright then find out what the stock strings are and keep an eye on the 'for sale' section for used sets that will be darker/more flexible/synthetic rather than steel core, etc. Used sets are always a good way of trying different strings, as long as they're not totally dead. I have a used set of Helicore hybrids (very nice on the Aria) and a mixed set of Helicore Hybrids with an orchestral G (stock issue on Eminence basses) that I will be putting up for sale soon. Otherwise, just put a shout out on the DB forum if you're looking for a particular set of strings as there's a chance that one of us has an old set lying around.

South Midlands would work for me, as would Hampshire/ west side of the M25. I'm desperatley trying to avoid spending some money on a real proper DB so I reckon a room full of the buggers should do the trick nicely

[quote name='Clarky' post='971692' date='Sep 29 2010, 01:35 PM']Thx Walbassist. I had a set of Weedwacker nylon strings on my DB a year or so back and found that they persistently went out of tune (they are supposed to take some time settling down but weeks later they were still stretching!) and they had very limited volume/sustain on the E and A strings (just a staccato, thin thud) - as Silver Slaps have no metal content would they potentially have the same issues or does the Kevlar core mean they behave like metal strings, only with lower tension?[/quote] Weedwhackers are essentially fancy bits of clothesline, Silver slaps are a whole different pot of piscines. I've used Helicore orchs and Innovation Honeys on my Aria when I had it. Both had a decent DBesque sound, particularly inn a band mix. The helicores had more sustain and definition, the Honeys had more thump and a touch more growl. Of course, if you're feeling very flush you could try a set of Velvet Garbos - I have a set on my Eminence and they really are rather nice.

I have a heavy duty rubber mute that I don't use any more. This one: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/ultra_kontrabassdaempfer.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/ultra_kontrabassdaempfer.htm[/url] You can have it for the price of postage. Dave

When you get your Aria, put a set of orchestral or, even better, synthetic gut strings (e.g. Obligatos or Honeys) to get a passable double bass sound.