endorka

I've taken the double bass on the train loads of times, for journeys long and short, and it has been fine. I try to find a place where I can prop it up in a corner. On some trains there is a space for bikes you can use if free. Sometimes there is an area for wheelchair users that works if not in use, but make sure you are seated nearby so you an see if someone requires it later in the journey. Jennifer

Just a quick update: I now have the Innovation Silver Slaps on my acoustic double bass and NS Design WAV electric double bass, and they are sounding excellent, just as promised. Great fun to play as well :-) As some dimensions of the EUB are slightly different to an acoustic double bass, strings with a different length of silk wrapping at the nut end were required. Daf sorted this out with the suppliers, and the resulting strings fitted perfectly. Over the last few weeks I've used the EUB on several important concerts, and am really pleased with these strings. While they are not quite as easy to bow as orchestral strings, I'm getting used to them, and after playing them for a while don't really notice anymore. Because they have more sustain than orchestral strings, the open strings tended to ring out a bit when playing amplified with the bow, but wrapping a hairband around the strings between the first "fret" and the nut really helped with this. I can push the hairband back over the nut to bring the instrument back to its normal state for pizzicato playing. Thanks again to Daf for helping me with this, much appreciated! Jennifer

I use the preamp that came with my Ehrlund double bass pickup. It seems to fatten up the sound, make it generally a bit better, and give a little boost to the volume. Jennifer

Bought with confidence! Can't wait 'til they arrive :-) Thanks again, Jennifer

Thanks Daf, I reckon I'm going to follow the pizz. sound here, since it's more of a priority and I'm playing more pizz. notes at the moment :-) Silver Slaps it is then. I'll let you know how I get on. Cheers, Jennifer

I tried a specialised acoustic amp once with my double bass and it sounded really good - really nice arco tone too. Can't remember the brand or model, but it was a guitarist who had one. Small black thing with a downward firing speaker. I wouldn't necessarily conclude that all acoustic amps were good from this though, certainly not without trying one first, preferably in a gig situation. Assuming you have the input gain on your amp balanced optimally so that you're getting the strongest signal through the preamp without clipping, in my experience it is unlikely you'll ever be able to get the master volume past halfway and still get a good sound, especially when amping double bass. Most amps won't even get this far without the sound gnashing up. A 100W combo by itself should work for a moderate volume jazz, folk, or acoustic type gig. Anything louder than this and you'll really be wanting PA support. Jennifer

I've had good results amplifying my EUB and double bass through Trace Elliot amps, so it may well work for you. (checks to see that it isn't April 1st yet before going to next question...) I've never tried a guitar amp for double bass so can't help you there. On the whole, bass guitars and keyboards don't sound good through them, so my intuiton is that it won't be good, but I'll remain open minded on the subject 'til proven otherwise :-) Jennifer

Cheers Daf, I like it - £20K on the bass and a bunch of priceless talent from Mr. Thompson, but apart from that... :-) From what I recall from my student's bass tone the Silver Slaps would be good for this style, as you recommend. I don't think they were great for bowing, but what I do recall is that I thought "wow!" when playing them pizzicato, and that's a rare and great feeling to get from spending £80 or so on a set of strings. How do the Silver Slaps compare with the Super Silvers? Jennifer

Great to see this thread still going :-) And despite the passing of many moons, I've still not sorted out the string question. I'm trying to sort out various sounds in my head... so which set of Innovation strings would you say comes closest to this sound - Danny Thompson on David Sylvian's "The Ink In The Well?" [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9LWfVjXXAU&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL177B4C158F55B555[/media] Cheers! Jennifer

[quote name='jakenewmanbass' timestamp='1330650059' post='1561132'] Tracks don't move, people do. I don't really agree that drummer only is the best way, I've played lots of gigs and sessions to click and find that leaving the responsibility to one person means that if he goes the entire band has no chance of sticking with... if you are lucky and have a drummer that can stay with, fine, if not, if he struggles you will all struggle, at least if the whole band has a click then you can be helpful if things drift. [/quote] It's interesting that you find things this way. The reason I stopped monitoring the click when recording was that drummers tend not to be 100% on the beat, and when they get noticeably off - it doesn't take much - I then have two out of sync beats in my cans, and I have to make the decision about which one to go with. If I know that the drums will be quantised at a later date, then the click is the one. If the drums won't be quantised later, then I should go with the drummer. But what if you don't know in advance? In a recent session it was pointed out to me that if they quantise the drums at a later date, they can also quantise the bass in the same way, so I might as well take the click out and play with the drums. Jennifer

In my experience, the best way to approach this for both live and studio is for only the drummer to be playing to the click. The drummer will never play perfectly in time with it, but if you and the rest of the band are keyed into the beat as the drummer interprets it, everyone will sound tight. Practice makes perfect; if you rehearse in this way it will become intuitive and the rest of the band will eventually stop dragging the drummer away from the beat so much, and he'll stop grimacing. If you follow this approach, the drummer is really the key player here; if he can apply a human touch to the beat, then everyone else will follow this, and the result will sound "organic". Jennifer

I know what you mean - "cutting through" seems to suggest a certain degree of sonic pushiness that is perhaps not always appropriate for bass. On the other hand, I do wonder if for some people it is a question of semantics and that "cutting through" means the same as "sitting in the mix". Jennifer

Glasgow :-) Jennifer

Ah, that's all right then :-)

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1329820976' post='1547746'] To be fair I usually stay to heckle the other bands. [/quote] That's the spirit :-)

I'm sure this thread isn't meant to be read in this way, and I'm sure it doesn't apply to you guys, but I find something about overly sharp exits a little "unseemly".... it can come across as exhibiting a clocking on/off mentality that is perhaps not appropriate for all audiences and situations. On a couple of gigs I've played, a musician has started to pack up before the show was over, only have to unpack again to do the encore; the audience watched them do this in silence while the rest of the band shuffled awkwardly about onstage. Grim. As an audience member observed once: "terrible gig: the band couldn't wait to get out of there". Jennifer

I have "Test For Echo" but can't say I've listened to it much. From the later period, I listen to "Presto", "Roll The Bones", "Counterparts" and even "Snakes & Arrows" quite a bit. "Grace Under Pressure" is one of my all times faves... "we'd like to do another Red song for ya!" Jennifer

That's a good one indeed, thanks! Jennifer

It's great to hear everyone's opinion on this! Personally, up 'til now I hadn't been that interested in mid Eighty's Rush, essentially missing out the albums between Moving Pictures and Presto, but these albums really do have their charms. Still not heard "Hold Your Fire" though. I really like a lot of the Nineties material too. Counterparts is marvellous, IMHO. Jennifer

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1329310502' post='1540381'] That's his Rickenbacker as far as I'm aware - he certainly played a Rick for all the material on the Signals tour when I saw them all those years ago. "Signals" has got my favourite Geddy tone. I liked the sound of his Steinberger too, not that fussed on the Jazz and (as previously stated) hate his twangy Wal sound. [/quote] Cheers! I enjoy most of his bass tones, where I start to appreciate it slightly less is when the low end disappears just a bit too much, like on some relatively recent live sounds. Jennifer

Aye indeed, it's not so much a matter of lust as appreciation though, and a desire to match sound to the stuff that made it, for geekish enlightenment and future reference, should the requirement for such a tone raise it's head, if that makes sense :-) Right, now I'm off to look for a Rush tribute band Jennifer

Different strokes for different folks :-)

Nice... although I was kindof hoping it would be the Steinberger headless. I have a live video from I think the Grace Under Pressure tour where he is using that, and the tone is also marvellous. Also getting into Signals, so what bass is on that? :-) Jennifer

Hahaha! I should be just fine with my Westfield P copy then :-) Jennifer

Just getting into "Power Windows", and I love the bass tone on it! It has the typical Lee clankiness, but with a rich, fat bass end as well. Wonderful stuff. Does anyone know which bass / strings / gear etc. he was using for this? Jennifer