To go upright, or not to go upright?

[marvin spangles]

[quote name='Skol303' date='May 20 2011, 03:50 PM' post='1238312']
Ok, here goes...

I've always wanted an upright bass - I absolutely love the sound -



I think you've answered your own question. If you love the sound then get a Double bass , a good teacher ...sorted! You won't regret it.

[algmusic]

it's funny the I'm not even an DB player.. yet ;-) but I get the same problem with teaching students who learn to play drums on an electronic kit.. acoustic is always better, understanding the feel, sound etc is about 90% of it, which you can't get an a electric kit. If at some point the practicality, you can't practice at home with an acoustic, then you say use the electric, but still try to use an acoustic as much as possible..

Hmm.. next a DB for me too :-)

[PaulKing]

[quote name='bassace' post='1241201' date='May 23 2011, 09:04 AM']Whaaaat?

Paul Bryant 3/4 DB
Thomas Martin 3/4 Concert DB
Upton Professor DB
Unknown German Blond Lami DB[/quote]

Well you're in a different class from me...

Upton Professor ... sweet.

There's only one person I know that describes unlabelled blonde laminated basses as 'German Blondes'. Did you buy it from Peter Tyler? Or me?!!

[Skol303]

... just quickly popping back in here to ask: is there any reason why I should avoid a 3/4 size DB for my first upright?

Or should I be starting with a 3/4 (or 5/8) to 'get the hang of it'?

Thanks again folks - and cheers for further encouragement to take the plunge! This forum is going to cost me a fortune in the long-run, I'm sure...

[Bilbo]

3/4 is pretty much the standard, Skol. Not many play 7/8 or full size basses.

[Hector]

[quote name='Skol303' post='1243138' date='May 24 2011, 04:46 PM']... just quickly popping back in here to ask: is there any reason why I should avoid a 3/4 size DB for my first upright?

Or should I be starting with a 3/4 (or 5/8) to 'get the hang of it'?

Thanks again folks - and cheers for further encouragement to take the plunge! This forum is going to cost me a fortune in the long-run, I'm sure... [/quote]
[url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/faq/2-SIZES_DOUBLE_BASS_SIZING_FAQ.html"]This might be useful[/url]


(As an aside, the gollihur website has an FAQ section that really covers most of the topics you could want to know about when just starting up in a simple and informative manner. Maybe we should have a sticky in this forum with useful links/resources?

[Skol303]

Bilbo/Hector... cheers for the clarification

[ZMech]

The only real difference between 3/4 and fullsize (from what I understand) is that a fullsize is that bit louder due to the extra resonating space, and the scales a couple inches longer. I guess it probably sounds a bit nicer too, but since you'll no doubt amplify yourself if playing with a full band regardless, there's no point putting yourself through the extra hassle of getting a fullsize, stick with the 3/4.

[bassace]

[quote name='PaulKing' post='1242949' date='May 24 2011, 01:49 PM']Well you're in a different class from me...

Upton Professor ... sweet.

There's only one person I know that describes unlabelled blonde laminated basses as 'German Blondes'. Did you buy it from Peter Tyler? Or me?!![/quote]

Interesting that. I bought the Blonde from Peter Tyler. It's quite nice and I use it for, er, the more 'challenging' gigs, like outdoors or gigs that might be a bit rough ([i]moi?[/i])
It has a distinctive triangular profiled neck. Do you know anything about it, Paul?

[PaulKing]

[quote name='bassace' post='1243940' date='May 25 2011, 09:51 AM']Interesting that. I bought the Blonde from Peter Tyler. It's quite nice and I use it for, er, the more 'challenging' gigs, like outdoors or gigs that might be a bit rough ([i]moi?[/i])
It has a distinctive triangular profiled neck. Do you know anything about it, Paul?[/quote]

No, not that bass. I may have seen it at his place a couple of times. I got the term 'German Blonde' from him, I took a couple that I owned to him for some work (including the B+H I still own, which I believe he restored years ago for someone else) and he called them that, showed me a couple similar that he had in stock.
Only thing is, my B+H is Czech of course, and was certainly not blonde originally... but he still called it a 'German Blonde'.

What a thoroughly lovely man. With a house full of basses .. 3 floors of them. Poor Mrs Tyler.

Edited May 26, 2011 by PaulKing

[bassace]

[quote name='PaulKing' post='1246126' date='May 26 2011, 07:35 PM']No, not that bass. I may have seen it at his place a couple of times. I got the term 'German Blonde' from him, I took a couple that I owned to him for some work (including the B+H I still own, which I believe he restored years ago for someone else) and he called them that, showed me a couple similar that he had in stock.
Only thing is, my B+H is Czech of course, and was certainly not blonde originally... but he still called it a 'German Blonde'.

What a thoroughly lovely man. With a house full of basses .. 3 floors of them. Poor Mrs Tyler.[/quote]

Yes, poor Mrs Tyler. I have met her once and she is very nice. Have you seen his room full of double bass memorabilia? He's got all sorts of beautifully crafted bass ceramics and other stuff but the one thing that does it for me is a miniature double bass apprentice piece.