Double Bass String Height

[4ropebottom]

Hello group. I'm new. Gotta a few questions:

1. What style of music do you play most often on double bass?
2. Given that, what string height do you use for each string?
3. What brand/model of strings do you like?
4. What double bass pickup?
6. What amplification?

Thanks!

[Clarky]

Hello!

1. Folk-blues-flamenco-country (well you did ask!)
2. 1cm at the end of the board on the E, falling to 0.5cm on the G
3. Thomastik Spirocore Weich
4. Full Circle
5. Acoustic Image Clarus into Crazy8 cab (1x8") or Acoustic Image Ten2 cab (2x10")

[3below]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]1. Folk-blues[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]2. Approx 1cm at the end of the board on the E, falling to 0.8cm on the G[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]3. Corelli 370[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]4. Schaller magnetic[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]5. Peavey Tour 700 + Barefaced Dubster[/font][/color]

[4ropebottom]

Thanks 3 below and clarky.

Clarky - yours are just a bit higher than mine. But how's that clarus head?

What kind of basses are you guys playing?

[thisnameistaken]

1. Mostly duetting with guitarists on originals in various styles.
2. About 1cm on the E to 8mm on the G on my main bass, 5mm on my busking bass.
3. Spiro weichs and a spiro medium E. Busking bass has a set of Silver Slaps.
4. Ehrlund EAP on the main bass (plus a Realist that I don't use any more), a Bass Max on the busking bass but it very rarely gets amplified.
5. Same as my bass guitar rig: Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 into a Schroeder 1212L.

My main bass is a Czech carved 3/4 with an ebony board, busking bass is probably a 1960s Musima factory 3/4 laminate which isn't very sophisticated-sounding but booms like hell and carries for miles.

Edited December 17, 2012 by thisnameistaken

[Basstroker]

1. Classical and experimental electric music; sometimes blues and rock

2. 6, 7, 8, 9, 8 mm (G -> (??? this should be a "B"...) on my 5-stringer, 2 mm more on my 4-stringer

3. Evah Pirazzi mittel on the 5-stringer, Efrano gut on the 4-stringer

4. Shadow Nanoflex 965 NFX on the 5-stringer, sometimes an AKG C411 on the 4-stringer

5. Warwick Pro Fet IV with 2 x 10" box(es) with horn

6. Czech 4/4 carved 4- and 5-stringer; NS Desing CR5M and Harley Benton semi acoustic EUB (old and very, very rare)

Edited December 16, 2012 by Basstroker

[Clarky]

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355623336' post='1900760']
Thanks 3 below and clarky.

Clarky - yours are just a bit higher than mine. But how's that clarus head?

What kind of basses are you guys playing?
[/quote]
I really rate Acoustic Image heads as they are very transparent and allow the double bass to sound like a double bass. The downside is they are pricey unless you find a second-hand model

I have an old (1880s) German flatback as main instrument and a travel bass (a beautiful Kolstein Busetto, which has the same Spiro Weich strings and similar 'action' but wears a Realist pickup)

[fatback]

1. Country rock and rockabilly (no slapping though), about 60% originals.

2. 6-7-8-9

3. Spiro weich

4. Full circle + Armstrong mag (by way of insurance)

5. EA Doubler + Barefaced Midget 1X12

6. Bass is a 70s Czech ply / solid top

[Beer of the Bass]

1. Mostly original acoustic music with a guitarist (about 60:40% pizz/arco). Occasional folk-rock-ish stuff with a full band (mostly pizz).
2. 6, 7, 7.5, 8.5mm
3. Thomastik Spirocore Mittels
4/6. AKG C411 into the house PA for quiet acoustic stuff, Rev Solo II piezo into a GK MB200 and EA Wizzy 10 cab if there's a drummer.

Where did number 5 go?

[4ropebottom]

@Fatback - Thanks. Spiros are an interesting choice for country and rockabilly. How do you like that EA amp?

@Beer - Thanks. #5 was what bass you are playing. I didn't know that GK had an MB200 out. I've been playing the MB150. Thanks for the info.

[Doddy]

1. Jazz /Big Band/Shows
2.Exact height,I'm not sure-but it's pretty high (lower on the electric)
3.Thomastik Spirocores
4.David Gage Realist (Realist and Kent Armstrong magnetic on the electric)
5.Ashdown Mibass 550 or Roland Cube 100

The acoustic bass is a 30 odd year old Chinese bass-it's really nice,punchy and loud,great for walking.
Electric Upright is a Clifton.

[fatback]

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355767188' post='1902483']
@Fatback - Thanks. Spiros are an interesting choice for country and rockabilly. How do you like that EA amp?

[/quote]

I wanted steels so i could use the mag pickup in a feedback emergency (which hasn't happened yet). We can be a pretty loud band. Also, I'm inclined to play melodic lines (can't help it ), and the spiros sing very nicely up the dusty end.

Love the Doubler. Super light, totally reliable so far and completely transparent sound. When I used to play the bass guitar as well, the twin channels made everything really easy. Don't do much of that now, but I do fancy trying a mic / piezzo combination when funds allow, so looking forward to that.

Edited December 17, 2012 by fatback

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355767188' post='1902483']
@Beer - Thanks. #5 was what bass you are playing. I didn't know that GK had an MB200 out. I've been playing the MB150. Thanks for the info.
[/quote]

My bass is an old German flatback with no name, from around the turn of the 20th century. I had a new adjustable bridge and ebony fingerboard put on a couple of years ago. The MB200 is a tiny class-D head, though I've heard that the EQ centres and general voicing are quite similar to the old MB combos. It's not at all flat sounding with everything at noon, but the controls have enough range to get it how I like it. Weirdly, I actually prefer it to the AI Clarus I used to have, which was very clean and clear sounding, but I found the EQ quite ineffective.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Beer of the Bass

[4ropebottom]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1355768204' post='1902524']


I wanted steels so i could use the mag pickup in a feedback emergency (which hasn't happened yet). We can be a pretty loud band. Also, I'm inclined to play melodic lines (can't help it ), and the spiros sing very nicely up the dusty end.

Love the Doubler. Super light, totally reliable so far and completely transparent sound. When I used to play the bass guitar as well, the twin channels made everything really easy. Don't do much of that now, but I do fancy trying a mic / piezzo combination when funds allow, so looking forward to that.
[/quote]

Are you going to put both the mic and the piezo into the amp??

[fatback]

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355776932' post='1902695']
Are you going to put both the mic and the piezo into the amp??
[/quote]

That's the idea. The Doubler has a mic channel with phantom power etc. I can mix it to taste with the other channel hopefully keeping it just below feedback level and boosting up on the piezo side.

I've no idea whether a mic will prove worthwhile, but, let's face it, you have to have some piece of expensive kit to lust after or life would be pretty dull.

[4ropebottom]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1355838615' post='1903388']
That's the idea. The Doubler has a mic channel with phantom power etc. I can mix it to taste with the other channel hopefully keeping it just below feedback level and boosting up on the piezo side.

I've no idea whether a mic will prove worthwhile, but, let's face it, you have to have some piece of expensive kit to lust after or life would be pretty dull.
[/quote]


I've been wondering about using a mic in an amp for a long time. Thanks for the post revealing that it can be done. I don't know much about the electronics side of this thing. So, I gather that, in order to do it, you have to have an amp with a channel especially designed to accommodate a mic?

[mtroun]

1. What style of music do you play most often on double bass? Jazz
2. Given that, what string height do you use for each string? Roughly 13mm on the E to 8mm on the G
3. What brand/model of strings do you like? I use Thomastik Spirocore Mittel, but I'm planning on changing the G string soon as I find it a bit bright.
4. What double bass pickup? David Gage Realist, again would like to swap it for something else, in this case a DPA 4099B
6. What amplification? Mark Bass CMD 121P combo. I also have a Yamaha DXR10 powered speaker that I'm intending to use as my main amplifier when I'm using a microphone-only setup.

Bass is a Paul Bryant Soloist model.

Edited December 18, 2012 by mtroun

[4ropebottom]

[quote name='mtroun' timestamp='1355846435' post='1903587']
1. What style of music do you play most often on double bass? Jazz
2. Given that, what string height do you use for each string? Roughly 13mm on the E to 8mm on the G
3. What brand/model of strings do you like? I use Thomastik Spirocore Mittel, but I'm planning on changing the G string soon as I find it a bit bright.
4. What double bass pickup? David Gage Realist, again would like to swap it for something else, in this case a DPA 4099B
6. What amplification? Mark Bass CMD 121P combo. I also have a Yamaha DXR10 powered speaker that I'm intending to use as my main amplifier when I'm using a microphone-only setup.

Bass is a Paul Bryant Soloist model.
[/quote]

Thanks Mtroun. You may want to try Obligatos or Evah Pirazzi for G, and maybe G and D, and then Spirocore for the rest. Many have found this a delightful combination. Of course, Charlie Haden has often used gut for G and D, and Spirocore for A and E. For me, that transition is a bit too stark.

[fatback]

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355839286' post='1903408']
I've been wondering about using a mic in an amp for a long time. Thanks for the post revealing that it can be done. I don't know much about the electronics side of this thing. So, I gather that, in order to do it, you have to have an amp with a channel especially designed to accommodate a mic?
[/quote]

Some folks use an external preamp, perhaps a two channel one as a mixer, but the Doubler does allow for the minimum of kit.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355847884' post='1903613']
Thanks Mtroun. You may want to try Obligatos or Evah Pirazzi for G, and maybe G and D, and then Spirocore for the rest. Many have found this a delightful combination. Of course, Charlie Haden has often used gut for G and D, and Spirocore for A and E. For me, that transition is a bit too stark.
[/quote]

I used to have an Evah Pirazzi D & G and Spiro E and A, and while the Evah G was nice to have I think I would've preferred a Spiro D. In terms of tension they're well matched though.

[mtroun]

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355847884' post='1903613']
Thanks Mtroun. You may want to try Obligatos or Evah Pirazzi for G, and maybe G and D, and then Spirocore for the rest. Many have found this a delightful combination. Of course, Charlie Haden has often used gut for G and D, and Spirocore for A and E. For me, that transition is a bit too stark.
[/quote]
I'm probably going to get an Oliv for my G, I have used Evah Pirazzi with Oliv in the past and Obligatos on my teacher's bass. I'm also considering Anima or even plain gut. Love the Spirocores, they're just a tad too bright!

[4ropebottom]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1355848419' post='1903619']
Some folks use an external preamp, perhaps a two channel one as a mixer, but the Doubler does allow for the minimum of kit.
[/quote]

Thanks Fatback. So, with a preamp/mixer you can plug a mic into most any amp?

[4ropebottom]

[quote name='mtroun' timestamp='1355849753' post='1903648']
I'm probably going to get an Oliv for my G, I have used Evah Pirazzi with Oliv in the past and Obligatos on my teacher's bass. I'm also considering Anima or even plain gut. Love the Spirocores, they're just a tad too bright!
[/quote]

I didn't think about the Oliv - that's a great idea. Pricey strings, though.

[mtroun]

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355850111' post='1903657']
I didn't think about the Oliv - that's a great idea. Pricey strings, though.
[/quote]
Indeed, pricey, but since the Spiros last forever it might balance out. My last Oliv lasted 2 years before I took it off and even then the windings were fine so the horror stories seem to be an exaggeration, at least in the climate I'm in. I took it off because it sounded really dead, I think I'd like that with a set of spiros!

[marvin spangles]

Jazz / big band/ shows/ classical/folk pop
5mm at G 8mm at E
Spiro weichs with Mittel E
Full circle
AI Focus into ten ex