Double bass aplification

[fatback]

No going back now Your guitars will languish. Mine all have rusty strings since taking up db (true).

The only advantage is that, unlike bass guitar GAS, db GAS (unless you collect dbs) is [i]undetectable by spouses[/i]. They will never, ever spot that new pickup or preamp.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' timestamp='1359829403' post='1960940']Don't forget to dampen the afterlength of your strings (the bit between the bridge and the tailpiece) as they can cause feedback too. Took me ages to figure that out.[/quote]

I would give totally the opposite advice: Try not to attach too many gizmos to your bass (pickups, preamps, bow quivers, etc.) because they will all rob something from the sound. Deliberately dampening the afterlength of the strings, to me, is a horrific idea. It will completely kill them acoustically. Yes it might mean you can go louder when amplified, but it will sound less like an acoustic bass. And for me, practising with a bass rigged up like that would be less interesting because it would lose so much character.

My advice would be to get as much volume as you can without compromising the sound of your bass. There are plenty of options for deadening a bass if you need to, but you might find you can get enough volume without resorting to any of them.

Edited February 3, 2013 by thisnameistaken

[kedo]

I have sold my Ashdown and am looking at either the Genz Benz CTR 500-115 at about £490 or the Gallien and Krueger MB210-II at £470. The GB is a bit heavier. Any advice on these combos or others in the same price range. I will probably do the odd gig with my Precision.

Thank you all for your expert advice. I will add a similar post to the amps section.

[Fionn]

A 2nd-hand Gallien Krueger MB150E / MB150S will cost around £300/ £350. These are superlative combos, in every respect. Their popularity amongst double-bass players speaks kudos for the thing.

I'm an electric bassist. I use one of these for everything. When teamed up with the MBX112 extension cab it is loud and present enough to gig a good sized room without PA support.

I cant recommend it enough really.

[TPJ]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1359851815' post='1961310']
I would give totally the opposite advice: Try not to attach too many gizmos to your bass (pickups, preamps, bow quivers, etc.) because they will all rob something from the sound. Deliberately dampening the afterlength of the strings, to me, is a horrific idea. It will completely kill them acoustically. [/quote]

Might depend on the bass. I use a piece of plastic bendy tube to dampen mine and can't really hear a difference, especially amplified. I;ve also had a piece of cloth wrapped around them and agin didn't really hear a difference. Upton send something similar with their Rev II pickup. I suppose it's compromise, as always, when trying to get a good sound.