How to hold a EUB

[steve_p]

I bought a Stagg EUB a couple of weeks ago and love it but I am not sure of the best way to hold it when playing. Is it better to hold it close to the body, or to use those metal thingies to keep it away from my body? Advantages of either position? At the moment both seem equally awkward.

[Happy Jack]

There's no 'right answer' to this ... it's just do what works best for you.

I play double bass and I love the sheer physicality of that, the fact that you have to wrap yourself around the instrument. When I play a free-standing EUB I really miss that, and trying to re-create it by hugging the EUB just feels ridiculous. And it does nothing for my playing either.

I really don't get on with the extensions at all, plus they are possibly the least cool on-stage accessory since day-glo lime-green socks.

Where I ended up was this:

 

[Passinwind]

29 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

There's no 'right answer' to this ... it's just do what works best for you.

I play double bass and I love the sheer physicality of that, the fact that you have to wrap yourself around the instrument. When I play a free-standing EUB I really miss that, and trying to re-create it by hugging the EUB just feels ridiculous. And it does nothing for my playing either.

I really don't get on with the extensions at all, plus they are possibly the least cool on-stage accessory since day-glo lime-green socks.

 

Heh. I am firmly in the opposite camp. As someone who was almost always reading on my (great many) EUB gigs the faux bout on my BSX was an utter life saver when a page turn came due. My only strong prejudice is against EUBs on stands, homie can't dance to that.

[Silvia Bluejay]

I find that an EUB without a fake bout (or a 'bracket' or 'spacer' or whatever it may be called) tends to spin, so my fretting hand has to do the fingering of the notes and the stopping the neck from rotating. So I need a bracket, and even better, I need a bracket AND the peculiar but highly useful T-endpin Eminence uprights have.

@Passinwind, I hear what you're saying, and tripods for EUBs do look naff (and ugly) but my NS NXT is so easy and comfortable to play it makes anything else feel like too much like hard work! 😄

[TheGreek]

Isn't there a video from one of the SE Bashes?

[Paul S]

I modded my Stagg to mount it on a tripod stand à la NS Design EUB.  It was easily done using a tattooist's arm rest.  Other tripods will also work, of course, but that had the advantage of having an adjustable bracket on it that sits nicely on the body of the Stagg.

I still have to steady it a bit, especially if trying some vibrato, but generally - for me - it is more comfy than the end pin and bracket thingies.

[Doddy]

I always find that without the upper bout fitted, most EUB's tend to come in too close to my body and mess up my technique. By fitting it, it simulates the feel of an acoustic so I can hold it in position better and it feels more comfortable and familiar. I also like it for going up in to thumb position, because I can lean into it a bit more without getting too hunched up and worrying about the bass moving. 

Like @Passinwind, I'm not a big fan of the tripod stands either. I get why people like them, and they are kind of necessary for some EUB's, but I like my electric upright to feel as close to an acoustic bass as it can.

[steve_p]

Thanks for the comments guys. I cannot get used to playing without the upper bout at all, but even with it fitted, I'm still struggling a bit. I seem to be using the fretting hand to support the bass way more than I should have to. I really need a couple of lessons to sort things out, but they are hard to get in these troubled times.

[Burns-bass]

43 minutes ago, steve_p said:

Thanks for the comments guys. I cannot get used to playing without the upper bout at all, but even with it fitted, I'm still struggling a bit. I seem to be using the fretting hand to support the bass way more than I should have to. I really need a couple of lessons to sort things out, but they are hard to get in these troubled times.

I’m not sure DB lessons will help, to be honest. I experienced what you did with all EUBs and in the end, invested in an MK bass. Appreciate it’s not for everyone, but I just found my technique (as much as I have one!) was compromised too much by the Stagg that it affected ‘real’ DB playing.

[Marc S]

I too started my venture into upright with a Stagg. I just couldn't get on with those awful brackets, supplied with the bass. I've owned & tried several EUB's and like @Silvia Bluejay, I find they all tend to swivel whilst playing them... with the exception of the Eminence (the T-bar attachment worked pretty well IMHO, though it could possibly have done with being a bit longer).

Since these days I only play upright when I'm doubling up (i.e. half a gig on Bass guitar, half on EUB) - I find a stand, like @Paul S uses, is the best method for me. I appreciate that there are many who prefer to move and "dance" when playing upright, but it wouldn't be practical to store an upright on stage, and be swapping over between songs... Besides, I still play my acoustic upright too (though mainly at home these days) - so I'm doing at least some practice on that....

Before I sold my Stagg EUB, I got a second-hand stand from a group on FaceBook. I think it was a cymbal stand, if my memory serves me correctly....
Anyhow, I opted for a fairly heavy duty one, and it was fairly stable when played. The only downside was that it was quite heavy additional "baggage"

Edited December 1, 2020 by Marc S

[Passinwind]

15 hours ago, Doddy said:

I always find that without the upper bout fitted, most EUB's tend to come in too close to my body and mess up my technique. By fitting it, it simulates the feel of an acoustic so I can hold it in position better and it feels more comfortable and familiar. I also like it for going up in to thumb position, because I can lean into it a bit more without getting too hunched up and worrying about the bass moving. 

Like @Passinwind, I'm not a big fan of the tripod stands either. I get why people like them, and they are kind of necessary for some EUB's, but I like my electric upright to feel as close to an acoustic bass as it can.

I'm a huge fan of "whatever works." When I started playing a real bass again it led me to a few setup changes with my BSX to make it a bit better as a trainer, but it will always be its own thing anyway. Before I bought it I was a longtime fan of a few EUB players and I never expected it to be a full substitute for an acoustic one. And the big band that was my last steady gig preferred fretless BG to either, go figure.

[tinyd]

I guess it depends on what you want to sound like, but I think that trying to make your body position as close to how you'd hold a DB will probably be good in the long run, especially if you want your EUB to sound more DB-like (you may not, of course).

I shared this video in another thread - different model of bass, but it may be relevant.
 

 

[Passinwind]

8 hours ago, Marc S said:

Since these days I only play upright when I'm doubling up (i.e. half a gig on Bass guitar, half on EUB) - I find a stand, like @Paul S uses, is the best method for me. I appreciate that there are many who prefer to move and "dance" when playing upright, but it wouldn't be practical to store an upright on stage, and be swapping over between songs... 

So how do you do the switch then? Here's what it would look like for me on a doubling gig, I just grab whichever bass I want to play and put the other one back in its stand, same as I would with any two basses.

[Marc S]

15 hours ago, Passinwind said:

So how do you do the switch then? Here's what it would look like for me on a doubling gig, I just grab whichever bass I want to play and put the other one back in its stand, same as I would with any two basses.

It looks fairly similar for me too tbh. My NS design EUB sits on its' stand, and stays pretty much in the same position. I sometimes have to shift it a little during the gig, as our lead guitarist tends to wander quite a bit.... and start occupying more room  My amp is a Markbass EVO1, with two inputs - so switching between EUB and Bass guitar is quick. I then just need to swing my mic stand, to suit whichever instrument I'm playing. Not always as easy as I'd like... but nothing a little bit of shuffling won't fix.

Sometimes the band decides to drop or add songs, or switch the order around, or do a request - so I need to be able to switch instruments quickly.... or just play on whatever I've currently got in my hands. I did try the same with my acoustic upright, but being much larger, it was more of a pain to swap between songs - more cumbersome, time consuming, and more likely to snag on cables etc. I just find it easier with my EUB on a stand. 

Funny thing is, I usually get more comments / compliments / chats about the EUB than my acoustic DB

EDIT: There are just some songs which I prefer to play on upright, and others I wouldn't attempt! lol
Besides, I quite like playing both at a gig too.

Edited December 2, 2020 by Marc S

[AndyBass]

So I’ve been playing my Stagg EUB wrong all this time...

[Happy Jack]

On 03/12/2020 at 19:36, AndyBass said:

So I’ve been playing my Stagg EUB wrong all this time...

You mean that you're left-handed but hadn't realised?

 

[Silvia Bluejay]

6 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

You mean that you're left-handed but hadn't realised?

 

[prowla]

Is standing on it an option?

[Happy Jack]

If you can find an EUB that allows you to do that, then I want photos ...

 

[Owen]

I must admit that coming from a DB background I have never been able to get the left hand comfy on an EUB.

[Burns-bass]

11 hours ago, owen said:

I must admit that coming from a DB background I have never been able to get the left hand comfy on an EUB.

It’s always a compromise, but for me the MK or the SLB are the closest I’ve ever experienced.

[Rumple]

On 30/11/2020 at 20:01, Paul S said:

I modded my Stagg to mount it on a tripod stand à la NS Design EUB.  It was easily done using a tattooist's arm rest.  Other tripods will also work, of course, but that had the advantage of having an adjustable bracket on it that sits nicely on the body of the Stagg.

I still have to steady it a bit, especially if trying some vibrato, but generally - for me - it is more comfy than the end pin and bracket thingies.

Would you kindly share how the tattooist's arm rest is fixed to your Stagg please? I've just snagged one on eBay that is missing the arm and this idea for a stand looks just the ticket - thanks

[Paul S]

On the one I bought the pad was detatchable.  I unscrewed it from the pad and screwed it to the back of the Stagg and then just kind of slide it into place then lock it with the knurly thing.  The imporant bit was finding the balance point.  Does that make sense?

 

[Downunderwonder]

On 04/12/2020 at 08:36, AndyBass said:

So I’ve been playing my Stagg EUB wrong all this time...

A helmet with horns to complete the look.

[Killed_by_Death]

 

Pete has you covered, just be over 2 Meters tall:

that's Peter Steele: