Convincing upright sounds from an electric bass...

[Paolo85]

By the way, one of the best examples IMO in terms of getting a "swinging" sound from an electric bass I found it at the beginning of this video

 

For what I understand, there's not much playing with effects, just chunky tapewounds, fretted bass, neck pickup, plucking on the neck and above all a mute, as @jd56hawk does

 

[Steve Browning]

When I am playing my fretless, to emulate an upright (bear in mind this is very much rockabilly stylee) I will pluck the open string and immediately hammer on to the fingerboard. The peizo pickup and judicious use of the eq gives a very passable sound. I emphasise the word 'passable'. It captures the essence of the slap style of rockabilly.

[ezbass]

Rob Allen’s basses get pretty close, especially in a mix.

 

 

[asingardenof]

Seen this suggested:

 

 

[ped]

The Roland GK system does a fantastic DB sound, though it does require significant investment and may not be worth it for that alone. 

[nekomatic]

Having listened through good headphones to these (and previously other) examples of ‘upright sounds from an electric bass’, I’m going to say that the best of them do manage to replicate an OK double bass sound… but none of them manages a really good double bass sound, the sort I’d be trying to make if I were a double bass player. 
 

I like how that Ibanez SRH sounds on its own terms though, without the double bass IR. 

[AndyTravis]

 

Just admit defeat. Become an idiot like me…

 

[jd56hawk]

On 05/06/2024 at 03:54, Paolo85 said:

By the way, one of the best examples IMO in terms of getting a "swinging" sound from an electric bass I found it at the beginning of this video

 

For what I understand, there's not much playing with effects, just chunky tapewounds, fretted bass, neck pickup, plucking on the neck and above all a mute, as @jd56hawk does

 

Sounds good, but it hurts to look at!

[NickA]

4 hours ago, jd56hawk said:

ounds good

Sounds awful, like an overdamped thuddy p bass.

 

Some strange idea of how a double bass sounds.

 

Where is the lovely change in timbre you get during the decay of a double bass note.

 

 

[Paolo85]

1 hour ago, NickA said:

Sounds awful, like an overdamped thuddy p bass.

 

Some strange idea of how a double bass sounds.

 

Where is the lovely change in timbre you get during the decay of a double bass note.

 

 

Well, let me say that I aegree with you that the DB's sound is more complex than this. But, as you said in a previous post, not all DBs sound the same. You also mentioned that you like some mwah in your DB, suggesting you maybe have a certain idea of what is the kind of sound you like.

In my opinion, from a functional standpoint, the DB traditionally was not there for the listener to enjoy the timbre as it developed through times. If we look at classic recordings, especially as players were using gut strings, the DB sound was there to appear quickly with a boom, and go away very quickly, providing that swinging feeling like an elefant stomping it's way through.

 

Granted, my ears are not very good, but if I look at these two classic examples in the mix

 

 

Or even at this better-recorded example

 

 

I don't hear anything particularly extraordinary that leaves me in awe about how the tone changes as the note dies. What is extraordinary to me as an electric bass player (on top of the basically tone per se) is the massive thump and the swinging feel coming from the strong attack and fast decay.

After all, there must be  reason if Leo Fender, as he first conceived the P bass as a portable DB, installed a mute under the bridge.

And it is no coincidence that if you look at Anthony Jackson live with Petrucciani, he is pretty much palm muting all the time in mid tempos.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by Paolo85

[ezbass]

9 minutes ago, Paolo85 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love Ray Brown's tone in that last video. Hardly surprising when this is what I think is the pinnacle of DB tone.

 

[NickA]

Anthony Jackson has a very particular sound ...it's not very dB like, it's unique; very damped.  He's a genius. It took a while for me to appreciate that as it's sometimes hard to hear what he's playing!

 

You're right that I like a complex dB sound, that's why I play one ..the "thump" is a part of it, the mwah is too ( spiros, low action, diagonal pizz strikes).  You don't get that sound from the old Paul chambers etc recordings it's true, but I think that sound is to an extent what you could get from 1950s/ 60s recording tech and old style strings. If Mr PC had had access to spiros,and a selection of realist pickups and modern mikes he'd have sounded different!?  ....maybe?

 

That Oscar Peterson recording is superb... and I'd say the bass sound is really complex, full of nuance and tonal variety.  It's like listening to black velvet.

 

But as previously said ",there is no one dB sound".  If heavily damped thud is what you want then a block of foam and tape wounds on a P might float your boat, but it's not a sound I can get ( or would want) from my double bass.

 

I guess I'd like to sound like Eddie Gomez (😂) ..and some people say he sounds like he's playing a fretless electric.  Tho I'd settle for Danny Thompson on Solid Air! (😂😂) ...as if.

 

Edited June 7 by NickA

[gjones]

Does this qualify as an electric bass?

 

 

[NickA]

Closer to Anthony Jackson's Fodera "contra bass".  Whole different instrument to dB or electric imo.  Impressive bit of kit, tho I wish he'd shut up and just play it.

[paul_5]

The closest emulation I’ve heard was from a Kala bas ukulele.

[funkle]

What was the original piezo pickup used in the original clip by @Ramirez? Cheap or not, it's working...

 

And is that the 3sigma IR?

Edited June 8 by funkle

[jd56hawk]

Strange, some people like it, some don't.