NED Ibanez UB804! 😁

[MacDaddy]

I'm gassing for an EUB and the Ibanez UB804 seems to be ticking all the boxes.

I want something I can pluck and bow, which is versatile with the sound (db or bass guitar). The shorter scale length appeals. And as I often take public transport to gigs, not having a bridge that will get knocked is plus. 

Is there anything else I should be looking at that meets the criteria?

 

Edited August 26 by MacDaddy
Title edit rather than start a new thread

[Burns-bass]

I’ve had pretty much all the DB on stands. I loved the NS EUBs as the scale length was the same as a DB and you can also use genuine DB strings. 

 

The WAV basses are great value but the stands are rubbish. 
 

I’m not sure you can use genuine DB strings on the Ibanez bass. 
 

Ultimately I’d try it if you can! Would love to hear how you get on.
 

[BassBus]

The Ibanez UBs are lovely basses. Double basses they are not. However, you can string them with NS Bass/Cello strings (Omnibass). They have a rope core, the same as real DB strings. I also put my 805 through a 3 Sigma DB IR. The combination of the two gives something towards the sound of a DB but they will never sound exactly like one.

 

I have owned an NS CR before but I prefer the sound from the Ibanez. I just miss the 3/4 scale. They are quite light as well so useful if travelling with it. The stands are very good quality as well.

[Burns-bass]

37 minutes ago, BassBus said:

The Ibanez UBs are lovely basses. Double basses they are not. However, you can string them with NS Bass/Cello strings (Omnibass). They have a rope core, the same as real DB strings. I also put my 805 through a 3 Sigma DB IR. The combination of the two gives something towards the sound of a DB but they will never sound exactly like one.

 

I have owned an NS CR before but I prefer the sound from the Ibanez. I just miss the 3/4 scale. They are quite light as well so useful if travelling with it. The stands are very good quality as well.

Excellent advice. I’d love to check one out.

[Linus27]

I have one also and can vouch they are lovely instrument. They are really well made, come with a very high quality stand which I believe is a bespoke Tama or other drum manufacturer product and a really good padded carry case. They sound Double Bass...ish but not quite but that sort of thing. Strings make a really big difference so you may need to experiment. Well worth it in my opinion.

[BassBus]

11 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

Excellent advice. I’d love to check one out.

If you do try one don't be put off by the strings. I struggled to get on with the stock strings, D'Addario Chromes I believe. Once I changed them to the NS strings that made all the difference.

[Burns-bass]

On 19/07/2024 at 10:31, BassBus said:

If you do try one don't be put off by the strings. I struggled to get on with the stock strings, D'Addario Chromes I believe. Once I changed them to the NS strings that made all the difference.

That’s excellent advice. I see Mark is selling a set on here at a very reasonable price.

[Bloopdad1]

For my two peneth (and as a double bassist that dabble on a B guitar I am biased!) if you're compromising on a shorter scale purely for transport reasons I think you'll always be looking for "that" sound that only a proper scale bass (41" to 43") with proper bass strings on will give you....

Plus bowing a proper scale bass is where it's at. 

 

34" scale... Stick to bass guitar 

If you're looking for a proper bass sound = don't compromise having the proper scale and genuine bass strings. 

 

Only my opinion. 

[MacDaddy]

On 20/07/2024 at 21:27, Bloopdad1 said:

For my two peneth (and as a double bassist that dabble on a B guitar I am biased!) if you're compromising on a shorter scale purely for transport reasons I think you'll always be looking for "that" sound that only a proper scale bass (41" to 43") with proper bass strings on will give you....

Plus bowing a proper scale bass is where it's at. 

 

34" scale... Stick to bass guitar 

If you're looking for a proper bass sound = don't compromise having the proper scale and genuine bass strings. 

 

Only my opinion. 

 

Near enough will do for me. Playability is the priority.

Plus I'll be going through pedals so may want to get crazy at times 😉 

[MacDaddy]

Where does one post a NED (new electric-upright-bass day) thread? 😁

[MacDaddy]

 

I bought it! 😁

 

I'll write more later, but first impressions were it's easy to play, although gonna have to brush up on technique.

I thought I'd find my own way, and played quite happily in the shop for about 20 minutes. However when I got home my picking fingers were aching, so I'm gonna need some advice!

[Burns-bass]

8 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

 

I bought it! 😁

 

I'll write more later, but first impressions were it's easy to play, although gonna have to brush up on technique.

I thought I'd find my own way, and played quite happily in the shop for about 20 minutes. However when I got home my picking fingers were aching, so I'm gonna need some advice!

Slow and steady! 
 

It’s worth getting a lesson if you can, simply as someone experienced can diagnose and fix any poor technique. Failing that, Discover Double Bass is a wonderful resource.

 

Looks like a great bass. Personally I try to play every day for at least 15 minutes. On some days I’ll do a few hours and gigs can last anything from 1-3 hours so you need the stamina!

[MacDaddy]

I'm enjoying playing it, so that alone justifies buying it 😆

I'm trying a lighter touch with my picking hand, but I know bass guitar technique is not the way to go. Also I need to work on left hand muting.

As an aside, given the price point, being Ibanez I would have assumed they were made in Japan, but they are made in Indonesia.

[Burns-bass]

15 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

I'm enjoying playing it, so that alone justifies buying it 😆

I'm trying a lighter touch with my picking hand, but I know bass guitar technique is not the way to go. Also I need to work on left hand muting.

As an aside, given the price point, being Ibanez I would have assumed they were made in Japan, but they are made in Indonesia.

In the end, enjoying it is pretty much 100%.
 

The more you play the closer you’ll get to the sound you want. My view is in the end you’ll probably get a double bass (I did) and the joy of playing that it amazing.

 

In fact, I don’t play electric bass at home ever. It’s 100% DB.

[tinyd]

On 26/08/2024 at 23:28, MacDaddy said:

 

I bought it! 😁

 

I'll write more later, but first impressions were it's easy to play, although gonna have to brush up on technique.

I thought I'd find my own way, and played quite happily in the shop for about 20 minutes. However when I got home my picking fingers were aching, so I'm gonna need some advice!

It looks great and I can see why you enjoy playing it. In terms of advice I'd say getting your right hand (plucking) technique as close to DB is probably first on the list as this will have more impact that you might think on making it sound more like an upright (assuming that's what you want, of course...)

Since it's same scale as BG then I'm not sure about left hand technique, but it's probably worth trying to get familiar with 1-2-4 fingering anyway and raising your elbow so your wrist isn't too bent.

But ultimately all that matters is that you carry on enjoying it!

[MacDaddy]

Having had an instructive evening with advice on technique and posture from @Silvia Bluejay and @Happy Jack I've been playing through the songs of the band I'm going to use it for.

I'm not quite there yet, things I do naturally on regular bass I really have to think about, like muting. I'm developing a picking technique, mostly db plucking but using other fingers in a different way occasionally. My fingers no longer ache like they did after first playing it. Although tbh after a while I need to reset, as I feel it in the shoulders. 

Although it's regular bass length - 34" - all my bass are either mid or short scale, so I'm still finding my fretting hand technique.

It's going back to the shop for a tweak as the internation is out, and I'll get advice on maybe lowering the action.

Otherwise, still enjoying playing it, and I've been asked to join an acoustic jazz outfit, which also goes out as an instrumental group. So talk about running before you can walk! 😆

Edited September 17 by MacDaddy

[NickA]

Where's that shop? Very Hohner heavy; I've never seen more than one of those in one place.

[MacDaddy]

The bass bit of Wunjo Guitars in that London.

[NickA]

It was stuff full of battered old fenders last time I went in.  Bit of an Aladdin's cave that place .... not that I want a Hohner OR a fender; always worth a poke about.

[Linus27]

On 17/09/2024 at 23:09, MacDaddy said:

Having had an instructive evening with advice on technique and posture from @Silvia Bluejay and @Happy Jack I've been playing through the songs of the band I'm going to use it for.

I'm not quite there yet, things I do naturally on regular bass I really have to think about, like muting. I'm developing a picking technique, mostly db plucking but using other fingers in a different way occasionally. My fingers no longer ache like they did after first playing it. Although tbh after a while I need to reset, as I feel it in the shoulders. 

Although it's regular bass length - 34" - all my bass are either mid or short scale, so I'm still finding my fretting hand technique.

It's going back to the shop for a tweak as the internation is out, and I'll get advice on maybe lowering the action.

Otherwise, still enjoying playing it, and I've been asked to join an acoustic jazz outfit, which also goes out as an instrumental group. So talk about running before you can walk! 😆

 

That's great to read and hear you are coming along nicely. I wouldn't mind getting mine looked at as well as I'm not sure the volume balance is equal across all 4 strings.

 

My journey is going very well. I recently purchased a EBS Microbass II from @Happy Jack solely for the use with my Ibanez UB804. So far so good although I have no idea what the best settings are for it yet so I'm just running it flat. I've spent the last week playing on mine in prep for last nights gig which was an absolute storm. This was a very stripped back version of our band that I would normally be playing fretless on with some effects. It turned out to be one of our best performances to date with lots of positive comments on my playing afterwards, I even got asked by another artists who loved my playing and tone if I would like to play on some of her tracks at some point. I'm a big fan of her music so I was over the moon for her to ask.

[Happy Jack]

Clearly I should have charged you more ...

 

😂

[Linus27]

Just now, Happy Jack said:

Clearly I should have charged you more ...

 

😂

 

You snooze you lose  😂

[Marc S]

Glad to hear you're getting on with your Ibanez Upswing. I was going to sell mine, after getting my BSX EUB - but I like it so much, I decided to keep it.

 

The EBS Micro Bass is a great pre-amp pedal, and a bit of experimentation, and you'll find it invaluable. (Yours might even be my old one) I only sold mine, as I wanted to try the Stanley Clark Acoustic pedal, and liked that even more.

 

Re evenness of volume - keep playing & practicing with the bass, until you're even more comfortable with it. A really nice feature of the Upswing, is that you can adjust the level of the pickup under each bridge saddle separately - so you can even those levels out 😀 

you just need a jeweller's screwdriver, and it's so simple to do.

[Linus27]

4 hours ago, Marc S said:

Glad to hear you're getting on with your Ibanez Upswing. I was going to sell mine, after getting my BSX EUB - but I like it so much, I decided to keep it.

 

The EBS Micro Bass is a great pre-amp pedal, and a bit of experimentation, and you'll find it invaluable. (Yours might even be my old one) I only sold mine, as I wanted to try the Stanley Clark Acoustic pedal, and liked that even more.

 

Re evenness of volume - keep playing & practicing with the bass, until you're even more comfortable with it. A really nice feature of the Upswing, is that you can adjust the level of the pickup under each bridge saddle separately - so you can even those levels out 😀 

you just need a jeweller's screwdriver, and it's so simple to do.

Awesome, thank you and so far the EBS pedal has been great. I nearly pulled the trigger on buying a new EBS Stanley Clark pedal but when @Happy JackJackput his up for sale, I thought it would be a good starting point. I'll probably get the Stanley Clark one at some point.

 

I did know about the pickup level adjuster but I didn't want to start fiddling just yet in case it was more me, poor technique, strings and eq'ing. So I'll keep playing for a bit longer and see where it's at.

[MacDaddy]

First rehearsal using it with the band last night. Got some comments when the band mates noticed it wasn't a bass guitar, which took longer than you might have thought 😆

So looks wise it got the thumbs up. I had it on its db setting, the BL said the sound fitted the band really well (Americana).

I must be doing something right because my fingers feel fine today - both hands. I'm using predominantly db picking with occasional variations. Because of the 34" scale, it's my usual 1 finger per fret technique.

Still loving playing it 🤩