What is the point of an EUB?

[Delberthot]

Before I begin I am in no way dissing these, I would truly like to understand them.


I play electric bass both fretted fretless. They sound like electric basses.

I am contemplating my first double bass as I really like the sound and can think of several sections it could fit into my current band as well as open up opportunities for other work. It sounds like a double bass.


I don't get the EUB. It doesn't really sound like either, it has a sound of its own. When I think of the type of sound Tony Levin gets, it sounds a bit like a bit like a slow fart for want of a better term.

If you play one, do you play it because it has a sound of its own, because you can't afford or want to try a double bass or some other reason?

[Beedster]

Well here;s three....

1. You try carrying a full-size DB to rehearsals!
2. There's no feedback issues
3. They can sound however you want, depending on string selection, action, EQ, playing style. Play it like a fretless bass and guess what, it sounds like a fretless bass (which is where I think most bass players go wrong). Mine sounds NOTHING like a fretless bass, and I play a fretless Precision with heavy La Bella flats!

I'm sure more experienced players of EUB than me will have more to add!

C

Edited July 7, 2010 by Beedster

[Doddy]

The reason I use my Electric Upright a lot is mainly because I can get volume without having to worry
about feedback. It's also great if you are in a pit,doubling on electric and upright,because it can sit on its
stand and take up very little room compared to the upright. Plus,it's easy to carry.
I got mine after I'd been playing Upright for a few years,and I saw a friend of mine playing a Clifton.
It looked cool and sounded great,so naturally I wanted one. As it happened,he had to sell his bass a
couple of years later and I bought it. I've done recordings with it where you would think that it is an
actual acoustic upright with a pickup fitted. If you have a good one like a Clifton,Clevinger,Eminence,
Yamaha etc. they sound a lot more realistic than a bass like the Stagg or the NS.

[Delberthot]

The Clevinger was the first one I heard being used by Nathan East and it does sound good.

When I was 17 I used to carry the School's DB 2 miles from the school to my house and I still have vivid memories of how heavy that was.


One of my biggest concerns with gigs is going to be the transporting of it and whether or not I can fit it in my car

[Linus27]

My Stagg sounded like a double bass. Other people also said it sounded like a double bass. Job done really.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='888945' date='Jul 7 2010, 09:12 PM']When I was 17 I used to carry the School's DB 2 miles from the school to my house and I still have vivid memories of how heavy that was.

One of my biggest concerns with gigs is going to be the transporting of it and whether or not I can fit it in my car[/quote]

The geezer I bought my double bass off, brought it to my house in a Peugeot 306.

I said "OK I'm less apprehensive about fitting one in my car now I've seen you can fit one in your car"

He said "Not one..." and opened the hatch, and sure enough he had two double basses in there!

Don't worry about fitting it in your car, even small cars are deceptively large.

[BobVbass]

[quote]Don't worry about fitting it in your car, even small cars are deceptively large.[/quote]

too right - I can get one in my (classic, proper, not remodelled golf rubbish) VW Beetle! Otherwise just get a roof rack!

I bought my EUB as I wanted something I could practice with using headphones so I didn't wake the kiddies up, with a DB scles so I could get used to it.

[TheRev]

I gave this very issue a lot of thought before I bought my Eminence EUB.

I started off with an Aria Lite One, which I bought pretty much on a whim. Within two months I was totally hooked on double bass and started saving up for a 'real' bass. While I was saving up, I hired a bass fora couple of months from a local music shop so that I whould have some idea of what I was looking for when I finally came to buy.

During this time I came to the following conclusions, which led to me buying the Eminence rather than a full acoustic bass.

1) A lot of the sound is in the technique and in the strings. Most cheap EUBs come with cheap strings and will be played by beginners who have yet to develop a good BD technique, therefore it will not sound like an acoustic bass. Put a decent set of synthetic or orchestral strings on a Stagg or an Aria EUB and give it to a good DB player and it will sound pretty close to a proper DB, especially in a band setting.

2) All of my gigs are amplified, so if i bought a fully acoustic bass, it would need amplification which would change the sound that your audience hears. You also enter into a constant battle with feedback. Better then, for me to buy something that was designed to be amplified.

There's a very good post somewhere on the Talkbass EUB forum where someone compared the various Azola EUBs (from a stick type up to an acoustic baby bass) to a fully acoustic double bass. His conclusions were that the louder you go, the less perceived difference there is between an DB with a pickup through an amp and an EUB. i.e. a DB played acoustically will sound tons better than a stick type EUB through an amp or a semi acoustic EUB through an amp. Once you start amplifying your DB, the difference disappears to the point where, in a band setting a decent EUB will sound no different to most people than an amped DB.

3) I live in a top floor flat. It wasn't a major ball ache carrying a 3/4 size double bass up and down the stairs but I can carry my Eminence, my LMII and a cab up three fights with no issues.

4) The Eminence feels like a double bass. This is important in developing a good DB technique. I've only been playing DB for 3 years so I'm still learning, but on a good day when the gods of EQ are pleased, it sounds just like an acoustic DB.


So, after taking these considerations into account, I felt that my needs were best served with spending £2K on a good EUB. Yes, there are gigs where the sound is nasal and I struggle to get the note to bloom, but I've been to plenty of gigs where the acoustic bass has an abysmal sound so I don't think that's down to the fact that I play an EUB - more to do with my still developing technique and not enough time at soundcheck!

I think you need to ask yourself a couple of questions about your needs before you decide on BD vs EUB. If you will be plying purely acoustically and you don't mind lugging a bigg wooden box around, then the acoutic DB is your best option. If you're going to be playing in a loudish band setting with amplification, then a good EUB may be more suitable.

Dave

[Rich]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='888903' date='Jul 7 2010, 08:34 PM']I don't get the EUB. It doesn't really sound like either, it has a sound of its own. When I think of the type of sound Tony Levin gets, it sounds a bit like a bit like a slow fart for want of a better term.[/quote]
All I can say is that you obviously haven't heard Dave's remarkable Eminince EUB. I heard it at the South Wales BB a few months back and was stunned... it really does sound uncannily like an acoustic DB and would be my absolute 1st choice if I was to dip a toe into the EUB waters.

[derrenleepoole]

First and foremost, and EUB will never sound like a DB. Ever. Full stop. The difference in build construction, physicality etc make this a fact. Many really high end EUB's do get very close though compared with cheaper models. However, a lot of problems come down to the fact that many people don't know how to set up their instruments (and amps) to help them get a more convincing DB tone. Also, it's how you play that will help in getting the tone closer. Many people often come to EUB through fretless playing as an aid to then play full DB, so will approach playing like an electric bass player, when quite often the technique makes a big difference. Well, that's been my experience anyway. Also, here's an interest thought, how many times have we all heard a DB recording and thought it sounds weak and very unrewarding when compared to our expectations of what we perceive a DB to sound like?

[guyl]

I agree with everything posted.

There is no point in making an EUB sound like a bass guitar. You even occasionally hear amplified uprights sounding like bass guitar which is even more pointless.

Its all to do with instrument and set up and there seems to be some pretty good approximations out their.

My only EUB experience is with a Bridge Cetus. It wasn't the most portable EUB as it had a "proper" upright fingerboard/neck, bridge, tailpiece and scroll and a bit of a body box. It sounded awesome (better than my acoustic) and looked amazing.

However traditionalists didn't like it on gigs and I did miss "feeling" the vibration of the instrument against my body. In the end it was getting left at home in favour of upright so I sold it on. I've no regrets.