Solving your playability issues

Non-Rickenbacker Basses, Fretless Basses & Effects

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antipodean
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Solving your playability issues

Post by antipodean »

Action too high?
Too much relief?
String tension too high?
Neck too wide or thick?
Scale length challenging?
Bass too heavy?

I discovered this program late last year - for one month, just spend one hour a day playing one of these and you'll never complain about the playability of any electric bass ever again!
One Upright Dude.jpg
Edit - 3000th post!!!!! - I am now doing a lap of honour around the entire forum site....
"I don't want to sound incredulous but I can't believe it" Rex Mossop
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jps
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by jps »

Congrats on 3000 posts, Evan! 8)

I have only rarely played on a real URB, but I did have a NS Design CR4M for a while, although I did have the action fairly low on it. You forgot to mention:

String spacing too wide for your plucking hand? :mrgreen:
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edski
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by edski »

Cannot disagree - played an upright in college for a couple years and when I got used to it my 4001 seemed like a toy.

Still, a gonzo bass will be gonzo, and even if you are used to the big boy, the gonzo will still seem gonzo :mrgreen:
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Kiddwad57
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by Kiddwad57 »

Jeff, I thought you had an Alembic? At any rate, the string bass certainly is a challenging instrument, but there is a lot of satisfaction in playing it when things are going well.
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jps
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by jps »

This one?
Alembic-Classico_1200_2434.jpg
I wish! This is what I used to have.
Jeff-1200-06.jpg
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Kiddwad57
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by Kiddwad57 »

The NSD basses are nice too. I tried one at a Guitar Center in Chicago a few years back. Well thought out, excellent build quality and really portable.
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Kiddwad57
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by Kiddwad57 »

antipodean wrote:
I discovered this program late last year - for one month, just spend one hour a day playing one of these and you'll never complain about the playability of any electric bass ever again!
Evan; That looks like a nice bass, what led you to it?
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jps
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by jps »

Nathan, are you into Eberhard Weber, by chance?
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Kiddwad57
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by Kiddwad57 »

I haven't been, but I'm interested. My big years for fusion would have been from 1978 through 1986. My love of jazz and "classical" is on a long fuse! Every bit of what knowledge I possess has been hard won. Since I'd like to become more familiar with Kate Bush's work, I'm going to concentrate on stuff of hers that he played on. Of course if you have some recommendations I would love to check them out.

I have to admit that I don't go out of my way to listen to bassists. That doesn't mean I don't listen to bassists, but usually I am more of a song guy. A good example would be my feelings about Jaco...he was fabulous, but my favorite work of his was when he played with Joni.

I really liked the ecm guitarist Terje Rypdal. I used to listen to Mahavishnu a lot. Rick Laird was one guy that really impressed me on bass, he played great and stayed out of the way! I was a Flock fan, their rhythm section was hot. Those albums of George Benson on CTI (lots of CTI artists). Wow, did you ever get into Woody Shaw? The album Woody III really knocked me out. Buster Williams' sound was awesome! String bass played through an overdriven B15. Both he and Paul Jackson with Herbie Hancock, just fantastic. Recently I was reading up on and listening to Herbie Flowers, his playing with Bowie, Reed, etc. He really brought a jazz sensibility to the rock tunes he played on.

But what can one say...there's a lot of music out there.

So what's up with the Alembic? And don't tell me that's not your pinball machine!?
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jps
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by jps »

The Classico was in the lobby of Alembic when we dropped in for a visit. That is not my pinball machine, either, but I did have a Gottlieb Flipper Clown for many years! :mrgreen: In 1971 I was involved in a production of Tommy at our local JCC and the pinball machine was given to my brother and I after the show had ended.

Flipper Clown

I have some EW CDs, from his ECM days, this was during my new age era (the good stuff) in the '80s-'90s. He is a big proponent of 5 string upright, so I figured you were familiar with his work.
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antipodean
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by antipodean »

Kiddwad57 wrote:
antipodean wrote:
I discovered this program late last year - for one month, just spend one hour a day playing one of these and you'll never complain about the playability of any electric bass ever again!
Evan; That looks like a nice bass, what led you to it?
Thanks for asking, Nathan.

I was invited to join a swing band several years ago by two friends, and have been searching for the appropriate sound (and, shamefully, look) to fit the American songbook and gentle latin repertoire. I used a variety of electric basses, including a very special ex-Jeff Scott Hofner, before settling on a Warwick fretless, but kept feeling that the sound wasn't quite right. After about 12 months of research (I looked into EUBs as well as the standard upright), I took the plunge with the upright, which is a relatively cheap though well-built and well set-up plywood bass. To begin with, playing it was like wrestling an orang-outang blindfolded. It's now more like practising judo with an angry gibbon, though far more rewarding. I wish I had taken up the challenge about 20 years ago, partly because I'm feeling my age, and partly because of the fun I've missed.

The bass will debut at a cocktail party this Saturday..... gulp....
"I don't want to sound incredulous but I can't believe it" Rex Mossop
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Kiddwad57
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by Kiddwad57 »

Jeff: We've never had pinball, but we do have a funky little pool table. Good family times. Also, I have heard Eberhard Weber's playing in passing but never sat down with it. But thanks for reminding me, I'll check back when I get some familiarity. I didn't know he was a fiver.

For me having a five string is preferable to a "c" extension. We're talking orchestral work here. It is amazing to play all of those low notes in a bass section. I simply had no idea what I'd been missing all those years. Fortunately, when the time came to buy the Pollmann I was able to hang on to my four string and set it up for playing jazz, etc. I recently switched to a Realist Life-Line pickup and that's been a nice change. Another big one was putting on a set of Pirastro Evah Pirazzi strings, I can't even begin to tell you.

Evan: Going for tone first sure makes a lot of sense. Standards and Latin sound so much better on a string bass. (Or a fretless 4003 with TI flats...). Have fun on your gig, everyone will be so happy to hear your string bass!
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jps
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by jps »

Evan, we need videos of the debut!
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iiipopes
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by iiipopes »

I play double bass in a jazz/swing/dance band, and yes, after a few gigs in a row on the double bass, my 4002 seems quite, er, let's say "compact."
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Kiddwad57
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Re: Solving your playability issues

Post by Kiddwad57 »

jps wrote:
I have some EW CDs, from his ECM days, this was during my new age era (the good stuff) in the '80s-'90s. He is a big proponent of 5 string upright, so I figured you were familiar with his work.
Hanging out, digging on Eberhard Weber. He tunes his bass using a high C string.
Don't let democracy end democracy.
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