_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 However, my apartment is likely the same square footage as the average garage. Yes, this is true. I have sullied your premises with my presence, and you've got a two-car apartment. One car in the bedroom. One car in the living room. Storage in the bathroom. (No uprights, Steve!) Workshop/tools/bench in the kitchen. Yup, it's a two-car garage. Peace. --s-uu spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Put all your basses in the kids room and make them sleep on the couch. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 A "real" bass would be the way to go. I shall explore that option a little more. But what about the Sterling... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Wow. Those Englehardts look pretty nice. I've got some other gear in mind in the near term, but I think trying one of these out might be worth my while. The NS WAV4 is great for gigging, but an EUB doesn't really compare with a real upright bass. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 The fretted sounded really good tonight. Yeah, it wasn't an upright, and I couldn't do everything like an upright - ballads, glissando, etc. but it sounded good and I played alright, too. Until I figure out an upright, this will do just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Wow. Those Englehardts look pretty nice. I've got some other gear in mind in the near term, but I think trying one of these out might be worth my while. The NS WAV4 is great for gigging, but an EUB doesn't really compare with a real upright bass. The Engleharts are nice. Being laminate, they aren't going to feel the effects of the weather and humidity like a carved bass. Very rugged. I got my WAV 4 two days ago and got it for the intention of rehersals and practices and other times when my loading up the 3/4 Richter and taking the van isn't practical. Gig only with the Richter. You just can't get an ERB to simulate the sound and the presence of an upright. If you are tight with a local music store and can get them to take delivery, an Englehart isn't going to set you back much farther than a MIA Fender. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 It turns out we are going to (hopefully) get a large capital outlay for purchases in the school district. I may try to take one of the "lesser" laminated basses (which really are better in this climate) that are destined for other things and see if I can make one playable for jazz gigs. If I can get it for next to nothing and spend a few hundred for set up and strings, that may be an option, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I may try to take one of the "lesser" laminated basses (which really are better in this climate) that are destined for other things and see if I can make one playable for jazz gigs. That's the silly thing about URBs...some have more projection, some have more muted/darker tone, some sing to the heavens...but all of them (if it's a half decent instrument to begin with and properly set up) will serve you well whether playing in an orchestra or in a jazz band. The thing with less expensive URBs is that you probably won't get one that does any one thing exceedingly well, but you'll probably end up with one that is pretty well rounded for any application. Like your Squire without the "fret" buzz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 It seems like the best option for what you are looking to do. If you want paying gigs, and you can play the upright... I am betting it could pay for itself in no time... even if it is not the best bass around, as long as it is adequate I am sure you'll do fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think this is the way to go. I am an upright player (although it's been a while) so why am I trying to make something that's not an upright sound like one? I did find a shop about an hour away that has basses in the sub $2,000 range so I'm going to try and get there and play what they have. The "fix a junker" option is still a possibility as well. As I will be playing jazz/pizz 99% of the time, I think I can get away with a "lesser" instrument than if I was going to do a lot of Legit" gigs and arco. The Fishman Platinum Pro Pre/DI is a nice, inexpensive buffering preamp for the pickup. I'd probably go K&K Bass Max like we have here at school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 The Fishman Platinum Pro Pre/DI is a nice, inexpensive buffering preamp for the pickup. I'd probably go K&K Bass Max like we have here at school. Personally I don't get the hype about this URB pickup or that one...in a big band setting (where I primarily use one), not even I (the bass player) have been able to tell the difference between the few I've tried out. Yeah, when the room is quiet and I play something by myself I can pick out some of the subtle differences, but I don't think it makes that big of a difference to the listeners. The Fishman BP-100, The Realist, The Underwood were all perfectly useable as are the old-school mic at the top of my endpin (custom job from way before I bought the bass) and a well-placed SM58. I get more tonal and articulatory (is that even a word? ) variety out of my amp than I do from changing pickups/mics. Of course YMMV but then you'd be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnb Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I've been getting great results using an combination of an ATM350 and my Underwood. Of course you have to convince the powers-that-be that you are worth 2 channels in the mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 The Fishman Platinum Pro Pre/DI is a nice, inexpensive buffering preamp for the pickup. I'd probably go K&K Bass Max like we have here at school. Personally I don't get the hype about this URB pickup or that one...in a big band setting (where I primarily use one), not even I (the bass player) have been able to tell the difference between the few I've tried out. Yeah, when the room is quiet and I play something by myself I can pick out some of the subtle differences, but I don't think it makes that big of a difference to the listeners. The Fishman BP-100, The Realist, The Underwood were all perfectly useable as are the old-school mic at the top of my endpin (custom job from way before I bought the bass) and a well-placed SM58. I get more tonal and articulatory (is that even a word? ) variety out of my amp than I do from changing pickups/mics. Of course YMMV but then you'd be wrong. I don't know if it's hype as much as these are things I've tried and I know how they work and sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I don't know if it's hype as much as these are things I've tried and I know how they work and sound. Well said. That's what I've found most important and most lacking in my current setup. Fortunately (and un-), my BP-100 has faulty wires that I haven't tried to fix yet and I keep putting off buying a jack that fits the old-style single conductor connection on my endpin pickup so I've been making due with bass guitar recently and I don't have to worry about dialing in my amp because I have great control with my onboard pre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Also, in a small town, lugging the upright would also likely cement you as the first choice for those types of gigs. Band leaders like to see it, and the audience gets a visual cue that this is real jazz, not Kenny G. Flag on the field. You mentioned the antichrist. When will people learn? If you write his name on the internet, he might make another record. Do you want that kind of resposibility? Do you? \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Do you want that kind of resposibility? Do you? I'm a nihilist, what do I care? And the CFO of my current company is a huge Kenny G fan. So yes, I have proof fans do exist. Shocking, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 A nihilist? Sheesh. Well, you can say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, but at least it's an ethos. And ew. Every time KG plays that shiny horn, a kitten gets thrown into a meat grinder in the hopes that the sound of kitty screams will drown out the horn. Being a KG fan is like being a fan of intestinal flu, but that makes sense, since the sounds resulting from both afflictions are similar. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 And what does that all mean? SteveC should buy an upright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Oh yeah, definitely. I thought my point was fairly clear. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 I believe I am sufficiently motivated to try and make the upright thing work. Not sure how, but I'll work on it. I think I'll start with trying to get something fixed up. Cheap, available and probably just fine for what I need - although I thought that with the Squire, too. Apples and oranges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Apples and oranges. More like a lemon and a mellon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 More like a lemon and a mellon. Make mellonade? "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 FWIW, My Squier VM Fretless had a slight, yet annoying buzz right around the fourth fret line, just like Steve's. I spent my day off today (work a 4/10 schedule) adjusting bridges, tweaking truss rods and measuring PUP heights. I did have to put about 3/8" of a turn additional relief in the neck and did raise the bridge height a little bit for the E and A (personal preference, I like my action crazy high) and things sound not-so-bad now. I may take another 1/8" turn of relief, but for now it's quite playable. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 So now I see a nice deal on a basically new NS WAV4 with nice strings and gig bag. About $1,000 worth of stuff for $700. They are way easier to transport, maintain and have around space wise. I know, I over-think everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Friend of my was lead guitar in another project. Their original lead came back from rehab and the band let him back in. My friend bowed out before ugliness happened. He's got the jones to start gigging again and has formed a blues/rock/jazz/whatever group and asked me to bass chair. He's the type of guy that would like to do "unusual" or "different" things. I'm thinking the NS may start making it to paid gigs now. I might even be able to dust of the pedal board now. Ever get your VM issue straightened out, Steve? Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 Ever get your VM issue straightened out, Steve? Not really. I'm going to try and sell it. I don't want to do jazz on an electric fretless - EUB maybe - but not this. I've tried before and didn't like it so I don't know why I thought I would with the Squire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 As our band leader seems to be adding more "pop jazz" into the songlist (the new keys is great and we are able to expand into the bass and drums quite a bit), there a couple of items that I'm not sure I'm comfortable trying to play through on the upright. I figured the VM might be an inexpensive alternative. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 I think that if I went with a fretless again I would spend just a little more and get a nicer bass - bu not as a substitute for upright, just as an instrument in itself. I think I have decided the EUB isn't for me. I played one for a while today and it sounded good, but... I think I am/was looking at one for the wrong reasons. I'm going to play what I have for now and call it good. Maybe down the road I'll really be feeling an upright, but for now I am not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 So, after all the great discussion, I have decided to get another Wendler. Dave has one in stock for a great price that he is sending out today, Hopefully I get it in time for my gig Thursday. After more self-debate, I decided that good looks or not, I don't have the time to work up and keep up any kind of upright chops. That rules out upright and EUB. Obviously, a "normal" fretless bass doesn't do it, nor should it. That's not how they are designed. The Wendler should give me the sound I want, without the extra "hassle" of upright - upkeep, technique building and maintenance, etc. I appreciate all your thoughts,advice and comments. I know it seems I don't listen at times, but I do appreciate the Lowdown community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 We appreciate you too, Steve. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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