Did you ever attempt to play Upright Bass -- how did it go?

[specialca]

The first time I played an Upright Bass I felt like Slam Stewart and Charles Mingus. It was my cousin Gary's Czechoslovakian Upright Bass and I was playing crazy 16th notes on it. In fact when I took my friend Carl to the Bass Place in Scottsdale, Arizona and played one there he told me that I sound better on an Upright then I do on an Electric Bass!

 

[msg63b]

For those who don’t like the bulk, I saw a cello tuned and strung like a DB and it sounded nice. Had a long end pin. Terry at Counts Music in Muscle Shoals. Currently with Travis Wammacks band. Super nice guy.

 

[Ron Mason]

For those who don’t like the bulk, I saw a cello tuned and strung like a DB and it sounded nice. Had a long end pin. Terry at Counts Music in Muscle Shoals. Currently with Travis Wammacks band. Super nice guy.

There are also many contrebass players who have or are having 'C' extensions fitted to their instruments and tuning it in cello tuning.
I'm currently in the design stage of building a MultiBass, an electro acoustic 5 string instrument capable of being played as a bass or a cello, with the help of some very clever electronics, a full length elder tree and an acquaintance who works with a forward thinking string manufacturer..

 

[jon3673]

I picked it up around 2008. I took a few lessons to get my posture and technique right. Played regularly until last year, when age and arthritis started getting in the way. My hands couldn't take a three hour gig anymore. I sold it a few months ago, and still have regrets. I miss the visceral response of the upright. So now I use either my Tacoma Thunderchief or my Guild B-50 ABGs for those projects. Fortunately, the other band members don't seem to mind.

I understand your concerns! I am now 80 and beginning 2 b concerned about moving around my 4/4 size 5 string upright. I don't want to go to the electric upright, however, if you want to retain the upright acoustic sound, you should look into a bass like the Meisel, Knilling or Eminance thin body upright bass. I liked the sound of the Eminance, but it's body is so small that it always had to be amplified. However, I now have a Meisel that I converted to 5 string, which drives me nuts! As it does not have a body extension bracket like the Eminance, I have problems holding it when standing. However, when on a stool I don't have that problem and acoustically, it does sound good! Not as good as my fully carved full size upright, but remarkably well for it's small body size. When amplified, of course, it works ok. And, it's easy to move into upstairs gigs! Playing this ax and amplifying with my AI 10-2 amp makes a gig much easier!

 

[jon3673]

Also, for a better feel (& sound) you might want to look into using the Innovation black nylon strings on ur upright. Good sound and, as I have them set fairly low, doesn't kill me on a 3 or 4 hour gig!

 

[RustyAxe]

Also, for a better feel (& sound) you might want to look into using the Innovation black nylon strings on ur upright. Good sound and, as I have them set fairly low, doesn't kill me on a 3 or 4 hour gig!

i was using Innovation Super Silvers. It wasn't the strings (I also used Obligato and others) it was the hand extension.

 

[msg63b]

I understand your concerns! I am now 80 and beginning 2 b concerned about moving around my 4/4 size 5 string upright. I don't want to go to the electric upright, however, if you want to retain the upright acoustic sound, you should look into a bass like the Meisel, Knilling or Eminance thin body upright bass. I liked the sound of the Eminance, but it's body is so small that it always had to be amplified. However, I now have a Meisel that I converted to 5 string, which drives me nuts! As it does not have a body extension bracket like the Eminance, I have problems holding it when standing. However, when on a stool I don't have that problem and acoustically, it does sound good! Not as good as my fully carved full size upright, but remarkably well for it's small body size. When amplified, of course, it works ok. And, it's easy to move into upstairs gigs! Playing this ax and amplifying with my AI 10-2 amp makes a gig much easier!

80? Wow! Go man go

 

[chazolson]

I started on cello and then picked up an upright. Only then did I touch an electric bass. Probably not the way most TB'ers get there; probably more folks who started on guitar than on a fretless string instrument.