Electic Upright Bass

[weaponepsilon]

I was at work when I came up with the wacky idea of getting a double (upright) bass neck and mounting it to a small body and ramping some electronics through it for sound. I was wondering if anyone else has been as adventurous?

[tim_ado]

not sure about the forum but have u seen those NS basses

[weaponepsilon]

yeah, something similar to that. I mean it seems simple enough. Look at the body size, plus you could easily make one if you were into building a regular solid body. You think that a piezo or acoustic undersaddle style pickups would work for that?

[tim_ado]

umm i think the pickups that they mainly use are these Emgs

but i dont know were you would find them

maybe normal soapbars would do it i have no idea

[Jon]

The construction of that upright greatly resembles some basses I was very greatful to demo at the Dallas guitar show. Check out Bolin guitars.

http://www.bolinguitars.com/

Deadly, deadly basses. Although that's a bit off-topic from this thread, it may help you in search for the right information. On topic, definitely check out Ergo Instruments, Jesse is a very talented luthier.

http://www.assoc-admin.com/ergo/

[ihocky2]

Here are a few links to product by Mark Wood which is all electric violins, cellos, and such. But the do list teh pickups he uses. And I have heard him play these with distortion. Just listen to Tran-Siberian Orchestra.

http://www.woodviolins.com/html/CobraCello.html

http://www.woodviolins.com/html/viper.html

[weaponepsilon]

Wow, so many replies in so little time, thanks guys! anyone else want in on the melee? please?

[Jon]

Ah cool, I know a guy that plays one of those viper violins. Check out Chris Cardone if you want to hear some of the violin work, think he only played it on a CD or two. Whatever they put in the violins are killer pickup(s).

www.christophercardone.com

[Jon]

Hah, looks like his site is only filled with pictures from the Lodo Bass Bash now. No idea what happend to his music! Oh well.

[WezV]

I keep coming back to the idea so it may happen one day, firstly you need to source the large chunk of ebony suitable for an upright fretboard and that isnt going to be cheap. You could use other woods but for meit would have to be ebony!!

For the pickup i would buy a peizo one that fitted onto the bridge-or was built into it rather thangoing for magnetic pickups

...

also check out barker basses foran alternative approach

http://www.barkerbass.com/

Although obviously thats a lot closer to a electric bass

[erikbojerik]

Fishman makes some good double bass-cello-violin piezo pickups.

[GregP]

Taking some twists and turns from the Mark Wood page, I ended up at the site for Dee Snider's "Van Helsing's Curse". Some of the women playing in the string section are somethin' else.

With regards to the upright electric bass-- aren't there even suppliers who carry contrabass fingerboards already? That would reduce the curve a bit.

For the person who suggested sourcing a LOT of ebony-- ebony isn't the only wood you can use. You can use pretty much any hard wood or even hard material. Pretty sure the Ned Steinberger ones aren't using actual ebony, though I haven't checked his site in a while.

Seems like a cool project.

Greg

[biliousfrog]

Madinter sells ebony boards for double bass for as little as 40 Euros: http://madinter.com/b2c/index.php?page=pp_...odf=77&md=1

I've considered making one for a long time, I've already built up a small collection of "scraps" that could go into a small body. It seems like a project that is potentially very simple so you could spend extra time adding nice little touches.

[CrazyManAndy]

You might check out these guys:

http://www.barberatransducers.com/basspickups.html

CMA

[weaponepsilon]

Hmm, I've got a shop down the street that sells decent sized hunks of ebony. Perhaps a trip is in order. I mean, so basically

a: ebony fret board

b: maple body

c: maple bridge

d: transducer pickups.

I got a big bag of bass tone caps, so now its just a matter of determing the angle of the fret board in relation to the body if thats even a bother.

[weaponepsilon]

You might check out these guys:

http://www.barberatransducers.com/basspickups.html

CMA

Well, this got me.

but this i found interesting.

A double bass is just a big violin, so think big.

[WezV]

For the person who suggested sourcing a LOT of ebony-- ebony isn't the only wood you can use. You can use pretty much any hard wood or even hard material. Pretty sure the Ned Steinberger ones aren't using actual ebony, though I haven't checked his site in a while.

Yeah i am well aware ebony isnt essential for this, but i think thats what i would have to go for if intending to make something that appealed to most upright players. It just feels like it should be ebony to me

I think if i was doing this i would also be looking at starting with a partially pre-made fretboard to save on the learning curve and get something usable quicker, unfortunately that does push up the price a bit

[tim_ado]

i think wenge would be nice as well

feels more raw

[weaponepsilon]

Agreed to the Ebony fingerboard. You guys think this thing ought to have a Trussrod or not? I am thinking either cf rods or none.

[WezV]

i wouldnt bother with a truss rod because if you have a neck as think as uprights usually are a truss rod isnt going to be able to move it.

Maybe some CF bars but i think even they are unnecisarry fo this

[weaponepsilon]

i wouldnt bother with a truss rod because if you have a neck as think as uprights usually are a truss rod isnt going to be able to move it.

Maybe some CF bars but i think even they are unnecisarry fo this

I know, I know, stupid question right? I was jsut gandering at some of the various electric uprights and some of the designs are highly derivitive of the standard bolt ons that we all know and love and subsiquently have a trussrod. Now that first picture at the beginning of this thread is more what I was thinking of and does not have any. I was just throwing out info in case someone derives a plan from all of this later on and restarts the thread.

Mine most likely will not be any different. I an thinking of a 3x3x40 inch length of maple (or whatever) cut about 4/5 at the top about 10 degrees or so give it that neck angle along the single piece to a maple bridge with string through or possible tailpiece. An ebony fingerboard slightly radiused (20 inches maybe?) to a shaped head stock with 2x2 tuners. Any design ideas starting develop people?

[GregP]

I can't help but like the -concept- of a more traditional tight-radius fingerboard rather than a flat one. Seems somehow more "upright-bass-ish". But there's no actual reason to prefer the tight radius, and if your hands are already used to an electric bass then the flatter radius might actually be better for ya.

Greg

[Primal]

Most of those electric uprights are essentially normal bass guitars. They almost all have either a 34" or 35" scale neck. Upright basses have a 43" scale neck, and the neck is at least 2.5-3" think (if memory serves).

[weaponepsilon]

Most of those electric uprights are essentially normal bass guitars. They almost all have either a 34" or 35" scale neck. Upright basses have a 43" scale neck, and the neck is at least 2.5-3" think (if memory serves).

I'll have to remember that. My full size upright isn't in my possession anymore so I couldn't remember. Thanks. Greg, are you referring to the almost 45 degree angle slant for the E string compounded against the A thru G string radius?

Edited May 13, 2007 by weaponepsilon

[GregP]

I was definitely thinking of compound radius, but I didn't know that some models have one string even more offset than the others. I just meant that in my own head when picturing any sort of upright (even an electric), I always visualize that really noticable tight compound radius-- almost like playing on a cross-section of a cone.