[Dixielandjazz] Electric Bass

Kit W. Johnson Kit W. Johnson" <kit@bscjb.com
Thu, 18 Jul 2002 08:10:10 -0700


Clearly why the tuba reigns supreme... :-)


----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick Cooke" <patcooke@cox.net>
To: "thompson" <rebecca.e.thompson@verizon.net>;
<barbonestreet@earthlink.net>; "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List"
<dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2002 7:59 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Electric Bass


> Dear Rebecca....
>          If you can always HEAR the difference between an acoustic and an
> electric bass, you have exceptional ears.  If you listen to your CDs on a
> cheap little boom box, you will be lucky to hear the bass at all, much
less
> tell what kind of bass it is.   With the exception of symphonic players,
> almost all "acoustic" basses are amplified these days, so for the sake of
> discussion, we'll assume that they all are amplified.
>          I have known musicians with years of experience incorrectly
> identify an electric as an acoustic, and vice-versa.  There are a few
times
> when I have to listen closely for some passage or nuance which reveals the
> identity of the bass.
>          If an electric is using round-wound steel strings, it is
> unmistakable.  These are the strings that the rockers and the
countrywestern
> players prefer.  They have a twang that is immediately identifiable.  The
> sound is more like a bass banjo....especially in the upper register.  The
> higher the note, the more twang.  This is the sound that most jazz people
> dislike.  I DON'T LIKE IT either!
>         If you change the strings to flatwound, the sound is entirely
> different.  You can change to nylon wound strings and get still another
> sound.  I could write a few hundred words on the anatomy of strings, but
> suffice to say that different types of strings produce different
> sounds....markedly different....more than the difference between acoustic
> and eldctric.  Can you hear what kind of strings a bass player is using?
> Your eyes won't help you here. I can hear the difference between flatwound
> and roundwound strings.  With flatwound strings on a Fender, I can get a
> sound not unlike a tuba.
>        Most of the acoustic basses you will hear a jazz or dance player
use
> will be plywood.  Plywood basses are cheaper by an order of magnitude, are
> rugged and dependable; but they just don't sound anything like the carved
> wood basses that most symphonic players use.  The plywood bass will have a
> resonant point usually somewhere around Bb or C on the G string.  The
sound
> is usually strongest at this point and diminishes to rather muddy on the
> bottom string.  This can be corrected to some degree by the use of
> electronic equalization.  A carved wood bass made by a violin maker who
> knows what he is doing will hve a more equal amplitude over the whole
> instrument.
>        Pickups can completely destroy your sound.  I've thrown away about
a
> half dozen of them.  Some pickups will sound good on one bass, terrible on
> another.  I have never got a sound I liked from any pickup that mounts on
> the bridge.  I'm partial to the magnetic type, but I'm still not ecstatic
> about it.  Can you tell the difference?
>        Stand-up acoustic basses are most readily identifiable by bad
> intonation.  There are a very few acoustic players who are consistently in
> tune.  I have heard a number of top name jazz players play acoustics out
of
> tune, even on recordings which could have and should have been re-done.
> This is not to say they aren't great players....but some days, some times,
> on some passages the intonation is going to be off.  Unless you have good
> ears, you may not notice it.  It especially will show up when the bass is
> playing a unison figure with another instrument.  I know...the guy in your
> group has impeccable intonation ALL the time.....yeah, right.
>         There are also different types of strings used on the standup
> bass....and they all have a different sound.  Most players use flat-wound
> steel strings.  They are available for about $100 a set, and they last a
> long, long time.  There is also a company that makes round wound strings
for
> acoustics which are twangier, and chew up your fingers and your
fingerboard.
> There are also gut strings, which for years were the only strings
available.
> Gut strings cost about twice as much as steels, go dead, break, and need
> constant tuning.  But there are a few guys think the sound of gut is worth
> the aggravation.  When I hear most of the guys (even musicians) make
blanket
> statements like "I prefer the sound of a standup to an electric",  I know
> gut strings are not worth the aggravation, plus they don't work with a
> magnetic pickup.
>          Are you still with me???  Unless you listen to classical music a
> lot, any acoustic bass you hear is probably amplified.  Amplification
means
> you need a pickup or a microphone, and some kind of amplification system.
> Do you prefer the sound of an acoustic or a magnetic pickup?  You like a
> microphone, you say?  Do you prefer the sound of a condenser mike,
dynamic,
> or some other kind?  Can you hear the difference?
>         Then we come to the sound tech, who will put a microphone in front
> of your amp, and run it through his sound equipment.  After all your
> considerations about strings, pickups, amp settings, etc, the sound tech
can
> make your bass sound like someone hitting the s..t house door with a wet
> mop.
>           No flaming meant here.....just trying for a little objectivity
and
> understanding.
>          Pat Cooke
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "thompson" <res0a3qw@verizon.net>
> To: "Patrick Cooke" <patcooke@cox.net>; <barbonestreet@earthlink.net>;
> "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 3:45 PM
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Electric Bass
>
>
> > Sorry, Pat, but I prefer the SOUND of a stand up bass over the electric
> for
> > trad music.  AND I CAN hear the difference.  And I am one of the
weirdoes
> > that happens to like rock and roll and alternative music. (with the
> electric
> > bass)  LOVE U2!!!!!!!!!!!
> >
> > Rebecca Thompson
> > Flower Mound, TX
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> >
>
>
>
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