If you were building the most upright-double-bass-like electric bass from Warmoth parts, what would your specs be?

[Hodgo]

I was thinking about building another bass, and what I would do if I was after a dark, thumpy tone. Obviously it starts with some nylon tapewound Rotosounds.

I think a J style neck works here, it has the right taper from nut to heel, the right radius. It would probably need outfit with a neck pickup that sits closer to the fretboard edge, like an EB-0, and maybe a piezo in the bridge. A removable foam mute at the bridge would provide some of the decay.

How would you approach getting upright tone from a Warmoth build?

 

[mayfly]

P-Bass, Roasted maple J neck with rosewood cap. Fretless. Flats (of any kind, really). Piezo bridge is a good idea, but throw in a dual-battery preamp along with it.

 

[TBurst Std]

First I would not use Rotosound tapewounds. They are brighter than other tapewounds. If going tapewounds go LaBella.

Next I would go Labella flatwounds. Remember tapewounds are basically round wounds with tape over the outer coils.

Next go fretless. No clang off the frets.

Next I would most likely point to a P bass pup rather than a J Bass pup. The piezo is maybe a good idea as well as long as it hasn’t a different tone control than the magnetic. This could be emphasized with a true hollow body bass.

Next use preamp in the bass with at least a 3 way eq, preferably 4 with the mid having a freq selection.

Myself I’d use a hog body and neck, RW board.

Finally use a compressor and set it for quick decay and low compression.

That should get you close.

I avg about 30 paying bass gigs a year. My first gig ever was at age 15 on an upright bass in a bluegrass group. I do know a bit about the bass though I am primarily a guitarist.

PS Thank you, now I have e a build in my head LOL.

 

[Jebberz]

I would go fretless, and to emphasis the hollowness, use a Custom-T with Hollow Construction. P-Bass pickup on the neck will be fine.

Also, I do this with my fretless, I use a Tonex pedal to add a little chorus and reverb, and instead of a speaker IR, I use a Double Bass IR, which bring me closer to an actual upright tone.

 

[rockandroller]

I agree with most of the above, and I played acoustic bass in my University days... Recommend hollowbody mahogany, and actually I'd vouch for fattest possible neck profile, with heavy gauge dark sounding flats (not TI!) OR heavy black roto 88 tapes (I find those to be quite dark). Give that bass a big cap on the tone knob, 0.1uF (at least 0.068uF). Bartolini makes some nice fat sounding pickups...

 

[TBurst Std]

Well priced out a build, about 2K

 

[Hodgo]

Well priced out a build, about 2K

I’m right there with ya… wanna race?

Also, I do this with my fretless, I use a Tonex pedal to add a little chorus and reverb, and instead of a speaker IR, I use a Double Bass IR, which bring me closer to an actual upright tone.

Genius! I’m still getting used to IRs, I’m very much a guitar>amp guy.

 

[Hodgo]

I agree with most of the above, and I played acoustic bass in my University days... Recommend hollowbody mahogany, and actually I'd vouch for fattest possible neck profile, with heavy gauge dark sounding flats (not TI!) OR heavy black roto 88 tapes (I find those to be quite dark). Give that bass a big cap on the tone knob, 0.1uF (at least 0.068uF). Bartolini makes some nice fat sounding pickups...

A sturdy neck is definitely part of the equation I reckon.

I’m thinking about maybe doing a 5 string neck or Gecko neck set up for a 4 string nut. The wider nut and heel is closer to a 3/4 upright, and a Hipshot A bridge can be adjusted to 21mm string to string spacing to take advantage of the wider heel.. 7.25” radius seems to be as tight as can be found from the big names in custom necks.

 

[rockandroller]

I seem to recall my old Gecko was 35 inch scale, which would also be a bonus...

 

[bricksnbeatles]

My plans for a build of this type are:

Jazz Neck-
Flamed maple shaft
Ebony fingerboard
Unlined Fretless
No face inlays
No nut (I’d cut my own ebony nut)
Carbon stiffening rods.

Precision body-
alder
Seafoam green finish
Hipshot A style bridge rout
18v battery box
7/8” side jack hole (for electrosocket)

Hipshot A style bridge with Graphtech Ghost saddles
Acousti-phonic preamp
Locally wound early-60s spec P bass pickup

Wired up as mag vol, mag tone, piezo vol (pull for mid/dark piezo preamp mode) with stereo output

LaBella white nylon tape wound strings.



Using a TRS cable, the piezo output would go to an IR loader with IRs of some nice German upright basses, and into a DI. The magnetic output would go to my standard electric pedalboard and rig. Best of both worlds

 

[Hodgo]

My plans for a build of this type are:

Jazz Neck-
Flamed maple shaft
Ebony fingerboard
Unlined Fretless
No face inlays
No nut (I’d cut my own ebony nut)
Carbon stiffening rods.

Precision body-
alder
Seafoam green finish
Hipshot A style bridge rout
18v battery box
7/8” side jack hole (for electrosocket)

Hipshot A style bridge with Graphtech Ghost saddles
Acousti-phonic preamp
Locally wound early-60s spec P bass pickup

Wired up as mag vol, mag tone, piezo vol (pull for mid/dark piezo preamp mode) with stereo output

LaBella white nylon tape wound strings.



Using a TRS cable, the piezo output would go to an IR loader with IRs of some nice German upright basses, and into a DI. The magnetic output would go to my standard electric pedalboard and rig. Best of both worlds

Very smart approach. I was thinking a piezo buffer and putting the piezo/mag on a blend would be ideal.

I do know my next bass will have a Delano MM Hybrid in it - like having a Jazz and MusicMan Pickup in one housing. Placed in the sweet spot, and maybe a Ric Toaster up at the neck.

 

[TBurst Std]

Glad you made that specific piezo choice with the deep function. Otherwise it would not help achieve the goal.

I’ve sidelined this idea as I don’t have a current need that strong that I can’t get close enough.

Something else caught my eye. Squirrel

 

[TBurst Std]

Squirrel caught. 6.88 lbs of rock machine.

 

[Jbassfunk]

As others have mentioned a Piezo system, There’s multiple so sort of go with your favorite tech/designer..
-I believe a long 35” min Scale length is essential for this!!
Perhaps a semi-hollow, Or likely better- A Chambered construction would definitely be worth considering!!
I’d definitely recommend some type of neck-through/through body construction as well!

Finally as others have mentioned Flat-wounds, Tape-Wounds, Etc.. The Labella super polished steel look intriguing!
Frankly flats & the like are really not my cup of tea for electric.. Cause I actually mainly play double bass’s..
*But off the top of my head, Combined with a muted playing style with the right hand close to the neck.. It’s could definitely work great with some of the things mentioned!

 

[Jbassfunk]

Very smart approach. I was thinking a piezo buffer and putting the piezo/mag on a blend would be ideal.

I do know my next bass will have a Delano MM Hybrid in it - like having a Jazz and MusicMan Pickup in one housing. Placed in the sweet spot, and maybe a Ric Toaster up at the neck.

Be careful to make sure you get a Jay-Ray not a Hybrid Delano MM pickup, Unless you’re absolutely sure you want to go with the whole crazy “Hybrid” preamp/pickup switching system where you need the traditional Delano passive 60’s Alnico J-neck pickup, Their Hybrid MM, Coil Tap, Pots, Hybrid switching system + 2-band Hybrid active preamp, Their Hybrid 3-way Switching etc..
So the “Hybrid” MM-when switched to humbucker runs alone in active w/a 2band boost only S-Ray active pre.
In the J, And J + MM-split coil J’ setting it runs the “Jbass” J+MJ in passive only. w/only Vol, Vol, And passive Tone.. (it’s meant to be the most sonically “vintage accurate & convincing” S-Ray, MM/J, & Jbass, tones via a toggle..

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

As others have mentioned a Piezo system, There’s multiple so sort of go with your favorite tech/designer..
-I believe a long 35” min Scale length is essential for this!!
Perhaps a semi-hollow, Or likely better- A Chambered construction would definitely be worth considering!!
I’d definitely recommend some type of neck-through/through body construction as well!

I would argue that neck-through construction defeats the purpose of semi-hollow or chambered construction (other than weight-reduction).
The body wings on neck-through basses contribute very little to the sound of those instruments.

But most of your list -- piezo pickup, 35" scale length, chambered body -- describes my Rob Allen MB-2, which is probably the most upright-bass sounding electric bass I've ever heard.* Also an acoustic guitar-style bridge, and nylon tapewound strings.

*Wait, let me amend that: It sounds the most like what electric bassists think an upright bass sounds like of any electric bass I've ever heard.
But it is a phenomenal sound.

 

[Hodgo]

I would argue that neck-through construction defeats the purpose of semi-hollow or chambered construction (other than weight-reduction).
The body wings on neck-through basses contribute very little to the sound of those instruments.

But most of your list -- piezo pickup, 35" scale length, chambered body -- describes my Rob Allen MB-2, which is probably the most upright-bass sounding electric bass I've ever heard.* Also an acoustic guitar-style bridge, and nylon tapewound strings.

*Wait, let me amend that: It sounds the most like what electric bassists think an upright bass sounds like of any electric bass I've ever heard.
But it is a phenomenal sound.

This photo brings up the other side of the equation: amplification. It stands to reason you’d want some pretty massive speakers to get the low end, in your chest oomph you get standing near an upright.

 

[walkerofbass]

Hi, I’m an upright player. I’ve thought a lot about it over the years, not sure if you can quite get there with Warmoth. I think the closest a bass guitar has come to sounding like an upright is the Rob Allen type bass. There was a clip going around recently of Matthew Garrison playing a similar Esopus Tailwater bass. A huge contributing factor to upright sound is the largeness, and another being the way the bridge/carved top/soundpost work together. This is why most electric uprights still just sound like a giant electric fretless.
I made a parts bass a few years ago with an acoustic sound in mind, starting with a Semi Hollow Jazz Bass body from USA Custom Guitars. This is a “thinline” style chambered body. Mahogany. I choose Nordstrand Big Blades for the pickups. I used a metal tailpiece to anchor the strings, (like a Warwick), and made a thin bridge out of wood. I originally wanted to put a transducer pickup under it, but never quite figured that out. The neck is a Warmoth tiltback, Wenge with Ebony fingerboard. Anyhow, turned out to be a beautiful and great sounding fretless bass, but I wouldn’t describe it as “upright” sounding. I am a little curious if the Warmoth Mooncaster would get it a little closer, acoustically. But I don’t know, at this point, I think instead of chasing that sound, it might be better to dial in my own unique tone that mixes right for straight-ahead jazz. I really like how Steve Swallow came up with his own thing, it’s not acoustic sounding at all, but it sits really well in the mix. And the late great Anthony Jackson sounded fantastic in a jazz setting, which I think is more of that “piano tone” people talk about.

 

[Hodgo]

Hi, I’m an upright player. I’ve thought a lot about it over the years, not sure if you can quite get there with Warmoth. I think the closest a bass guitar has come to sounding like an upright is the Rob Allen type bass. There was a clip going around recently of Matthew Garrison playing a similar Esopus Tailwater bass. A huge contributing factor to upright sound is the largeness, and another being the way the bridge/carved top/soundpost work together. This is why most electric uprights still just sound like a giant electric fretless.
I made a parts bass a few years ago with an acoustic sound in mind, starting with a Semi Hollow Jazz Bass body from USA Custom Guitars. This is a “thinline” style chambered body. Mahogany. I choose Nordstrand Big Blades for the pickups. I used a metal tailpiece to anchor the strings, (like a Warwick), and made a thin bridge out of wood. I originally wanted to put a transducer pickup under it, but never quite figured that out. The neck is a Warmoth tiltback, Wenge with Ebony fingerboard. Anyhow, turned out to be a beautiful and great sounding fretless bass, but I wouldn’t describe it as “upright” sounding. I am a little curious if the Warmoth Mooncaster would get it a little closer, acoustically. But I don’t know, at this point, I think instead of chasing that sound, it might be better to dial in my own unique tone that mixes right for straight-ahead jazz. I really like how Steve Swallow came up with his own thing, it’s not acoustic sounding at all, but it sits really well in the mix. And the late great Anthony Jackson sounded fantastic in a jazz setting, which I think is more of that “piano tone” people talk about.

Yep, agreed, there are lots of great fretless electric tones but none of them sit in the mix, especially live, the way the upright does. I think IR (impulse response) tech can help bridge that gap, but conventional bass amp speakers just don’t project the way the top of an upright does, and then you’ve got to account for the Helmholtz resonance of the f-holes.

To truly chase that I think you’d need a much more massive ported cabinet with a huge speaker sitting behind the band.

A truly hollow bass with one or two internal mics + 1 or two piezos would be needed to really get the acoustic effect.