April 2011 Newsletter
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UPRIGHT BASS SPECIALISTS… ON THE WEB SINCE 1997
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Welcome to another in a series of our irregular and infrequent e-Newsletters!
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Bob’s Blog
Wining About Tone
I like wine. I’m no oenophile (possible wine snob), but learning about different grapes and wines over the past three-plus decades has definitely enhanced my enjoyment of them. Before you picture failed actors in shirts and ties serving me megabuck wines in pretentious restaurants, you should know that my favorite restaurants accommodate BYOB — and at the liquor store I hesitate to pick up wines costing more than $13.75.When tasting wines you learn to be analytical about their character, so you don’t just conclude that you like it, but learn WHY you like it (or don’t), and the detailed reasons why it appeals to you. Judging basses and amplifiers requires the same analytical capacity and focus. You can chug a glass of wine, sloppily splashing some on your starched white shirt; but this experience will probably not be pleasant or particularly useful. Unfortunately, I’ve often seen players judge basses, strings, and amps in the same spirit.
It’s worth taking your time to tilt that ear towards the amp and really listen to it — and I mean REALLY listen to it. We can probably come up with some special terms of our own to describe the sound from an amp, just like wines that are judged as earthy. What about texture? Is the amp’s sound smooth, meaning studio clean — but in being so, does it take desirable edges and harmonics away that help define the sound as an upright bass? Or is the texture a form of distortion that is not a desirable character? Are the highs glassy and clearly real, or is the top end dull and chopped off, stripping life and accuracy from the notes? Are the lows tight, or is there a flabbiness that hurts the definition and true fundamental of that low E?
Pairing wines with food is a major component of enjoying them; a fantastic wine inappropriately matched with the wrong foods can completely sour the experience. It’s the same with basses and amps. When playing in a dense mix, either with lots of instruments crowding the same sonic space as bass, or at higher volumes, we may need some of that rough texture to help define notes and effectively cut through the group sound, just as a dry Gewurztraminer wine can better cope with some spicier foods. But if tasteful trio work resulting in a clearly audible bass is the gig, the most natural acoustic sound can be more desirable.
What I’m suggesting is that we must be scientifically analytical when judging sound, whether we’re auditioning a bass or new set of strings, or spending time getting to know an amplifier. And further, just like with wines and food, it’s sometimes wise to avoid making immediate “I don’t like it!!!!!” judgments that are premature, but instead wait for the “finish,” by waiting a little longer for those strings to break in — or hearing how your new amp works with other players.
And so, let us raise our glasses and exclaim, “Life is too short for bad tone!” (and bad wines.)
boB
Having heard of Lindsay Lohan’s announcement of dropping her last name a la Cher, I felt it necessary to distinguish myself within the bass world. Due to the many Bobs (at least in my generation) I do find it necessary to make mine unique. Heretofore I will be known as boB, just boB. The difference in pronunciation is subtle; ask me the next time we talk.
Note: Bob’s Blog (and additional blog posts) can now also be found on our WordPress Blog Page.
NEW PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
The BASS BUGGIE
The Bass Buggie is a great alternative to a regular bass wheel (or bass case with wheels) that allows you to roll your bass around with an ease similar to that of pushing a hand truck – and you don’t need to remove your endpin to use it!You’ll find that managing the bass on the buggie is really easy – it rolls quite smoothly, with large (6″) diameter, dual “rollerblade” style wheels. And the straps are adjustable, so you can change its dimensions to suit most any bass, from a child’s 1/10th scale bass all the way up to a giant 4/4 5-string. You can even use the Bass Buggie with or without your bass bag on the bass.
How’s it work? The loop on one end has a ring which goes around your endpin. You then rest your bass lower bout on the buggie, and wrap the strap up around the side of the bass. At the top of the strap, a bungie-cord lasso easily loops around the neck – and viola! Let’s roll.
Visit our Bass Buggie Page for more information and photos. It’s a durable, lightweight way to “lighten the load” when transporting your bass from gig to gig!
This little wheeled wonder could become your new best friend at the next bluegrass festival you attend.
Mark’s Cool New Stuff
A Brand New Cora
I’m excited to tell you about the release of a brand new Gollihur model, which we’ve called Cora.
I can only assume that the efficiency numbers are very good, because despite the small size of the enclosure, SPL (Sound Pressure Level) is quite high, particularly in the overnight hours. Dimensions are a little over 19″, and the weight (on release date) was a solid 7 lbs, 2 oz. Very portable — though transporting the Cora does seem to require a lot of specialized equipment. It does look like the cost of ownership will be a little pricey, as the Cora will likely need quite a bit of maintenance over the years… but based on early time spent with her, I can easily assert that it will totally be worth it.
In all seriousness: I’m thrilled to announce that my wife Beki and I proudly welcomed our first child, Cora Ellen Gollihur, into the world on February 24th, and we’re absolutely over the moon with the new addition to our family. Mom and baby are healthy and happy, and Bob is very happy to add another grandchild to the fold – and he’s very good at spoiling grandchildren, so Cora has a lot to look forward to!
I’ll get back to the real bass equipment news in the next newsletter — but for now, I think I need a nap…
Mark
Acoustic Image CLEARANCE Continues
(But don’t wait too long – these great amps are going fast!)
Clarus 2R SE heads and Coda R SE and Corus SE combos heavily discounted! while supplies last
Save $300 or more on that great Acoustic Image sound!
We’ve always been big fans of these great amps, and have been steering buyers to the discounted Coda R as a bargain version of the Coda+ (which sells for $1369); not everybody really needs the removable head feature and 800 instead of 400 watts! Acoustic Image has determined they have the parts to make a limited number of those two channel amps and are liquidating them at a price lower than the (current and ongoing) one channel versions!!
The Acoustic Image Coda R SE (two channel version of the popular Contra, with built-in effects) combo is now $999, as is the Corus SE (the version of the combo that is tailored for guitar and other non-bass instruments).
The two channel amplifier head, the Clarus 2R SE, is reduced to $699. It is the same as the formerly $979 Clarus 2R except it is now in the slightly different Clarus+ metal case. It also features 400w, two complete channels, and a built-in digital effects processor.
If you always wanted an Acoustic Image amp, now is the time to jump on one before they are gone. Click below for detailed information, and for 24/7 ordering on our site. We gig these amps, so feel free to give us a call for assistance in choosing the best model for your situation, and FYI, our 14 day trial period applies to these special amps, too.
Christopher’s Corner
My Gig with the Ehrlund Acoustic Pickup (EAP) Linear Microphone
One of the side benefits of working at Gollihur Music is getting to play with cool new bass toys. We recently got the Ehrlund Acoustic Pickup Linear Microphone (EAP) in, a product that has been creating a bit of a stir in the on-line bass world. This little triangle seems to be, for some people, the “holy grail” of upright bass tone. On Bob’s carved Juzek bass we were quite impressed with the natural sound reproduction of this contact microphone, but this was in the living room; what really matters is how it performs on a gig. So on Tuesday night, I took the Ehrlund out to a trio gig with a fairly heavy-handed drummer. In my book, Drums + Microphone = Disaster; so needless to say, my hopes were not entirely high (but at least I had my Fishman Full Circle as a Plan B).I had an hour to play with placement on my 1951 Kay before I had to load up and get to sound check. The Ehrlund attaches to the bass via bits of adhesive putty that allows you to move its position easily. I initially placed the pickup where Bob had it on his Juzek, right next to the G side F hole; that position didn’t suit my Kay at all. Over the next hour I moved the pickup/microphone to every imaginable location on my bass, and finally found that sweet spot — which for my bass is just below the bridge foot, over the bass bar, on the E string side. What came through my speaker was a beautiful sound: the clear, open sound of my bass!
My regular rig is a Fishman Full Circle into a LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI/Preamp; this setup reliably gets me very close to “My bass, only louder.” Having a few minutes before I had to hit the road, I set up an A/B box to compare the Ehrlund to my Full Circle setup. The sound difference is not night and day, but the Ehrlund provides more “air” and detail, the kind of open sound one would expect from a microphone. The big surprise was when I cranked up the speakers and my Full Circle hit me with some wonderful feedback, while at the same volumes the Ehrlund didn’t even break a sweat. Given its body location, that was unexpected!
While I wanted to use the Ehrlund, I was a bit nervous prior to sound check; I always have a bit of apprehension using unfamiliar equipment on a gig. It didn’t help in the least when the sound man, upon seeing my upright bass, proclaimed, “I’ve never had to mic one of them before. They don’t have pickups, right?” I set up the Ehrlund and preamp on my bass, and plugged into my trusty Baggs DI to send a signal to the house. I played a couple notes; sounded pretty good out front, but would it be too much to throw me in the monitors?
After the second song, I was finally in the mix and could hear myself, and that extra clarity and detail allowed me to both cut a little better and hear my intonation more clearly, for better or for worse. This gig was about 80% pizz, 10% slap, and 10% arco. To my surprise the slap tunes had a great click to them, something I can’t really get with my usual set up. But it was when the bow came out is that I was really really pleased. While the Ehrlund is great for pizz, it truly shows its dominance in the arco playing. My notes were crystal clear, with a great fundamental, and not a hint of the piezo “quack” that I am accustomed to.
So, I was thoroughly impressed with this new Ehrlund! But there are some caveats. This is not like a generic sort of pickup that you can take out of the box, throw on your bass and immediately go play. It took me an hour to “dial in” a tone that I liked. You really do have to experiment with this “pickup mic” to get good results; there are no hard and fast rules. Additionally, the EAP has an attached cable with a quarter inch plug to feed the preamp. I would much prefer to have the more commonly used tailpiece mounted jack and a shorter cable; the thin, long cable, while appearing to be very high quality, seems a bit fragile and makes me nervous. Also note that this unit is very dependent on the bass; if you don’t like the acoustic sound of your bass, you’re probably not going to dig it when well-amplified, either, because it delivers what the bass sounds like.
Despite a few minor considerations, this is a truly great live microphone(?) pickup(?) system for the double bass, and one of the more usable amplification solutions I have tried for playing in slightly louder settings.
Chris
NEW/UPDATED PRODUCTS
New “NS Electric” Strings (and Guide), Chuck Traeger Book, NXT Bonus Offer, AMT Wireless Systems
We have the new D’Addario-Branded strings for the NS Design Basses in stock; we also have a new guide (which includes those strings, among other choices) to help you find which set may work best on your NS Design NXT or WAV4 bass. Note: We also now carry the Hipshot Tuning Machines, a worthy upgrade/replacement for the stock tuners on the NXT/WAV4.
Chuck Traeger’s “Setup and Repair of the Double Bass for Optimum Sound” is a seriously in-depth book, which covers nearly every aspect of the repair and maintenance of your upright bass. Very enlightening information! It “pulls back the curtain” on the specifics of most major repairs; so even if those repairs are outside your skill set, you’ll know what is involved, what questions to ask of your luthier, and so on.
The K&M Heavy Duty Adjustable Folding Stool is a truly heavy-duty, more comfortable alternative to our other adjustable stool, for those who need a really solid portable seat for long rehearsals or pit work. This German-made saddle-style stool has comfortable padding and includes a firm backrest — it is very durable and adjustable!
The NXT Bass from NS Design is an affordable, quality electric upright bass, and we have a BUNCH of them in stock for immediate shipment! And we even have a cool bonus – for only $5 over the price of the bass, we will include a handy headphone amplifier for silent practice — and the headphones are even included! (Sorry, we can’t sell the headphone amp separately).
AMT makes some killer bass microphones – now you can make them WIRELESS! We now carry (and stock) the Wi5C Wireless unit – made specially for the AMT microphones – so you can take your bass totally wireless! The wireless system is compatible with all of the AMT microphones (for violin, cello, etc.), so if your fiddle player has wanted to free up and be wireless (but still have great sound), perhaps this could be the answer…
Brand New At Gollihur Music!!
Thanks for reading!
Our plan is to put out occasional newsletters that highlight our latest informational Bass FAQs, as well as let you know of sales and cool new stuff. If you haven’t already visited, check out the Upright Bass FAQ section (accessible from the menu bar under RESOURCES) and take a look at some of the other articles we’ve written. There are a number of topics like Impedance and Ohms (input AND output perspectives!), Rosin, changing strings, bridges, Mystery Basses, and more. More articles are in the works, and we welcome your suggestions for additional FAQs.
Gollihur Music is not just an Upright Bass store, it’s your URB information destination.
“Life is too short for bad tone.”
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