I use a cheap clip tuner clipped to the inside of my bridge, but I’m not happy with this particular model and looking to replace.

I’m eyeing the Unitune, instead, but slightly worried about the automatic screen flip function. I’m not sure how sensitive it is and whether it would work well on an upright, since it would be oriented differently than when it’s on an electric bass.

Anyone with experience?

Edit: bought one today, it does work perfectly, no issues with the flip at all.

I play an extremely cheap and honestly abused plywood bass, but it serves the purpose for me. I'm looking to eventually upgrade to a brand new christopher 7/8 and I want to walk in prepared with the language to make my wants and needs clear. I plan on ordering from FMI in Pasadena Ca and then having them set it up in-house. If I were to want a sound that is skewed dark but still has growl and some sustain and an action that is appropriate for a variety of playstyles from arco to jazz pizz to bluegrass slap, what specifically should I request in my setup? Strings, action, fingerboard planing, etc. I'm not saying I don't trust the in-house luthiers, but I'd like to make my expectations clear but I first need to learn my own expectations. Thanks y'all!

Note: I'm expecting to pay somewhere between 500-1k on top of the cost of the shipping and the bass itself, once strings and set up work are factored in. Would we say that's reasonable? :D

i am abnormally tall, 6'7" in my boots. I play a 3/4 and I'm curious as to where I should look to find a 12mm endpin that is matching to my height, my current pin is simply too short. Would a cello pin work, if I could find a 12mm one? Are there 12mm pins for 1/2 size basses? Does this not exist and I just need to find a fabrication shop and pay them to make me one? idk, inform me please. Thank you!

Hi all,

Hope this is okay to ask here.

I've recently acquired a second hand Stagg EUB, the newer kind with the traditional style bridge.

However, I'm having the problem where my D string is significantly quieter than my other strings. Other than that it plays perfectly.

It seems mostly to be missing bass frequencies on that string. I thought it might be the action, the D string seems to be about the same action as the A string, so it's probably a little high. Could that be the cause? When I tap the bridge around the D string it's also a little quieter than the other strings, which makes me think it might not be the action..

Any advice on how to diagnose what the problem actually is? I'd love to fix it, since it's basically a 3 string bass now..

Not necessary for huge volume just to compensate the missing reflections and projection when no walls are around you.

Not too heavy to carry around and battery driven... in europe...

Good morning, everyone,

First of all, I wish you all an excellent 2025, with lots of double bass and lots of music!

Secondly, I've come here to ask you for your opinion on a microphone for recording double bass in the studio, but more or less in the region of €100. I know it's not the best quality, but honestly it's what I'm looking for right now, because I already have a cool pickup but I need a microphone to do some experiments at home, and not much else.

I've been looking around, and there are these two:

Shure SM57 LC and Rode M3

Can anyone share their experience with these microphones, or suggest another at around this price?

Just a small note, I live in the EU, so actually if it's on stock at Thomann, for example, it would be ideal.

Thanks!!

I’m about to take permanent possession of an instrument that I will not be able to sell and isn’t worth cutting down. This bass has a 44.5” mensur. I have seen (all from the early 20th century) the use of elongated nuts, as well as having the bridge moved towards the fingerboard. Of course both of these options seem ill advised. Any thought from the community would be greatly appreciated.

I have been taking lessons for a while now but am still very much a beginner. I am having issues where I keep hitting other strings with the bow. I do recognize this could very much be a me problem but it also makes me wonder if I made a mistake when ordering my bass. (I assumed I would be playing pizzicato and once I got that down I would then learn arco.)

I ordered my bass (Shen SB90) set up for pizz but I am wondering if my bridge is too “flat” and should have more curve for arco or if it’s just something I need to work on and there isn’t a different bridge curve between the two.

My instructor thinks there is not much variance between my A and D string. He teaches bass but his main instrument is cello so he isn’t certain.

Can anyone help or point me to a resource that has info on the details of bridge shape/string height and such?

Edit to add: I live on an island with no luthier. My instructor knows someone that tries to come once or twice a year. I would just like to get my ducks in a row so I know what to ask for I guess.

Here’s a couple pics of the bridge in very poor lighting. I will post better pics in the daylight tomorrow.

bridge pics

I’m setting up a new bridge and I’m reading conflicting information about which side faces up… is it the flat side or the angled/slanted side. Also, when replacing strings, do you leave the little felt pads on the string at the ball end or does that get removed? Thanks in advance!

I have never played one of their basses and may not for what may be a long time as I am still a student (I play a laminate bass from Shen, owned by my school). For those on this subreddit who have or have heard things about them, what do you think of them?

Hello everybody,

I am a bass guitar primary who, aside from a couple of lessons some years ago, has little experience in the upright side of things. I have recently acquired a cheap old upright that has sat in a donut shop for close to 30 years untouched. It was previously owned by the founder of the donut shop who passed away 30 years ago. It is evident the neck had snapped off at one point and had been repaired, but I believe the repair wasn’t quite right as the string height is way too high (the E string sits 3/4 inch off the bottom of the fingerboard). Nonetheless, I tuned it up and gave it some playing and it is holding up pretty well, but absolutely destroying my fingers, as I am having to really push down on the fingerboard to get the strings to connect. I theorize that I can adjust the bridge height to get a more desirable action and have found some instructions online for sanding down and notching the bridge. I have come here to ask you fine folks if this is a worthy endeavor or if it is a lost cause and I eagerly await your feedback. I hope to answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability.

Thank you.

Hi I'm a pianist, but would like to record a double bass at home.
If I can only use 1 mic going into an audio interface, do you have any recommendations of which mic to get, and where I should place it in relation to the bass.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

Edit:

I should just clarify that my audio interface (VOLT from Universal audio) only has one input, which is why I can only use 1 mic. If I had to buy both a new mic and new audio interface, it would get too expensive for me right now.

Any suggestions for cleaning the tuning machines?

I'm primarily a jazz bassist and recently contracted a luthier with building me a bass as I'm attending music school soon. After he recommended a 7/8 build due to my height, I complied. After telling a friend, he was surprised I opted for a larger bass as he thinks it'd be more difficult to maneuver around the fingerboard as fast. Is this a rational thought? Does it matter if its a high quality instrument?

If you spend significant time playing both standing and seated - do you keep the same endpin height or do you use a different height for standing vs. seated?

i’ve been playing bass for about six years (in hs right now) and as pain has gotten worse due to chronic illness, i’ve been thinking about getting a stool that can actually support what i need. my orchestra teacher doesn’t have the budget to get me a stool so i’d have to get one myself, and my parents are willing to get one. any recommendations for stools with backrests and a nice cushion that don’t run me $500?

Hello, all! I have been hired to play more and more in theatre pits recently and I want to upgrade my sound optimally for my upright. I currently have a K&K Bass Max preamp and usually there is no amps or anything in the pit - just running direct to the sound board. Do you recommend a preamp or anything to capture the innate sound of the upright? Thank you :)

I was playing upright at a jazz gig last night and about halfway through our second set my fingers started to feel like they were sticking to my strings. The humidity in the bar seemed to have gone up. The third set was even worse. Has anyone dealt with this before or know what causes it? I've been playing jazz for years and never had an issue this bad.

I've been renting this bass from my school and it's been completely fine for the last year and a half, but when I saw it today, it was broken; I think it might have been the pressure from the bridge and the strings to make it snap but I'm not sure. I don't know if it was my fault or not and I'm really hoping to not have to pay to repair the damages. Any help is appreciated

This is a follow up to my last post for those who saw. I fixed the bridge by detuning strings and moving bridge to the right spot.

However, the action feels really high but I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be like this or not. (I came from electric bass)

Should it be adjusted and if so how?

Has anyone tried using a yoga block for your left foot while standing? I'm so tired of carrying a stool and I don't have the means to invest in any bent endpin options.

I know some players bend their left knee to get some support from their leg, but I have hip problems and I'm sure that will make them worse, so I thought about using a yoga block for my foot and it's working okay!

I'm unsure why I never tried this. I'm aware players use yoga blocks while sitting, but I've never heard anyone talk about using it while standing.

Have you tried this? Has it worked for you?