So 2 of my offspring have expressed interest in upright bass. The one potentially has the option to use one from the school but would need a practice instrument at home, the other has no option other than rental. For reasons of cost, storage, ease of transport, and not trusting a 10yr old with a $1000+ acoustic instrument, I am looking to procure a Stagg EDB (yeah I know, sort of the squire bullet class of EUBs) at the local second hand music shop. It will of course be “mine” and I will loan it to them as needed. So what would be the best pre (internal or pedal form) for this thing? And GO!
Dear Low End Friends, EUB pre?
- Thread starter Diynot
- Start date
@Passinwind you are summoned!
Most things bass sound the same be it EUB or standard hanging by a strap, to me.
Most things bass sound the same be it EUB or standard hanging by a strap, to me.
I think the wildcard here is that the Stagg has piezo pups and an active (limited) onboard pre so impedance is a big deal.
Passinwind
Well-known member
My open source bass preamp in pedal form is very well suited for EUB. You can tailor input impedance for whatever signal source you need to optimize for, and I can suggest a simple buffer circuit to live in the bass if the Stagg preamp sucks. If arco playing is going to be involved the variable LPF treble section could be especially useful.
I'm currently right in the middle of re-doing the default spec for these things, but I'm also very close to being ready to release the next gen one. And I agree that a lot of EUBs present quite similarly to fretless bass guitar, especially if the player isn't hip to the nuances of upright technique. But my BSX EUB went out an many many gigs and at least enabled me to grab various friends' real uprights and do OK until my fingers went messy.
Mentaltossflycoon
Well-known member
I don't have a wide range of experience with the available preamps out there. When I built my eub, I had won a free schatten bp100 pickup w pre that I took apart and installed internally. I then bought a radial tonebone bassbone to ease balancing and switching with bass guitar and have been very happy with those for like 13yrs now. Not the cheapest solution but if you consider that I haven't upgraded in ages, it was a very good investment. The other included features have been quite handy too, eq, di, tuner out, boost/loop, etc.
Also, respect for finding a compromise. So many parents would just be like, "nah that's too expensive." My parents are both music educators and were not comfortable with the idea of buying me an upright at age 11. They were correct but that was the end of it.
Also, respect for finding a compromise. So many parents would just be like, "nah that's too expensive." My parents are both music educators and were not comfortable with the idea of buying me an upright at age 11. They were correct but that was the end of it.
Good deal. The one will be doing jazz band so presumable pizzicato mostly, the other will be orchestra so I guess there will be a need for a bow as well. Is the impedance on your pre a trimmer/pot, or would this be a socket/test in situ sort of deal? I might have to inquire ab purchasing a board from you once I have had a chance to play this thing and figure out it’s strengths/weaknesses.
I have seen the bassbone mentioned over on talkbass etc, also the tone hammer. I will have to look into that as well. Of course, would be cool to support @Passinwind and have the pleasure of building it out myself. We are a musical family so my wife and I are happy to encourage the kiddos to try new stuff (within reason). I had the opprobrium for my 40th bday of my wife buying me a 335 or an upright……. Sort of wishing I’d gone with the upright now
Edit: what the f is “opprobrium”!? Must be having a stroke.
Last edited:
Mentaltossflycoon
Well-known member
I wish I had a 335. 
Not that I am complaining. I would point out though that the one that my less than knowledgeable friend helped her pick out is a 1974 (when Norlin really started their cost cutting.) players grade 335. Surprisingly, there have been no neck breaks/repairs, but it’s tailpiece and endpin have been changed/moved several times. The stock trapeze tailpiece was replaced with a hardtail, which would be a decent change if the post on the treble side weren’t poking through the center block, and it may have at one time had a palm bender tailpiece since there are 4 small screws in the top behind the hardtail. The pickups were also changed to some extremely hot (15k) pups. Also needs new frets. So…..meh?I wish I had a 335.
Mentaltossflycoon
Well-known member
Sounds pretty excellent to me, man. Appropriate candidate for a pickup swap. My friend put the the same gfs bucker sized p90s in his dot that I have in my baritone. He grabbed a craigslist special with an entirely missing headstock and replaced it, giving it the gibson shape/logo to be funny. That thing is actually really nice.
Yeah, I shouldn’t sound so unappreciative. It is a good guitar. Players grade means I don’t have to be too paranoid ab playing it. I do love some p90s…. Thing is even the current pickups look to be vintage. So this was just added to the collection
Aforementioned Stagg. Sounds pretty good, but could still benefit from a pre. Would also like to add an passive/active bypass switch, but that will be down the road. Def going to be a learning curve for me, but my boys are loving it. To see my oldest helping my #3, who usually fight like cats and dogs, learn a scale is well worth the $500 spent.
Mentaltossflycoon
Well-known member
Wooo! That's a good get!
Mentaltossflycoon
Well-known member
I'm not sure what the back of that thing looks like but first thing I'd do... I put one of these on the back of mine.
And then welded (well... my buddy Pete welded) one of these to a cymbal stand.
Solid and I can easily switch between it and bass guitar or baritone mid song. I used to use only bari and eub in a project a long time ago.
And then welded (well... my buddy Pete welded) one of these to a cymbal stand.
Solid and I can easily switch between it and bass guitar or baritone mid song. I used to use only bari and eub in a project a long time ago.
Feral Feline
Well-known member
Was pretty happy with my PZed-Pre from Radial, apart from the PITA power requirements of 15v.
For DIY, don't forget Frances Deck's HPF-Pre, he made the V2 schematic public.Both the V2 & VIII schematics are available now, from what I can recall the V2 is more suited to acoustics only, whereas the III can accommodate electric basses better.
I have his III model, but will eventually build myself a more stompbox-friendly styley one. My last year of gigging I'd actually given up using my PZed-Pre and was exclusively using the Fdeck HPF-Pre III and a tuner into backline — had enough to haul with the DB and all the venues had backlines or I just went into the PA. An HPF and Turbo Tuner — best money I've ever spent.
I just saw that the Ehrlund is on sale at Gollihur, from $350 down to $200!
I'd buy it for Robert to trace if I hadn't just bought the last of the PedalPCB FV-1 projects I didn't have...
I think the coolest dealio would be to get a Passin' Wind preamp and pair it in the same box with an Fdeck!
There is one more thing:
"Opprobrium": Harsh criticism or censure
Yes, I had to look it up, I like learning new words. It's been... emotional.
For DIY, don't forget Frances Deck's HPF-Pre, he made the V2 schematic public.Both the V2 & VIII schematics are available now, from what I can recall the V2 is more suited to acoustics only, whereas the III can accommodate electric basses better.
I have his III model, but will eventually build myself a more stompbox-friendly styley one. My last year of gigging I'd actually given up using my PZed-Pre and was exclusively using the Fdeck HPF-Pre III and a tuner into backline — had enough to haul with the DB and all the venues had backlines or I just went into the PA. An HPF and Turbo Tuner — best money I've ever spent.
I just saw that the Ehrlund is on sale at Gollihur, from $350 down to $200!
I'd buy it for Robert to trace if I hadn't just bought the last of the PedalPCB FV-1 projects I didn't have...
I think the coolest dealio would be to get a Passin' Wind preamp and pair it in the same box with an Fdeck!
There is one more thing:
"Opprobrium": Harsh criticism or censure
Yes, I had to look it up, I like learning new words. It's been... emotional.
Passinwind
Well-known member
The Radial boxes are pretty danged nice for sure.
My new one will already have a variable HPF and a one band fully parametric EQ on top of Bass, fixed/switched/none Mid option, and variable resonance variable frequency LPF, just sayin'. I've also been looking at piezo and mag pickup inputs with a blend, since the lead guitarist at the weekly house jam I play has an old Gibson acoustic that would benefit from that. Not sure how much of this wil be open source/non commercial at this point but I'll always try to accommodate DIYers as much as I can. One of my luthier clients is planning on doing some EUBs and also making piezo pickups for acoustic uprights, so I'll be likely to have extra prototype boards kicking around pretty soon, I reckon.
Last edited:
That would def be a worthwhile mod. Unfortunately, this bass has a cover plate almost all the way down the back. If I could find a 4 screw style, it might work. Does that post allow changing height? My oldest is 5’9” and can handle the height, but #3 hold either have to have a stool or be able to lower the stand.
I would love to be a “Guinea pig”……
Passinwind
Well-known member
Cool! We can make that happen, and it might even help me defer parts cost a bit. The first HPF/PEQ board is done but so far the headroom isn't as great as I expected with a +/- 15V step up supply. I'll be investigating that very soon and then I'll work on integrating that board with the already well vetted other two. I have an older version of the HPF/PEQ in a number of DIY amps, so I already know what the new one should be capable of and presumably I'll get there sooner than later.
My nephew has a Palatino EUB that I think is mostly the same thing as the Stagg. I'll ping him for his long term impressions, he has a very good ear and I was already planning on sending him one version or another of these things anyway. Mainly for other instruments, but moar is moar bettah!
Last edited:
Mentaltossflycoon
Well-known member
Yes, I'm 6'4" so I needed to keep a much height as possible but it would've been easy enough to hack saw down the tom mount arm to accommodate.