Homemade Double Bass Shootout: Mine Vs Theirs

See the bass get made starting here: • DIY Upright Bass Made ...
Learn more about it - and me - at:
www.newperspectivesmusic.com
/ timsway
Tip Cup: www.paypal.me/timsway
My Patreon:
/ timsway
My Website:
www.timsway.net
My personal store:
squareup.com/store/timsway
My Podcast:
www.reclaimedaudiopodcast.com
My Etsy:
timsway.etsy.com
New Perspectives Music is a division of Tim Sway Perspectives, LLC
be good,
Tim

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

BASS NERDS! - No need to comment. I'm aware I'm holding a German bow French-style. I also just made a bass from old doors and a pallet. Obviously I'm not a traditionalist or afraid to do things "wrong."

[@49mrbassman]

Absolutely love that bass from trash. You've done an excellent job there, and a great sound as well. Certainly as good as your other basses. I've got an Elder tree sitting in my garden air drying. Planning to make an electric bass out of it. It's big enough to hand carve the whole thing out of the one tree including the neck. Will be starting that in the spring next year. At the moment I'm building my Grandson his first cello from recycled materials.

[@buzzbabyjesus]

Trash bass definitely holds it's own.

[@buzzbabyjesus]

In some ways, it was the most articulate next to the beer can bass.

[@truckerenoch8824]

WOW! The sustain on that aluminum bass! 😮 I honestly did not expect that!

[@NeverWolf]

I actually preferred Aluminum bass and the “trash” bass I just happen to like trebly bass sounds. No doubt the other two had more depth and you can probably feel them vibrate the ground. So maybe they’re nicer live, but depending on what you’ve got going on, the trebly, sustains bass sound is desirable in the mix.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

oh yea, of course by the time you're hearing it, through a mic and through youtube, you're not hearing a lot of what's in the room.

[@gurchtschalllly]

Trash bass seems to have lot of high end which i like:)

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

in fairness, some of that is the brand new strings. The others have older strings

[@jacquepierregee]

Please share what strings are on each bass, including gauge. I like the high end definition of the bass you made.

[@ytwatcher8288]

@@NewPerspectivesMusic heard those new strings! I'm impressed, looking forward to development and MkII fwiw: The carved probably the best sound, alum is just awesome cool, again very impressive Trash build/sound. But I think the Kay goes to the gig!

[@dmyers9230]

The resonance of the carved bass definitely came through, especially with the bow. Your bass had a brighter feel, but outside of a side by side would you know? The garbage bass can hang and sounds fine. It was interesting to hear how the slapping came through on each also, some more musically percussive then others. Thanks for your videos!!

[@TheFullsmokingbar]

For plucking: 1. 20’s bass 2. Sway bass 3. Alumibass 4. Kay For bowing: 1. Alumibass 2. 20’s bass 3. Swaybass 4. Kay

[@danielmiller2886]

I would love to hear those in person. The few times I've seen an upright bass live, it was what I felt that got my attention!

[@owendubs]

That alumibass resonated so well when it was bowed. Such a cool tone!

[@iloverush123]

The Wurlitzer sounds by far the best, but I think in more of a fusion or 60s jazz setting the trash bass has a little more complex sound in the top end/high mid that would probably work well. You hear a little more fretless growl with it, and I like that.

[@robbinsavage3815]

I’am now2 A D Bass 😅 Eye don’t know a good one from a bad one ware can I find HELP 😅

[@davidphelps9601]

The aluminum bass sounds the best to me

[@JBergmansson]

You have my dream double bass collection! Especially the Aluminium bass. Just looks so cool and I would guess it is really durable!

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

it's a special beast.

[@LeeGrey]

Hey, really nice playing :) I think your base sounded pretty great, especially for your first attempt. Can't wait to see more.

[@tszlokng7252]

Thank you for sharing your bass. I really love the gray one! That is good for playing pizzicato and I learn a lot :)

[@jeremyklepacki2947]

Beautiful build; I love the character of what you've done! I was stunned when you mentioned Mike; I bought my Czech bass from him a few years ago and have been a faithful customer of his ever since. Small world!

[@stanleyshostak2737]

Looking foreword to the next two build videos!

[@baoboumusic]

It's hard to say from a KZbin vid but I really like the Wurlitzer for the warm sound, and I think your Trash Bash is a good second. I know you love the aluminium bass, but that's not my thing. Good job all in all!!

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

The aluminum lacks for sure, but plugged in or mic-ed I can fix that. I love it for the look!

[@floydlay9189]

Hi Tim,,brilliant job,aluminium sounds,out of this world,actually,all sound,brilliant,for clarity- yours by a mile,,,thank you again mate!

[@Bettys_Eldest]

I read the comments whilst the video was running. When I heard something I liked I flipped up to the video. They are all different, and all the basses gave something special, but the gaffa taped bass and your own came up most often.

[@danielfort4345]

The czechoslovakian sounds awesome. Also I'm from Czechislovakia and you talking about my small country honestly made my day. Thanks!

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

your country has a long and proud history in instrument making. Some of the most sought-after instruments in the world come from there!

[@STAY-GOLD-VINYL]

I loved all of them!!

[@Adam-rm3fh]

Neat stuff man. To me it seemed each bass had it's preference of attack. Nice work dude. Keep it up.

[@petercollin5670]

Tim, that was a real badass project to tackle!

[@C.R.T.mountainhomestead]

All of them have their place. The aluminum bass gave me a bluesy vibe, the K made me think of rockabilly in a small Roadhouse, the carved bass felt a little bit more classy, and your hand made took me to a barn with hay bales and folks hopping it up. I really thought your bass showed off it's bright tone with the bow! Great build, it definitely hangs with any of them!!

[@kenadair7463]

Fear is a word that is not in your vocabulary. The "Trash" Bass does have some tonal qualities that make it distinctive-sounding. The old hand-carved Wurlitzer sounds amazing and I'm surprised at how good the aluminum Bass sounds. You have some great skills. Hope to own one of your masterpieces one day soon.

[@RodNeufeld]

The funny thing about you mentioning the set up of the basses because, while I was listening to them I found myself trying to determine which one you were more comfortable with. I preferred the Wurlitzer sound and it was with that bass where I caught myself trying to figure out which you liked best.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

Right! Even with something relatively uniform like a Fender bass, each one will feel different, but with uprights there are so many variables between each instrument. You really need some time on one to know it.

[@SoundSeeker2024]

VERY cool. Continue moving forward!

[@sideoutside]

Gutter Bass sounds pretty damn good! Little loss on the low end but nothing eq can't fix.

[@joshuHA1234]

I love the trash bass sound. I realise its not the most traditional sounding out of the 4 but that little bit extra top end sounded really cool for the rockabilly stuff. Good job man!

[@toddstropicals]

I am pretty much digging the bass you made! Sounds really good!

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

thanks!

[@Claes_Isacson]

Yea man! I think your double arrow sounds killer! It seems pretty loud too! And it’s definitely the most punk of them all. 😄 Rock on!

[@bobsteele3075]

Thanks for the Utube vids on the "trash" bass, followed up by this shootout vid. I enjoyed the sound of all of the 4, the tone of the KAY to me sounded best, sort of like someone commenting on the differences between electronic amps and the older "warm" sound you get from the older tube amps. (Maybe it is I am a bit biased as I own a 1946 Kay C-1 sn 13273) The metal one seemed to have a "Bulldog" low deep sound, and the carved bass and the "trash" were in between in their tone. All sounded great, but those are the tone difference that I felt I was hearing. Keep up the good work on your builds!

[@tyronepowell3003]

Tim your bass sounds better than the rest of the other basses.

[@Loki_FPV666]

OMG I love your aluminum bass!! Looks amazing and sounds as good if not better than the carved bass.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

it's a special instrument. Not real easy to find.

[@peterb7435]

Awesome bass!!

[@ViewtifulSam]

honestly like them all, each has its character and place

[@shirleyboore9315]

I cannot believe that soooo amazing,so talented

[@Yvash]

I liked the really resonant, rounded bass of the Czech but mostly I loved the punchy throatiness of the Sway. It's got some growl to it, the scrappy home-made usurper come to steal your affection from your older basses!

[@Ericejazz]

Wow! Definitely impressive!

[@03Venture]

I really liked the metal bass’ sound, especially the pizzicato.

[@skewedmaker]

To this musically-reclined ear, the trash bass sounds pretty good compared to the others

[@JazzBear]

The Wurlitzer is my favorite.

[@jwstout007]

For reclaimed wood, your build is no slouch! Great comparisons, & I’ve no doubt your next build will contend for your favorite to play.

[@PS-fg3hp]

Plus 1 on your observations of your own basses. I like the woody resonance and thump of the old basses. The thrash bass takes last place but yes, it's not terrible. But that steampunk/brutalist bass is a looker! Really metal.

[@IanThatMetalBassist]

That Czech bass has so much low end, I love it

[@larryholland7192]

Love your channel!!

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

thanks! just so you know my other channel, kzbin.info, is where I build all this stuff and am more active.

[@brucebaldy]

the homemade sounds pretty darn close to the Czech. Overall I prefer the homemade.

[@alansmollen]

Excellent job in you'r comparing of the instruments I wonder if you could enlighten us as to which types of strings you're using on each bass?

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

three of the have Corellis and the carved bass I'm not certain, I believe Thomastiks. All of the strings are years old except the bass I just built. has new strings.

[@RegebroRepairs]

I did like the trash bass better than the plywood bass. Although the aluminium and carved bass seemed to have deeper low ends, so they are probably better in a band setting. I agree with you that the carved bass was the best, but I actually liked the woody sound of the trash bass.

[@garagemonkeysan]

Awesome. Sway bass sounded great to me! : )

[@Ericejazz]

Also, Mike Assetta has set up my bass too! He's great!

[@velocelt]

I have a "tin ear" for sure, but I liked the sound of the Trash Bass. A lot of folks seem to be commenting that it has a more "treble-y" sound and I guess it does seem a little more bright compared to the others. Like you were saying though, I imagine it could hang pretty well slappin' the crap outta it on a rockabilly stage.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

i think the extra high end is the brand new strings vs the older stings on my other basses. Is it a Stradivarius? No. can it hang? yes :)

[@bennybonilla2864]

Your Kay bass sounded the best to me but they are unique in their own way. They all sound good!

[@sdrake5176]

Someone probably already said this but you have a German bow and you're holding it like a French bow. The German bow is held underhanded and the French bow is the one you hold overhand. I know you said you don't bow so just wanted to let you know. Cool channel. Cheers.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

yea, I never got the hang of the German bow, so I held it like a French just to get some tones out.

[@johnlemus7921]

Listening through my speakers, the only thing I can say is, the Bass you made could stand to sound a little bit denser, or a bit more resonant. The wurlitzer sounds like the more flexible of the four.

[@davewilliams6172]

For a first time build that is impressive, I love the sound as I like the slightly treble tone...I wonder, what they would all sound like with new strings? This makes me want to try my hand at making one, just wish my woodworking skills were as good as my steel fabrication skills lol

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

make it out of steel then!

[@bbertoni]

Very nice video man! Just subscribed! Keep up the good work! Don't bother the techniques, and get to studying them anytime in the future! Could you tell us what are the strings on each bass?

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

all of them have corellis except the carved bass has thomastiks. they are all old, except the bass I just made has brand new strings, which is the main reason it is brighter.

[@rosejuliette9180]

they all sound great

[@geoffcowan2384]

Thought your bass sounded similar to, but better than the Kay. Might have been the new strings, but your first attempt compares favorably with the industry standard working bass. Damn, you should be proud, nice job!

[@nautn]

Thanks for sharing. I have to say I like the Kay and Aluminum bass tones the best.. The trash bass was good and may need a some playing time to fill out its tone.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

they do say that carved basses need to be played, bowed especially, to "open up the tone of the wood." My Wurly is rarely played and the new one has little time on it so they could potentially get better if used regularly. I'm a little skeptical of that, as a skeptic by nature but there might be something to it.

[@acmullane]

@@NewPerspectivesMusic yeah, there's no 'woo' in this idea - it takes a lot of vibrations to loosen the wood fibres - try strapping it to a washing machine, or the base of your truck

[@steveanus4449]

"And he's off th the rodeo" that's what I herd on the last strum of the end of the first thing u played. Good chops tho. I dig

[@RMGCBG]

The bow reminded me of 1950’s science fiction movie soundtracks haha

[@HovingtonInstruments]

Nice to hear the sound difference... Man! That aluminum Bass is something else...

[@Elektronijaenis]

I wouldn't say any of them is better than the other... They are just different. The top end on your build makes it easier to hear the pich, but as you said in another comment, it's probably partially the new strings. Other than that, the biggest difference between them seems to be the low resonance. The frequency of that reconance seems to be different and also how loud the peak actually is. One thing I like about yours it seems to have the flattest response (the resonance was not as loud). So, all notes seemed more even on yours than on some of the others, where some notes were a lot boomier than others.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

I appreciate your insight!

[@nemo227]

Kay basses are good enough to use to make money. My Kay C-1 (bought used for $200 in about 1961) looks good, plays well, sounds good. What's not to like?

[@lrstaf6]

Just a note, It appears that there are areas in the top where the two pieces of wood didn't get glued together really good. I believe in factories where they laminate the wood, they have big presses to hold the wood totally flat while it dries. That would make for a better sound. Yours sounds pretty good for a first go and an innovative design to boot. I like it. I'm an innovator too, but haven't built any carved top double basses yet. The closest that I have come is a water jug bass. It has a good tone, but not a lot of volume.

[@plinkbottle]

I like da luminum one. Pitch definition seems better, which is the opposite to what I expected.

[@shawbox72]

Very cool video!!! I liked them all especially your made bass. What strings were on each of them? Thanks.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

corelli mediums on 3. Thomastiks on the carved bass.

[@Scodiddly]

I liked the Kay bass best, but the trash bass sounds pretty respectable.

[@insanerotta5332]

Some interesting sounds with all of em. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. I don't play upright, they're too expensive for me. :D Overall I enjoyed the aluminum one the most. It had the gnarliest sound with the bow and overall best sustain.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

I was surprised at how well the aluminum bowed - even at my unskilled hands. I need to get someone who knows how to bow on it.

[@glennpettersson9002]

I am glad you spoke about feel because I think that it's more than half the equation.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

absolutely

[@prodevus]

The taped up bass sounds the best

[@phelipehulk]

Interesting how all of them sounded decent to my ears. Although the one you made sounded less bassy of all of them, I'm sure you can use any of them just well enough. They sound similar enough that i believe it wouldn't make much difference on a gigging situation. Can't say about recording/orchestra though.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

mine is designed poorly for the bow and would totally fail in an orchestra. live and learn

[@paulmathias1908]

awesome!!

[@m7alan7johnson7]

I'm diggin the darkest stained bass (my apologies, I forgot the name). The Sway Bass has a lot of high end IMO but sounds solid enough. Honestly, I can't say I could tell the difference if it was played in a mix of music (other instruments). They all sounded decent. As always, great video.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

that's the Kay. she's a sweetheart. The additional high end on mine could be due to the brand new strings vs the others with well used strings.

[@enochrobbins4874]

Fabulous! You should try a German bow, Ive always enjoyed that style more. Or rather it hurt my wrist less. I think the wurlitzer wins the shootout in terms of flexibility, but I LOVE the homemade bass! From a style, and ecological standpoint it is amazing! I think it's high-end lets it POP more for soloing!

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

I was using a German bow but holding it like a French, lol. I'm even worse at the underhand hold - especially without rosin! A lot of the high end could be attributed to the brand new strings vs the many years old strings on the other basses, to be fair.

[@enochrobbins4874]

@@NewPerspectivesMusic verh fair! I had a hard time telling from the angle. When I was playing upright in college I was also playing bassoon... in addition to several hours on my primary(saxophone) and well... lets just say that combination did not do my wrists any favors. The German bow helped some by changing the angle of the pressure! And dont feel.bad about your bow work, you sound worlds better than my string playing!

[@clintoncraft4161]

New Perspectives Music - I was going to mention you should play the German like a German. The balance playing one of those French feels really weird to me (after undergrad on French gave me pretty bad tendinitis I switched to German. I had much better technique with French, but got to the point where I couldn’t play anymore, so loss of technique but being able to play won out...)

[@enochrobbins4874]

@@clintoncraft4161 french bows scissor your radius and ulna! German is much healthier.

[@PrinceSwaggy]

Trash Bass is the best tbh the high end is just so great to listen to and it cuts through a mix a bit better

[@glennlopez6772]

Hi! I like the sound of the double/ upright bass for jazz. To me its scale length, high bridge and arched top are the main factors contributing to its characteristic sound. The carved top would be the best. This is much like why the grand and sometimes a well built medium grand piano would always sound better, than an upright/ cottage piano; due to the greater string length. So all the basses you played had the expected tonal character but only the traditional ones had quality. The traditional built basses are securely put together and your construction also didn't sound floppy or loose. You seem to be more clever than nerdy but I don't know what your dream is. I would prefer the use of quality old wood and a neat appearance. Also I would prefer if something could be done to modify the high bridge piece to reduce it's height and make the instrument more compact and manageable. I'd focus on a compact upright bass with a smaller bridge, without compromising on scale length; around 42 inches. We can use amplification.Substitute ebony with something else. You have proved some points with your video and hope you will find something interesting to keep going! Thanks!

[@daveflood1555]

Hard to determine over KZbin but very little in it. The Wurlitzer probably bit richer but I would gig with the Al one. Ha its great.

[@bobbob3101]

“Trash” bass sounds really good

[@stevepethel6843]

Love what you are doing. Hey sometimes you see free acoustic pianos or for 50 bucks. I bet could recycle that. Sound board for a Awesome. Bass. great you play solid...

[@markwhited1785]

One of my favorite kind of nerds.

[@mgd9151]

Wurly and the Trash bass both good for opposing reasons.

[@bigweld4328]

i love the snappy trash bass, play some funk on it

[@mattliebenau9083]

You have 2 of the basses I’d really love to have, the aluminum one and the Kay, although I’d like a blond Kay upright if I had a choice. Having said that, I’d definitely play your bass in a minute. What about some kind of a “kit” where final assembly is up to the recipient?

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

if I get to the point where I can consistently and confidently make them on my own, maybe!

[@useurhed]

Two ways to easily get better tone and volume from the trash bass: 1) Lengthen the "f" holes in the top (It doesn't just let more sound out, it makes that area of the top more flexible/resonant) and 2) Make a better bridge. You will be surprised how much difference a properly carved bridge makes. The back of the bridge should be flat and at a right angle to the top. The front face of the bridge (toward the fingerboard) must be curved/shaped so the thickness at the top edge is uniform and around the recommended thickness. There shouldn't be any bevel to this front-face shaping - it should taper smoothly from the top of the bridge to the belly of the bridge. It makes a bigger diff than you'd think. The width of the bridge between the kidneys should meet specs to start. The kidneys and heart are opened a bit as needed to get an even tone across the strings. There are rules for that. The height of the bridge makes a diff - a taller bridge tends to be louder and more defined, a shorter bridge is more mellow/undefined. Sadly, the one thing that's really a miss about the trash bass - sorry, but the C bouts are too far toward the top - so much so that you can see the bow nearly impacting the top on the G string.

[@badgersbunk7311]

Newbie question. I’ve only made one bass type instrument but I don’t recall seeing any bridges shaped like the trash bass or the aluminum bass in my researching. Now I gotta do more research before I make my next one.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

check gollihurmusic.com to see and learn more about traditional bass bridges (they sponsored part 3)

[@jesterram7146]

you should try learning the how to use bow, its a lot of fun and you can do a lot with it

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

I took a couple lessons 100 years ago and had a small period in time where I could get decent sounds from it. But man it is not like riding a bike! lol. I couldn't get any decent sound using the correct grip. I need to really woodshed it, but my time and interests are elsewhere nowadays.

[@spurioustransients]

I thought your trash bass held up very well against the others; for some of the passages you played I preferred it. Overall, I liked the tone of the Kay the best. I can understand the carved bass probably has the best sound when it comes to orchestral playing but for the kind of thing you were demonstrating I personally thought it sounded a bit too "gnarly", I dunno maybe there were more complex sound vibrations and reflections going on there. The aluminium bass sounded remarkably good with a bow.

[@timsway]

Yea, i was surprised by the bow on the aluminum, too

[@ericlondon5731]

Make a 'no-body' or skeletonized frame where it is only a tuning box, kneck - fretboard, bridge/pickup area, and tailpiece. A slender stick only version that is electric. In the electrics, the body cavity would only offer a tiny bit of tone and just be there for looks. There are commercial electronic versions like this that are insanely expensive.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

my first basses like this were EUBs (electric upright basses) and I've built and owned many but always found them lacking sonically as well as in presentation/ stage presence.

[@emersonsrandomvideos248]

That "made-out-of-trash" double bass is at par with the other basses. Of course the sound i liked the most is that from the all out curved bass. But that home made bass is a sound to contend with - it can not be dismissed as trash.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

thanks!

[@triplesevensix291]

Great job you did on the Trash bass Tim. I love it man. The others are really cool too especially the aluminium one. Always wanted a double bass myself. Is the Kay bass held together with tape? Lol. Good stuff.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

just the veneers that are peeling off are held on with tape :)

[@triplesevensix291]

@@NewPerspectivesMusic Adds to the charm Tim! Like relic style on steroids! Lol. You got skills man doing those builds. Kudos.

[@matthewf1979]

I bet you really appreciate that Fender bass. I couldn’t imagine having to drag one of these to a gig.

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

the fender is heavier :)

[@acmullane]

@@NewPerspectivesMusic drill some holes in it

[@GibClark]

Well being a music dummy.....it sounded pretty damn good to me 😊👍👍👍👍

[@sgsax]

To my untrained ears, my thoughts were exactly "the trash bass could hang with any of them." The differences between all of them were very subtle and the trash bass was not significantly different or worse than any of the rest. I do like the duct tape purfling on the Kay, however. 😁 Thanks for the demo!

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

Te top veneer is coming off the Kay. I used to leave a piece of it behind at every gig. The tape helps :) Someday i'd like to fix it properly and reskin it.

[@tunesmith7437]

keep at it

[@chrisclark432]

I think the Czech bass sounds the best IMO. But all sound pretty good. Nice ob on that recycle bass! Do you have more feedback issues gigging with the aluminum bass? It sounds surprisingly good!

[@NewPerspectivesMusic]

For what the Czechbass costs it better sound better! lol. I used magnetic pickups and had very little issue with feedback. On my to-do list is to design and make a better upright bass magnetic system. someday.

[@timothycormier3494]

Yeah I agree with some of the comments. Trash bass has a nice high end ring. It can definitely hang with the rest. Not to mention, you just built it. Your still gonna tweak it and make adjustments. I’ll be willing to bet that trash bass will be just fine

[@crunchysteve]

From an audio guy and amateur bassist perspective, the trash bass has a wide range of tones, making it pretty good as a studio instrument. Actually a very versatile instrument, I reckon. Clearly needs time to "settle" and a little more dialling on the setup, but very much the sound I look for in a dry upright recording, before post production.

[@LoveLindqvist]

yours sound really nice, better than the plywood