Please welcome our new and excliusive Rockabilly Slim Bass by Doctorbass
Before you read our full review on this instrument, PLEASE NOTE: Our Slim Bass is not the same as other similar Slim Basses you will find in the market. Here are the main differences:
1 - We have added an adjustable bridge and it is set up to allow for the best action for slapping.
2- Nut is especially cut for very low action in the first position (it comes too high from the factory).
3- The fingerboard has been trued (it doesn't come like that from the factory)
4- We include a special narrow gigbag along with the instrument
5- Our instrument has a 102cm scale. This is way more comfortable than the stock 105cm. Big difference.
6- We tested several sets of strings and we finally decided that the Rotosound Nylon set is the best feeling and sounding in this case. You save a lot of time and money because we already did the tests.
We all love the sound and response of a full bodied 3/4 double bass but as a matter of fact, that's less than ideal in many many situations. We play upright bass ourselves so we are well acquainted with some of the issues that come along with our favorite instruments. We all have wished that our instrument could be moved, amplified or stored in an easier way. Also playing our instrument at home late at night is always an issue. With all those things in mind we came up with this design.
We talked to a lot of factories and luthiers and we finally chose a small shop in Romania to come up with this instrument. We chose one of their models and made some changes in the specs and here's the result.
As you can see, the sides of this upright bass are narrower than usual (upper bout is 8cm, lower bout is 9cm instead of the usual 18 and 20cm).
The advantages of this design are the following:
- It is much easier to carry around. Despite being a standard 3/4 instrument with the same height and width, the narrow body definitely makes it possible to fit into just about any car. Of course it is also much more comfortable to move around using the included gigbag.
- It takes up much less space in your flat or apartment. It is very easy to find a spot where you can store it.
- It is really easy to amplify using a pickup. The extra volume and resonance that you get from a full sized instruments is actually a problem when it comes to plugging it in as it will be prone to feedback easily. The Slim bass will feedback a lot less and will make your life a lot easier.
There's no adaptation or difference in the way you play it. It is a standard 3/4 instrument with the same neck, fingerboard, etc. All the references are in the same place.
These are some of the specific works we require at the factory for these basses:
- Perfectly shaped fingerboard. No strange noises or artifacts here. Just clean notes throught the whole rante.
- Low nut for an easy and comfortable feel.
- Adjustable bridge for you to adapt the action to your preference and style.
When we started to develop this instrument we had in mind one more feature: we've all had issues playing our double bass late at night at home (or even at normal hours) so we thought that a slim body would reduce the volume a lot. Well, the truth is this instrument has almost the same volume as a standard upright bass!! This was quite a surprise. Sure, there's a tad less low end but volume is more or less the same. You will still need a nice mute (we recommend this one: https://www.doctorbass.net/en/c/?iddoc=1005173913&idsec=1005171507 ) although the slightly less boomy sound will probably prevent the sound from traveling through the walls and disturbing the neighbours. On the other hand, this unexpected volume makes is possible to use it in most standard situations for acoustic rehearsals and for practicing. Sure, it is not the best choice for a Symphonic Orchestra, but apart from that... Everyone who tests this bass at the shop is really surprised by the acoustic volume and the quality of the sound.
This is the Rockabilly Slim Bass Model. It comes with our choice of Rotosound Nylon Strings. Of course these are great for Slap (low tension, great bounce and full sound) but they work just as good for pizzicato, especially if you dig that old school deep pizz tone. Of course you can change the strings if you are looking for a different sound.
The fact that the fingerboard, nut and bridge have been properly setup at the factory for us makes all the diference, believe us. You can play this bass from day one with no issues at all. That's something you don't find on instruments costing 3-4 times as much.
To sum up: if you have issues storing, playing at home, moving and/or amplifying your double bass, we warranty you are going to love this Slim Bass.
We can install different pickups and preamps on this double bass to match your preferences and budget. Please ask us about it. The Shadow system is one of the best for Slap: https://www.doctorbass.net/en/c/?iddoc=1005173903&idsec=1005171501
PLEASE NOTE: Due to size and weight issues with double basses we are currently not shipping outside Europe. If you are based outside Europe please contact us and we will try to get a quote for shipping this instrument safely to you. You may have to add a case for protection.