NHBBD (New hollow-body bass day!)

[daan]

In case I haven't plastered these pics up here enough already, here goes:
I've always liked EB-2 style basses. So far I've had

an Ibanez AS-140 (had it less than 6 months, and had to sell it to pay my daughter's hospital bills. I think I paid as much for the case, as I got for the bass AND the case  )

A Hofner 500/4, I got it in the early 90's from a music store in Minneapolis. THey knew nothing about it ("I think it's a Beatle bass neck on a Univox"), nobody else locally seemed to know what it was either. I loved it though, and only sold it recently because I got laid off and needed $. (Stupid bills)

A "Conqueror" EB-2 copy, I totally got ripped off on this. I paid $300 for it, and it was completely warped (neck AND body), the electronics didn't work and I'm pretty sure it was made of cardboard.
Anyway I keep looking at semis in/near my price range, and found a "Douglas SPB-1100" at Rondo Music. It looks (and feels) just like the Ibanez I used to have. I could actually afford it, too which is a plus 
ANyway, on to the pics:








I remember my Ibanez having really sloppy F-holes (raggedy wood with no finish on it) and this one appears painted. It has nice multi=ply binding, nice inlays, the neck feels REALLY nice (as much as I liked my Hofner, that had a teeny neck. I'm glad I don't have them both to compare because I'd rather play this one)
It arrived while I was at work. I get home after midnight, so I saw a box leaning up against my garage door. (I thought I'd have to sign for it, apparently not...) The one side looked fine, but the side against the garage had a GIANT hole in it!

Well I was fully awake now! I of course ripped it all open right in the driveway, expecting the worst, but fortunately the bass itself was in another box, and completely unmarked (and still reasonably in tune!)
I also ordered what was billed as the gig bag for it (they listed a hard case, but that was out of stock)

THe bass fits in it (barely) but the looooong pocket on the front and the hole in the bottom

make me think this is a cello case or something. I gotta find something to put over the hole, since the strap button is totally outside the case when the bass is in there. The headstock more or less pushes the top of the case tight, so there's NO extra room.
So the action is nice (if a little high), it sounds good thru my little Peavey amp (better than I remember my Ibanez sounding, but that could just be the "honeymoon period" I'm in with it. Of course since I always have terrible ideas, now I'm wondering if a "Thunder Bucker" could fit in here without major surgery. I can feel that this has "mini pots", so my "mod-itis" wants to get in there to put full-size ones in. Oh, and what does everybody think of the "Stingray" pups? I know I've never played a "real" one, but I see replacement ones all over online, not that this really NEEDS to be changed.
Anyway I'm stoked, I stayed up WAY too late playing this last night, and was almost late for work fooling with it today. I got a semi again, after not having one for too long. LIfe is good. 

[daan]

Oh yeah and I know my phone takes terrible pics, but I was having too much fun playing this to go get the "real" camera, find the cord and my laptop... Soon, though!
Oh and another question: THis is a 32" scale bass. I wanna get flatwounds for it (playing this reminded me how much I dislike roundwounds) I think it's been 5 years since I actually bought strings, do they make short, long AND mid-length strings, or do I get long-scale ones and cut the ends off? I really should know this already...

[patman]

Can't cut flats...get the right size

[Happy Face]

It looks sharp. Please keep us posted after you've played it more.

[dadagoboi]

I use long scale flats on all scales, including EBO and EB2 30" and SD Curlee 32".  On the ThunderBuckers: you'll have to make a surround, those MM style pickups take up a lot of real estate.

NICE SCORE!

[Dave W]

Nice one.

You can't always go by the scale length when ordering strings for a bass that's shorter than 34" scale, especially when there's some distance between the bridge and the tailpiece or anchor point. You may need long scale strings anyway. You should check the winding length of the strings, from the tailpiece to the nut. Then you need to check with the manufacturer. For instance, LaBella's medium scale flats have a 33" winding length last time I checked with them. Judging by the gap between your bridge and tailpiece in your pics, you may need more than that. Hope this makes sense.

[nofi]

don't change anything unless its broken. really.

[leftybass]

I had a black one, it was nice. Sold it for $80.

[dadagoboi]

Nice one.

You can't always go by the scale length when ordering strings for a bass that's shorter than 34" scale, especially when there's some distance between the bridge and the tailpiece or anchor point. You may need long scale strings anyway. You should check the winding length of the strings, from the tailpiece to the nut. Then you need to check with the manufacturer. For instance, LaBella's medium scale flats have a 33" winding length last time I checked with them. Judging by the gap between your bridge and tailpiece in your pics, you may need more than that. Hope this makes sense.

Or, do what I do, take a gamble.  Of course I do it mostly with $10 Allparts flats, which are my preferred string these days.  They haven't failed me yet.  From 34" Fender, Guild 2+2 34", M-85 30", S.D.Curlee 32", 30" EB2, '6), 65, 67 EBO.  The EB-2 has a set of long scale Chromes on it

I suggest trying an old set of flats on the new 32" bass, especially since it has a tailpiece.  Or measure the length of the E string post to tailpiece and compare that length to an E you have on another bass to see if it could work.  That's similar to what Dave's recommending.

[Pilgrim]

I've heard some good things about the Douglas basses.  And my take on instruments in general is that if they sound good and play well, they ARE good.  I like that white one a lot.

There are a number of threads on the Douglas if you search TalkBass.

[daan]

$10 Allparts flats,

I had no idea they sold strings, I'm gonna have to check them out. THank you! I remember being suprised how much more bass strings cost, than guitar strings the last time I bought some. Now that I think of it, my JBP bass last got re-strung when I still lived in St Paul. Almost 10 years ago...

[daan]

So after playing this thing the last couple days, I have NO regrets buying it. It's stayed in tune since the night I got it (despite me bringing it up and down from the basement multiple times, don't want the kids breaking it!)
They had 2-tone sunburst basses as well as these white ones, I just really disliked the burst so I got this one. I do feel a little like I should be in an 80's band with it (in a totally different way than my actual 80's monochrome black JBP  ) The ONLY thing I wish about this bass is maybe a different color, but nowhere near enough to actually change this one. It's light, it plays nice (once I drop the bridge down a little), it looks great, it was (relatively) cheap, what's not to like?

[Highlander]

Looks good, plays good... what's to argue...

My first (electric) bass was a sunburst Grenn EB2 copy and I nearly ended up with (what was probably) and Epi Rivoli in white as a second back in the late 70's but someone napped it so I ended up with an odd Thunderbird "copy" I've had ever since... Still have this hankering for a semi but never quite got there...

[Dave W]

I had no idea they sold strings, I'm gonna have to check them out. THank you! I remember being suprised how much more bass strings cost, than guitar strings the last time I bought some. Now that I think of it, my JBP bass last got re-strung when I still lived in St Paul. Almost 10 years ago...

https://www.allparts.com/ST-9046-000-45-105-Flat-Wound-Bass-Strings_p_3519.html

Carlo (dadagoboi) is an Allparts dealer.

[dadagoboi]

If there are at least 5 guys who want to try the APs, I can sell them for $8 a set, including shipping and $6 for each additional set, no extra shipping charge. Paypal or currency through the mail.

Go here:
http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=9647.0