Electric Upright Bass Package w/Bow, Rosin, Case

If this bass looks kind of familiar, that makes sense. It's a common design, sold under several different brands. We even used to sell the version marketed by Dean - it was called the "Dean Pace Contra Bass" and we carried them for a few years in the late 2010s. Dean discontinued the model, however, so we eventually sold out of it. Other brands selling similar instruments are Stagg and Harley Benton, among others.

This is a newer, updated version of those basses.

one which...

• has a true 3/4 scale, which has the appropriate curvature on the fingerboard so it can be bowed...
• has the ability to be strung with most commonly available upright strings...
• is on an endpin with an extended "bout" for natural play...
• has the big, burly sound of an acoustic doublebass without the hassle of stage feedback (or the need for a much bigger car!)...
• has a built-in active preamp, so no external preamp is required...
• Has a built-in headphone jack for silent practice with no external preamp/amp needed...
• Has a mini input jack so you can jam along with MP3s, CDs, etc...
• includes a full set of accessories, including a nice carry bag and a bow!

Hey, this thing is pretty nifty!

How does it play?

Not bad at all! It's set up like a real 3/4 size upright, which is the most familiar and popular scale; it also has a properly curved board for both pizzicato (plucking) and arco (bowing). An adjustable bridge allows for easy tweaking of playability. The removable bouts allow you to address the instrument in a fairly authentic way, letting your body "hold" the bass to some degree, and provide the landmark for going into "thumb position" - though its slim build does allow it to rotate a bit (it uses a standard endpin, not a non-rotational one.) Height is fully adjustable, just like on a real bass, with an extendable endpin.

The endpin is one of the improved features - the older models, like the Dean, had a steel endpin which tended to "rattle" in its slot due to vibration. This newer model is made of some sort of composite, so it doesn't rattle!

How does it sound?

Like any other solid-body EUB, it lacks the "body" of not having the huge cavity of a "real" upright bass. But it does have a satisfyingly "thick" tone; it's not too spanky or bright. The unusual - but useful - lone "Sub Bass" tone knob allows for boosting/cutting bass only, so I guess you're meant to tailor the bass response around the rest of the tonal spectrum, which is apparently fixed. The bass has a reasonably warm sound, to my ears -- could be the strings, could be the pickup, which is built into the bridge. But, also like the other EUBs out there, the more you play it like an upright (getting the string to bloom with the meaty edge of your finger, like you're supposed to) the more it sounds like one.

The strings that come on the bass are pretty bright and sustain-happy - I think the sound would potentially be greatly improved by eventually upgrading to a darker string with less sustain; but out of the box it sounds pretty good, and if you favor that "mwah" variety of tone that you commonly hear in ballads and modern jazz, this bass should be able to get that sound.

How does it look?

Like many solid-body electric uprights, there are "cues" which sort of echo the look of an upright, but with obvious modern refinements; some shallow C-bouts give it some character. So it's not going to "fool" anyone, looks-wise, but they'll get the connection to the upright. And, like Henry Ford used to say about the Model A, you can have the bass painted in any color, as long as it's red.

Very often I speak to folks who want an electric upright bass for practice, toting to rehearsals, or dorm room usage. Until this bass became available, the "entry level" bass that I'm comfortable recommending was $1800 and up. Now the Geneva EUB comes in, and it's less than half the price. And while I still think that those $1800 basses are better in fit and finish, the Geneva is considerably better than half as good, to be sure!

Accessories

The bass comes with a full set of accessories:

• A padded gig bag with pockets and straps (greatly improved over the one that came with the Dean we previously sold)
• A removable side bout
• A removable, optional upper G-string side bout (to provide a landmark for thumb position)
• Brazilwood Bass Bow (1/2 size French style bow, dyed/painted black, with real horsehair)
• A cake of bass rosin
• A molded instrument cable
• A set of headphones for silent practice

SPECS/DETAILS

• Solid Maple Construction
• Ebonized Fingerboard
  • Side Dot Markers
  • Hard Semi-Gloss Black Finish Covers Entire Neck and Fingerboard
• Nickel Plated Gears
• Built-in Electronics Specially Designed for Double Bass
  
  • PICKUP: Piezo Transducer
  • Active Preamp includes a volume control and and active sub-bass control
  • Instrument output is standard 1/4" instrument jack, acts as power for active preamp
  • Headphone Output (1/8")
  • MP3 player input (1/8")
• 3/4-Size
  
  • SCALE LENGTH: (41.5")
  • 1.6" wide at nut; 3.25" max. width at bridge end
• Transparent Red
• STRINGS: Standard tension flatwound steel strings are standard.
• GIG BAG: Lightweight Cordura-style padded gig bag included, with bow pocket, shoulder strap, carry strap, lined interior, interior accessory pockets
• MADE IN: China
• Composite Adjustable-height Endpin (doesn't rattle!) with pointed end and rubber cap

We include a brand-new Alkaline Battery with your bass so you can get started right away!

Note: Stand in some photos is not included - see "related items" to purchase!