Comments on: Traveling with a bass http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/ Bassist Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:56:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Rick McLaughlin http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-473 Rick McLaughlin Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:15:19 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-473 Hi Gary - thanks for your comment! In my opinion, the Eminence is a good value, although it doesn't feel or sound quite like what I'm looking for, and I still believe that the AlterEGO is the best instrument on the market. I'm playing it constantly - it feels fantastic and actually sounds like a bass, even through "a bass guitar amp." Best, R. Hi Gary – thanks for your comment! In my opinion, the Eminence is a good value, although it doesn’t feel or sound quite like what I’m looking for, and I still believe that the AlterEGO is the best instrument on the market. I’m playing it constantly – it feels fantastic and actually sounds like a bass, even through “a bass guitar amp.”
Best, R.

]]> By: Gary E. Bartig http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-472 Gary E. Bartig Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:41:38 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-472 Hi Rick, I recently found your page regarding travel advice for upright bass players. With all due respect, I must take issue with your review of the Eminence Portable Upright Bass. You describe the tone as “horribly mid-range-y, with almost no bottom end.” If you plug the Eminence into a bass guitar amp, you may be correct. However, if you run the Eminence through an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI, roll off a little 600Hz. you will get a balanced, full bass tone. All passive piezo pickups must have a preamp for impedance matching. Without proper impedance matching, the resulting sound will be thin and mid-range-y. I suggest you listen to the many players playing the Eminence: http://www.gelbass.com/folder/videos.html. And see what Eminence owners say about my bass: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=101. By the way, the street price for the 4-string removable neck model Eminence bass is $2964.80. Thanks for giving me the chance to respond to your review. Gary E. Bartig Maker of the Eminence Portable Upright Bass www.gelbass.com gelbass@aol.com Hi Rick,

I recently found your page regarding travel advice for upright bass players.

With all due respect, I must take issue with your review of the Eminence Portable Upright Bass. You describe the tone as “horribly mid-range-y, with almost no bottom end.” If you plug the Eminence into a bass guitar amp, you may be correct. However, if you run the Eminence through an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI, roll off a little 600Hz. you will get a balanced, full bass tone. All passive piezo pickups must have a preamp for impedance matching. Without proper impedance matching, the resulting sound will be thin and mid-range-y.

I suggest you listen to the many players playing the Eminence: http://www.gelbass.com/folder/videos.html. And see what Eminence owners say about my bass: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=101.

By the way, the street price for the 4-string removable neck model Eminence bass is $2964.80.

Thanks for giving me the chance to respond to your review.

Gary E. Bartig
Maker of the Eminence Portable Upright Bass
http://www.gelbass.com
gelbass@aol.com

]]> By: Yuri http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-468 Yuri Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:11:22 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-468 anyway, Jason, try coming WITH your bass again! It is not so probable you'd run into the same folks at the check in... :-) I'd do this... anyway, Jason, try coming WITH your bass again! It is not so probable you’d run into the same folks at the check in… :-) I’d do this…

]]> By: Yuri http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-467 Yuri Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:09:35 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-467 Eh... my list is unfortunately getting thinner virtually each month... I recently had a chat about all that with Arild Andersen, a wonderful Norvegian jazz bassist with who we played in the same festival in Switzerland. He himself uses a bass with a....detachable neck (there's a violin maker in Lyon that does that to your instrument, and he produces flight cases for this "model" as well). The size issue is resolved, but there comes the weight one. Well, Arild suggests that we all should act at the level of European Parliament somehow pointing out that a listener would never hear the same quality that they hear on a CD as we have to borrow any bass that turns around due to the heavy airline restrictions.... Maybe we really should try it? I know I am talking about Europe, but perhaps the same kind of action could be done elsewhere as well? Eh… my list is unfortunately getting thinner virtually each month…
I recently had a chat about all that with Arild Andersen, a wonderful Norvegian jazz bassist with who we played in the same festival in Switzerland. He himself uses a bass with a….detachable neck (there’s a violin maker in Lyon that does that to your instrument, and he produces flight cases for this “model” as well). The size issue is resolved, but there comes the weight one. Well, Arild suggests that we all should act at the level of European Parliament somehow pointing out that a listener would never hear the same quality that they hear on a CD as we have to borrow any bass that turns around due to the heavy airline restrictions….

Maybe we really should try it?

I know I am talking about Europe, but perhaps the same kind of action could be done elsewhere as well?

]]> By: Rick McLaughlin http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-466 Rick McLaughlin Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:59:25 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-466 Jason! That's outrageous! I'm so, so sorry to hear that! Please let me know how it goes, and man, the very best of luck to you. I think Yuri has a running list of "bass friendly" airlines - I'll check to see if KLM/Delta are off that list. Disgusting. Best, R. Jason! That’s outrageous! I’m so, so sorry to hear that! Please let me know how it goes, and man, the very best of luck to you. I think Yuri has a running list of “bass friendly” airlines – I’ll check to see if KLM/Delta are off that list. Disgusting. Best, R.

]]> By: Jason Sypher http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-465 Jason Sypher Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:54:08 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-465 I was refused today on a flight from Newark to Amsterdam KLM/Delta. I have a gage case and they told me it was too heavy (the limit is now 100lbs., case weighed 117lbs) I have flown KLM many times. I was only charged once, in the US, $200. Every other time it has been free. I'm playing at the Royal Concertgebouw in a few days and this was a traumatic blow to my trip. They rebooked me for tomorrow, with an additional $250 charge for the change, without my bass. I'll be playing one of the biggest gigs of my career on a rented chinese bass..... I was refused today on a flight from Newark to Amsterdam KLM/Delta. I have a gage case and they told me it was too heavy (the limit is now 100lbs., case weighed 117lbs) I have flown KLM many times. I was only charged once, in the US, $200. Every other time it has been free. I’m playing at the Royal Concertgebouw in a few days and this was a traumatic blow to my trip. They rebooked me for tomorrow, with an additional $250 charge for the change, without my bass. I’ll be playing one of the biggest gigs of my career on a rented chinese bass…..

]]> By: Yuri http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-396 Yuri Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:33:32 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-396 Hi, On the homepage of my website there's a list of "bass-friendly" airlines (mostly european) that apply a flat fee for a bass in the hold. Unfortunately, just had to eliminate Ryanair out of that list as they have changed their regulations on Oct. 1. Flight cases: I find Kolstein and Gage cases extremely heavy; in Europe you wold have to pay A LOT of money per flight (a lot!!!) and it is not guaranteed they'd accept the bass. There are other manufacturers in Europe, less famous but quite good ones. Anyway, nowadays the flight case should not weight more than 10 kilos, otherwise you are in trouble..... Best greetings from Italy, YG Hi,

On the homepage of my website there’s a list of “bass-friendly” airlines (mostly european) that apply a flat fee for a bass in the hold. Unfortunately, just had to eliminate Ryanair out of that list as they have changed their regulations on Oct. 1.

Flight cases: I find Kolstein and Gage cases extremely heavy; in Europe you wold have to pay A LOT of money per flight (a lot!!!) and it is not guaranteed they’d accept the bass.
There are other manufacturers in Europe, less famous but quite good ones.
Anyway, nowadays the flight case should not weight more than 10 kilos, otherwise you are in trouble…..

Best greetings from Italy,
YG

]]> By: Rick McLaughlin http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-368 Rick McLaughlin Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:56:59 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-368 Hey Marc - looks interesting. I haven't played one, so I can't do a comparison, but I would love to... R. Hey Marc – looks interesting. I haven’t played one, so I can’t do a comparison, but I would love to…
R.

]]> By: Marc http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-367 Marc Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:19:34 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-367 What about the Kolstein Busetto travel bass? I just played one briefly and was very impressed. Looks great. Modest size. What about the Kolstein Busetto travel bass? I just played one briefly and was very impressed. Looks great. Modest size.

]]> By: joseph carver http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/2007/05/07/traveling-with-a-bass/comment-page-1/#comment-351 joseph carver Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:06:50 +0000 http://www.rickmclaughlin.com/blog/?p=24#comment-351 Thanks for the well written article. There is one other option that seems to me to merit more experimentation: modifying one's bass to make the neck detachable. This would allow bassists' the luxury of having their own instruments on the road as well as the peace of mind resulting from a lower risk of travel damage. Well conceived light weight travel cases could be designed for this solution. Thanks for the well written article. There is one other option that seems to me to merit more experimentation: modifying one’s bass to make the neck detachable. This would allow bassists’ the luxury of having their own instruments on the road as well as the peace of mind resulting from a lower risk of travel damage. Well conceived light weight travel cases could be designed for this solution.

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