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MGR/Laklander « Stagg EDB 3/4 »
Published on 11/30/09 at 15:00I've played bass professionally for 44 years. I currently play in a praise band in a local church and also do studio work. I favor rock but have played just about every style, even -- shame -- disco. Favorite players include Paul McCartney, James Jamerson, Tony Levin, Chris Squire, Joe Osborn, Bob Glaub and Sting.
Stagg EDB 3/4 Electric Upright Bass; transparent yellow finish; 3/4 size (same as standard upright); 42' scale. Includes a headphone out 1/8' jack and a CD in 1/8' jack to allow practice long with recordings. Controls are volume and Sub-bass, which is a bass boost control. Piezo bridge pickup. Strings are standard 3/4 size upright strings. 1/4 output jack to amplifier. Solid maple body; neck might be some kind of composite -- it's hard to tell.
I purchased this instrument used from EBay in November 2009 to use in acoustic settings in my church band. I previously owned the NS Design WAV but sold it because I was not using it enough. Sure enough, not long after it sold, I found I'd need an EUB. Doh! I paid $399 with shipping and a fiberglass German bow was include in the price.
To me, the Stagg sounds more like a 'real' upright bass than the NS Design did. It's hard to describe, but it sounds 'woodier' and has more 'mwah' than the NS, even though it has a slab body. I like that the Stagg has a wire hip brace that allows you to hold the bass away from you while playing, and also that it has an endpin, which allows you to move while playing. There's also a plug-in wireframe for the treble side of the bass that allows someone used to playing upright a reference point for where to switch to 'thumb' position. Since I'm not really an upright player, this doesn't bother me because I don't use thumb position. But it is a selling point for many upright players looking to move to EUB. I also like the larger, open tuning gears as opposed to the NS closed. Gotoh bass guitar type tuners. (See my review of the NS here on MGR to see why I don't like Gotohs on an upright.)
The piezo pickup system is very sensitive and makes the entire body of the bass microphonic -- it picks up noises when anything hits the body -- a cord, a gnat, you name it. Stagg calls it 'noiseless,' and it may be electronically, but it picks up too many superfluous souunds. I attempted to alleviate this by putting thin foam under the legs of the bridge, which is where the pickup poles sit, but the effect is minimal. The endpin also rattles in some positions, which is picked up and sent to the amp. I had read that there are shielding issues with the control cavity, which is unshielded, but my bass is quiet. Maybe that has been improved over the years by Stagg.
The Stagg is solidly built and the finish is very good. All components seem to be of good quality. Since this bass was purchased used, I'm not sure what strings are on it or if they are stock strings, but they sound good. The bass comes with a padded gigbag and, under normal handling, should stand up well.
Even at a normal price -- they sell new for anywhere from $449 to $629 -- Stagg offers a decent quality for not a lot of money. Workmanship is not as good at the ND Design WAV, but the NS costs $300 to $500 more. If you're looking to experiment with upright or want to play EUB only occasionally, Stagg offers an affordable, good-sounding instrument.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
Stagg EDB 3/4 Electric Upright Bass; transparent yellow finish; 3/4 size (same as standard upright); 42' scale. Includes a headphone out 1/8' jack and a CD in 1/8' jack to allow practice long with recordings. Controls are volume and Sub-bass, which is a bass boost control. Piezo bridge pickup. Strings are standard 3/4 size upright strings. 1/4 output jack to amplifier. Solid maple body; neck might be some kind of composite -- it's hard to tell.
I purchased this instrument used from EBay in November 2009 to use in acoustic settings in my church band. I previously owned the NS Design WAV but sold it because I was not using it enough. Sure enough, not long after it sold, I found I'd need an EUB. Doh! I paid $399 with shipping and a fiberglass German bow was include in the price.
To me, the Stagg sounds more like a 'real' upright bass than the NS Design did. It's hard to describe, but it sounds 'woodier' and has more 'mwah' than the NS, even though it has a slab body. I like that the Stagg has a wire hip brace that allows you to hold the bass away from you while playing, and also that it has an endpin, which allows you to move while playing. There's also a plug-in wireframe for the treble side of the bass that allows someone used to playing upright a reference point for where to switch to 'thumb' position. Since I'm not really an upright player, this doesn't bother me because I don't use thumb position. But it is a selling point for many upright players looking to move to EUB. I also like the larger, open tuning gears as opposed to the NS closed. Gotoh bass guitar type tuners. (See my review of the NS here on MGR to see why I don't like Gotohs on an upright.)
The piezo pickup system is very sensitive and makes the entire body of the bass microphonic -- it picks up noises when anything hits the body -- a cord, a gnat, you name it. Stagg calls it 'noiseless,' and it may be electronically, but it picks up too many superfluous souunds. I attempted to alleviate this by putting thin foam under the legs of the bridge, which is where the pickup poles sit, but the effect is minimal. The endpin also rattles in some positions, which is picked up and sent to the amp. I had read that there are shielding issues with the control cavity, which is unshielded, but my bass is quiet. Maybe that has been improved over the years by Stagg.
The Stagg is solidly built and the finish is very good. All components seem to be of good quality. Since this bass was purchased used, I'm not sure what strings are on it or if they are stock strings, but they sound good. The bass comes with a padded gigbag and, under normal handling, should stand up well.
Even at a normal price -- they sell new for anywhere from $449 to $629 -- Stagg offers a decent quality for not a lot of money. Workmanship is not as good at the ND Design WAV, but the NS costs $300 to $500 more. If you're looking to experiment with upright or want to play EUB only occasionally, Stagg offers an affordable, good-sounding instrument.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com