Electric Upright Bass Database

Barker Vertical Bass - fretless

• Number of Strings: 4
  • Electric bass strings compatible
  • Tuned in: 4th
• Position Markers: Yes
• Balance While Playing: (10/10)
• Transportability: (10/10)
• Overall Rating: (10/10)

As a dedicated electric bass player, freelancing for a living and working for (almost) whoever would hire me, I would often hear this dreaded question: "Do you play upright?"

ESPECIALLY as an electric player studying jazz at school, I heard that question every day it seemed. I knew there was at least some work I was losing because I didn't double on upright.

The last straw for me was a gig I played one night several years ago while living in Philly. It was a small big band playing a lot of jump swing stuff, like Louis Jordan, with the drummer cutting the beat in half so it became a kind of swing/funk hybrid music. Of course I was subbing for an upright player. At the end of the night the leader of the band came over to pay me and said, "man, you sound great, it's just too bad you don't play upright."
I was, of course, really used to hearing this, but it had finally gotten so annoying to me that I went out the next day and dropped $750 on a plywood bass. "Alright then," I thought, "if guys like this would rather hear me sound mediocre on upright than great on electric, then fine, I'll take the upright calls."

I took a few lessons, spent some time with the bow to get my intonation together, and started playing gigs on upright.

It was frustrating, though, having all the sound and pickup problems, the blisters on my 1st and 2nd right hand fingers, and being hindered in what I was technically able to play. Instrument maintenance was a big-time headache and a huge expense too. And I still turned down some of the upright calls because I didn't want to bluff my way into work I shouldn't be doing. It was no fun at all.

But somehow I kept getting called to play upright, which led me to the conclusion that I was basically getting called because I can play jazz and I OWN an upright. The upright bass was mainly a cosmetic consideration. Anyone who wanted a GOOD upright player knew better than to call me!

Then, Lee Barker contacted me a couple years back and asked me to check out his instrument. After looking at the website, I wrote back that it looks great but I suspected that the people calling me for upright want the upright for cosmetic reasons, and that I wouldn't be able to get away with bringing even a VERY NICE looking EUB like the Barker to the gig in its place.

Fortunately, Lee checked back in with me some time later and persuaded me to try one out. I brought a four string fretless Barker to a straight-ahead jazz gig and got nothing but raves about how it looked and sounded. With the 34" scale and the tapewound strings, I was able to play with a dark, upright-like sound, but use my electric chops to do it! Suddenly playing an upright gig got way more fun, way more easy, and much, much better sounding! I was sold.

I called my main employer, a company which gives me about 100 dates a year and sometimes calls me for upright, and asked permission to substitute the Barker for my acoustic upright. When they agreed, I began bringing it to jobs. Again I heard nothing but raves from bandleaders, fellow musicians and sound technicians.

My plywood bass has been sitting in its case gathering dust since the day I got my Barker. I now take the Barker to all my upright gigs and could not be happier with how much easier it is to play, how much better it sounds, and how positively everyone reacts to it.

There are many electric upright basses on the market today, but the Barker Vertical Bass is the first instrument to truly combine the playability of an electric bass with the visual appeal of the acoustic upright. Even so, I was skeptical myself until I took a leap of faith in trying it on that first upright call. But since then I have never looked back!