Electric Upright Bass Database

KYDD Basses - Big KYDD

• Vintage: 2001
• Number of Strings: 4
• Bowable: Yes
• Position Markers: Yes
• Playable Seated: Yes
• Balance While Playing: (8/10)

This is a nice, no-frills EUB. There are no onboard tone, volume, or eq controls--just plug in and play. The sound of each string is well-defined, the overall effect nicely approximates the growl of a very low-action URB (not surprising, since the Big Kydd's action is itself very low). This may also be a function of the strings, which are D'Adderio CB 81 SL flatwounds. The sounds of the E and A strings may lack the resonant woodiness of an acoustic URB, but there's none of the muddiness that I've heard from some other EUBs. The Big Kydd differs from many other EUBs on a number of significant points--its fingerboard is granadillo rather than ebony, and the headless design (which took some getting used to on my part) sets it apart even from the other stick EUBs.

All in all this is an extremely playable bass that I think is best appreciatd on its own terms rather than as a substitute for an acoustic URB.