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[jmb-d]

So I've taken on my first real project with my (blue) Ashbory: learning to play Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" -- the melody, not just the bass line.

I started out on my Rickenbacker 4003, and then on a whim pulled out the Ashbory and started noodling around. I decided that I really liked the fretless sound.

When I walked into my lesson last week, my teacher was at first hesitant about my choice; the Ashbory weirds him out a bit, as he's primarily an electric and sometimes upright bassist. After I played through the intro and 1st verse, he said, "I'm impressed -- you've worked really hard on that and it shows".

So today, I took the Ashbory along to practice while sitting the waiting area at my daughter's gymnastics lesson. I answered a few "what's that?!" questions, but was mostly left alone. Obviously, it's a little difficult to hear when not plugged in, but I muddled through.

Contemplating buying a pair of headphones with a 1/4" jack so I can hear better, and perhaps either a Vox Amplug or C Tech Pocket Rock-It. Opinions/advice?

[Brock]

The older Pocket Rock-Its were really noisy (no experience with the new ones), and my Korg I have is noisy, though not as bad as the older Pocket Rock-Its. I don't have experience with the VOX products.

Here's some thoughts on the Korg:
http://www.largesound.net/bass/index.php/topic,236.0.html

There's some higher end headphone amps out there, but they're priced accordingly.

Congrats on your progress in learning Bass.

-Brock

[heymelbs]

I've used the Dragonfly stethoscope headphones.  It works well with the Ashbory and the nice thing is that it doesn't need elecricity.  You hear awesome upright-like tone from it!!

[jmb-d]

The older Pocket Rock-Its were really noisy (no experience with the new ones), and my Korg I have is noisy, though not as bad as the older Pocket Rock-Its. I don't have experience with the VOX products.

Thanks for the tip and the encouragement! 

I'm definitely diggin' the differentness of the Ashbory in contrast to my other basses: a Yamaha RBX-270, a Rickenbacker 4003, and a Michael Kelley Dragonfly acoustic/electric.  Between the scale and the lack of frets, it's a totally different experience.

Oh, and the "what's that?!" questions and odd looks I get with it are fun too. 

[jmb-d]

I've used the Dragonfly stethoscope headphones.  It works well with the Ashbory and the nice thing is that it doesn't need elecricity.  You hear awesome upright-like tone from it!!

Cool -- I'll have to check it out on something other than my Cr-48 netbook, and it downloaded the .wmv demo file and then just stared at me stupidly as it doesn't grok Windows Media files.
 

[ProDigit]

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vox-amPlug-Bass-Headphone-Amp?sku=581087

[SuperMonkeyCube]

Also, if you already own a multiFX like the Zoom 500 series or the B series, you could run that off a battery and plug 1/4" headphones into one of those.

[jmb-d]

Hmm... Haven't been here in a while.

I have solved the headphone/amp thing with an iRig hooked up to my iPad/iPod coupled with the Amplitube app. Works well with the Ashbory, and my Yamaha and Rickenbacker too.