Ned Steinberger upright bass

Electric upright bass

An Aria SWB 02/5 5-string EUB with a skeleton-style upper bout so that the bass will sit against the body properly.
String instrument
Other names	Stick bass
Classification	String instrument (bowed or plucked)
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	321.322-71 (Composite chordophone sounded by a bow)
Developed	20th century
Playing range
Related instruments
Viol Viola Cello Bass guitar Acoustic bass guitar Double bass Diyingehu Bazantar
Musicians
List of double bassists

The electric upright bass (abbreviated EUB) is an electronically amplified version of the double bass that has a minimal or 'skeleton' body, which greatly reduces the size and weight of the instrument. EUBs are plugged into an amplifier and speaker cabinet for performances. The EUB retains enough of the features of the double bass (fingerboard, neck, tuning machines, bridge, strings, and a small body on which to mount the neck and bridge) so that double bass players are able to perform on it.

There are two types: solid-body EUBs and hollowbody EUBs. Solid-body EUBs have no hollow enclosure for the body; as such, they produce almost no acoustic sound. Solid-body EUBs are plugged into an amplifier for practice and live performances. Hollowbody EUBs have a wooden enclosure, which, while much smaller than the hollow body cavity of a double bass, is still large enough to give the instrument an acoustic tone, at least for individual practice; for performing, it is plugged into an amp. While the EUB retains some of the tonal characteristics of the double bass, its electrically amplified nature also gives it its own unique sound. The size and shape of EUB bodies varies. Some EUBs have a very small body, which makes the instrument smaller and lighter in weight. Some EUBs have larger bodies, including the upper bouts, to aid the player in performing higher pitches.

Some EUBs have built-in pickups and volume controls, similar in function to the pickups and knobs on an electric bass (also called the bass guitar). Some EUBs are sold without an onboard pickup or knobs; a player using this instrument would need to purchase a piezoelectric (or magnetic) pickup separately and then attach the pickup to the body or bridge. EUBs typically have a long endpin to support the instrument at the appropriate height. As with the double bass, an EUB can be played standing up or sitting (usually on a stool). EUBs are used in a wide range of styles of music, from jazz fusion and jazz to Cuban music and rock music. While four string EUBs are most common, using the same E,A,D,G tuning (from lowest to highest-pitched strings) as the double bass and bass guitar, 5-, 6, 7- and 8-string models are also available. Like the double bass, most EUBs can be plucked ("pizzicato") or bowed.