The Stagg HDB-200 is an electric upright bass. It is "three-quarter size" which is the standard size for upright bass, with a scale length of 42 inches. I think this might be the cheapest full-length electric upright. It is surprisingly well-made and has a nice big bass sound. It has a built-in preamp powered by a 9-volt battery (the only instrument I own with active electronics, since I hate having to carry batteries and worry about them dying during a show.) I added the metal bar which is clamped onto the strings below the bridge to correct a grounding problem: the instrument hummed too much, but my simple fix solved it. That metal plate is wired to the ground contact on the jack, which allows the player to act as a ground when he touches the strings. Most electric instruments are designed this way, but for some reason the Stagg was not. I fixed it.
Contents copyright 1994-2009 by JW Kennedy.