Mario “Mo Bass” Acosta, a musician and tool machinist in Wright City, MO, has developed a product that solves an age-old problem for both upright bass players and sound engineers: how to easily and reliably mic an upright bass.
A life-long musician, Acosta wanted an upright bass for many years. He finally made the purchase as a retirement gift for himself in 2009, after spending 31 years at the Caterpillar Tractor Company in Joliet, IL. When he started gigging with the instrument, he began searching for a solution to being heard. Staff at a local music store advised him to “bubble wrap a microphone to the tailpiece.”
As a professional tool designer, Acosta thought the suggestion was “awfully tacky.” When he returned home he drew up plans and built the first prototype of what is currently being offered as the Choice Products Upright Bass Microphone Holder. The first version was made from oak. Acosta said “it looked bad, but worked great!”
When a friend suggested he sell the product, Acosta analyzed his manufacturing process to optimize production and reduce costs. The result of his efforts is the model UR1, a wooden microphone holder that attaches directly to the tailpiece of the instrument. It is designed to be used with a variety of normal handheld dynamic mics, and has a tapered hole in which a microphone is held securely.
It is a semi-permanent attachment because it doesn’t need to be removed when the instrument is stored. Better yet, the gasket type material on the inside of the device seems to protect the finish of the instrument well once it is installed. The UR1 is currently offered in 3 different materials – UR1P (poplar), UR1C (cherry), and the UR1W (walnut), and is priced between $50.00 – $60.00 on ebay.com.
It would be impossible for me to tell you exactly how many times I’ve wrapped a mic in something and crammed it behind the tailpiece of a bass in the last 20 years. In fact, while I typically use a pickup, this last weekend in Pennsylvania my equipment went on the fritz and I, yet again, had to wrap an old Shure SM58 in a towel to get through the gig.
The main thing I like about Acosta’s mic holder is that I can leave it on my bass and simply use it when necessary. Although I plan to use it as a backup option, I can easily see how many players will benefit from making this a part of their regular everyday setup. It would also be a really good tool for sound engineers to keep in their arsenal.
The one and only downside I have found is that it simply isn’t offered in a black finish. The tailpiece on my bass is ebony, and it would fit the overall look of the instrument if it blended into the background instead of standing out quite so much. Of course, this is purely subjective and indicates absolutely zero flaws in the product’s design. I would simply prefer black hardware and a black wooden microphone holder as well.
For more information about the Choice Products Upright Bass Microphone Holder, please check out their listings on ebay.com.
