Best material to shim pickup

[B String]

I just got a Planet Wing pickup. I'm finding that on my bass,
placement and snugness of fit have a big effect on tone and
volume. At the moment I'm using a sax reed as a shim. The fit
is great due to the shape of the reed, but I get the feeling it
may not be the best material to transfer sound.

Any opinions on good shim material? Is the sax reed ok?

[Francois Blais]

A sax reed may be great, but you could try cork.
You can find self-adhesive cork pads in hardware stores.

[presforlife]

Shims cut from cork of a great single malt whiskey,Laphroaig seem to sound the most earthy to me.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by presforlife

Shims cut from cork of a great single malt whiskey,Laphroaig seem to sound the most earthy to me.

Or if your bass is dark-sounding you can opt for a brighter cork from a highland whisky like Speyburn!

But seriously, cork will damp the input. I use sax reeds...

[Francois Blais]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

But seriously, cork will damp the input. I use sax reeds...

Depends on the tone you're looking for.
Harder materials will make the tone dryer, brighter, indeed.

[B String]

Interesting. I've used sax reeds because they're easy to get,
and they gradually get thicker, which fits the shape of the
opening. I guess I just got lucky. Thanks.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by presforlife

Shims cut from cork of a great single malt whiskey,Laphroaig seem to sound the most earthy to me.

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

Or if your bass is dark-sounding you can opt for a brighter cork from a highland whisky like Speyburn!

If you play a mixture of arco and pizz, you might find a cork from a blended scotch to be more of a hybrid solution.

[bassphase]

Yes, but eventually your bass will smell like a peat bog....


bob

[Jazz Ad]

I use plastic from credit cards most of the time. No wonder my credit is so bad.
I don't think the material for the shim makes any tone difference, unless you use bacon.
It's just satisfying to use noble materials such as reeds or yeah, credit cards.

[Roger Davis]

I have an old wooden cheese carton. You know the ones that have some exotic french cheese in. The wood is very thin and I cut a bit off whenever I need a shim. Usually needs to be sanded down a bit. I get a nice 'organic' sound with an Underwood. Best for playing MOR stuff in lounges - ie cheesy numbers. Oh dear.

[Francois Blais]

LOL!

[B String]

Gentlemen! I really want to use something more versatile than
a cork from a single malt scotch bottle.
Perhaps a good table red? Might work with more different
types of music. Single malt for "smooth jazz".

[jrlynch]

Go to a decent woodworking supply store and pickup some veneer in the wood of your choosing. Works like a charm. Cheaper than a single malt.

Jeff.

[B String]

Originally Posted by jrlynch

Go to a decent woodworking supply store and pickup some veneer in the wood of your choosing. Works like a charm. Cheaper than a single malt.

Jeff.

Thanks for a great idea, but I think this thread has already
turned into a sham and a mockery of all that is decent and
good about shims..... I could be wrong.

[bribass]

+1 for sax reeds. I find alto are best. Or clarinet reeds work well too.

[B String]

Originally Posted by bribass

+1 for sax reeds. I find alto are best. Or clarinet reeds work well too.

My original concern was if sax reeds are good for transmitting
the sound, or do they dampen it.
I know the fit is good.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by B String

Thanks for a great idea, but I think this thread has already
turned into a sham and a mockery of all that is decent and
good about shims..... I could be wrong.

Oh, you said "shims". I'm sorry, I thought you were asking about "shams". My mistake.

[Mike Carr]

Hi Bruce!

Back in the day when I was in LA I was regular a patron of all three of our favorite luthiers. Gary Stine liked sax reeds, Lisa liked cardstock, Jon Pederson used veneer strips. I allways liked the veneer best with the Underwood. So, are you liking that Planet pickup?

[B String]

Originally Posted by Mike Carr

Hi Bruce!

Back in the day when I was in LA I was regular a patron of all three of our favorite luthiers. Gary Stine liked sax reeds, Lisa liked cardstock, Jon Pederson used veneer strips. I allways liked the veneer best with the Underwood. So, are you liking that Planet pickup?

Hey Mike.
How are things with the world wide bassist? Its been too long.
These LA luthiers are very different from each other. John is
one of the best soundpost guys anywhere, Lisa has mad
construction and setup skills. Gary's dealt with some of the best
players in the world for years. All good. Lisa's my girl though.

The Planet Wing is very interesting. It sits between the Realist
and the Underwood. More like the Full Circle with a bigger low
end and very little Piezo sounding on the top end.
My biggest issue with it is my bridge shape. The opening is
a little unusual shaped, so I'm having fitting issues. When I get
it in right, I like it very much. The P Wing is very particular as
far as placement and pressure. This is not a bad thing though.
It lets you fine tune the sound a little more. It's a very full
sounding pickup. I think it would help thicken the amplified
sound of a thin sounding bass.