Clef Revolution Solo 2 review

[JimmyM]

Just got back from a gig where I got to try out my brand new Rev Solo 2 pickup. If you liked the original Rev Solo, you will poop your pants over the new Rev Solo 2!

I have yet to really sit and take time with the new pickup, but my initial impression is it's like plugging the original Rev Solo into an external preamp. Fortunately the guys at Clef were wise enough not to change the characteristics that made the original Rev Solo a hit. It still installs exactly the same in the bass-side bridge wing. It still sounds like the original. But it's definitely louder and more responsive to tone controls. I was making minor boosts on the EQ during my gig, and I would find myself having to back them down and split the difference after turning them up because you could get so much more out of it than the original.

One thing I was afraid of with this new pickup was feedback. The original is the most feedback proof pickup I've ever used and I thought for sure that boosting the output would cause more feedback problems. But even with the boost it's no more prone to feedback than the original.

Too often great products get ruined by someone trying to "improve" them. I'm an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" type, and I was really hoping they didn't change everything I liked about the original. I was glad to see they didn't. They addressed the things that needed improving and left everything else alone. This is why I'm such a big fan of Upton/Clef products. They work on what needs improving, but they're smart enough to not mess with the stuff that brought them to the dance.

[Randy Ward]

Thanks Jimmy
Like many I am waiting to read the details for the upgrade program for current owners of RS I

[drurb]

Originally Posted by univac jr.

Thanks Jimmy
Like many I am waiting to read the details for the upgrade program for current owners of RS I

I quote my own earlier post from another thread:


Okay, I own a BassMax, a Rev. Solo I, and a beta version of the Rev. Solo II. The following represent MY experiences and MY perceptions, on MY basses.

As noted earlier (in this thread and by me), the BassMax is a "hot pickup" that, to me, always made my bass sound like a giant bass guitar. The Rev. Solo I (the classic) delivers a much more natural tone. In fact, it comes as close to "my bass, but bigger" as I can imagine a bridge-wing piezo coming. No, it is not like using a high-quality microphone in terms of faithful reproduction but a mike is quite impractical for me (and many) for a gig.

The RS-I does have a somewhat lower output that the BassMax but just about anything would! For some, this lower ouput was a problem.

Enter the RS-II. The beta version (and the version you receive if you order now) has a new piezo element. Although I have had only weeks of experience with it, I find it to be a substantial improvement over the RS-I. First of all, the issue of low output is gone! So how does it sound? Well, in my limited experience (and I plan to post additional comments after more experience), it sounds as good as ever!

There is a side benefit to the RS-II over the RS-I. The RS-II does not transmit nearly the level of undesirable infrasonic frequencies that the RS-I did. What this means is that you will not get as much "speaker-cone dance" with the RS-II as with the RS-I. Think of the RS-II as an RS-I with higher level and fitted with a high-pass filter that rolls off the power-robbing infrasonics.

I have noticed that the RS-II has a touch less very low-frequency response than did the RS-I. This is consistent with my description above and is easily remedied (if desired) by a gentle boost of the appropriate band of your amp's tone-shaping circuitry.

I have NOT needed a pre-amp with either the RS-I or RS-II. I have used amps with an input impedance of at least 1 M-ohm and it is just fine.

Finally, as I understand it, the official RS-II will have the new element in addition to upgraded connectors.

My advice: buy one (or two)!

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by DRURB

There is a side benefit to the RS-II over the RS-I. The RS-II does not transmit nearly the level of undesirable infrasonic frequencies that the RS-I did. What this means is that you will not get as much "speaker-cone dance" with the RS-II as with the RS-I. Think of the RS-II as an RS-I with higher level and fitted with a high-pass filter that rolls off the power-robbing infrasonics.

Aw, rats.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by fdeck

Aw, rats.

...but still an active high-pass filter would be quite useful especially if you have a ported cab design (e.g., the Wizzy).

[JimmyM]

fdeck, don't think for one second that the RS 2 isn't going to have enough low end response on it because it's got a high pass filter. Low end is not a problem.

BTW, just to give you all an idea of how loud the Rev Solo 2 is in comparison to the old model, I AB'd my 98 USA Fender Jazz with the RS 2. Compared to my Fender the old model Rev Solo was noticeably quieter. it didn't bother me because I used an Alesis Micro EQ to boost the level and give it some tone control. The new model is actually a little bit louder than my Fender. I haven't tried doing it yet, but I think I could probably ditch the Micro EQ now, although it does come in handy in case I need to adjust the tone separately from the Fender.

[shwashwa]

does this new version actually have a high pass filter somewhere in the line or are people just saying that it sounds like it does for whatever reason?