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[Jordi Carrasco]

Im a doublebass student about to buy my first pickup. I think i need some advise though I am playing both traditionalmusic and experimental jazz. I believe that there are more yet to come, so I need a ver flexible pickup whit the possability to swith sound from gig to gig. Im thinking of buying a K&K bass master, is that a good choise?

[bolo]

The K&K Bass Master Pro was the first pickup setup that I used. It is pretty flexible sound-wise I'd say. Partly because it's really two different types of pickups (actually six piezos all together) and a stereo preamp/blender w/ EQ and level controls for both channels.

Only the Bass Max p/u portion comes off the bass easily, if that's a concern for you. The Double Big Twin pickups are stuck to the bridge with a type of adhesive. They do come on and off, but ... not something I'd want to do very often.

I use a Rev Solo II now and I like it too. It goes on and off the bass easily, even though I keep it on all the time.

If you haven't seen it yet, here is a page with good info on pickups and other stuff for amplified DB.

[Phil Rowan]

I have a Fishman Full-Circle on my Lang, and it's been great for me for the year I've had this bass. On my Kay, I have an old Realist under the bridge foot. It might not last as long as a Full-Circle. That thing has been on there since I first got the bass back in '98, and it still works just fine for my purposes (even if it's wrapped up with black electrical tape in one little spot...hey, it's old!)

[Francois Blais]

Hi Jordi, and welcome on Talkbass!

It's always a great asset to fill out your profile.
This way, the other members can view more details about your setup, gear, etc., and are likely to better help you!

Good luck!

Best regards,
François

[Jordi Carrasco]

Originally Posted by bolo

The K&K Bass Master Pro was the first pickup setup that I used. It is pretty flexible sound-wise I'd say. Partly because it's really two different types of pickups (actually six piezos all together) and a stereo preamp/blender w/ EQ and level controls for both channels.

Only the Bass Max p/u portion comes off the bass easily, if that's a concern for you. The Double Big Twin pickups are stuck to the bridge with a type of adhesive. They do come on and off, but ... not something I'd want to do very often.

I use a Rev Solo II now and I like it too. It goes on and off the bass easily, even though I keep it on all the time.

thanks bolo!
When I think twise I relise that I actually need a pickup that is possible to remove quite often. I do play a lot of classical music and it wont look good if I have electronics on my bass while playing at conserts.

From what I know about the Revulution Solo gives a very "unamplefied sound", if u get what I mean. And it might work very well for the Traditional stuff I do, but on the other hand Im looking for a harder more modernjazz styled sound for my jazzband so....

How is the flexability on the Rev Solo II? And how tricky and how long is the prosedure to take off a bass master?

[Jordi Carrasco]

Originally Posted by Phil Rowan

I have a Fishman Full-Circle on my Lang, and it's been great for me for the year I've had this bass. On my Kay, I have an old Realist under the bridge foot. It might not last as long as a Full-Circle. That thing has been on there since I first got the bass back in '98, and it still works just fine for my purposes (even if it's wrapped up with black electrical tape in one little spot...hey, it's old!)

Thanx for the info!
Is it possible to take on and of a fullcircle?

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

On MY bass, the RSII is a bit brighter than either the Full Circe or Realist. There is more string noise. Although it is pretty natural sounding, it gives a more modern sound. The others are warmer, with a 'woodier' tone. Again, this is on MY bass. One of the hassles in the DB world is having to experiment to get the right combination.

The RSII takes a bit of work to fit the first time, but can be easilly removed. The Full Circle is permanent.

[damonsmith]

I use the old polytone bar, I got it on ebay. With modern amps it has an incredible sound.
It comes off the bass easy, too. I mostly play acoustic so that is important.

[bolo]

Originally Posted by Jordi Carrasco

thanks bolo!
When I think twise I relise that I actually need a pickup that is possible to remove quite often. I do play a lot of classical music and it wont look good if I have electronics on my bass while playing at conserts.

From what I know about the Revulution Solo gives a very "unamplefied sound", if u get what I mean. And it might work very well for the Traditional stuff I do, but on the other hand Im looking for a harder more modernjazz styled sound for my jazzband so....

How is the flexability on the Rev Solo II? And how tricky and how long is the prosedure to take off a bass master?

The Rev Solo (like many other DB pickups) is going to sound slightly (or radically) different on every bass, IMO. It's hard to say how it will sound on any given bass. The amp (and optional preamp) and the strings you use and your technique also factor in. Another factor is how well you fit the pickup in the bridge wing slot (i.e. its position, and how snug or loose it is).

I will say that on my bass, I can get a more modern tone w/ more string and more bite by orienting it with the "R" brand symbol facing away from the table, as per the maker's instructions. But if I flip it over, I get a more trad type "body" sound. That's how I use mine. On my bass it's darker, woodier, and fuller sounding flipped over, but still has plenty of string zing for my taste. YMMV.

Like clink said, fitting the RS in the bridge wing slot for optimal tone does require some time and some patience. But for me, it has been worth it. And once you get it set, it's easy to take on and off. I've marked mine w/ a colored pencil so I can always put it right back in the sweet spot.

Taking the K&K Bass Master Pro on and off would be a royal pain if you had to do it even every so often, IMO. The Bass Max pickup portion that goes in the wing slot goes on and off real easy. It's the Double Big Twin part with those four transducers "stuck" to the bridge that I would not want to take on and off.

[ Edit - Since the Bass Max and DBT portions are conjoined at a stereo jack, none of it is going to come on and off the bass easily, IMO. For K&K pickups that are removed easily, you'd be better off just looking at the Bass Max. ]

[Phil Rowan]

Originally Posted by Jordi Carrasco

Thanx for the info!
Is it possible to take on and of a fullcircle?

Well, yes...but it would be a huge pain in the a$$. If you did get a Full-Circle, I would think you'd just leave on, no matter what or where you're playing.

[Jordi Carrasco]

Do u have to actually glue the big twin traducers to the bridge?

[Francois Blais]

They come with a piece of adhesive film, but you could use Fishman's brass clips I guess.
The Big Twin elements are similar to the Fishman BP-100, only smaller.

[bolo]

Originally Posted by francois

They come with a piece of adhesive film, but you could use Fishman's brass clips I guess.
The Big Twin elements are similar to the Fishman BP-100, only smaller.

Interesting idea. But I would think the brass clips would mute the bridge somewhat, something you probably don't want to do if you can avoid it. And the clip might put pressure on one side of the transducer, which might also affect the transducer's performance. I know that just from putting thumb pressure on mine and playing. It actually seemed to increase the piezo's output. Maybe that's a good thing. I dunno. I don't think they were designed to work that way, but it might be fine.

The double sided-adhesive works great, but it would be a pain to take them on and off frequently, IMO.

Maybe a call or email to Bob Gollihur or the folks at K&K would offer some other ideas too. The BMP is a flexible system sound-wise, just not easy to take on and off your bass.

[Jordi Carrasco]

Ok. An email to Mr.Gollihur might be a good idea. Maybe it would work well to usa the Solo rev II with a preamp? I certenly do like the idea of having a preamp on stage, then u dont have to trust the sound engenier that much? Whats your experiense from preamps?

[Ric Vice]

Originally Posted by bolo

Interesting idea. But I would think the brass clips would mute the bridge somewhat, something you probably don't want to do if you can avoid it. And the clip might put pressure on one side of the transducer, which might also affect the transducer's performance.

Bolo,
How right you are. Those brass clips are not the way to go IMHO.
I couldn't believe the difference when I got rid of the BP-100 and moved to the Realist. Taking a pickup of and on a bass is pretty problematic because no mattter what you do, it will cause wear and tear on the pickup. Personally I'd find one that you're comfortable with and leave it on the bass neither the Full Circle or the Realist get in the way at least for me.

Ric

[bolo]

Originally Posted by Jordi Carrasco

Ok. An email to Mr.Gollihur might be a good idea. Maybe it would work well to usa the Solo rev II with a preamp? I certenly do like the idea of having a preamp on stage, then u dont have to trust the sound engenier that much? Whats your experiense from preamps?

I happen to like the way my Rev Solo sounds both with and without a preamp. I think this might depend though on what you're plugging it into. Both my amps have an input impedance of 1 Mohm, and the RS seems to like that just fine.

Both my amps also have a pre-/ post-EQ selector switch. So if I am sending a line to the PA through the DI, I can choose to include or exclude my EQ settings.

Even with all that, I still run the EQ flat, 'cuz I think it sounds good that way. I do use a high pass filter.

[hensonbass]

On my gig bass (Shen hybrid) I use a Rev. solo and realist blended together with a K & K dual chan. preamp that runs right into a DI. I also have a magnetic p/u that comes in handy for the really aggressive stuff as well.

I find having two pickups that sense vibration from the body as well as the bridge capture a more complete sound.

Here's a link to a clip of what my bass sounds like:

http://www.livenation.com/media/browse and search under "c" for Corey Smith and check out "Maybe Next Year" or "Party" I play both arco and pizz on these songs.

[Jordi Carrasco]

Thank you all for the help!

Im now getting closer and closer to a conclusion. I have just a small number of things to ask.

Where can i find clips showing different pickups anf mics?
I think the bass master would be nice to have, if I only took of the pickup on REALLY important conserts(once ore twise a year) would i get out of film or what?

[bolo]

Jordi,

Take a look (and a listen) at this thread if you like:

Mic/Full Circle comparisons for live sound

Disclaimer - I think just about all of the pickups discussed in this forum can sound different from one bass to the next, and some may vary moreso than others. Like I saw in another thread recently too, even something like changing the strings on your bass can have a big effect on the amplified tone, or IME, changing the bridge. So these are good as a kind of starting point, but in the end you almost have to just try these out for yourself, w/ your ears , your bass, your amp, your tastes, the whole package.

Given that --- Enjoy.

[ Edit - There used to be a web site where you could listen to clips of 6 or 7 p/u's pizz and arco on one bass. It was www.thedoublebassworkshop.com. But I get an error when I try to go there now. They even had Schertler p/u's, the STAT-B and DYN-B. Being in Stockholm, maybe you could check those out too. I tried the DYN-B on loan, but decided not to keep it. Other people say it works great for them. And on and on it goes ... ]