Decent cheap pickup...

TreeChild · #1 02-15-2006, 08:56 AM

does anyone know of a decent, not too expensive pickup?

Marc Piane · #2 02-15-2006, 09:00 AM

**Francois Blais** · #3 02-15-2006, 09:51 AM

Your profile only lists a homemade 5 string.
I take it's a BG?
Are you asking for a BG or a DB?
You're on the DB side here.

TreeChild · #4 02-15-2006, 08:28 PM

im on the right forum, i have a double bass as well, just forgot to list it. i really wouldnt like to pay over 70 dollars, if thats possible.

Trevorus · #5 02-15-2006, 08:55 PM

Let me look for the "Make your own pickup thread"

Here: http://www.fittell.id.au/piezo/

from this thread: How to make a piezo pickup

Here's a good page with a small buffer preamp to use with it to run into a normal high impedance input type amplifier. http://scotthelmke.com/Mint-box-buffer.html

sfmiller55 · #6 02-16-2006, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeChild

im on the right forum, i have a double bass as well, just forgot to list it. i really wouldnt like to pay over 70 dollars, if thats possible.

It's quite possible, if you don't mind going used. You should be able to score a used K&K Double Big Twin or Bass Max, a Revolution Solo, or an Underwood for around $70. For around $100, you could get a new one, and a box and a warranty as well.

Any of these would be at least "decent"; which one would work best is a matter of your ears, your bass, and the kind of music you play.

Marcus Johnson · #7 02-16-2006, 02:22 PM

I don't see a lot of folks using the Double Big Twin. I personally think it's a great pickup; sounds nice on my bass, easy to install, doesn't involve any intrusive "surgery" on the bridge, reasonably priced. I like mine a lot....I think it's underrated.

sfmiller55 · #8 02-16-2006, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

I don't see a lot of folks using the Double Big Twin. I personally think it's a great pickup; sounds nice on my bass, easy to install, doesn't involve any intrusive "surgery" on the bridge, reasonably priced. I like mine a lot....I think it's underrated.

I've used a Double Big Twin for several years and like it a lot too, especially when playing at high volume and in large rooms. On my bass, it cuts through the mix better and is much less prone to feedback and boominess than pickups that accentuate the body's component of the instrument's sound.

Sometimes I use a mic along with the DBT when the music calls for an old-school sound, but it has enough warmth that I usually don't bother.

greitzer · #9 02-18-2006, 03:39 PM

Marcus or Steven -- regarding the Double Big Twin, does the adhesive stuff really become "semi-permanent," as the ads say? (I forget where I saw that). Do you leave the pickup on all the time, or can you take it on and off easily?

bolo · #10 02-18-2006, 05:22 PM

greitzer, based on my experience it would take a fair amount of time & effort to take the pickups for the Double Big Twin on & off your bridge on any kind of a regular basis.

The only time I took them off & put them back on was when I was experimenting to find the best placement. Placement will make a difference in the tone you get.

But once I had them in a spot I wanted to stick with (no pun intended), I did not take them off.

The DBT is not in the same "easy on & off" league as some other types of pickups, IMO of course.

greitzer · #11 02-18-2006, 07:16 PM

Thanks for the info Bolo. So what did you think of this pickup? I'd be interested in your impressions, particularly in comparison (if you can) with other bridge pickups such as Underwood, Rev Solo, etc. Thanks.

bolo · #12 02-18-2006, 08:46 PM

greitzer, I did not have tremendous success with the DBT on my bass and bridge. But I'm sure that on the right bass and with the right player, it can sound really good.

IMO, the DBT is pretty effective at getting lots of "string" definition in your sound. But I prefer an old school type of tone with more "body" and "thump", and less "string." If you prefer what I will call a more "modern" tone, the DBT might work really well for you. Think Eddie Gomez vs. Paul Chambers.

Now with my ears, my gear, and my preferences, et al, I prefer the Rev SOLO first, the Bass Max second, and the DBT third. Those are the p/u's that I have experience with.

I will say that your results may vary of course. I remember once when I changed the bridge on my bass, nothing else, the sound from the DBT changed dramatically. That's not to say it's good or it's bad - just that there are lots of variables, the bridge being one of them.

I believe some folks who blend the "bite" of the DBT with another pickup or a mic get good results. I think of it as the DBT adding a pleasant and rather forward "seasoning" to the blended sound.

I suppose I could go into more detail and compare and contrast it with either the Rev SOLO or the Bass Max, but I'll save that unless you're interested. Maybe I've said enuf already ...

Maybe Marcus and others will chime in and add more of their impressions.

greitzer · #13 02-18-2006, 11:57 PM

Very helpful review, thanks. I got a Rev Solo some time ago and couldn't get a decent sound out of it, so I continued using my old Underwood. But just the other day I tried adding a shim to get the Rev Solo really snug, and it's working better now (more sound, better sound, etc.). It has a fuller, deeper sound than I thought it would. It seems to be very fussy about having a good snug fit.

bolo · #14 02-19-2006, 01:50 AM

Thanks for the kind words John. It is very difficult sometimes to use words to describe sound, tone & timbre ... ! ! !

I agree with you completely about the placement and the "snugness" of fit being so key for getting the most out of the SOLO. My Bass Max was similarly finicky about placement & fit.

The Rev SOLO really works well for me when I get it in a sweet spot and it is fitted properly as you said. On my bass it seems to give me the warmth and woodiness that I like, but also captures a convincing amount of string "pluck" and bloom.

I've said it before (in other threads), but for $99, I'm delighted with the SOLO. Paid for itself in one gig basically.

Marcus Johnson · #15 02-19-2006, 04:04 AM

BOLO pretty much nailed my impression of the DBT. It's marginally on the bright side, compared to Realists and some of the other pickups I've used, though not as much as the Underwood. Arco is not good unless you do some creative EQ.

I use it in two ways; either in combination with the AMT mic, or by itself in loud situations, where I use my preamp/amp EQ to get a decent sound. But it does get a very nice acoustic sound when I set it pretty much flat. I don't really get the Eddie G. sound so much at present, but that probably has more to do with my choice of strings than the pickup. I would love to try the Solo. But I don't do much pickup shopping since I bought the AMT.