An Ehrlund blog, sort of - Page 13

VegasGutPlucker · #**241** 02-11-2013, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumpie

I get compliments all the time too, but I take them all with a grain of salt--most non-double bass players lack a discriminating ear for this.

Salt is good for you

I had something funny happen yesterday at a pickup recording session: drummer was getting warmed up, loudly, and I had just finished attaching the EAP to the favorite spot, turning the Clarus/crazy 88 on, and began thumping along with him to check for volume. The tenor man across the room (i play with weekly, for almost a decade, a great listener, some of the best ears I know, but doesn't often comment on my tone) asked when we were finished noodling if I was amplified. I said told him as much and he replied "Oh wow I was shocked, it sounds so natural and so like your bass and yet so much louder than I would have expected!"
So yeah, not everyone is digging the bass tone and sound as much as the bassist, but once again, when dialed in right this set up can manifest the illusion of playing un amped and catch people off guard. Before, everyone knew I was using a pick up. Now with the EAP, they're sometimes fooled into thinking I'm not.
I'll post YouTube links to this recording session soon, for reference.

drurb · #**242** 02-11-2013, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumpie

...I fear that even if I like it I won't be able to use it on every gig. Last week I had another idiot sound-guy who actually made my Full Circle feedback.

If there are gigs on which you can't use the Ehrlund, I'd say that will not be the result of shortcomings of the Ehrlund. Rather, they would be circumstances (such as having an idiot sound-guy) in which just about no pickup would suffice.
I've thrown the worst situations at the Ehrlund and figured that it would come up short some time-- but no!

Quote:

Originally Posted by engedi1

...I found that the right cabinet is just as important, which surprised me to be honest.

I agree with you but I'd like to relate an example that seems both counter and counter-intuitive. I have an old Behringer BX-1200 where my combo practices. While that little $200 rig is hardly great, I always felt that it represented a huge bang for the buck. Yes, yes, my gigging rig is far better-- but 5-6x better? Anyway, when I plug the Ehrlund and its pre-amp into that Behringer, I'm telling you-- the amplified sound is far better than is often achieved with lesser pickups feeding far more expensive and well-known rigs. I think I know why that is.

I'm going back to the attack/decay profile characteristics that I identified in these pages a while back. I'm convinced that when you get that right, sins of less-than-great tonal balance can be forgiven. More specifically, the tonal balance of the cheap little Behringer is hardly what most of us would prefer on a gig. That just doesn't seem to matter as much when you get the attack/decay right as the Ehrlund seems to do. Of course, couple the Ehrlund with the types of rigs we usually discuss here as being preferred and it's downright amazing.

I hope others get a chance to give this a try. Go ahead, plug the Ehrlund into a lesser rig and listen to what you get. Just for the record, I'm not recommending that people choose cheap little rigs.

VegasGutPlucker · #**243** 02-11-2013, 11:30 AM

It is with mild reluctance that I post this link: (http://brotherluke.bandcamp.com/)
The four tracks on the front page were recorded yesterday and/or one week ago. Last week I gave him the effects send off a borrowed Clarus, this week he took the XLR out from my own Clarus. EAP only, no mic. Can't say I'm a fan of the way this guy records. It's a very quick/dirty recording setup, everything sounds distorted for some reason, but hopefully you can hear for yourself what was mentioned above:
The EAP is not superior to a microphone for recording. It's ok. But the sound through an amp and into a room is highly feedback resistant, and damn near transparent enough to fool a listener into thinking I'm playing unamped but very loudly.

Bob Gollihur · #**244** 02-11-2013, 12:07 PM

Just a preemptive notification, as I'm sure any minute somebody will view our Ehrlund page and post a note here.

We received a shocking notice that the price of the Ehrlund stuff has been dramatically increased in the last 24 hours. There was a change when Ehrlund engaged a distribution company in Europe a few months ago, which only changed where we sent our payments. However, that company has now hooked up with a US distributor... guess what happens then?

If anyone has questions or wants to "discuss" the new price to acquire a unit, please feel free to take this up with us off the board.

Thanks for your understanding.

engedi1 · #**245** 02-11-2013, 12:12 PM

Thanks for the update Bob. When you say "dramatically increased" what do you mean? 50% over the current price? 25%

VegasGutPlucker · #**246** 02-11-2013, 12:24 PM

whoa! from 385$ to 599$ shipped w/ preamp. That is dramatic for sure! whats that, 56%?

engedi1 · #**247** 02-11-2013, 01:11 PM

Wow. That is quite an increase. And completely unjustified as there is no improvement or change to the product. All they did was add in a new middle man who wants a cut. Doesn't seem like a smooth move unless it was simply selling so hot they figured they had the demand for it. Glad I got mine at the old price. Now I am worried about when it breaks...

drurb · #**248** 02-11-2013, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Gollihur

...However, that company has now hooked up with a US distributor... guess what happens then?

Is it the case that the U.S. distributor is selling directly to the consumer? Who is the distributor?

Bob Gollihur · #**249** 02-11-2013, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drurb

Is it the case that the U.S. distributor is selling directly to the consumer? Who is the distributor?

No, the US distributor is for wholesale only. Gollihur Music, as a retailer, will continue to treat its customers quite well.

GrowlerBox · #**250** 02-11-2013, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Gollihur

No, the US distributor is for wholesale only. Gollihur Music, as a retailer, will continue to treat its customers quite well.

Only quite well?

Ric Vice · #**251** 02-11-2013, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VegasGutPlucker

whoa! from 385$ to 599$ shipped w/ preamp. That is dramatic for sure! whats that, 56%?

Yikes!
Given the other pickups out there, with that kind of increase I'm not sure they'll sell as many as they could have at the lower price point. I'm really glad I have a spare pre amp and pickup, that I saw fit to purchase. Maybe the exchange rate between the U.S. and Sweden increased.

Ric

engedi1 · #**252** 02-11-2013, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric Vice

Yikes!
Given the other pickups out there, with that kind of increase I'm not sure they'll sell as many as they could have at the lower price point. I'm really glad I have a spare pre amp and pickup, that I saw fit to purchase. Maybe the exchange rate between the U.S. and Sweden increased.

Ric

Yep. Seems counter intuitive to me. "Let's raise the price higher than almost every other pickup in the market" Oh wait, it was already higher than almost every other pickup in the market. Then let's raise it more!" It now costs as much as a DPA mic. Wish I had bought a backup back in the days of the good old prices.

Bob Gollihur · #**253** 02-11-2013, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engedi1

Yep. Seems counter intuitive to me. "Let's raise the price higher than almost every other pickup in the market" Oh wait, it was already higher than almost every other pickup in the market. Then let's raise it more!" It now costs as much as a DPA mic. Wish I had bought a backup back in the days of the good old prices.

From my message above:
'If anyone has questions or wants to "discuss" the new price to acquire a unit, please feel free to take this up with us off the board.'

Wink wink, nudge nudge, know what I mean?

drurb · #**254** 02-11-2013, 09:36 PM

I wonder if a certain company has decided to set the minimum price for which authorized dealers can advertise its product.

engedi1 · #**255** 02-12-2013, 10:04 PM

What? Is it now being distributed by Fender?

Thumpie · #**256** 02-12-2013, 10:44 PM

Well, I guess this is good for me. If I don't like the one I just bought, I should be able to sell it for a tidy profit--given the new price point and the fact that there aren't many used ones floating around...

Robin Ruscio · #**257** 02-12-2013, 11:02 PM

That's too bad. I was thinking of trying one of these, but not at that price point.

drurb · #**258** 02-13-2013, 06:56 AM

Read Bob Gollihur's last post again very carefully.

Ric Vice · #**259** 02-13-2013, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin Ruscio

That's too bad. I was thinking of trying one of these, but not at that price point.

Robin,
Currently, there is a Ehrlund EAP and Pre Amp for sale in the DB classifieds.

Ric

Thumpie · #**260** 02-13-2013, 02:51 PM

I just got mine and spent about an hour trying it on two different basses. This is the best *sounding* "pickup" I've used. So far it seems feedback resistant--but I'm afraid to try it on my upcoming weekend gigs until I've had more time for testing.

If this thing can handle the volume levels I need, I'm ready to say it's worth the new price, and more.

I'm still going to gripe about the lack of phantom-power option. And you need a screwdriver to access the battery. The stupid, stupid battery. Also, the phase switch isn't in a good position, and that's something I don't want to be fumbling for while on onstage.

So:

Yes on the pickup.

Fart on the ergonomics/design on the preamp.