Fishman Full Circle

[Blaine]

Has anyone tried the new fishman pickup. It's built into a height adjuster.

[anonymous0726]

Where can you find these? I went to his site and didn't see anything. I saw Eddie Gomez using something like this and he said his was made in Japan -- and naturally I forgot the name and have been unable to find it. His wired together something like an Underwood once you had the bridge height adjusted.

[Blaine]

I saw it on the Lemur Music site. It's also on the fishman site but not under bass, it's under it's name which is something like new world sound, or full circle sound, something like that. It actually looks just like Eddie gomez's except it's only on one of the adjusters. I remember Eddie's pickup sounding pretty Underwoodish, nothing out of the ordinary, but that was 12 years ago.

[anonymous0726]

http://www.fishman.com/whatsnew/FullCircle.htm

Gotta try one. I have wooden adjusters, naturally.

[David Hollender]

I've heard a prototype have ordered one. It sounded very good overall. It's certainly a big improvement over the original Fishman, which was the best thing going when it appeared in 1980, but has since fallen out of favor. The new one eliminates the harsh nasal qualities that are characteristic of the old one. It is clearly less electric sounding than the Underwood, W, Barberra, Barcus, the old Schertler pizzo, etc. From what I've heard it seems to have certain advantages over the Gage.

I've had good luck with the Gage at low volumes and in most rooms (don't forget that the room itself is probably the biggest variable of all in evaluating pickups and amps, etc.), but there are times when it's been hard to get clear definition and attack in the sound. I think this to the fact that it is mounted on the body. This is what gives it it's good qualities, but also makes it more prone to feedback -- not necessarily howling feedback, but resonances between the bass and speaker that muddy the sound as volume is increased. The new Fishman is less prone to this. Also, if you turn the wheel a 1/4 turn you can tweak the tonal balance.

The down side is that you must change the existing adjuster wheels with the one the pickup is in. In most cases it's no big deal, but you might have to shave a little off the bridge leg, depending on the thickness of your existing wheel. It you are someone who must have wood adjusters you can't use it. I can tell you though that a tester I know who has been a proponent of wood adjusters has been very happy with it and sees the trade off as worth it.

[anonymous0726]

What's the price tag on these things?

[JeffreyG]

Lemur has them for $169.00. That's a good price if it's all it's crakced up to be.

http://www2.mailordercentral.com/lem...ts.asp?dept=58

[Steve Azola]

Hey guys,
I bought 6 of the pre-production Full Circles, after hearing them at the Nashville NAMM show. I have tried these on almost every bass in my shop (URBs and EUBs) and have found them to be similar in sound to a Realist. This usually means, the better the bass, the better the sound. They do allow a little more top end to he heard, due to their closer proximity to the strings. I have one of these on the Kay I play around town, and it really does sound pretty good. I have 2 or 3 that are unused and I would be willing to sell them for $150 each. These units are packaged in plastic bags with out a "dummy" adjuster.

I should also mention that I have quite a few URB pickups sitting in boxes, that I've used for testing through the years. Magnetic end of fingerboard type, various peizo types, mics and even some extra preamps. I'd be happy to sell any of this stuff at "super extra good guy" prices.

Thanks,
Steve Azola
www.azola.com
760-789-8581

[Marcus Johnson]

A dummy adjuster...what a concept...

[jugband]

Has anyone seen the new Fishman Full Circle pickup? This is the one that's apparently built into a bridge adjuster wheel.

Lemur carries shows them for for $169, though currently "out of stock".
__________________________________________________ _______________________________________________
The description says;

"Quick retro-fit on most instruments with height adjuster wheels.
Enclosed pickup element is trouble free, dependable, and virtually indestructible.
On the fly adjustments to your amplified tone are available with a simple turn of the wheel.
This innovative feature allows you to vary both the attack and the harmonic content of the bass of the bass signal. "
__________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

I have to wonder a little about turning the wheel to adjust tone on the fly.

It must not have to be turned enough to affect height, or maybe there's a separate tone-wheel under the height-wheel?

[SMASH]

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...hlight=fishman

[jugband]

Originally posted by SMASH
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...hlight=fishman

Thanks! Azola's opinion, and the others there are just what I was looking for!

[jugband]

Originally posted by Steve Azola
I have one of these on the Kay I play around town, and it really does sound pretty good.

Steve Azola
www.azola.com
760-789-8581

Have you had a chance to see how they perform feedback-wise?

Do you have to remove the string-mounted jack to adjust bridge-height, or is there some kind of extra swivel to keep from wrapping the wire around the wheel?

BTW, those hollow-body EUB's I saw on your website look like some pretty nifty basses!

[David Hollender]

The wire from the wheel plugs/unplugs to the 1/4 female jack.

I played one on two gigs this weekend. One was a concert setting in a fairly live room and the second was in a live sounding room that was quite noisy at times. At lower volume I really liked the quality of tone and could be heard well. In the room full of people talking loudly I had to turn up the volume higher than I really like to play, add treble and mids, and roll off bass. This detracted from the quality of the tone, but I was able to cut through. I don't think the loss of tone is completely the fault of the pickup. IMHO any solution that makes a bass cut through like a keyboard will, by its very nature, make the bass sound like something it is not. Still, I was more successful doing this with the Full Circle than I have been with the Realist, which is somewhat more prone to uncontrollable resonances. I didn't experience any feedback, but I wasn't really going for rock volume. Once the crowd quieted down I was able to get a sound I was more comfortable with, much closer to the sound of the bass.

[jugband]

It seems that the new Fishman Full-circle pickups have shipped to dealers.

Lemur Music (http://www2.mailordercentral.com/lem...tem=5&mitem=19) shows them in stock now for $169.

Elderly Instruments also shows them (http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/FFCBP.htm) for $166.65

__________________________________________
Unique design encases the pickup element inside a typical aluminum bass bridge adjuster wheel (1/4-20 thread), the wheel actually allows you some control of the pickups output, effective for pizz, arco or slap bass techniques

[BassGreaser]

How does the Full Circle compare to K&K stuff

[B String]

Tried the full circle on a few basses.
It seems to be a cross between the realist
and the underwood. Turn it some and its a
little more like one or the other. I wanted
to love it, but its a compromise just like
almost everything else. I've found more than
ever that pickups sound different on each bass.

[bassopotumus]

I've heard some people say that it gets a microphone's sound without the feedback. Does anyone know if this is true? I'm looking for a new DB pickup, since my K&K failed me

Thanks to any who responds

[JonB]

Originally Posted by bassopotumus

I've heard some people say that it gets a microphone's sound without the feedback. Does anyone know if this is true? I'm looking for a new DB pickup, since my K&K failed me

Thanks to any who responds

No, it's not a microphone sound. It's a compromise, like all pickups, between accurate sound reproduction and something that will work in live situations. You know - no feedback and bleed from other instruments nearby.
You've been using a Bass Max, so you know how different your amplified sound is from your actual bass.
So, what's a Full Circle like?
On my bass, it has an even, flat frequency response - although the extreme lows are boosted in a pleasant way. That can be dialed out on your preamp.
Pizzicato attacks are more natural with less compression than other pickups. Not as much "piezo chirp". You won't grit your teeth when reaching for the bow, either.
Notes in thumb position are particularly good and clear.
Finally, by slightly changing the position of the adjuster wheel, the sound can go from fat to dry.
In short, (too late!) for me, it's a very useful pickup.

[bassopotumus]

that sounds pretty good. I have heard mixed reviews of the fishman full circle, but most of them were for it. I think i will try it out, it's only $169.99 anyways. I've been thinking of getting the AMT mic, but it is alot of money. How does the Full Circle compare to the AMT mic? thanks for all the help

-Bassopotumus