FWF Systemes B1

[BadBass]

Anyone used one of these?

What are they like, volume, tone, feedback?


Thanks,
Matt

[francisluyten]

Hi BadBass,
I'm currently using a FWF B1. It was already installed on my S/H double bass. It sounds OK to me on my bass, but the funny thing is : when i leave one of the piezo's out of the bridge slots everything sounds a lot better. With the two pickups installed my amplified bass sounds a bit nasal and thin. This changes into warm and deep with one piezo.
I'm not shure but i think the piezo's are out of phase to elliminate feedback. I also discovered a little 100k trimpot inside the jack housing... Trimming it, doen't change a thing...
They look like homebuilt somewhere in France (3, rue Titon, F-750011 Paris).
Kind regards,
Francis

[Alain Bass]

This pick up cannot be built out of phase, cause this is a kind of non sense, the two elements are probably in parrallele, but turning one of the element to 180 ° can phase or dephase one element from the other. You should try to see if in that case you get the same nasal sound with the two elements or not.
the trimpot is done to lower the high of the piezzo when you use it with the FWF microphone and its preamp.
The FWF is a bit similar to the Underwood, but I didn't made an A/B.
I have one that I don't use often, but I find it easy to instal on every bass.
Alain

[francisluyten]

Hello Alain,
You are probably right ,but if you turn the piezo's 180° it would not give any changes since they get pressure in the same way. only reversing the connections could set them out of phase. this is only a presumption but i have to try this. Desoldering everything will make things clear. By the way, you live in Paris ; do you know something about this company ? I can't find information about them on the www. The guy who installed the pickup (i found out after buying this bass) is Lucas Suringar from Holland and he told me it's even better than the underwood...
Meilleures salutations,
Francis

[Alain Bass]

I think you should try to reverse one of the element to see if it solve your problem.
for the pressure, a bass player from talkbass gave us a good solution: insert a saxophonist reed between the pickup and the bridge. By this way you can control the pressure you give to the pickup and check the best sound you can get.
I bought that pick up a few years ago to a shop called Alienor http://www.alienorlutherie.com/
and can remember I called the company who is located in Paris and get a few information from the boss (it's a small company)
like the trimpot, or the pressure to give to the pickup, the best was to go and see him in his shop, but I didn't.
I don't succeed to find now the address or something.
I think you should probably get the new address by calling few French shop
or ask to our "national French Talkbass" that you probably know:
http://www.contrebasse.org/index.htm
Here is a link to a good musical site too
http://fwf-system.audiofanzine.com/
I can't say if FWF is better than an underwood, I just tested the two on a different bass, place, amp, and strings.
The underwood seems to me dryer, but once again it was a different bass, etc. ……
Bonne chances dans tes recherches.
Alain