K&K bass max

farmerdude · #1 10-24-2001, 07:24 AM

Has anyone found that the bass max sounds better on the G side wing? This has been the case for all 4 of my basses. Also do you prefer one side up to another?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #2 10-24-2001, 07:59 AM

WARMERFOOD

I always found that each side had its own advantages and disadvantages. Finally, I called up (ALL HAIL) Bob G. and asked if he could get the good people at K&K to build a "Double Bass Max". He said sure. Right now I have one of these on both of my basses...the advantage is that you can balance the sound between the E side and G side. On my carved bass, I blend the balanced DBM signal with the Trinity mic.

I've never been happier with any pickup system. I loaned my second Double Bass Max to Don to try out a while back, and he ordered one after the first gig he played with it. I think K&K should offer it in their regular line as a higher-end alternative to the Bass Max.

DURRL

Mike Goodbar · #3 10-24-2001, 08:25 AM

Chris:

Quote:

the advantage is that you can balance the sound between the E side and G side.

So, are you sending each side (E and G) through seperate channels of the two-channel preamp?

What about when you add the mic?

farmerdude · #4 10-24-2001, 09:08 AM

SQURRLY DURRLY

That crazy Bob. I guess I will have to give him a call again. Hmm.. lets see now...2 sigs from bass max, 1 from mic, one from slap pickup...I think I see the light now.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #5 10-24-2001, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike Goodbar
Chris:

So, are you sending each side (E and G) through seperate channels of the two-channel preamp?

What about when you add the mic?

It's kind of convoluted, but on my German bass, I left all of the options open. I can either:

1) Mix the two Bass Max elements together with a two channel pre and use that signal alone.

2) Start as above, and then mix that signal together (using the Tritnity preamp) with the mic. (This requires carrying 2 preamp/blenders, which I would only do if I was feeling REALLY fussy about sound for some reason)

3) Mix the two BM elements together passively using a stereo to mono patch chord (you can't control the blend this way, but the balance is generally pretty good), and then blend that signal with the mic using the Trinity preamp (which is two-channel). This is my "normal" mode of amplifying....99.9% of the time, my bass travels around with the 2 BM elements already bridged to mono, so all I have to do is plug in the Trinity and go. It's easy, it's simple to get going, and it sounds great.

Quote:

Originally posted by JEDCLAMPETT
SQURRLY DURRLY

That crazy Bob. I guess I will have to give him a call again. Hmm.. lets see now...2 sigs from bass max, 1 from mic, one from slap pickup...I think I see the light now.

SODBUSTERGUY,

Yeah, that sound would be killer! But unless I'm not doing the math correctly, you'll need at least three preamps for that rig.

By the time you got set up to play, the gig would be half over....

F SQUIRRL TAPE

farmerdude · #6 10-24-2001, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Squirrl bait

By the time you got set up to play, the gig would be half over....

HISSY SPAZ

Yea, thats getting pretty crazy on the inputs not to mention the toybass if the gig calls for one. Thats why I use a small mixing board. However, 80% of the time I give up on mixing the signals and just go with the bass max.

steve chase · #7 10-24-2001, 11:48 AM

I keep my Bass Max mostly on the G side,like 90+%
of the time,only occasionaly swapping to the E side to try and eliminate either a dead sounding string or feedback on a particular note if i can`t eq it out.

mchildree · #8 10-24-2001, 02:26 PM

Just curious, guys...what problems were solved by moving the Bass Max to the G side?

farmerdude · #9 10-24-2001, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mchildree
Just curious, guys...what problems were solved by moving the Bass Max to the G side?

For me the G side seems less "nasal". Cuts the low-mid boom.

Don Higdon · #10 10-24-2001, 05:38 PM

You can see the custom made K&K on my American Standard in picture #7 in the A.S.S. thread. Every musician who hears it is totally knocked out. ALL HAIL Bob Gollihur. Thanks, Bob. Switching from bass to bass is child's play, taking maybe 10-20 seconds. Try that with a Realist.

akmusicfreak · #11 09-22-2008, 08:08 PM

I bought Bassmax from Bob stuck it underneath the wing on the E side of my Czech uprightt and pluged it straight into my cheesy but reliable 7 year old 50watt Peavy Microbass.
It sounded great with very little hiss or noise and practically no eq adjustments.
I was used a Schaller mag pickup prior and the K+K Bassmax blows it out of the water.
I had to shim the Bassmax to fit so I used matchbook paper on the top side of the wing.
maybe the matchbook material takes out the nasally sound some of you are having.

I bought my Bassmax pick up and strings through Gollihur Music, it came fast, and the service was great.
Thanks Bob!!

terryfunk4life · #12 09-17-2009, 08:41 PM

Sorry to bring a thread back from the dead but would a bassmax pickup fit a 1/2 sized bridge. Edit just measured my bridge it seems to be a bit just 5 mm so i think we should be good.

BrandonEssex · #13 09-18-2009, 11:39 AM

I use bassmax on the G side with guts on top and steel on bottom. It evens out the bass nicely, and amplifies really well....

kwd · #14 09-18-2009, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mchildree

Just curious, guys...what problems were solved by moving the Bass Max to the G side?

Moving it to the G side seemed to take the boom out. This could probably have been removed with an EQ but since I was using the 'preamp-in' and had no eq-ing capability on the preamp, it was my only choice.

I've found that I need to be careful about keeping it out of the line of fire of sound sources on the treble side. I was playing at a combo class with the guitar to my left. The pickup was getting collateral vibration from the guitar amp and it sounded awful. I had the same problem with the sound from my own amp at a concert when I had the amp on my left. Just something to be aware of. With the BassMax on the E-side your body serves as an obstruction so it's not as much of a problem.

dbass87 · #15 11-30-2010, 06:47 PM

So about this pickup... A couple things that attract me about it are the "even" sound it's supposed to have as well as the price. Can anyone tell me though, is this a good pickup for jazz bass specifically, or does it not really lend itself to good "jazz" sound?

drurb · #16 11-30-2010, 07:45 PM

I've always found the Bassmax to have a "boomy" unrefined sound compared to the better pickups often discussed in these threads. Any DB I've ever used one on sounded, to me, like an overgrown BG. YMMV

KUNGfuSHERIFF · #17 11-30-2010, 07:50 PM

What do you mean by "jazz sound?" Your profile doesn't say if you double, but I do, and would describe this pickup as the P-Bass of piezo bridge-wing pickups: punchy, strong in the low mids and fairly foolproof. Mine makes my German ply sound pretty good, where the Realist gave a pretty brutal assessment of my flaws and the bass' too.

dbass87 · #18 12-01-2010, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drurb

I've always found the Bassmax to have a "boomy" unrefined sound compared to the better pickups often discussed in these threads. Any DB I've ever used one on sounded, to me, like an overgrown BG. YMMV

How does it compare in sound to the Fishman Bp100? this was another pickup i was curious to try, since it's not much more than the Bass Max but not as much as like a Realist

AMJBASS · #19 12-01-2010, 08:10 PM

There are very few basses that the BP-100 will work on. If its not matched up to the right instrument it is one of the worst sounding pickups on the market(bright, nasal sounding). The BassMax has a very different character. Has about the same amount of low end, but is much smoother sounding. It does sound a bit bass guitarish, but I do like the pickup a lot on my Eastman. It works very well for louder situations.

dbass87 · #20 12-01-2010, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adrian Juras

There are very few basses that the BP-100 will work on. If its not matched up to the right instrument it is one of the worst sounding pickups on the market(bright, nasal sounding). The BassMax has a very different character. Has about the same amount of low end, but is much smoother sounding. It does sound a bit bass guitarish, but I do like the pickup a lot on my Eastman. It works very well for louder situations.

thanks for the reply. Is there another pickup close to the price of the BassMax that would be less "bass guitarish" but still as smooth?