pickup advice for Kay

ad9000 · #1 03-30-2004, 03:55 PM

I have a late '40's Kay bass and need to find a superior pickup scenario for it. I've been using a Realist but I don't think it's ultimately a good match for this bass - some notes just disappear, others are very woofy and the overall sound is just not very authoritative.
My priorities are resistance to feedback (some fairly high volume gigs)
and as natural reproduction as possible.
I'm not opposed to a mic/pickup blend but a mic always scares me with respect to feedback. The Rick Turner pickup sounds like a good possibility but I'm always hesitant to have to send the bridge away for installation.
I'm willing to spend $300 or more.
Any input would be welcome. I don't mean to post and run, but I'm leaving town in a couple of days.

lermgalieu · #2 03-30-2004, 03:59 PM

Judging from others' reviews, the Fishman Full Circle might be your ticket...

Mike Goodbar · #3 03-30-2004, 04:03 PM

I've heard that the Realist is really designed for carved or carved-top basses.

I have a hybrid bass, and I've been having really good results with my new Fishman Full Circle. It occupies a good halfway point tone-wise between the Realist, which emphasises low end and a brighter wing-mounted pickup, like the Underwood. I get good definition along with a warm, full sounding tone. I don't play at high volume levels, but Fishman reports minimal feedback problems.

The only caveat with the Full Circle is that it requires your bridge be setup with adjusters, as the pickup itself is built into an adjuster.

Edit:
See? Lerm knows!

Rick Blanc · #4 03-31-2004, 09:08 AM

I am having great results with the K&K Bass Max.
Did my first gig last Friday.

The band can get pretty loud with a drummer, guitar, keyboard, trombone and sax.

Everybody was floored with the tone and I had no feedback problems at all.

You can get the K&K from Bob Gollihur.
http://www.urbbob.com/

ad9000 · #5 03-31-2004, 10:19 PM

Would you say the Bass Max gets across the growl and airy stuff very well?

Rick Blanc · #6 04-01-2004, 06:10 AM

Definitly.
My bass sounds like my bass only louder.
Very natural sounding.

tombowlus · #7 04-07-2004, 08:27 AM

I have a Barbera Bridge Transduscer System on my Kay, and I am thrilled with it. It is very resistant to feedback, and to my ears, it does a good job of presenting an uncolored sound. I will say that for recording, though, I prefer to blend in a mic or two, as you do miss a bit of air and feel (though it is perfectly fine for live use).

Tom.

ArenW · #8 04-08-2004, 08:11 AM

K&K Bass Max is a safe bet. I have one on my Kay and it does a great job of reproducing the natural sound. Its decent for pizz and arco, and the price is much lower than several systems that I have wasted my money on- barcus barry, fishman... It also does great at high volumes. Good luck.

Eric Jackson · #9 04-08-2004, 10:24 AM

'Nuther vote for the BassMax. Ratty old carved Czech bass (sounds great acoustically), big band that can get big loud, K&K does the job. Price can't be beat.
Thanks again, Bob G.

DaveB · #10 04-08-2004, 11:42 PM

Me too on the Bass Max. I use one with my '62 Kay and it sounds great.