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Originally Posted by DoubleMIDI  drurb, you may have missed what I wrote about bridge foot pickups and marking.
The (copper) Realist marks the top, so I advised NOT to use this one, but the Realist Wood does not mark the top, as far as I know.
I'm absolutely sure that the Shadow NFX does NOT MARK the top, because I use it for several years now and never seen any mark on my top when I changed my bridge. It is probably a bit more complicated to mount because it slips without tension. No problem if you have two more hands. |
I did not miss what you wrote. I try to be careful about reading what people write before I reply. It just seemed to me that on a borrowed bass, putting a pickup under the bridge foot would be a risk. Still, I accept what you say about the Shadow.
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Originally Posted by DoubleMIDI If a darker sound is acceptable, the Shadow NFX is my first choice for a beginner because it is cheap (at least in Germany), has an impedance buffer built-in and if a single pickup foil under on bridge foot (E in most cases) works, you have a spare foil, in case the mounted one is damaged, which makes it even cheaper. Also it stays in place and you don't have to find the sweet spot (only three choices: G foot, E foot or both). |
Okay, but no need to settle for a darker sound. No need to make the choice. As to not having to find the sweet spot, well, as I see it,
you don't have the option to find a sweet spot with the Shadow because you only have three choices!
Look, I get it. The Shadow is less expensive, easy to fit, and is essentially plug-and-play. The question is whether those are the criteria that the OP wants to weigh heavily. The Ehrlund is, indeed, more costly, it allows for great flexibility in terms of the amplified sound, and is a champion for arco, which, I remind you once again, is paramount for the OP. Piezos are notoriously lacking when it comes to arco.
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Originally Posted by DoubleMIDI For the 7 day money back guarantee, the delivery time to (and from) Australia may eat that up, better check that before ordering. And maybe it would be better to order it directly from Göran Ehrlund in Sweden to avoid double VAT (but VAT and postage is really high in Sweden). Maybe Göran might give a bit more money back time to Australia because of the long delivery? |
Well, of course I considered that. We're talking about the Gollihurs here. They are not going to start the clock on the day it leaves their location. They're good people. When they say that you can used it for seven days, I think they mean exactly that. I'm not aware that Göran offers a money-back trial period.
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Originally Posted by DoubleMIDI I still think an Ehrlund might be good after some more experience with an amplified double bass, but would think something more simple to install and also a bit cheaper is a better first solution for a beginner. |
I think the Ehrlund would be good right away. I don't think it depends on previous experience amplifying the double bass. Sure, previous experience will help one to locate a relative sweet spot but with so much help available here, I just don't see that as an issue. Keep in mind that the OP is not at all a newbie when it comes to amplification, in general. I don't think "cheaper" is important at all for a beginner unless that beginner decides that he has a limited budget. The OP here has signaled quite clearly that he is up for buying the Ehrlund. So, the cost is not a deciding factor. As for simple to install, let's not sell short the OP. There are copious amount of advice available here on mounting the Ehrlund. I don't think that, in principle, a beginner should be advised to buy a lesser pickup just because he's a beginner. That's especially true when that beginner needs to amplify arco playing, plans to eventually have a carved bass, and has the funds to purchase what, by most accounts, is a superior device.
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