A quick Underwood pickup question

[dbudd]

I looked around on here and elsewhere for an answer to this question but couldn't find one. So, maybe someone can help:

Actually, there are two questions about the Underwood pickup:

Firstoff, is there a hot side to the transducer? Does it matter which side faces the strings?

Secondly, how do you know where to place each transducer? Does it matter which goes under the E and which goes under the G string?

I have the first transducer, the one closest to the jack side, under my E and the second under the G. Is this correct?

Thanks. I'm obviously a newbie.

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

http://www.underwoodpickups.com/index.htm

[Eric Hochberg]

I've used mine with the "wire to the jack" side on the E side of the bridge. Don't be afraid to experiment though and see if a different position sounds better to you. You can also try using one element only, as I did for years with great success. I use a Schertler Stat-b now and I believe the instructions suggest mounting it on the G side of the bridge, but it sounds much better on the E side on my bass.

[jsbarber]

My luthier installed mine with the jack going to the G then on to the E. That seems to be the way it is in the picture on the website:

http://www.underwoodpickups.com/

You could always email Don Underwood, throught the contact page on the website. I bet it doesn't really make any difference, but you never know...

Jim

[greitzer]

Originally Posted by dbudd

Secondly, how do you know where to place each transducer? Does it matter which goes under the E and which goes under the G string? I have the first transducer, the one closest to the jack side, under my E and the second under the G. Is this correct?

Underwood recommends the element near the jack should go in the G side, and the "end of the line" element goes in the E side.

This works best on my bass (I tried it the other way 'round for awhile). The recommended way provides a fuller, less harsh sound. However, as others have said, you can always experiment, and it won't hurt anything.

As far as your other question, which side of the element should face front, if you follow the Underwood recommendation on installation, it will pretty much take care of that (I don't think you could switch the elements to face the other way without twisting the wires up).

[dbudd]

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice. I've been experimenting and can't find the sound I want. Maybe it's time for a new pickup. This underwood is probably 20 years old.

[greitzer]

dbudd -- I don't know the details of your sound, but all of these piezo bridge-wing pickups tend to have a rather harsh, electronic, trebly sound. You could try getting a new pickup, but I'm not sure how much better it would be.

You might do better to spend around the same amount of money, perhaps a bit more, on a preamp that has good EQ on it. I also have an Underwood pickup, but I use the Fishman Platinum Plus Pro EQ preamp (or something like that, I forget the name exactly) that has a five-band EQ on it, and it enables me to get a much more pleasing sound than running the Underwood straight into the amp. This might do more for you than a different pickup would. Good luck.

[bolo]

The Fishman unit is feature-rich and has a lot of satisfied users to be sure.

But as far as other pickups go, here's a link that was created earlier this year where you can listen to some soundclips of various pickups if you haven’t seen it yet and are interested in maybe trying something new.

It's worth reading the whole thread IMO instead of just branching off the first post and listening to the clips by themselves. The entire thread puts them in a more thoughtful context I think.

FWIW, I use a Rev Solo that mounts in the bridge wing, and I think I get a fairly natural and very useable pizz tone with it. It is not "electronic" or excessively "trebly" sounding at all on my bass.

[mrpc]

Originally Posted by dbudd

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice. I've been experimenting and can't find the sound I want. Maybe it's time for a new pickup. This underwood is probably 20 years old.

Keep the Underwood! And Merry Christmas.

[bolo]

Originally Posted by dbudd

I've been experimenting and can't find the sound I want. Maybe it's time for a new pickup. This underwood is probably 20 years old.

Originally Posted by mrpc

Keep the Underwood!

mr pc man, I don't know if your remarks simply represent enthusiasm for the Underwood or they're a direct response to my post. If you really dig the Underwood, that’s totally cool. But you don’t really say much about why though, or how you got it to work best for you. It doesn't sound like dbudd is getting the results he's looking for, and I don't see where you offered him anything new to ponder.

So I was just thinking that instead of just telling dbudd what he should do, maybe he’d be better off using his own ears and his own judgment. Since he mentioned potentially trying different pickups, why not go ahead and compare the eight pickups I provided the links to, including the Underwood? He just might hear something that really turns his crank.

[tornadobass]

Anybody still using the Underwood with just one element in place and the other one dangling. That used to be the favorite for Rockabilly and old school blues. I saw an old school blues band a couple of weeks ago where the bassist did that. Quite a different sound from both elements...much more thump.

[Uncletoad]

I have used lots of pickups on my bass. The Underwood sounds thin and stringy to me. Of the string side pickups I prefer the Rev Solo, the Wilson, and the Bass Max in that order.

The single side dangling Underwood is a decent sound but nowhere near as good to me as the Rev Solo. Multisourcing improves the Underwoods usefullness. I've used the Underwood with a Realist. Not bad. I've used the Realist with the Rev Solo. Not bad. I've even tried the Full Circle with the Underwood, the Full Circle with the Rev Solo, and the Full Circle with the realist. My Underwood currently sits in a drawer.

Truth is all those sit in a drawer except the Full Circle. When I go to the gig the Full Circle gets the nod over them all.

[greitzer]

Originally Posted by bolo

FWIW, I use a Rev Solo that mounts in the bridge wing, and I think I get a fairly natural and very useable pizz tone with it. It is not "electronic" or excessively "trebly" sounding at all on my bass.

Steve -- glad to hear the Rev Solo has worked out well for you. What kind of amp are you running it into, and do you use a preamp as well?

[Roger Mouton]

Don Underwood is more than willing to communicate with customers about the installation and use of his pickup. Several prior posts will lead you to his site. Send him an email and he will reply to you.

Something critical to installation and use, IMHO, is the bridge wing opening. On my instrument a new bridge "worked in" over a period of a few years and squeezed the elements a little too tightly. By "worked in" I mean that the bridge took on some moisture and closed the wing openings ever so slightly. Any change in pressure on the pickup elements affects the sound you get.

I enlarged the bridge wing openings by sanding both sides of each with a file. The Underwood is again functioning like it's supposed to: smooth, clean, even sound both pizz and arco for me. I don't use arco friendly strings so I'm not overlay concerned about any pickup nuances I get when playing arco.

[bolo]

Originally Posted by greitzer

Steve -- glad to hear the Rev Solo has worked out well for you. What kind of amp are you running it into, and do you use a preamp as well?

John,

On most of my gigs I use an iAMP-200 C Wizzy combo. IMO the RS sounds real nice straight in without a preamp. But I use a D-TAR Solstice when I want to blend the Solo w/ a mic.

I also have an older Series I Contra that I like for quieter gigs. I get the same type of good results with the RS and that amp too. No preamp there either.

[mrpc]

Originally Posted by bolo

mr pc man, I don't know if your remarks simply represent enthusiasm for the Underwood or they're a direct response to my post. If you really dig the Underwood, that’s totally cool. But you don’t really say much about why though, or how you got it to work best for you. It doesn't sound like dbudd is getting the results he's looking for, and I don't see where you offered him anything new to ponder.

So I was just thinking that instead of just telling dbudd what he should do, maybe he’d be better off using his own ears and his own judgment. Since he mentioned potentially trying different pickups, why not go ahead and compare the eight pickups I provided the links to, including the Underwood? He just might hear something that really turns his crank.

Well, I thought that dbudd might ask me himself why I think he should keep the Underwood! It's just my personal opinion That's my offering to the situation here; if he's interested, I'd be happy to respond. Otherwise, I don't mind being ignored.

[greitzer]

Steve, thanks for the info about your amps that you use with the Rev Solo. I've got the little GK combo amp (MB 150S).

I'll have to put the Rev Solo back on and tweak the EQ some more and see if I can get as good a result as you have. But I think my amp has more tonal limits than your iAMP or AI. May be harder for me to dial in the best sound. Thanks again.

[bolo]

John, PM sent. And thanks.

Anybody wanna talk about the Underwood?

dbudd, you there pal?

[Ric Vice]

Originally Posted by bolo

John, PM sent. And thanks.

Anybody wanna talk about the Underwood?

dbudd, you there pal?

Bolo,
Well, I had one for years. When you're only options were either the
Fishman BP 100 or the Underwood I thought the Underwood was a much better choice for my needs. I even used it in conjunction with the Fishman Bass Blender and Crown mic. When the Realist was introduced I sold the whole rig. With the addition of the Full Circle I don't think many of us are going retro these days, but there are players who swear by them.

Ric

[dbudd]

Hey, thanks to everyone for all the comments, advice. I think I'll give the full circle a try.