thinking of switching from rev solo to realist

[lowEndRick]

I am having a hard time getting a pleasing sound from the rev solo on gigs that require more volume (i.e. theater or outdoor festival gigs). The rev solo has an edgy, middy sound at those levels that is difficult to dial out.

Someone suggested trying the Realist, although I have also read that the Realist is not great at higher volumes.

Anyone else have experience with the Realist and the Rev Solo II for comparison?

[robgrow]

Having used Rev Solo II and Realist pickups quite a bit, I would recommend going with a Fishman Full Circle. While the FC is not perfect, for me it is far more useable than either the RSII or Realist. Feedback and getting a workable sound at higher volume have never been a problem with the Full Circle.

[drurb]

Why not go to the Ehrlund and leave the piezos behind?

[robgrow]

Originally Posted by drurb

Why not go to the Ehrlund and leave the piezos behind?

Because the Ehrlund simply doesn't work on every bass. Two of my friends and I tried the EAP on ours basses and could not get useable sounds. That was enough for me. I use the Full Circle because it just works, and I want to spend my time playing music and not messing around with pickups.

[Stereo Joe]

Unfortunately, I doubt that the Realist will be a solution to your problems. I have both the Rev Solo II and Realist copper at the moment. Personally, I never had a issue with getting an OK sound out of the Rev at higher volumes but for some reason, it makes my G string sound much weaker than the others. The Realist is very even sounding and I've dialled in an excellent low-volume sound with some heavy EQ. However, at louder dynamic levels, the Realist gets honky and middy sounding, which you are trying to avoid.

In my experience, the Ehrlund seemed to sound more consistent at different volume levels but I couldn't find a 'sweet spot' on my bass to get a pleasing sound so after a couple months of frustrated fiddling, I moved on. If it works for you, it could be a nice (but more expensive) option.

For what it's worth, the Full Circle is the next pickup on my list to try.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by robgrow

Because the Ehrlund simply doesn't work on every bass. Two of my friends and I tried the EAP on ours basses and could not get useable sounds. That was enough for me. I use the Full Circle because it just works, and I want to spend my time playing music and not messing around with pickups.

No pickup works on every bass, but I'll bet the Ehrlund has one of the best hit rates if one is patient in finding the sweet spot(s). In any case, chances are that it will work just fine on lowEndRick's bass. Part of the reason I use the Ehrlund is precisely because I don't want to have to do much tweaking. With the Ehrlund, the "fiddling" I've had to do in terms of tonal shaping has been minimized.