Yet Another Pickup Comparison Question

[ninnlangel]

Hi Everyone,

I currently have a Realist on my Czech-Ease, and a custom pickup on my "real" bass (1963 Rubner, wonderful punchy and tight sounding bass). I'm unhappy with both of them, and looking for solutions to my problem - ideally, finding a pickup for each bass which works for me.

Gripes about the realist :

- Muddy
- TOOO HOT I can't even use my Coda without something to reduce the level before it. The pickup overdrives the input.
- No "air", treble (after being absent from realist v1) is too harsh and electric sounding for my tastes.

Gripes with my custom pickup :

- Not enough output.
- Strange resonance on some notes, depending on the bass' setup (that's what makes it useless)
- The attack is not as punchy as on the realist, it has more of that BP-100 Mwaaah kind of sound (very 80s).

Disclaimer : I realize this makes the realist sound like a terrible pickup, as does my custom pu. I only outlined the things I don't like about them, but they are still my 2 favorite pickups out of the dozen or so I have tried !

I was thinking of trying the following pickups :

- Revolution Solo II
is this pu an underwood on steroids ? does it have that nasty bridge sound ?

- Full Circle
this seems to be my favorite option on paper.

Are there any others I should try ? I'm using a Focus 2R series III, Contra EX or Acme Low B1 depending on the gig. Sometimes I blend the pickup with a mic (ATM-35 for nom, until I get an AMT), and I'm planning on getting an Avalon U5 soon.

Thanks for your input !

Ninn

[steve in tampa]

I like the BassMax through a Fishman Platinum Pro Bass PreAmp. Simple, no hassle, inexpensive way to sound good.

Been through all the options/opinions on mando gear. Happy to cruise for awhile on bass with this set up.

[fish slapper]

Hey, Ninn;

I'm in the pickup chase as well. I started on BassMax (didn't try it with the Fishman platinum yet, Steve) but now have a Rev Solo 2. I'm getting pretty decent sound from the RS2 into my Clarus 1 Series III head into a Schroeder mini 12+. I do have to roll off a fair amount of mid and a bit of treble for my tastes. On the plus side, I really don't need any high-pass or notch as its been vertially feedback free. I think I'm going to go ahead and try a FC next as it has its fans here and my luthier uses it on his personal bass. I'm trying to stay away from a seperate pre-amp as I like to keep my rig simple as possible.

One caution on the RS2 is ,at least for me, there was a fair amount of sanding of wood from both the pickup and my bridge to make it fit. And this pickup is fairly finicky as far as the right fit. Probably should have had it professionally installed rather than subject my bridge to my limited carpentry skills.

Hope this helps.

[mesmithnm]

I feel your pain - pickups never quite satisfy. But, I would suggest you'll like the FC as well as you'll like any pickup. I had the same complaints about my Realist - too dark/muddy and too hot. I tried a Rev Solo and got nothing really good out of it - but I did not have it professionally installed, so some of that may be my installation. I also found it way too sensitive to positioning to be a really robust solution for gigging. I want my equipment simple, reliable, and as good sounding is as practical, and I think the FC fits that bill. I run my FC straight into my iAmp 600 (into a VL110) and I get a sound that has good punch and good definition. Still sounds like a pickup, but a pretty good sounding pickup. Also, I used to have feedback problems w/the Realist at higher volumes, and that has gone away with the FC.

[Kevinlee]

My pickup solution is to have a full circle and a revolution solo on both my basses. Some rooms or stages like one more than the other. So it's easy to switch back & fourth as needed for the situation. I've used underwood, bass max various custom and mag pu's in the past and this is what I've setteled on. I always use a preamp. Useually the Fishman pro platinum but sometimes an LR bags gigpro.

The full circle is great as far as you really never need to mess with it like you do wing pickups. The rev solo is kinda finicky as to having the right fit and placement but once you get it there, it can get a pretty natural sound as far as pickups go. More woody sounding then the underwood and not as compressed sounding as the bass max. At least that's my experience with my basses.

Kevinlee

[PB+J]

I've tried:

Realist
full circle
rev solo
Bass Max/trinity mic
shertler dyn-b

Yikes! That's a lot of money!

In order of preference, from best to worst on my bass

Excellent
Dyn-B

Very good
Full Circle
Realist

Marginal
Rev solo
Bass max

The Dyn-b works really really well for me into an avalon U5. The Full Circle sounds like a piezo in comparison, but it was pretty good. The realist gave a very effective sound in the mix but I found what you found with it. The rev solo sounded annoying to me, scratchy and harsh and it was fussy to fit. I never played it without wondering if maybe i needed to sand a little...no, shim it...I understand they have a new and improved model coming out. The Bass max always seemed too tubby and the mic never gave me enough gain before feedback

As always, pickups are very subjective--lots of people love the rev solo, lots of people find the dyn-b no good

[drurb]

Originally Posted by ninnlangel

- Revolution Solo II
is this pu an underwood on steroids ? does it have that nasty bridge sound ?

In my experience, no and no.

It is important to distinguish the RS from the RS2, the latter being a substantial improvement, IMHO. I agree that the RS can be finicky as far as fit goes. I have found, however, that once the fit and positioning are achieved, it needs very little attention. My statements should also be qualified by the fact that every RS I have owned has been fit in Upton's shop. That is a luxury that comes from living within driving distance. Still, the vast majority of users fit it themselves. Judging from the comments within these pages, most seem happy with it, but like any contact pickup, success seems to be "bass-dependent."

[tornadobass]

I'm currently using the RS2 on my American Standard, which seems to have some of the best parts of the BassMax and the Underwood. It goes into an older Fishman ProEQ preamp.

Has anybody else noticed that the RS damps the acoustic sound?

[robgrow]

Originally Posted by ninnlangel

I was thinking of trying the following pickups :

- Revolution Solo II
is this pu an underwood on steroids ? does it have that nasty bridge sound ?

- Full Circle
this seems to be my favorite option on paper.

To my ears, the Revolution Solo II is very diferent than the Underwood pickup. The RS2 has a much more natural sound with quite a bit of air and depth, especially for a bridge wing-mounted pickup.

There are things I like and don't like about the Full Circle, however it is a very useable pickup overall. Either of these would probably be a good choice IMO. It's as much a matter of personal taste as anything I think.

[steve in tampa]

The real wake up for me was how much better the BassMax sounded through the Fishman PlatinumPro.

Before I was using a Boss Compresser, EQ and a direct box.

The Fishman does all of that better, and with a fantastic resistance to feedback.

[PB+J]

The Fishman PlatinumPro is a good unit. It's really well designed for bass--a lot of good, useful features, easy to use, intuitive layout. I like it a lot. It just doesnt sound as good as the Avalon U5, though, so I don't use it much. But IMHO it's a good unit for a good price, light, seems pretty durable

[Slappin' PeeWee]

My modest opinion:

Realist: nice deep bass, but unfocused. It makes the urb sounding a bit like a slab. Not so good on the highs

BassMax: very good dynamic but unclear, a bit distorted. It sounds “piezo” on the highs. A lot of feedback

Underwood: lacks a little of freq. range on both ends, otherwise warm and very even. Good for old times roots music. It sounds a little “nasal” on the highs.

Shadow: more or less like the Underwood but with lower dynamic on the midrange

Revoulution Solo: more sterile than a hospital room and with a very little output. I haven’t tried the v.2. it should have more output, but if the sound is the same, then it’s still not my kind of pu.

Planet Wing: wow! It’s possible that there is something better out there, but not for that kind of money. It sounds more like a large membrane microphone rather than a piezo pickup. The deep bass is impressive.

I have tried all these pu's straight into the amp, a Gallien Krueger RB700-II and a MesaBoogie with GK 4x10" and MesaBoogie Powerhouse 1x15" cabinets

[PB+J]

Am I the only one who wonders about "viral marketing" on this site? Sometimes if you check a user's profile, and look at the join date, and the range of subjects posted, you have to wonder

[CB3000]

i have owned and operated:

dyn b
stat b
rev solo
bp-100
underwood
bass max
double big twin
full circle
bielse magnetic
moses magnetic
vintage dearmond
realist
shadow underwood copy
anonymous stick-on pickups
and various homemade concotions

and:

fishman model b pre
dtar solstice
lr baggs mixpro with and without mods
fishman 2 channel pre
fishman platinum pro
kk dual channel
raven 2 channel pre (i forget the name)

and probably some others that i forgot!

i just plug a full circle into an amp nowadays. i have tried preamps with it but they just darken the tone. i rarely have feedback problems. i can say the full circle has been the most versatile, reliable and easy to use pickup yet.

the only other one i'd like to try is the b-band statement. i'd love to borrow or rent one or something.

[CB3000]

Originally Posted by PB+J

Am I the only one who wonders about "viral marketing" on this site? Sometimes if you check a user's profile, and look at the join date, and the range of subjects posted, you have to wonder

I have noticed this too.

[Francois Blais]

Don't worry guys, this is under private investigation now, so just ignore that. Planet Pickups has been contacted about this.

[clink]

I use a Shadow 965. It has a piezo element under each foot and a preamp with volume and tone. This offers a lot of options for getting the best tone. Using the treble side only, my amplified sound is truly like my bass, only louder. Using both elements is a bit muddy and more feedback prone.
I've discussed this with slapfiddle who has posted here in the past and is an 'A List' player in my area. The Shadow is also his choice. He works PT at KC Strings, so I trust his judgement.

[ninnlangel]

I think I'm decided on trying out the Full Circle. Does anyone know of a good luthier in Montreal to get it installed ? By good, I mean someone who knows the pickup and realizes how important it is to set it right, sanding the wood for perfect contact etc.

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread liking the Schertler Dyn-B. I have tried it and was totally unimpressed (I owned it for a year - and spent quite a bit of time trying it). Do you find you can have some brightness with it ?

Thanks,

NL

[PB+J]

The DYN-B works really well for me, through an avalon U5. I've never been happier with my tone, and have gotten a lot of compliments. But I think it's a really fussy pickup and it clearly does not work for everyone. I recommended it to Bolo on this forum and it was really bad for him. it's plenty bright for me. It works best generally when i have the U5 set flat

I installed a full circle myself--if your bass has adjusters, there's nothing at all to it.

[Francois Blais]

Originally Posted by ninnlangel

I think I'm decided on trying out the Full Circle. Does anyone know of a good luthier in Montreal to get it installed ? By good, I mean someone who knows the pickup and realizes how important it is to set it right, sanding the wood for perfect contact etc.

Mario Lamarre in Verdun?
I don't know if he's familiar with the FC, but he's one of the greatest bass luthiers around!