Double Bass a pickup that actually works?

[jrlynch]

for you electronic wizzard-type geekazoids: i often wonder why someone hasn't built an acoustic instrument pickup based on the design of a phono cartridge ... it's a similar requirement - transform physical vibrations into a a high definition electrical signal.

phono cartridges are a super-mature technology that does just that, and quite well ... so .... why not?

jeff.

ps: i have neither the time, inclination nor expertise to do this myself!

 

[Francois Blais]

Older (and cheaper) phono cartridges were using a piezo.
More modern ones were using a magnetic system.
Is there something else I'm missing?

 

[jtlownds]

When I was a kid, back in the early 50's, I couldn't afford a pickup for my guitar. So, I rigged up a phono cartridge to my guitar, and it actually worked - sort of. It sounded like ****. I recently found out that Les Paul did the same damn thing back in the late 20's or early 30's. To this day, neither Les or myself will use a phono cartridge pickup. They are very good at what they were designed for, but make lousy pickups.

 

[jrlynch]

when les paul did that phono cartridges sounded like ****, period. "modern" cartridges have moving magnet, moving coil designs that sound quite remarkable ... yes, they're heavily eq'd, but the technology is proven ...

jeff.

When I was a kid, back in the early 50's, I couldn't afford a pickup for my guitar. So, I rigged up a phono cartridge to my guitar, and it actually worked - sort of. It sounded like ****. I recently found out that Les Paul did the same damn thing back in the late 20's or early 30's. To this day, neither Les or myself will use a phono cartridge pickup. They are very good at what they were designed for, but make lousy pickups.

 

[mje]

A good phono cartridge uses an electrodynamic design- just like a dynamic microphone- or a Schertler pickup. So yes, it's been done. ;-)

 

[jrlynch]

maybe not done well enough ...

A good phono cartridge uses an electrodynamic design- just like a dynamic microphone- or a Schertler pickup. So yes, it's been done. ;-)

 

[flatback]

check out the Vektor. The new one is way good.

 

[fdeck]

Well... it might be possible to put the cartridge in a little wooden block so that the needle just touches the top of the bass. I would not run it through a phono preamp, which probably has unnecessary EQ for this purpose. If a regular amp has enough gain, then it would be a relatively harmless experiment. Since (AFAIK) the hallmark of expensive cartridges was their high end response and channel separation, you could probably get away with some cheap Audio Technica from the local hi-fi store. At least, while you are figuring out if the idea is viable.

Now, if you use the complete tone arm, then you can do a skratch solo on your bass.

 

[Peck_Time]

Now, if you use the complete tone arm, then you can do a skratch solo on your bass.

And you can spin some 45s during the set-break!

 

[jrlynch]

let me try this one more time: i'm not talking about jerry-rigging a phono cartridge. i'm talking about taking the concept of some kind of stylus resting on some part of a double bass and using the same kind of mechanism as a high quality phono cartridge to pickup the sound of the instrument ...

 

[Bass]

when les paul did that phono cartridges sounded like ****, period. "modern" cartridges have moving magnet, moving coil designs that sound quite remarkable ... yes, they're heavily eq'd, but the technology is proven ...

You just described a Dearmond pickup. Sounds like *** AFAIK.

 

[jtlownds]

You just described a Dearmond pickup. Sounds like *** AFAIK.

I have one of those old DeArmond pickups sitting in my junk drawer, that is left over from my misspent youth. You are right, it sounds like ****, I guarantee.