Double Bass A quick Underwood pickup question

[jsbarber]

dubd:

Bob Magnusson lives here in San Diego, and he uses the Underwood pickup. Bob is absolutey a world class bassist and has played/recorded with everyone from Buddy Rick and Saragh Vaughan to Madona. See this thread for people's comments:

http://talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7632&highlight=Bob+Magnusson

Bob uses an Underwood pickup for pizzicato playing, and he sounds phenomenal. I have seen the Underwood pickup receive less than favorable comments here on TBDB end every time I think of Bob and shake my head. There is nothing wrong with that pickup, on Bob's bass through his AI amp, and in Bob's hands. So, don't feel that this piece of equipment is dated and not up to par because of what you read here. It may or may not be the solution for your needs, depending on your equipment and the sound you are trying to achieve. But don't rule it out because of what others say.

Jim

 

[winston]

I have an older Underwood which sounded phenomenal on my bass (New Standard Cleveland ply) when I had Pirastro Jazzers on it. It was my favorite pickup of all the ones I tried (Realist, Stat-B, Rev Solo, BassMax).

Great tone through my GK 200MB and EA iAmp800/Wizzy rig, no preamp necessary. It sounded best both elements in place and had that classic jazz growl. Most peculiarly, it had a wonderful arco sound. Somehow the phase cancellation between the two elements cut out all the gruff, grumbly frequencies you'd expect from a bridge wing pickup and steel strings. Most unusual...

Then I switched back to Spiro Mittels, and the Underwood went back to sounding harsh and scratchy. The different string tension on the bridge meant that the elements would no longer sit in place without serious shimming, so the magic was gone. I think this reinforces the notion that the response of a pickup will differ greatly depending on bass, strings, setup, amp, player...

 

[bolo]

winston, I think that's an excellent example of why as you said "the response of a pickup will differ greatly depending on bass, strings, setup, amp, player." String type & esp. tension i.e. how the p/u fits in or on or around the bridge ... makes sense to me.

I changed the bridge on my bass once and had similar results. I got a radically different amplified tone w/ the new bridge, but everything else was the same - pickups, preamp, amp, amp settings & strings. Presumably the shape and thickness of the new bridge along with the change in the shape & size of the wing slot just made a world of difference.

I guess that's part of what keeps all this so ... interesting.

I guess too that's part of my rationale for keeping my old pickups stashed away in a small tote bag. They just might be the perfect match for my next bridge or next bass.

 

[carved czech]

I have an older Underwood which sounded phenomenal on my bass (New Standard Cleveland ply) when I had Pirastro Jazzers on it. It was my favorite pickup of all the ones I tried (Realist, Stat-B, Rev Solo, BassMax).

Great tone through my GK 200MB and EA iAmp800/Wizzy rig, no preamp necessary. It sounded best both elements in place and had that classic jazz growl. Most peculiarly, it had a wonderful arco sound. Somehow the phase cancellation between the two elements cut out all the gruff, grumbly frequencies you'd expect from a bridge wing pickup and steel strings. Most unusual...

+1 (Pirastro Jazzers +Underwood with his end element on G side+ GK 200MB = Magic sound).With the end element on E side I got stronger, but strange sound, plus feedback!!!

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

An Underwood sounded great on my plywood, but absolutely terrible on my Upton Hybrid. The RSII works well on that bass.
Gotta kiss all the frogs I guess.