Double Bass Amplification problems...help!

[PunkabillyRebel]

So about a year ago, I bought a Palatino (I know, I know) upright to learn on with the goal to play in my punkabilly band. I hae tried many different setups, changing amps, preamps, strings, etc., all with the same results.

Current setup:
-Palatino bass, the $600 cheapy model, with adjustable bridge
-original steel strings that came with the bass
-K&K Double Big Twin quad-head transducer pickup
-older Fishman Pro-EQ preamp (a gift for x-mas from the girlfriend...don't know really how suitable it is for EUB)
-Hartke HA5500 500-watt bass head
-Hartke XL410 bass cab

I tried "weedwacker" strings to try to speed things up, but it seemed that they didn't transmit sound through the bridge to the pickup well, requiring more gain and olume to get anything out of the amp...but then all I got was horrible feedback. I tried taping up the f-holes to no use.

So back to the steel strings. Same deal, except there is more sound coming through with less feedback, but the speakers sound JUST like they are blown. But I'll plug in the P-bass and the speakers act just fine.

Other friends of mine who rock similar setups, but different amps and pickups, don't run into the problem. The only thing we can come up with, and really the only ariable that hasn't been changed is the pickup. I grabbed it because it was the only pickup in the store for an upright when I bought the bass. Is it not meant for high olume/gain? I turn the gain way down, still buzzy speakers.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. TIA.

-Drew

 

[nathanmcnathan]

I think the problem would come from using a palatino....

 

[Rebop]

Have you tried going straight into the amp without the preamp?
Have you tried a flat EQ to start out with?

 

[Huy Nguyen]

I don't think it's the the pre or the bass.

I used to have a Hartke XL210 (same as yours but 2x10) and the same head as well. The sound sucked ass from that cab when hooked up to the DB. Very buzzy - like a buzzsaw but just horrendous. Plug in an EB and it sounds great. I think it's the cab. Esp when you say that it sounds like the speakers are blown. It's probably something like the cones (are they aluminum?) can't handle the DB frequencies or something.

For feedback, you might also try muting the string afterlengths past the bridge. Run something between the strings to wedge a towel between the bass the top and the string afterlengths. Yeah I don't thing stuff like the K&K is meant for super high volumes. On a palatino, taping up or plugging F-Holes probably won't do much since there's not much of a body anyway.

If you still get alot of feedback, then it's probably the pickup and I'd start looking at magentic pickups to use with metal strings (like your spirocores). You're probably playing at high volumes so a piezo pickup probably isn't suitable for punkabilly. That's about the feedback, but my guess is the cab is killing your sound IMO.

EDIT: I forget if I tried the Hartke head with another cab. I don't think I ever did. I ditched the entire setup and went with something more hifi. It's hella heavy anyway. So yeah, it could be either the amp or the cab. I highly doubt if it's the bass right now. If your friends did ok with different amps, maybe the Hartke head is somehow clipping your signal, resulting in the buzzsaw. I would maybe borrow one of their heads to try with your cab and see what happens.

 

[wingnut]

I don't think it's the the pre or the bass.

I used to have a Hartke XL210 (same as yours but 2x10) and the same head as well. The sound sucked ass from that cab when hooked up to the DB. Very buzzy - like a buzzsaw but just horrendous. Plug in an EB and it sounds great. I think it's the cab. Esp when you say that it sounds like the speakers are blown. It's probably something like the cones (are they aluminum?) can't handle the DB frequencies or something.

For feedback, you might also try muting the string afterlengths past the bridge. Run something between the strings to wedge a towel between the bass the top and the string afterlengths. Yeah I don't thing stuff like the K&K is meant for super high volumes. On a palatino, taping up or plugging F-Holes probably won't do much since there's not much of a body anyway.

If you still get alot of feedback, then it's probably the pickup and I'd start looking at magentic pickups to use with metal strings (like your spirocores). You're probably playing at high volumes so a piezo pickup probably isn't suitable for punkabilly. That's about the feedback, but my guess is the cab is killing your sound IMO.

EDIT: I forget if I tried the Hartke head with another cab. I don't think I ever did. I ditched the entire setup and went with something more hifi. It's hella heavy anyway. So yeah, it could be either the amp or the cab. I highly doubt if it's the bass right now. If your friends did ok with different amps, maybe the Hartke head is somehow clipping your signal, resulting in the buzzsaw. I would maybe borrow one of their heads to try with your cab and see what happens.

+1 to that. It is most likely your amp and cab. If you're going to stick with punkabilly, I would suggest something from GK.

 

[subharmaze]

I think your problem might be the impedance. Piazzo pickups usually run a much higher impedance than their magnetic counterpart. I have a similar cab and head with that pickup on my Kay. I eventually had to trade up the hartke head for an acoustic image. Problem was solved there after. Definitely at least trade up that Palamino for a NS wav bass or something. Those things are terrible, sorry.