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Double Bass Amplified Arco

S

Shaun Kelley

Aug 23, 2007
9
0
#1
I am very interested in improving my amplified arco sound. Much of the inspiration for this is that last week I saw the Punch Brothers, and their bassist Paul Kowert blew me away. I have also spent (and continue to spend) quite a bit of time working with the bow, and I want that work to pay off with my band. We have a drummer, who plays very quietly, so using a system similar to Kowert's (which seemed to involve a contact pickup out on the left bout and at least one clip on microphone between the bridge feet) would be tricky, but I am willing to use plexiglass gobos and whatever else to achieve the sound I am looking for.

First of, is anyone familiar with Kowert's pickup/mic array?
 
#3
Realist pickup reproduces arco very well. The bottom line is if you have a good arco sound acoustically, then basically any pickup, well treated, will give you a usable sound. Miroslav Vitous, for example, has used many different pickups over the years, including the old Barcus Berry, and always had an incredible arco tone. It's in your head, then in your hands, same as pizz.
 
#4
I use a Full Circle right now. It's the only pickup that I've tried on this bass, but it seems to behave equally well with pizz and arco. I'm no virtuoso, but have been doing bowed soloing in a jazz context for more than a year now.
 
#5
I have always liked the Underwood, but I remove it when not playing amplified, because it dampens the acoustic volume. I use it with an EQ.

I currently have the Full Circle installed, but I do like the Underwood better. More clarity on the upper register.
 
#6
Eric, I used an Underwood for many years but always felt the arco sound was very harsh, even with its own eq setting. That''s not to say it was not appreciated by some. I did a whole Paul Wertico Trio album, arco and pizz, Underwood direct to the board. Paul loved it, I wasn't as enamored...in fact one review commented on my "unusual sound".

I've been using a Schertler Stat B and find it has a more refined sound than the Underwood, a bit more microphone like (it's not a piezo) but in a similar ballpark. If you ever get a chance to try one I'd like to hear your impressions.

To the OP, you have to decide how complex a setup you want to deal with. Dedicated mics and pu's blended or A/B'd can work well to switch between arco and pizz, and take more setup time and $$$.

The Realist is a good arco pickup, not crazy about it for pizz.
 
#7
Shaun Kelley said:
I am very interested in improving my amplified arco sound. ........ I have also spent (and continue to spend) quite a bit of time working with the bow, and I want that work to pay off with my band. We have a drummer, who plays very quietly, so using a system similar to Kowert's (which seemed to involve a contact pickup out on the left bout and at least one clip on microphone between the bridge feet) would be tricky.
Click to expand...

If you want to bow and get an accurate reproduction of your sound then I would think that the DPA 4099 or the AMT SB25 would be a good way to go . AMT's are becoming readliy avaliable as bass players seem to be selling them used on a pretty regular basis. The DPA requires phantom power but as long as your amp provides it your set to go. The Realist also works quite well for this and is simple to install. Personally, I never liked bowing with the Underwood even through a Walter Woods it required lots of EQ adjustment. If you intend to blent two sources then a AI Claris or EA Doubler are the easiet way do that.

Ric
 

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