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Double Bass An Ehrlund blog, sort of

#61
jmmcc said:
I wonder if there Is a relation between higher tension strings = better results / low tension strings = worst results?
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Well, I'm not sure that would make a difference, but it's possible.
I've used Spirocore Weich's, Corelli 370 TX, Evah Parrazi Weichs, Tomastik Superflexible's, D'Addario Pizzicato Light Gage, and D'Addario Hybrid Lights. Except for the Superflexible's those strings are all low tension light gage strings.

Ric
 
#62
jmmcc said:
I wonder if there Is a relation between higher tension strings = better results / low tension strings = worst results?
Click to expand...

I agree with Rick; I use low tension strings and haven't had any problems with the ones I've used with the Ehrlund (Spiro Weichs, Innovation 140H & B).

Although I too can't rule out the possibility of this being a possible factor, given that this is an amplification device, I'd say that the biggest factor will be how well your bass reacts to low & high tension strings to begin with. If it's choked, then the Ehrlund will amplify that sound (as will any such device).
 
#65
Well i swapped the strings over from Silver Slaps to Kolstein Heritage steels and unfortunately the result is the same, irrespective of blob size, placing, gap size and placement on the bass. Maybe the fact mine is an old bass (1880s) that has undergone many repairs is affecting the way it resonates and thus its suitability for the Ehrlund?
 
#66
Clarkybass said:
Well i swapped the strings over from Silver Slaps to Kolstein Heritage steels and unfortunately the result is the same, irrespective of blob size, placing, gap size and placement on the bass. Maybe the fact mine is an old bass (1880s) that has undergone many repairs is affecting the way it resonates and thus its suitability for the Ehrlund?
Click to expand...

I don't think so. I think you just haven't yet found the sweet spot.
 
#67
I feel I have some ideas that might be worth considering if you're not happy with the results. I've been using a dyn-B the past years so I'm keen on placement experiments and rituals.

I'm on a fence about the EAP just yet. In my living room I played with it initially for an hour but didn't find anything too grand. I did learn though how the height all around and a flush fit really effect the sound almost more so than the long/lat placement; almost. So the littler the putty the butter, as they say.

Eat some food do some chores and try it again.

This time I rolled the tiniest pinch of new putty into a long thin snake (about 1mm) and applied it to the EAP (by the way, is it logo up or logo down?) It was enough for a V shape or two sides of this mysterious triangle. I plugged it on to the region I had favored earlier, turned on the amp and voilá. A sound I could not distinguish from my bass filling the living room warmly and fully. The amped sound was nearly transparent! Not sure where the head room was volume wise, but it was AMPLE with the AI pushing the cuh-razy 88.

A lot of it had to do with placement of the amp relative to the bass in the room, etc… I got lucky with the EAP placement, but I do wonder if this putty configuration may be worth trying for anyone else. Having one side open relieves a lot of the over bearing warmth with it crushed down onto the surface of my bass. By letting in a little air in and keeping it stable and uniformly attached to the wood, the best of both wood and string tone was realized. With proper placement into the room I see it as being a game changer when it comes to band dynamics.

But how will it perform at the bread winning gigs!?! Stay tuned.
 
#69
Using the smallest of balls of putty at each of the three corners leaves much of the surface "open." As I've mentioned here and elsewhere, pressing the pickup firmly onto the table (the logo side goes up) leaving a gap of <0.5 mm did the trick for me.

YMMV
 
#70
I have found string tension to make NO difference on my bass. I have used Compass 180-s, Spiro Mittels, Spiro Weichs, and even a gamut gut G on top of the velvets, and it all sounded fantastic. No difference in the response of the pickup that I could tell. I also have found best results with very very thin layer of putty. Always logo up. I have never tried logo down, so I don't know if that makes a difference. Has anyone else tried that?
 
#71
engedi1 said:
Always logo up. I have never tried logo down, so I don't know if that makes a difference. Has anyone else tried that?
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I asked this question of Ric Vice and he was kind enough to email Goran Ehrlund about it. Here is Goran's reply:

"Hi again,
It is very important that you mount the pickup with the logo facing out, that will give the best sound."
 
#73
DoubleMIDI said:
Now, what does Goran mean by "logo facing out"?
Should the logo point towards the rib/c-bout?

(Not that I have a Ehrlund pickup yet, but getting more and more interested...)
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Double MIDI

Very simple, the word "Ehrlund" is scried onto the surface of the pickup, so that side is meant to face out.

Ric
 

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#74
Think of it this way. If you put your name on a pickup you designed, would you want it hidden against the instrument or displayed for all to see? :)
 
#75
OK, I see. I misunderstood. Of course the manufacturers name is not facing the top but visible. I thought this is too obvious to be unsure about.

You were talking about which pickup side faces the bass top and I was thinking about the rotation angle of the pickup on the top.
I wondered a bit because I didn't see any reason for a certain rotation angle of the pickup, but even in this case the name should be easily readable, so I assume cable down like on every picture I have seen.

Sorry, my limited knowledge of english, I assume.
 
#77
DoubleMIDI said:
I thought this is too obvious to be unsure about.
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You'd think so, but submitted in my defense: as I was flipping through all the paperwork that came with it from Gollihur and friends, the pictures showed putty on the Logo side, and the instructions didn't seem to indicate one side or the other. Hence my confusion.

I too wondered about the rotational orientation of the pickup, or where the point opposite the cable side points to on the bass i.e. up or down, sideways.

For me I decided it probably matters on a scale only a mouse or elephant could hear, but I like to have one side of the triangle flush with the annular growth lines. Seems as harmonious a placement as any, and perhaps more so than having a side perpendicular to the growth rings.

Pure conjecture. Isn't it fun to play bass?
 
#78
I recall that Gollihur picture as well but also noticed that it was a different version of the pickup with a smaller insignia. As for the orientation of the triangle, I don't think the transducer would be affected by that.
 
#79
It was kind of obvious to me, not that I meant it should have been obvious to everybody.

I also thought that the orientation in degrees doesn't matter too much but the alignment of the edges might have some influence like VegasGutPlucker says. But since even a few mm seem to have a large influence, who can say if it is the orientation of the pickup or the contact positions of the putty on the top without a lot of experimentation.

It might take some time to get some money for a new amp and the Ehrlund. Probably about two years for the pickup and even longer for the amp...
But I really like the discussions here. When I heard Jonas Lohses pickup examples I decided a mic would be better and rather ruled out the Ehrlund because it didn't sound so much better than other pickups there. But he might not have placed the Ehrlund at a good spot and also every pickup sound different on each bass. Since I have a lot of pickup options now (Shadow bridge wing, Shadow bridge foot, Full Circle, ATM35 mic) I might want to find out first what works in which kind of band with my bass before I sell some of the pickups and get something new. (I got all this stuff rather cheap used...)
If you are really tight on money, you try to stay as long as possible with the stuff you already have...

On saturday afternoon I am one of about 55 bassists including Barre Phillips (and a lot more famous players than me) participating in a conducted improvisational concert in Cologne. Not as many basses like in Copenhagen (120) but more interesting music than playing three part tunes with so many basses.
Here are some impressions from the first rehearsal on monday with about 20 basses:

These are only explanational examples, there will be more different of these lines going on in the concert together with some soloists..
Of course no amplification needed here.
Half of the concert room will be filled with basses, not much room left for the audience.
I was told the concert will be recorded and available on CD later in case someone is interested.
 
#80
Sounds like a neat venture, DoubleMIDI. Actually, my conjecture that orientation of the pickup at a specific location would not matter is based on physics and an understanding of the likely properties of the transducer. Still, as you suggest, never hurts to try. :)
 

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