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Double Bass Another Full Circle question

jallenbass

jallenbass

Commercial User
May 17, 2005
4,684
3,930
66
Bend, Oregon
#1
When I upgraded from an Underwood to a Bass Max I thought the difference was appreciable and I'm generally happy with my amplified sound. After hearing several sound clips and other accolades of the Full Circle I'm contemplating it's purchase. Before I spend $169 on a Full Circle I want see if others think the difference between the FC and Bass Max is worth it. Night and day or minimal? I'm hoping to hear from those with personal experince with both. Thanks.
 
#2
jallenbass said:
I want see if others think the difference between the FC and Bass Max is worth it. Night and day or minimal? I'm hoping to hear from those with personal experince with both. Thanks.
Click to expand...
I have all of those pickups. Both my basses wear full circles and the underdog and bassquacks sit in a drawer.
For my tastes it is a night and day thing. There are some basses that like other pickups, as you know the only way to find out is drop the dough.
 
#3
jallenbass said:
When I upgraded from an Underwood to a Bass Max I thought the difference was appreciable and I'm generally happy with my amplified sound. After hearing several sound clips and other accolades of the Full Circle I'm contemplating it's purchase. Before I spend $169 on a Full Circle I want see if others think the difference between the FC and Bass Max is worth it. Night and day or minimal? I'm hoping to hear from those with personal experince with both. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hey, homeboy. I went from the BassMax to Rev Solo to FC. Every step was an improvement. I think I'm done with the FC until I go with something like the Barbera but I'll need a better bass for that.:ninja:
 
#4
fish slapper said:
Hey, homeboy. I went from the BassMax to Rev Solo to FC. Every step was an improvement. I think I'm done with the FC until I go with something like the Barbera but I'll need a better bass for that.:ninja:
Click to expand...
Barbara and the Wilson are very similar. I have a Wilson sitting in a drawer too. In my opinion the Barbara isn't an upgrade from the FC. Especially given installation issues. A lateral move at best.
Very "stringy" pickups.

On my bass I prefer the following in order. Full Circle, Realist, Rev Solo, Bass Max, Underwood. When my FC wire busted from me carelessly turning the adjuster my Realist was a decent backup. The Rev Solo sits in the gig bag as a last minute quicky mid gig pinch hit.

Each bass and player are different, YMMV, what works for me may suck for you etc. etc.
 
#6
jallenbass said:
I really just needed someone to tell me that I should try it. I just put in my order. :D
Click to expand...
I am a professional GAS enabler. Glad to be of service.

Make sure the mating surfaces on the bridge where the element touches are flat and square. Threads up or down doesn't matter so much although I'm sure there are those that would argue each way. What is crucial I think is that alignment. If it is off kilter just a bit the pickup will sound hollow or distant and howl to fast.

Same is true for the bridge foot. Be sure it is well fitted to the top. If the contact is just around the edges and not solid through the middle it can sound hollow too.

When adjusting be sure to leave some thread showing on the adjuster. If the back side touches anything it has weird phase cancellations and sounds awful.

Oh yea and point the wire towards the neck paralel to the bass centerline. I think it sounds best that way, I don't know why.



Report back and tell us we are insane and you like the UW better and you wasted your dough. I need balance in my life.:D
 
#8
It's really tricky trying to find which is the best pickup for your bass as you usually can't try before you buy!
I do think that different pickups suit different basses and musical tastes.
My own experience has been that the material the vibrations pass through to the piezo has a big effect on the tone. My underwood had a very hard metallic top end the bass max sounded a bit rubbery and the Revolution solo has a nice woody tone which I like.
I haven't tried a full circle but all I can suggest is have a listen to this link which has different pickups on the same bass.
Link Removed

cheers Quee
 
#10
Uncletoad said:
Oh yea and point the wire towards the neck paralel to the bass centerline. I think it sounds best that way, I don't know why.
Click to expand...

Uncletoad
Do you mean have the wire coming out of the adjustment wheel pointing up (toward the scroll) and then 'round through the wing 'eye? I keep raising my string height in short increments, and right now the white wire is at kind of an odd angle.
 
#11
quee said:
It's really tricky trying to find which is the best pickup for your bass as you usually can't try before you buy!
I do think that different pickups suit different basses and musical tastes.
My own experience has been that the material the vibrations pass through to the piezo has a big effect on the tone. My underwood had a very hard metallic top end the bass max sounded a bit rubbery and the Revolution solo has a nice woody tone which I like.
I haven't tried a full circle but all I can suggest is have a listen to this link which has different pickups on the same bass.
Link Removed

cheers Quee
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link.

Joe
 
#12
univac jr. said:
Uncletoad
Do you mean have the wire coming out of the adjustment wheel pointing up (toward the scroll) and then 'round through the wing 'eye? I keep raising my string height in short increments, and right now the white wire is at kind of an odd angle.
Click to expand...


Same question : the loop of the wire perpendicular to the top ? that's what you mean ?:hmm:

thanks for your reply dear uncle:)
 
#13
univac jr. said:
Uncletoad
Do you mean have the wire coming out of the adjustment wheel pointing up (toward the scroll) and then 'round through the wing 'eye? I keep raising my string height in short increments, and right now the white wire is at kind of an odd angle.
Click to expand...
Yea the wire coming out of the wheel pointing towards the scroll. If that position is Noon on a clock it will sound similar at 6 and for the most part 3 and 9. However it sounds appreciably different at the in between spots.


Full Circle Busted Small.jpg
This is the inside of one of those dudes. The wire in the pic is coming out of the bottom there. There are 4 4mm piezo crystals that live underneath that wheel hugging the inner rim. The white dots. So if they are hanging out away from or on the edge of the bridge they don't touch the wood as directly as if they are off axis. The pressure of the strings lessens a bit and they "turn down" a tad. Off that axis it sounds less strong and sort of dull.

For some reasons on every bass I've messed with I start with the wire pointing to the scroll and as I adjust the string height at the bridge I end up back in that spot where it seems to sound the best.
 
#14
Question: Does the white wire detach from the wheel or is that permanently attached under normal conditions? I just had one installed and the white wire doesn't pull out of the adjuster easily and I don't want to break it. I ask because I want to raise action a little. Do you remove the white wire from the adjuster to do that or remove the RCA from the input jack and leave it attached at the adjuster?
thanks,
Neal
 
#17
I've owned most pickups including the Wilson, Barbera Realist, et all.
While I'm an endorser for Barbera I've switched to the Full Circle. It's a piezo and has it's set of limitations, but I think it's the best. I might like the Barbera as much, but not more. Problem with the Barbera is that I got tired of sending the bridges back for repair.
One huge thing that Phil had mentioned. People act like the FC is just throw it on the bass and all is good. I've found the FC to be EXTREMELY sensitive to all areas of setup. Like Phil said the surface that the piezo is against has to be making perfect contact all the way around. If your bridge is leaning a bit forward or backward can seriously affect the sound. I know because on my EUB (Volante) I put the bridge and pickup on and remove it on each gig. The Volante is cool because you can (carefully) adjust the sound post with tension on the bass. Really is educating as far as seeing immediately how small changes in the soundpost placement affects sound. Sorry, I digress.With the Volante I can really tell where the sweet spot is for the FC. And it is small. If the bridge leans a bit too forward or back it takes the tension off one sine of the FC. And you can hear it. By the way, Toby Timber's new mic/pickup mates really well with the FC. Very symbiotic combination. More front end thump and attack. A bit more natural sound. But only with the Doubler.(just kidding)
 
#18
I've used the FC for a good couple of 4-5 years and just last year i upgraded to a Yamahiko.
Seems that it has more definition, clarity and also resonance. The construction is also top notch unlike full circle which might die out after a few years.
 

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