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Double Bass BP-100 alternative location ideas. Try this

#21
I was using the old polytone bar for years - those sound fantastic through a modern amp, if you can get it grounded. It died and someone gave me a BP 100.
Again, through modern amps, you can get a serviceable sound in group setting with a strong drummer. That is the only time I use a pick up anyway. A little knob twisting and it is fine. You can dial out the highs and mids with any modern amp.
You wouldn't want to leave oneof these on the bass or use it for drummerless groups or a solo set or anything like that.

The biggest issue is that they mute the acoustic sound. I wouldn't recommend that anyone should rush out and get one! But, if you have one, and play acoustic most of the time, it can be a viable solution for the odd loud gig.
 
#22
I've been using the Vic's Model B for about 3 months now and have never been happy with the sound. I was about to buy a Full Circle to replace it but saw that others using the Model B and the K&K Bass Max, which the Model B is essentially a copy of, got the best results by mounting the pickup on the G side bridge wing instead of the E side. I found this side to be much more balanced, less muddy, and far less "honky". It still sounds like a piezo but is much more manageable now. There is also a big difference in character depending on how the pickup is placed in the wing and by rotating the element, you can find the sweet spot. For $40 it is a fantastic deal and provides a very workable sound.
 
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#23
Fred Hopkins in particular really found a way to use the sound of it to get forward in the music. It isn't for everyone to be sure, but I think the sound of these pick ups had a lot to do with how both of these two pushed the instrument forward. @Ric Vice & @james condino are both correct - I am just arguing there is a bit more to the story!

Even more impressive than playing this great with a BP-100 is playing like this in a sweater:
 
#24
Two fine examples of how the in the hands of a masters like Fred or Marc the BP-100 can sound quite good. I had the good fortune to hear
Marc play with Bill Evans here in St. Louis and it was remarkable (no pun intended) he's using a Walter Woods Electroacoustic amp. which
has a powerful EQ section that will smooth out the peaks and valley's and most of the harshness of the Fishman. Thanks to Marc's technique
and understanding of the best setup to play the BP-100 through.
 
#25
damonsmith said:
Fred Hopkins in particular really found a way to use the sound of it to get forward in the music. It isn't for everyone to be sure, but I think the sound of these pick ups had a lot to do with how both of these two pushed the instrument forward. @Ric Vice & @james condino are both correct - I am just arguing there is a bit more to the story!

Even more impressive than playing this great with a BP-100 is playing like this in a sweater:
Click to expand...

More like a sit down bass solo.
 
#27
damonsmith said:
Even more impressive than playing this great with a BP-100 is playing like this in a sweater:
Click to expand...

I remember hearing from somewhere that the BP-100 was the best sounding pickup for the bass MJ was playing back then. He tried everything that was available at the time and went with the BP-100. I would never compare myself to Marc Johnson (!) but my first bass, an older Czech flatback, sounded much better with a BP-100 than with an Underwood. A lot depends on the instrument and strings being used IMHO. In related news, I think Fred Hopkins gets the best sound out of BP-100 that Ive ever heard. Sounds great!
 
#29
I spent many an hour and dollar at the Tin Palace wallowing in Hopkin's sound with the BP. It might not have been what he got acoustically, but it was wonderful and functioned beautifully. None of the cats who hate this pickup would have felt otherwise. Do I use it now or recommend it? No.
 
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#30
lurk said:
I spent many an hour and dollar at the Tin Palace wallowing in Hopkin's sound with the BP. It might not have been what he got acoustically, but it was wonderful and functioned beautifully. None of the cats who hate this pickup would have felt otherwise. Do I use it now or recommend it? No.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I guess time "heals all pickups" I had a BP-100 for several years, I also had a Realist for several years, but now I think have a Ehrlund EAP for life . Just my take. I would really advise against putting the BP-100 under the bridge feet, over time it will crack the piezo elements, because it just wasn't designed for that.
 
#31
Ric Vice said:
Yeah, I guess time "heals all pickups" I had a BP-100 for several years, I also had a Realist for several years, but now I think have a Ehrlund EAP for life . Just my take. I would really advise against putting the BP-100 under the bridge feet, over time it will crack the piezo elements, because it just wasn't designed for that.
Click to expand...
Yeah, to get back to the original point, don't do that. My Realist was designed to go there and it permanently marred my top (thanks David). I haven't tried the Eap because of the price, but there's stuff out there that sounds pretty good for the price of dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine.
 
#32
forgive the necro-bump, but as a fellow hater of the squeaky, harsh and weak BP-100 as designed i long ago discovered another placement for it that worked surprisingly well when i had to rig one up for a customer on a deadline that somehow showed up in the box without the metal clips to hold it on the bridge

i placed the two piezo disks face to face with a thin layer of maple between them, then used maple shims on the outsides to fit the "sandwich" in the wing-foot gap snug but not too snug; sounded way better! much more output and a deeper, fuller low end
 
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