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Double Bass Cheap 4$ DIY Pickup for the enthusiasts
- Thread starter timobee4
- Start date
I love this sentence.
That's that fancy electrical engineerspeak.
OP is playing through an Ashdown MAG 200 combo,but is complaining about Underwood/Realist/Full Circle?I'm fairly nooby when it comes to amplifying upright bass,but I couldn't get a decent tone from a Mag200 combo with a slab bass.
Used to get some positive comments on my tone with an Underwood,plywood Kay,and Sansamp Bass Driver into a Peavey setup.
Then again,I usually tweaked it for about 30 minutes...........
Probably 45 minutes actually.
Still,I am listening and look forward to pic/soundclips/whathaveyou..
I thought your post was cool, don't listen to the haters...
I thought you pointed out some great things..
It makes me wanna get the materials and try and put one of these together..
Thanks for your posting Timobee4..
I thought you pointed out some great things..
It makes me wanna get the materials and try and put one of these together..
Thanks for your posting Timobee4..
You know, good on the thread starter for all the DIY work. But I think youre jumping the gun a little and making too many absolute sweeping claims.
Everyone has different demands when it comes to tone and theres a LOT of gear out there. Unfortunately for many of us going through several pickups is part of the learning process
My own setup is part DIY and a few thousand $$$ of experimentation plus raw materials to build preamps etc. I dont regret spending the money, plus I learned much along the way.
I was thinking that. Ill put my amp/house system signal up against timbo
Everyone has different demands when it comes to tone and theres a LOT of gear out there. Unfortunately for many of us going through several pickups is part of the learning process
My own setup is part DIY and a few thousand $$$ of experimentation plus raw materials to build preamps etc. I dont regret spending the money, plus I learned much along the way.
I was thinking that. Ill put my amp/house system signal up against timbo
Yes - that's the thing - if you are using a combo designed for bass guitar, then it probably isn't worth spending much on a pickup as it is going to sound nothing like Double Bass in any case...
I use a Markbass 121P, I think it's quite fine for upright! I loved a Gallien Krueger 800RB just got sick of lugging it. I also used a Polytone for over 10 years, I also tried an older AI but as much as I loved the sound at low volume it only had two tiny tiny balls when cranked. But that was only a combo! I would love the CLARUS 1 Series III!! Yes I did use an Ashdown for a little while but but my experiment involved my Markbass. Anyway you guys use whatever tickles your fancy, I hated Realist, I didnt mind Underwood except the fact that it sounded better with only one element in place, FC is a compromise but sounds great blended with mic, and so on! I read the threads every day and I know that these complaints are not unique!! I see sweeping comments from so many people about pickups! Today I tried my Underwood again against my home made one and still reckon that had anyone made you one for your birthday you wouldn't mock it. I am making another one now for my friend who pays jazz on acoustic guitar just for the xxxx of it, as a gift. We'll see how that goes! I put up some other picture in a minute and will give you a demo this weekend just for the hardcore knuckle heads so they might say "hmmm there is some thought in what Timbullabee is saying!"
I see this thread is going the way of many others with twisted arguments, mis-attributions, misunderstandings, and over-generalizations.
For my part, I applaud anyone who makes the effort to experiment and create his/her own pickup. If done carefully, there's no reason that the resulting device couldn't rival commercial products. Wanting some type of objective evidence or demonstration that such a "one-off" build performs as asserted is hardly being a "hardcore knucklehead." Most of us know how the commercial devices perform. There's no way to know how a single DIY device performs other than to have it in your hands but sound-clips would be a start.
Keep in mind though, that all of these considerations weren't the original premise of the thread. Rather, the OP was arguing that we are all being ripped-off by the makers of commercial pickups. That judgment was made on the basis of the cost of materials and false assumptions about the design, parts used, and place of manufacture of the commercial devices.
Now anyone who questions has been tagged a "hater." No need for such hyperbole and polarization of opinions. We would have been much better off if the OP had come in here saying, "Hey, I took a stab at making my own pickup and I think it sounds pretty good. It only cost me a few bucks." It's the other baggage that detracted from the discussion.
For my part, I applaud anyone who makes the effort to experiment and create his/her own pickup. If done carefully, there's no reason that the resulting device couldn't rival commercial products. Wanting some type of objective evidence or demonstration that such a "one-off" build performs as asserted is hardly being a "hardcore knucklehead." Most of us know how the commercial devices perform. There's no way to know how a single DIY device performs other than to have it in your hands but sound-clips would be a start.
Keep in mind though, that all of these considerations weren't the original premise of the thread. Rather, the OP was arguing that we are all being ripped-off by the makers of commercial pickups. That judgment was made on the basis of the cost of materials and false assumptions about the design, parts used, and place of manufacture of the commercial devices.
Now anyone who questions has been tagged a "hater." No need for such hyperbole and polarization of opinions. We would have been much better off if the OP had come in here saying, "Hey, I took a stab at making my own pickup and I think it sounds pretty good. It only cost me a few bucks." It's the other baggage that detracted from the discussion.
- Jul 28, 2009
- 387
- 314
- Disclosures
- Is not compensated for endorsements. Does not sell for profit.
To Uprightbass.com! Mate in Australia you lucky to get 100$ plus dinner! Some places give you a beer or two, one of my friend tried to trade his beer for a scotch&coke and they refused it!! And that guy is no nobody, probably the best alto player here! Also my buddy who came 3 at the MONTREUX Jazz festival (with a hangover!!!!) couldn't afford a beer last week when we went out. Jazz musicians get appreciation but not much money, usually just the door money split, thats why most bands are just quartets or trios. Thats why i am putting a Klezmer band together, I am Jewish anyway and there's more money in Klezmer than jazz. I should have listened to my gran at 20 when she said " you cant live off music" but it was too late cos by that time I already had 9 years of music behind me.
For me rates often depend on the type of Jazz. Standards pay very well because it draws a larger audience and is in demand, Ayler type Jazz .... not much money. "Smooth Jazz" ... costs you your musical soul.
I knew it!!
All that says to me is - this is not the music I want to play!
To uprightbass.com
I should go to the USA cos people probably know the standards!!! I heard that over your neck of the woods jazz musicians still jam together bouncing ideas in order to come up with stuff, here you put a band together just bring 4-5 sets of the charts you wanna play and wish for the best. the only jamming I do is with my Jamey Aebersold playalongs, I have almost all of them! I am crazy about Bud Powell and Mingus tunes but wouldn't get too far playing them, perhaps in a duo so the stingy mo fo's fork out enough money to make it worthwhile! Such as life! At the end of this year to be exact on the 12th of December (B'day) I will retire from work for the big man and concentrate on playing whatever comes my way. And all this fuss I've made about the damn pickups will be behind me! You seem like a reasonable fella so I tell you that you should try one of these
DPA4099B with a phantom power. I creamed myself, it was like finding God in your own studio! makes me play more and better. Actually as much as I cant stand the Realist, I wouldn't mind to try it blending it with a DPA, just 80%-20%. Too late I sold it. Bummer.
I should go to the USA cos people probably know the standards!!! I heard that over your neck of the woods jazz musicians still jam together bouncing ideas in order to come up with stuff, here you put a band together just bring 4-5 sets of the charts you wanna play and wish for the best. the only jamming I do is with my Jamey Aebersold playalongs, I have almost all of them! I am crazy about Bud Powell and Mingus tunes but wouldn't get too far playing them, perhaps in a duo so the stingy mo fo's fork out enough money to make it worthwhile! Such as life! At the end of this year to be exact on the 12th of December (B'day) I will retire from work for the big man and concentrate on playing whatever comes my way. And all this fuss I've made about the damn pickups will be behind me! You seem like a reasonable fella so I tell you that you should try one of these
DPA4099B with a phantom power. I creamed myself, it was like finding God in your own studio! makes me play more and better. Actually as much as I cant stand the Realist, I wouldn't mind to try it blending it with a DPA, just 80%-20%. Too late I sold it. Bummer.
Jeez. I could do my own taxes for free but I hire a CPA. I could fix my own pipes but I hire a plumber. I could change my own oil but I go the Jiffy Lube. I could make my own pickup I pay the $200 so I don't have to **** with it and I can get better at playing the bass.
My greatest apologies to all the offended bass players! Let me start again! Hey I just built a cheap DIY pickup! Sounds bloody great! I put my expensive prestigious well earned all the respect pickups on ebay cos I am nuts and my 12.000 Dollar DB sounds fine and I use condenser mic anyway, and when I get the money from the sell of my last pickup I will treat my buddies to a slab of beer! I will upload some samples this weekend cos I can feel that all of you would love to hear it regardless of the comments some made! At least I have triggered a discussion of some sort that you all remember for a while and I bet on my last underpants that some of you will try to make one too! Once again I regret that my fiery spirited comments about your trusty old pickups caused such a storm! In the meantime go and bounce with Bud.
- Jul 28, 2009
- 387
- 314
- Disclosures
- Is not compensated for endorsements. Does not sell for profit.
My reading is just whacked today. I read the first time around that you made your own underpants too.
- Jul 28, 2009
- 387
- 314
- Disclosures
- Is not compensated for endorsements. Does not sell for profit.
I prefer a mic and piezo blend. I use a AKG mic, the DPA is nice, but I couldn't tell any difference. I may revisit the DPA again, if my AKG quits. Usually it's 50-50% to 75-25% for me, depends on the genre. After I added the Sabine Feedback eliminator, I can get really loud with the mic and can run 100% at loud volumes, but while mics are great for picking up resonance and overtones, the pickup adds depth, fullness and roundness of bottom. Having them both in conjunction actually provides plenty of signal and keeps either from needed to be boosted to where they are too hot.
