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Double Bass comparison: Stringcharger vs Biesele, Anyone?

#21
bobyoung53 said:
Simplified, does anyone here have experience with both the stringcharger and the Biesele magnetic pickups, if so please compare the differences and similarities in them especially the sound and difference in it if any, thanks :help:
Click to expand...

I used the Stringcharger for 2 years before getting the Biesele. For me, the Biesele is hands down the winner. The actual sound really isn't different enough to comment on, but being able to adjust the level of each string has been invaluable to me. Plus the way the Biesele mounts to the fingerboard is an improvement over the Stringcharger. I can see where if you played up high it wouldn't work too well but I mostly stay down on the Low side of things. I own 2, one for my Kaye and one for my EUB. My two cents.
 
#22
Hey there -- I wanted to pop the lid open on this thread because I may be back in the market for a magnetic pup.

I owned and used a String Charger for several years and yes, it did provide ample volume, but I hated the tone -- even with a decent preamp. I found it too mid-rangy and nasty most of the time.

I've recently settled on a Full Circle and will be installing a Realist soon as a backup.

Questions:

1. Anybody here still a happy Biesele user?

2. How does it blend with Full Cirlce or Realist? Any weird phase cancellation? I'd like to use a small mixer that I already own without having to buy the Biesele preamp.

3. Think this would work with Obligato strings -- or would I need to go back to something like Spiros for better sound pickup?

Many Thanks!
 
#24
I have never used the Beisele or the String Charger, so I can't give a comparison. But there is another option, the Schaller mag pickup. It has adjustable pole pieces so that you can fine tune your string responses. I have used one for years, primarily for outdoor and stupid loud gigs.
 
#27
Wow - I'm liking the looks of the newer Biesele model...might have to try one out.

On another note -- wasn't there a fellow TB'er here making his own magnetic pups? What happened to him -- I searched for some posts (in the classifieds) but he didn't seem to pop up?
 
#29
Steve thanks -- you always come up with the goods on TB!

This thread is the design conversation -- I was looking for his ad in the classifieds -- do you think he doesn't advertise here anymore? I checked his Myspace site -- looks like I can email him from there.

Thanks for the help you guys...so many cool toys...so little money!!!
 
#30
Jason Hollar said:
Questions:

1. Anybody here still a happy Biesele user?

2. How does it blend with Full Cirlce or Realist? Any weird phase cancellation? I'd like to use a small mixer that I already own without having to buy the Biesele preamp.

3. Think this would work with Obligato strings -- or would I need to go back to something like Spiros for better sound pickup?

Many Thanks!
Click to expand...

1. Yes. I use it on my "loud" bass. it sounds great. not to middy.

2. I did blend it with the realist, but i preferred the sound of the pickup straight at least for what i use it for (funk/rap). the piezo just added mud. the pickup has plenty of thud on its own. i wouldn't like the sound of it for jazz but thats just me.

I however, hate the way it attaches to the bridge. it is always falling off. the more the bass vibrates the looser the screws get. I finally had to tape it to my fingerboard which i really didn't enjoy doing.
 
#32
I realize you all are discussing magnetic pups (and not piezo) but thus far, I have had no feedback problems with my K&K BassMax set up (on a Roma hybrid). The sound is not harsh or brittle at all, but full (although nicely-defined, if you boost the mids a tad).

I play both pizz and arco, and the K&K sounds great with both -- very warm under the bow.
 
#34
My biesele pickup arrived in the mail today. No full circle pickup yet so i had to blend it with an underwood.

It attached easily and the bracket seems to be secure, you just have to tighten the screws well. Unfortunately the mag pickup is a bit weighty and i noticed it took away some of the bass frequency and "oomph" up in thumb position especially. Nothing too noticeable down in the low end though

so far ive found it blends well with the tone set mainly to the piezo. maybe 70% piezo, 30% magnetic. the pickup has a phase switch so no problems there.

even with a small percentage of magnetic volume, it really helps to boost the notes when getting high up on the neck. maybe now ill be heard on thumb position solos!

As for the tone i wont comment too soon. All the EQ setting on my pedal that i used for piezo need adapting, so im still trying to work out my tone again.

So first impressions are good though it is a trade off. ill need to do a few gigs first, but it seems if you need to cut through and be heard a bit more when youre playing this would do the trick, but if youre playing quiter trios/quartets, the mags tone wont be as natural plus it affects the acoustic tone of the bass a bit.

If theres somewhere to host mp3 files i can do some raw recordings of the signal
 
#35
I've been rockin' the Biesele for 10 years and I love it, love it, love it. I'm totally hooked on having a buffered volume control for my piezo + blend right at the end of the fingerboard. IME just a dash of magnetic signal adds a lot of presence. 50/50 is very punchy yet woody. 100% magnetic sounds like the sickest fretless P-bass you can imagine. (That setting also saved my bacon when the Realist died.)

Mr. Biesele was great to deal with, these things are his "babies". I understand they're not cheap but mine was one of the best gear investments I've ever made - I'm thankful for it every time I play out.
 
#36
Jefenator said:
I've been rockin' the Biesele for 10 years and I love it, love it, love it. I'm totally hooked on having a buffered volume control for my piezo + blend right at the end of the fingerboard. IME just a dash of magnetic signal adds a lot of presence. 50/50 is very punchy yet woody. 100% magnetic sounds like the sickest fretless P-bass you can imagine. (That setting also saved my bacon when the Realist died.)

Mr. Biesele was great to deal with, these things are his "babies". I understand they're not cheap but mine was one of the best gear investments I've ever made - I'm thankful for it every time I play out.
Click to expand...

did you have any of the slight bass deadening effect that i described?

i did put a strip of felt between the fingerboard and clamp, so theres no metal touching the wood

so before i pull it all off again, im hoping to hear some other opinions
 
#37
I didn't notice any deadening per se. But I'm playing a Kay - not the most nuanced of wood tubas. :p I certainly don't doubt that a big metal thing clamped on the end of the fingerboard would have some kind of (hopefully subtle) effect.

+1 stick a bit of cloth or foam (whatever's handy) between the end of the board and the pickup. I found that was necessary to kill some mechanical buzzing.
 
#38
FC came in the mail today, so after installing 1300 bucks worth of pickups in 2 days i can report a few more things:

the biesele helps to even out the punchiness of the FC with more note definition. (i have the FC threads pointing up into the bridge) though with the biesele preamp im finding that the FC overpowers the mag pickup. i do have the trimpots on the mag set down a fair ways to even out the volume between the E string and the others, so i might need to tweak the height again to get more volume out of the E string

so, out with the underwood. pity really, it does have good qualities that other pickups dont have. i had the best E string woody growl with it. but, the list of pros is shorter than the list of cons.
 
#39
Just pulled the trigger on a used Biesele -- found it from a fellow TB'er.

Got my Spiros all strung up and breaking in nicely and new Full Circle sitting tight.

BTW -- my buddy CC is selling his old Pierre Joseph's String Charger in the DB classifieds if there are any takers...
 
#40
if youre going to use the biesele preamp, i recommend you put a 1 - 3 nF capacitor in parallel with the full circle pickup, i found the full circle caused a bit of distortion in the preamp when really belting the e string, plus it balances volumes of the 2 signals.
 

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