Double Bass Decent Upright Bass pickup with onboard volume control

[Seth Shonefeld]

This is my first pickup on my first upright. I'm getting buried with too many choices. Yet none of them seem to offer what I'm looking for. For playing jazz, I'm looking for a pickup that's easy enough to install and that has onboard volume control so that I don't have to put the bass down every time I change the volume. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

 

[Leo Smith]

No upright bass pickup has a volume control on it. They are all intended to be plugged into something else that will have a volume control / eq / etc.

Having said that, you should check this out, it can be used with any pickup.
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The realist Lifeline and Copperhead are easy to install, as is the Fishman BP100. I personally use a Fishman Full Circle, which requires professional installation.

Check this site for more info and options - Pickups and Microphones - Page 1 - Gollihur Music

 

[Leo Smith]

also, maybe the mods should move this thread to the DB forums, for more responses

 

[Seth Shonefeld]

No upright bass pickup has a volume control on it. They are all intended to be plugged into something else that will have a volume control / eq / etc.

Having said that, you should check this out, it can be used with any pickup.
Link Removed

The realist Lifeline and Copperhead are easy to install, as is the Fishman BP100. I personally use a Fishman Full Circle, which requires professional installation.

Check this site for more info and options - Pickups and Microphones - Page 1 - Gollihur Music

This is great. Thanks so much. Hopefully this way I can play and adjust without putting down the bass.

 

[Leo Smith]

just wondering - what is your amp set up? how far away from it are you that you need to put the instrument down to make adjustments to it?

 

[Seth Shonefeld]

Well, I am not necessarily going to need to put it down. But would be tempted to. I don't have a special amp just for the upright. I would try out either this aguilar th500 or markbass 112.

 

[devnulljp]

This is my first pickup on my first upright. I'm getting buried with too many choices. Yet none of them seem to offer what I'm looking for. For playing jazz, I'm looking for a pickup that's easy enough to install and that has onboard volume control so that I don't have to put the bass down every time I change the volume. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

I used a volume pedal for a while, then realised I never really used it. Gauge Realist Lifeline into a tuner pedal with mute and a decent preamp (I have a Headway EDB-2). Or try the Bassbone v2, then you can toggle between two different settings.
AG500 is fine for upright -- I used one for a while, replaced it with AG700. But primarily I use an Acoustic Image Coda combo on upright.

 

[Seth Shonefeld]

I used a volume pedal for a while, then realised I never really used it. Gauge Realist Lifeline into a tuner pedal with mute and a decent preamp (I have a Headway EDB-2). Or try the Bassbone v2, then you can toggle between two different settings.
AG500 is fine for upright -- I used one for a while, replaced it with AG700. But primarily I use an Acoustic Image Coda combo on upright.

I have some expression pedals. Hmmm...

 

[Sam Reese]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] plus a pickup. I plug my Krivo in, but could also plug my Realist Lifeline in.

 

[Seth Shonefeld]

This is what I was looking for!

 

[Don Hergert]

If price for the pickup is an issue, you might look at Vic's Pickups. Well made by a small shop owner who plays RaB double bass using his own pickups, and who provides excellent service. They are reliable, there are lots of choices and they come well recommended.

Vic's single wing pickup Model B is very sensitive (has two piezo surfaces) and has reasonable impedance for plugging directly into many if not most amps. For many situations it does not require a pre-amp (unless you want on-board control). And the cost is $35US.

 

[Leo Smith]

Seth, the TH500 or the Markbass will be fine for upright. Both are good at matching impedance with most piezo pickups. I use the TH500 with a SL112 cab.

 

[Seth Shonefeld]

Great. I got a db112 cab for the th500. Excited to play!

 

[Kenan]

The docking station is rad and I use it on all of my basses.

 

[Seth Shonefeld]

If price for the pickup is an issue, you might look at Vic's Pickups. Well made by a small shop owner who plays RaB double bass using his own pickups, and who provides excellent service. They are reliable, there are lots of choices and they come well recommended.

Vic's single wing pickup Model B is very sensitive (has two piezo surfaces) and has reasonable impedance for plugging directly into many if not most amps. For many situations it does not require a pre-amp (unless you want on-board control). And the cost is $35US.

Wow. So economical.

 

[aesopslyre]

This is my first pickup on my first upright. I'm getting buried with too many choices. Yet none of them seem to offer what I'm looking for. For playing jazz, I'm looking for a pickup that's easy enough to install and that has onboard volume control so that I don't have to put the bass down every time I change the volume. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

David Gage Soundclip

 

[Seth Shonefeld]

I definitely am getting a Docking Station with a David Gage Realist pickup. Now it's narrowed down to probably a Lifeline or a Copperhead or smthg. Looks like Lifeline might be easiest install.

 

[aesopslyre]

No upright bass pickup has a volume control on it. They are all intended to be plugged into something else that will have a volume control /

“The (David Gage) SoundClip sports features that are not found on any other pickup. The on-board volume knob gives the player full control to adjust output on the spot. The innovative variable weight system helps to contour tone, and it's fully adaptable to all playing situations.” So you can revise that first sentence.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Don‘t get the SoundClip. Sound will be different every time you mount it and you cannot leave it on your bass during transport.

Do not use the Docking Station. It lowers the input impedance when connected to a passive piezo directly (without an impedance buffer in between).

The Shadow SH-965NFX has an impedance buffer with a volume knob that mounts to the underlengths.
Sound might be a bit soft for pizz, but sounds good with the bow. You can connect one or two sensor foils, one might be better sounding.
Best compromise is something in the bridge leg.

 

[Ric Vice]

And I’ll ad that of your two amplifiers, the Aguilar is the better choice IME. The input impedance on most Markbass amps is 500 kOhms with the exception of the Big Bang and the Nano Mark 300 v1 (Red).