Double Bass Ehrlund pickup with other brand's preamps

[Fran Diaz]

I'm about to order the Ehrlund preamp and I've read that the tone improves using the matching preamp, but it doesn't offer eq or other bells so I'd like to hear about your experiences using it with other preamps.

I have something like the Fishman Pro Eq Platinum Bass in mind, but I'm open to other suggestions.

 

[MrSidecar]

Fran


I remember all the Ehrlund threads being full of experience reports with numerous different pickups. Crawl these threads or try searching for it... That might cover your question already.

Best
Sidecar

 

[Ric Vice]

I'm about to order the Ehrlund preamp and I've read that the tone improves using the matching preamp, but it doesn't offer eq or other bells so I'd like to hear about your experiences using it with other preamps.

I have something like the Fishman Pro Eq Platinum Bass in mind, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Fran Diaz,
If,you want the best sound possible from the Ehrlund EAP then you will need to purchase the Ehrlund Preamp.

Ric

 

[Fran Diaz]

Fran Diaz,
If,you want the best sound possible from the Ehrlund EAP then you will Ned to purchase the Ehrlund Preamp.

Ric

Wouldn't another DB oriented preamps offer the same improvement in tone? I like my gear the simpler the better, but since I'm going to use this to gig with both, DB and slab, I need some kind of external eq so I don't have to change the amp's eq when I swap between the two.

Thanks

 

[drurb]

I posted a small analysis of the Ehrlund pre-amp here. The response is quite flat and provides two levels of gain.

I didn't measure the gain across the device but, from my experience and all reports, it's substantial. That's quite different from, say, fdecks's devices that provide, at most, a 2-3 dB of gain. I doubt the Fishman provides much gain across the device either. So, the Ehrlund pre is really optimal in terms of providing the gain needed by the transducer.

I also didn't dig into the details of the loading provided by the Ehrlund pre. If the transducer is sensitive to loading, then other pre-amps might not yield a response that is as satisfactory as what's produced by the Ehrlund transducer and its pre-amp.

I believe that some here have reported success using the fdeck pre once the lack of gain is overcome.

So, at the very least, what it seems that you'd need is a pre-amp with tone controls that also provides substantial gain. That would work fine assuming the loading is correct.

I have two suggestions. Although I routinely recommend keeping the signal chain as simple as possible, you could use the Ehrlund pre followed by the Fishman. That would seem to give you everything you need.

I'm not too fond of the Fishman and the threads here reveal that several other players aren't either. You could do some basic experimentation and learn how the settings of your amp differ when you switch from slab to DB. Something like, "Bass -2," "Mid +3," etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[Fran Diaz]

It sure helped

Another thing that I'm not very fond of is the need of a battery. I want the preamp to go on my pedalboard with a power adapter, so I don't need to worry about batterys dying.

I posted a small analysis of the Ehrlund pre-amp here. The response is quite flat and provides two levels of gain.

I didn't measure the gain across the device but, from my experience and all reports, it's substantial. That's quite different from, say, fdecks's devices that provide, at most, a 2-3 dB of gain. I doubt the Fishman provides much gain across the device either. So, the Ehrlund pre is really optimal in terms of providing the gain needed by the transducer.

I also didn't dig into the details of the loading provided by the Ehrlund pre. If the transducer is sensitive to loading, then other pre-amps might not yield a response that is as satisfactory as what's produced by the Ehrlund transducer and its pre-amp.

I believe that some here have reported success using the fdeck pre once the lack of gain is overcome.

So, at the very least, what it seems that you'd need is a pre-amp with tone controls that also provides substantial gain. That would work fine assuming the loading is correct.

I have two suggestions. Although I routinely recommend keeping the signal chain as simple as possible, you could use the Ehrlund pre followed by the Fishman. That would seem to give you everything you need.

I'm not too fond of the Fishman and the threads here reveal that several other players aren't either. You could do some basic experimentation and learn how the settings of your amp differ when you switch from slab to DB. Something like, "Bass -2," "Mid +3," etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[Ric Vice]

Wouldn't another DB oriented preamps offer the same improvement in tone? I like my gear the simpler the better, but since I'm going to use this to gig with both, DB and slab, I need some kind of external eq so I don't have to change the amp's eq when I swap between the two.

Thanks

In simple terms the answer is no. The alternative would be to use a Headway EDB-1 into your effects loop. It's the second best Pre Amp for the Ehrlund, but costs twice as much, and IMHO doesn't sound as good as the Ehrlund Pre Amp, with the Ehrlund Pickup. Just my thoughts. Since I double a great deal I have a two channel amplifier.

Ric

 

[lrhbass]

I'm about to order the Ehrlund preamp and I've read that the tone improves using the matching preamp, but it doesn't offer eq or other bells so I'd like to hear about your experiences using it with other preamps.

I have something like the Fishman Pro Eq Platinum Bass in mind, but I'm open to other suggestions.

I have been using the Headway,which is working well, but I am open to using the EPU pre as well. Would love to hear from Ric about his comparison between the two...

 

[Ric Vice]

I have been using the Headway,which is working well, but I am open to using the EPU pre as well. Would love to hear from Ric about his comparison between the two...

I had originally thought just to get the Ehrlund EAP and use it in conjunction with the Headway EDB-1. When I compared the two, the essential difference is in the fullness of the bass, midrange, and treble response that comes through using the Ehrlund Pre Amp. While, I'm pretty sure that you could vary the EQ on the Headway EDB-1 to get a similar response, IME it's not the same sound. The Ehrlund Preamp gives you a nearly ruler flat EQ that can then be modified using the EQ on your amp, whereas the Headway EDB-1 adds an entire EQ section in front of your amps EQ, which I find to be to much of a good thing. Just my take.

Ric

 

[aaronallen]

I used the EAP through a headway EDB1 without the ehrlund pre for a long time before finally getting it. It really is much better with his pre. Honestly, if your looking for simple and easy amplification solutions, the EAP is probably not for you.

 

[Ric Vice]

I used the EAP through a headway EDB1 without the ehrlund pre for a long time before finally getting it. It really is much better with his pre. Honestly, if your looking for simple and easy amplification solutions, the EAP is probably not for you.

Aaron Allen,
Well, I guess my experience is different that other Ehrlund users, but for me the installation and use of the EAP couldn't have been easier. I just mounted the pickup with a set of headphones to find the best spot and then had the cord shortened, and a 1/4" jack installed. It took less time than any other pickup I've ever owned.

Ric

 

[fdeck]

I am guessing that the Ehrlund preamp powers the pickup. Other preamps would have to be modded in order to provide this function.

 

[Fran Diaz]

I used the EAP through a headway EDB1 without the ehrlund pre for a long time before finally getting it. It really is much better with his pre. Honestly, if your looking for simple and easy amplification solutions, the EAP is probably not for you.

I like what I've heard in the clips and what I've read about the EAP. I've also read that it has a decent arco sound, that's a must for me. Have you got any other recommendations. What I want/need should cover the following points:

• Good for pizz and arco.
• No mods to the bass/bridge, and this includes pickups that need to go under the bridge foot.

 

[Adagio]

I am guessing that the Ehrlund preamp powers the pickup. Other preamps would have to be modded in order to provide this function.

You mean like phantom power but through a mono cable? That would work on other preamps I guess, it's just a matter of outputting a max of 9-volts. Of course, I don't want to be the guinea-pig who toasts his PU. My Ehrlund works perfect with my EBD1 as it is. I may have to crank the volume by 1 or 2 higher than if I were using the Ehrlund preamp but who cares, I still get better results and control over my sound.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

It should be easy to measure the DC voltage between hot and ground at the pickup connector (i.e. using a second cable where a plug can be opened) for those owning both, pickup and Ehrlund preamp.

 

[drurb]

I am guessing that the Ehrlund preamp powers the pickup. Other preamps would have to be modded in order to provide this function.

It should be easy to measure the DC voltage between hot and ground at the pickup connector (i.e. using a second cable where a plug can be opened) for those owning both, pickup and Ehrlund preamp.

It's much easier than that to measure it and I did. No need to involve the transducer at all. I simply plugged one cable into the output of the Ehrlund pre and one into the input. That ensured that the pre-amp was turned on. Then, I measured the voltage at the end of the "input cable." There's no voltage there.

 

[Ric Vice]

You mean like phantom power but through a mono cable? That would work on other preamps I guess, it's just a matter of outputting a max of 9-volts. Of course, I don't want to be the guinea-pig who toasts his PU. My Ehrlund works perfect with my EBD1 as it is. I may have to crank the volume by 1 or 2 higher than if I were using the Ehrlund preamp but who cares, I still get better results and control over my sound.

While I'm certainly not denying that the Headway EDB-1 sounds very nice with the Ehrlund EAP. IMHO, IME the Ehrlund Pre Amp sounds even better, and is far simpler to run into the input stage of an amplifier. If anything, the EDB-1 has to much power into the front end of an amplifier, or at least it does into my Walter Woods Ultra and Walter Woods MI-400-8. I've also used the Ehrlund Pickup and Pre Amp into a Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0 8T and it dramatically improved the sound, without overdriving the signal into the amps inputs. Personally, I'm much fonder of the tonal palate (timbre) that the Ehrlund Preamp has, compared to the Headway EDB-1.

Ric

 

[drurb]

...Personally, I'm much fonder of the tonal palate (timbre) that the Ehrlund Preamp has, compared to the Headway EDB-1.

Keep in mind that the tonal palate really arises from the transducer as the Ehrlund pre-amp is "unvoiced." That is, it has a flat response by itself.

 

[Ric Vice]

Keep in mind that the tonal palate really arises from the transducer as the Ehrlund pre-amp is "unvoiced." That is, it has a flat response by itself.

+1 Interestingly, that same flat response seems to compliment other pickups like the Realist and Underwood for some reason.

 

[Don Sibley]

Anyone tried anything like this?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/art-prochannel-ii-channel-strip

I had the earlier version of this with an American Audio power amp into an Acme B-2. The sound was unbelievably neutral and very flexible with the parametric mid EQ. I sold all but my GK combo when we moved into a tiny apartment a few years ago. Thought I wouldn't need anything louder (dumb).

I'm thinking of pairing this with a fEarless cab and power amp. That variable input impedance intrigues me. Thoughts?