Double Bass Ehrlund "Sweet Spot", anyone?

[kevteop]

That's not my experience as the closer I could get it to the table, the better it sounded. I used tiny balls of putty at the corners and the EAP sits less than 0.5 mm off the table. With thicker balls of putty, the sound was less "direct" and more subject to feedback.

Yes I started reading your blog thread before I bought one, it was really informative, thanks.

I also use very small balls of putty but try not to squish them too much. It's definitely louder when closer to the table but for me it started to sound compressed so I settled on a slightly quieter but more open sound with it mounted a little higher.

Here is a pretty fuzzy picture of the location of the Ehrlund on my bass.

Mine's a similar position in relation to the bridge but further out to the F hole. To be fair though I've found a bunch of places where it produces a good sound, it was just a matter of choosing one so I could stop messing around and make dinner.

 

[William Hoffman]

Thanks for posting that picture, Ric. The luthier who made my bass told me stories about how a knot in the top or back can truly make the sound of a bass! How does the amplified sound using the EAP differ on that spot from the other spots you tried?

 

[Ric Vice]

Thanks for posting that picture, Ric. The luthier who made my bass told me stories about how a knot in the top or back can truly make the sound of a bass! How does the amplified sound using the EAP differ on that spot from the other spots you tried?

William,
I would totally agree with your luthier. In that spot, the bass response it fuller, the volume is louder, and the attack/decay, are more pronounced.

Ric

 

[labravajazz]

I lost my putty on a big stage gig - any idea what or where to get some more?

 

[Ric Vice]

I lost my putty on a big stage gig - any idea what or where to get some more?

Labrava Jazz,
It's called Tack-It, you can get it almost anywhere Invalid Link Removed

Ric

 

[Mark Gollihur]

Yes - the stuff included from Ehrlund is called Tack-it from Faber-Castell; it's basically the stuff college kids use to put posters on their dorm room walls without taking the paint off the wall.

It's not always easy to find that specific brand in the USA, but I quite recently saw a version of the stuff by the makers of Superglue in the hardware section at my local Big Lots store - it was only $1 for a pretty significant package. Don't know if you have that chain, or if your local store has it, but might be worth a check!

 

[Champagne]

Here is a pretty fuzzy picture of the location of the Ehrlund on my bass. Please note, that it is positioned in a very different location from both Les and Williams basses, directly to the left of the E foot of the bridge. Also note, the grain of the wood in that spot. It has a definite swirl and possibly a knot, that is right in the sweet spot on my bass.

Ric

Thats almost where I have mine. For a while, I regretted buying the Ehrlund. After many many spots, sometimes leaving it in certain spots for weeks, I came up with my fav spot. Still not my favorite sound on its own, but once I blended a RS mic with it I was totally happy. Only time I ever fed back was when I sat in with a rock band playing "Sex On Fire". Had to crank it because my spiccato isn't totally there yet.

 

[Nathan Levine]

Yes - the stuff included from Ehrlund is called Tack-it from Faber-Castell; it's basically the stuff college kids use to put posters on their dorm room walls without taking the paint off the wall.

It's not always easy to find that specific brand in the USA, but I quite recently saw a version of the stuff by the makers of Superglue in the hardware section at my local Big Lots store - it was only $1 for a pretty significant package. Don't know if you have that chain, or if your local store has it, but might be worth a check!

And let's not forget the tack-it debate regarding which gummy substance is superior. Sure the white stuff will do in a pinch, but the green stuff procurable from Michael at Djangobooks is hands down the best gummy material on the market for our somewhat esoteric purposes.

 

[Ric Vice]

And let's not forget the tack-it debate regarding which gummy substance is superior. Sure the white stuff will do in a pinch, but the green stuff procurable from Michael at Djangobooks is hands down the best gummy material on the market for our somewhat esoteric purposes.

Nathan,
Well, that one's on me for even mentioning it. The Schertler Putty that's used for the DYN-B is great stuff, but it's ridiculously expensive. On the other hand, it takes a very small amount of the stuff (Tack-It or Schertler) to seat the pickup.

Ric

 

[Nathan Levine]

Ha!!! Couldn't remember the hiding emoticon while typing into my phone.

For the price of lunch you can get a better product for your very expensive pickup system. I'll bring a bag lunch one day in order to achieve better sound.

 

[Happy Steve]

The green putty from Schertler is eminently re-usable. When I received my second hand Dyn-B it came with two 'peas' worth of putty. I bought a whole new tin thinking I would need to change it at some point.. a year later I am still using one of the original 'peas' and the other is untouched. Still working great! Justin could have kept one of those peas for his Ehrlund and we would both have been happy.

I am not sure if the tack-it will stay as good as Schertler putty with repeated handling, but I guess you can get a big supply for the same $$$. I can't comment on the magical acoustic properties I'll leave that to the golden-ear brigade who buy mains leads with gold plated contacts!

Steve

 

[drurb]

The green putty from Schertler is eminently re-usable. When I received my second hand Dyn-B it came with two 'peas' worth of putty. I bought a whole new tin thinking I would need to change it at some point.. a year later I am still using one of the original 'peas' and the other is untouched. Still working great! Justin could have kept one of those peas for his Ehrlund and we would both have been happy.

I am not sure if the tack-it will stay as good as Schertler putty with repeated handling, but I guess you can get a big supply for the same $$$. I can't comment on the magical acoustic properties I'll leave that to the golden-ear brigade who buy mains leads with gold plated contacts!

Steve

Actually, there is good reason to buy connectors with gold-plated contacts. They don't oxidize.

As for the Ehrlund, the green putty tends to make it sound darker, while the white putty brightens things up a bit. A mixture of the two gets you somewhere in between. A 2/3 mix of white to green seems optimum. Interestingly, this can be achieved either by mixing the putty first or by using white at two of the triangle corners and green at one. You can read the details here.

 

[Nathan Levine]

Actually, there is good reason to buy connectors with gold-plated contacts. They don't oxidize.

As for the Ehrlund, the green putty tends to make it sound darker, while the white putty brightens things up a bit. A mixture of the two gets you somewhere in between. A 2/3 mix of white to green seems optimum. Interestingly, this can be achieved either by mixing the putty first or by using white at two of the triangle corners and green at one. You can read the details here.

LMAO when I looked at this post and thought, "oh my god we've entered the land of bat**** crazy".

Laughed even louder when I followed the link. Thanks for the am chuckles drurb.

 

[drurb]

LMAO when I looked at this post and thought, "oh my god we've entered the land of bat**** crazy".

Laughed even louder when I followed the link. Thanks for the am chuckles drurb.

My pleasure!

 

[PB+J]

Mine is right about where Ric's is in his photo. I did some experiments and that spot seemed to be the best compromise. I found that I liked the tone better if the pickup was farther from the table, not closer, and also liked it better if there was less putty contacting the pickup surface.

I'll try to get a picture

 

[PB+J]

Here's a blurry photo, you get the idea

 

[PB+J]

And here's a close up of the putty situation. I used to have it much much closer.

 

[VegasGutPlucker]

Geographically that's the zone I tend to float around in as well. 4 inches or so down and a certain distance outside the bridge foot, depending on room response, humidity, my mood, etc. I'll have to try that huge ball approach some time.

 

[Mark Gollihur]

For the Ehrlund players with the inclination and time to experiment with different putties:

I've sourced two new, alternate putties and would be interested in getting player feedback on it. I've done some tests here at the shop, but would like to know what other people, who use other gear and other basses (and most importantly, other ears) will think of it.

For the first 10 folks who PM me with their address, I'll send you a free packet of two different putties to try, with the simple caveat that I'd like you to email me your opinions on its usability/sonic differences (if any) so I can offer it on the Gollihur Music site as replacement/alternate add-on for users of the EAP.

I'll update this post when all ten slots are filled.

 

[Nathan Levine]

Let it be known by all, that in the year of our lord 2013, the great putty war took place. It was a conflict of epic sonic proportions, in which exactly seven people participated. Nothing less than the potential death of acoustical science was at stake and the repercussions would reverberate down through the ages.