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Double Bass Fishman BP-100 Double Bass Pickup help with feedback.

I have the Fishman BP-100 that my teacher gave me and I have terrible feedback when going into my Orange Crush 25w. I have no preamp and I was looking into getting the Schatten Design Mini Pre, but I'm not sure if it will fix my problem. I have tried turning the bass away from the amp and that helped, but I want to use some effects on my DB and I want to figure out how to reduce the feedback.

Is the Schatten Design Mini Pre any good and will it help with the feedback problem? Thanks!
 
Mizmor,
Well, I hate to tell you this, sometimes a gift, no matter how sincere, won't work on your bass. The Shatten Mini Pre is designed to boost the signal, and if you're getting feedback, that's the opposite of what you want.
I'd recommend the HPF Buffer Pre Amp, built by Francis Deck. I like the Series II because it has a Volume Control, a Low Cut filter, and a phase reverse switch. https://sites.google.com/site/hpftechllc/home/hpf-pre
hpf2pic.JPG
 
I have the Fishman BP-100 that my teacher gave me and I have terrible feedback when going into my Orange Crush 25w. I have no preamp and I was looking into getting the Schatten Design Mini Pre, but I'm not sure if it will fix my problem. I have tried turning the bass away from the amp and that helped, but I want to use some effects on my DB and I want to figure out how to reduce the feedback.

Is the Schatten Design Mini Pre any good and will it help with the feedback problem? Thanks!
+1 One of FDeck's excellent Pres will really improve the sound.

I've found that the BP-100 works better on the flat back side of the bridge than on the curved front. Good luck!
 
For the BP-100 you need a first stage amplifier with a 10 MegOhms input. No power amp or combo amp has this, so you need a preamp with 10 MegOhms input impedance (Fishman or better HPFpre). This might remove a few resonant frequencies, but I'm afraid only some. At least as much important is the mounting (as Jake told you), since the disk must be fixed very well to the bridge and a plan bridge surface is very important for that.
But don't forget that a feedback loop includes speaker, room and bass, not only electronics. So the position of your speaker relative to the bass (distance, height, direction) is very important to avoid feedback. That may include being very carefully about your body/bass movements. Try to position your amp high, at least 1.5 meters from your bass pointing at the rib, not at the top or back of the bass. I think this might help more than a preamp (but the preamp gets you a better sound that you might want to have).
If this does not help, you should know, that a BP-100 only works on a few basses and that using effects might make the feedback situation worse (at least with those enhancing or adding frequncies like overdrive, fuzz etc.).
Some people glue the BP-100 to the bridge with epoxy and say this helps, but you should read about this in the archives before you decide to do this on your bass (you might not be able to remove the epoxy later...).
 
Thanks all! Gluing anything to the bridge is not an option as my bass is a rental. However, I'll look into HPF-Pre 2 for my bass. If the fishman isn't what I need for my bass, what would be a good pickup with a combo amp? Is the Dave Cage realist a good option? Thanks!
 
I actually taped the elements to my bridge instead of gluing. It worked quite well. On my own bass now, I'm using a Realist Lifeline. I'm quite enjoying the tone of this pickup. I've never used the original Realist before, so I can't speak firsthand about it. From my knowledge, you normally don't need a pre-amp with a Realist, but I may be wrong and the more experienced members can give better knowledge. Use what's best for you to help give you your sound.
 
Another second on the FDeck. My bass at school was equipped with a BP 100. I got an FDeck series two to help and it helped big time with improving the tone. And do glue them on to the bridge. It allows the bridge to vibrate more and also helps improve amplified tone big time.

Truthfully, if a pickup, won't mount properly without resorting to gluing it to the bridge, then it's a poor design. As you have observed, the mounting clips act like a mute. Don Underwood once mentioned, that Fishman had to resort to this setup, because he held the U. S. pattens on a dual wing slot pickup.

Ric
 
gage_realist_350x263.jpg
David-Gage-Realist-LifeLine-400x315.jpg
Thanks all! Gluing anything to the bridge is not an option as my bass is a rental. However, I'll look into HPF-Pre 2 for my bass. If the fishman isn't what I need for my bass, what would be a good pickup with a combo amp? Is the Dave Cage realist a good option? Thanks!


Mizmor,
Yes, the sound would improve. You have several options with the Realist. The Realist Copperhead, fits under your bridge. There is also a wooden version of this pickup that's
less likely to mar the surface of your top. If you have an adjustable bridge, the new Realist Life Line simply fits into the slot between your adjuster wheel and the front of the bridge.

Ric
 
I prefer the Shadow NFX (probably using only one element at the E-bridge-foot, try one and both elements) that I like better than a copper Realist or an APTflex (which has a weaker output signal but sounds better than a Realist). Both mount the same way as the Realist.
The Shadow NFX includes an impedance buffer, so no high impedance input is needed for the amp, just carry a spare battery with you.
But you might get the Realist at more places than the two pickups mentioned by me.
 
I put my elements on the bottom of my bridge feet. No problems sounds great


JCB,
Well, ye olde BP 100, always sounded "nasal", and emphasized the wrong midrange frequencies on my bass.
but occasionally it will sound decent, on certian basses. So if it works on your instrument, you're one of a select few.

;<)>


Ric
 
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