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Double Bass Fishman Full Circle Installation Question

jheise

jheise

Aug 11, 2004
208
202
Hamburg, Germany
#1
Hi,

I want to try a Fishman Full Circle. My bridge already has adjusters - but from the pictures on the net, usually, the wheel is flat with the top of the bridge and the thread sticks out to the bridge's feet.

In my case, it's the other way around. Do I need a new bridge also or is it fine to install the Fishman "the other way around"?
 
#2
To answer my own question: I found a full installation guide on the web and it states:

"When you mount the Full Circle “threads up”, the hot side of the pickup faces
the body of the bass. You’ll get a bit more woody acoustic tone this way, with
a rounded attack and less “edge” . (Illustration D)"
 
#3
@jheise As noted, either way can work. I’ve experienced both installation types. I have a slight preference for the threads down installation because of the clarity it produces. It either way, it’s a good solid workable pickup and the best “no hassle” solution I’ve found over the past 20 years.
 
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#5
Francois Blais said:
Doesn't seem very durable though, from what I've read.
Click to expand...

I think the issue of fragility is over rated. My original one lasted many years (10-15?). Plus, Fishman is very reasonable with their warranty/replacement policy as mentioned in other threads.

jheise said:
To answer my own question: I found a full installation guide on the web and it states:

"When you mount the Full Circle “threads up”, the hot side of the pickup faces
the body of the bass. You’ll get a bit more woody acoustic tone this way, with
a rounded attack and less “edge” . (Illustration D)"
Click to expand...

To me, the FC sounds better 'threads up'. On one bass in particular, it was originally installed threads down and switching it to threads up was a huge improvement. Just my 2 cents...
 
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#8
Francois Blais said:
Doesn't seem very durable though, from what I've read.
Click to expand...

Older versions of the pickup did sometimes come apart; they were held together by rolling the edge of one side over the other to create a mechanical "seal" that held it together. That could sometimes fail, though, and the pickup would fall apart into two pieces. Newer ones (for something like the last 10 years, I believe) are held together with flush screws. The durability issue is no longer a concern, but those of us who've known the pickup for a while may remember the occasional breakage from way back when... :-)
 
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#11
Copied from the other thread, just for reference:

The pickup is back from Fishman. They tested it, found no problems, and sent it back at no charge. Their process ran quite smoothly, an automated system for handling the RMA and shipping, but also a real person to communicate with. In the meantime I played a couple gigs with my homemade cello pickup (not destined to be a product), which can now go back on my cello. I may still have a feedback problem to chase down, but it's good to eliminate any possible root cause. My pickup has the screws, and I've painfully resisted the urge to open it up and look inside. ;)

I will copy this message to the other Fishman thread just for sake of reference.
 
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#12
fdeck said:
Copied from the other thread, just for reference:

The pickup is back from Fishman. They tested it, found no problems, and sent it back at no charge. Their process ran quite smoothly, an automated system for handling the RMA and shipping, but also a real person to communicate with. In the meantime I played a couple gigs with my homemade cello pickup (not destined to be a product), which can now go back on my cello. I may still have a feedback problem to chase down, but it's good to eliminate any possible root cause. My pickup has the screws, and I've painfully resisted the urge to open it up and look inside. ;)

I will copy this message to the other Fishman thread just for sake of reference.
Click to expand...

If it works, don’t screw around :)
 
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#15
abaguer said:
Mine failed on a gig after 3 years. Liked it while it worked. Went back to Realist.
Click to expand...

I'm curious about what went wrong. What did the failure sound like, dead silence or something else? I've been using a Full Circle for at least 5 years and I like it a lot. I had an issue with a static-y sound once, but my luthier just replaced the 1/4" socket and all was well.
 
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#19
jheise said:
So... I installed mine and it sounds fine, but regarding the still ongoing situation with gigs etc. you think it's possible that it'll bail on me on my first gig in ca. 3 years? Let's hope not ;-)
Click to expand...
Check it at home. If it still works, it is unlikely that it won‘t at the gig… unless you bump your bridge against a door or something else. That might damage the piezo ceramic inside the FC. So handle your bass with care, even when it‘s inside the bag.
 

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