Double Bass Fishman PU finally sounding good!

[snowdan]

i know this info isn't exactly new, but anyway.

i had the same issues with my fishman piezo as everyone. treblish, cold sound, exaggerated finger and string noise, you name it.

not anymore. i sanded the bridge flat where the piezos sit, and hot glued them to the bridge, in th exact position where they sit when clamped on.

this sounds good even without a preamp (both my combos have 1megOhm inputs).

the finger noise is gone, warm midrange has appeared, bass is less boomy, the Pu has more output.
it may not be the best sound in the world, but it is close to how my bass sounds accoustically and it sounds nice and definded.
so BP100-users out there, before you spend money into other PUs, at least try the hot glue thing.

just my 2cts!

 

[pat.p]

Thank you for the advice. What kind of glue have you used?
Regards
Pat

 

[mje]

I mentioned this once before- Fishmans' web site recommends hot melt glue, but Dan O'Brian, who worked with Larry Fishman in the early days, recommended I use superglue. Works fine.

 

[deanobg]

I've noticed a similar thing....

By adjusting where the clamps sit you can kind of eq some of the sound coming from the BP100 - I find that if I loosen them on the bridge (so they're not pushed all the way in) you get less trebly finger noise stuff.

Dean

 

[carved czech]

That´s why I sold my Fishman BP-100.The sound ( with the clmps) was scratchy and I got the feedback like a hell! I should have glued the pu, instead purchased another pu...
Recently I´ve heard a guy playing an older Fishman (one element) model from ´80(?), glued on the bridge. He had good tone, rest was in his hands.

 

[snowdan]

i used the standard hot glue from my fathers glue gun. nothing special at all.


this even helped against feedback.

 

[Andy Allen]

I've found this to be true of other peizo pickups - when my bridge tilted only very slightly, reducing the presure on the Realist under the foot it became completely unusable. At present that bass in is the shop having the bridge foot fitted exactly to the Realist for more (and more even) pressure.

And a K&K bassmax I also use is very dependent on the critical fit in the bridge wing - it works well on one bass, but horribly on another. If I wasn't using it as a temporary/removable pickup I'd be temped to glue the darn thing in too.

I think that the success of the Fishman Full Circle is as much its positive installation, having the bridge adjuster fitted correctly is a common Luthier task, as it is the piezo pickup itself.

Andy