Double Bass Full Circle and string balance

[IdealWay]

Hi guys,

I've been having an issue with my pickup situation recently. I use a Planet Wing pickup (which I love... mostly) but am not getting much response from the G string. This problem has been ongoing to varying degrees but seems to be worse on my new hybrid Shen than the ply I owned previously. I played a gig the other night and almost every stopped note on the G string was completely lost in the mix. The volume was low, the was no punch or body, and it was all-in-all a thin nasaly tone; whereas the E, A, and D strings spoke pretty damn authoritatively and had nice sustain and bloom. I tried messing with the position of the pickup but got no improvements.

I'm now seriously considering trying a new pickup, or maybe a mic, and the Full Circle is the obvious first choice. My question is, does the G string have the same punch and depth as the other strings? Has anyone been unsatisfied with the full circle in relation to string balance?

Another general question; if I were to go with a mic setup (running through my GenzBenz rig), would I be able to reach the same volumes as with a pickup like the planet wing or full circle? Any mic recommendations?

This may be broad, but I'd like to generate some discussion regarding all of the things I've mentioned to hopefully improve my stage tone, and quick Thanks ahead of time!@

 

[IdealWay]

Can someone also please explain the different versions of the Full Circle (5/16-18, 1/4-20, etc.)? Any idea which would be suitable for a Shen SB-180 bridge? Thanks!

 

[Michael Eisenman]

Can someone also please explain the different versions of the Full Circle (5/16-18, 1/4-20, etc.)? Any idea which would be suitable for a Shen SB-180 bridge? Thanks!

Different thread pitches; any one will work if your bridge doesn't already have adjusters, but talk to your luthier, who will be installing it. If your bridge has adjusters, take one to the hardware store and find a nut that fits it. The size and pitch of the nut is what you need to specify when you order the pickup. If it fits into the bottom of a camera (tripod hole), it's 1/4"x20.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Hi guys,
I'm now seriously considering trying a new pickup, or maybe a mic, and the Full Circle is the obvious first choice. My question is, does the G string have the same punch and depth as the other strings? Has anyone been unsatisfied with the full circle in relation to string balance?

In my experience, a properly installed Full Circle puts out a very fair representation of the sound of the bass, balance and all. I simply stopped looking when I bought mine. The caveat to all of this is that a good pickup will amplify everything to do with your acoustic sound - good, bad, and ugly. If you bass has a setup issue which, combined with your technique, leaves the G string out of balance with the others, then that's what will be amplified. Many bas setups that I see out there suffer from Orchestral bridge Syndrome (OBS); with OBS setups, the G is set way lower than the D to facilitate bow angles, leaving it too low above the board to balance with the other strings when played pizz. If your bass is set up this way and you want to correct that, a luthier is your best bet to set the curvature of the bridge more to your liking.

Another general question; if I were to go with a mic setup (running through my GenzBenz rig), would I be able to reach the same volumes as with a pickup like the planet wing or full circle?

In my opinion, no. I have several articles on mixing mics and pickup on the "articles" page of my website which explain the "why" of this, but pickups through a bass amp on stage with the player are simply far more feedback-prone than a good pickup would be.

 

[jmlee]

If you take one of the adjusters out of your bridge, the Gollihur boys have a photo line up that should let you identify the screw pitch of your current adjusters. Then try a nut of the corresponding pitch as suggested The Full Circle ships with both adjusters and you should replace both. IMHO the Full Circle has outstanding inter-string balance if the bass itself does.