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Double Bass Help w/a rig mini-makeover?

bassteban

bassteban

Aug 12, 2004
17,837
219
62
Northern California
#1
[bows deeply, reverently upon entering room]
I have searched, read & have some thoughts- I am now here to solicit advice on improving my live sound. My setup now consists of 3/4 carved German(purportedly pre-war, FWIW), luthier-installed Radio Shack door-buzzer element piezo in bass-side bridge wing(if that is the proper term), into K&K Pure, through an ancient Ibanez/Maxon UE-405 rackmount effect unit(for the semi-parametric EQ & sometimes compression), into either a Carvin BRX-212 for LOUD gigs(99%)or a Crate 1B 30-watt 1x12 combo. I play in a covers R&R(apologies)band that can and usually does get very loud; I also have a project that will be based in Rockabilly but branch out into other equally loud & fast genres.
My current issues are feedback(my bass has a very powerful Db that goes nuts well before any other frequencies- is this a wolf tone?)and a rather displeasing, hollow/mid-strong tone.
I am not so much after *my bass only louder* , more toward BG(I know, sacrilege :rolleyes:), but bottom line is good volume w/o feedback.

Edit: After some research into preamps I am wondering about the Fdeck, Platinum Pro & Sansamp Para DI. Can anyone throw out some generalities w/regard to these units, compared to the Pure?
 
#2
Although I haven't tried the RS buzzer pickup I would this week's gig money that it's your problem. You need a pickup that can work in loud situations. Try an Underwood. As far as preamps go your cheapest bet is Fdeck's wonderbox but you should also plan on upgrading your amp.
 
#7
I think I'd dig the magnetic PU's tone, but I really don't want to drill my FB. Silly, as the bass' finish is hideous- appears to have been very poorly stripped , not sure what went on it after that. ANYWAY, the Bassmax is now on my *research further* list. I will say that w/my current setup I get very close to *good enough* in terms of volume. I'm not in love w/the tone but it's less of an issue at the volumes I end up playing at(not entirely by choice mind you :D ). I very much appreciate all the input. :)
 
#11
The Schaller dates from the 70's and is a single coil pickup. It makes your bass sound like a jazz bass! You might like that tone. There are others that are more natural. I can't remember the name of it, but the other magnetic pickup offered by gollihur is really compelling. Simpler install, humbucking pickup, senses the vibration of the body for a better tone
 
#12
I dunno- as stated in my OP, I am not necessarily after a natural and accurate tone, and will very likely never play jazz(no offense, MUCH respect- I just don't have the time to do it justice). *Jazz bass(slab)* tone might work perfectly for me. I am willing to consider all options, though- I will look at Gollihur's site(all HAIL:D). Need to price the Bassmax, fdeck, etc.
 
#14
I once owned a Schaller with my first laminate bass I got during my school days. I urgently needed a pickup for our school jazz trio presentation and first got a Bacus Berry piezo that I couldn't get working at this time (with a cheap and noisy guitar amp, I didn't had anything else) and in the second run got the Schaller that worked at least.

What I found out was, that the closer you finger to the bridge, the more the string sinks onto the Schaller pickup, so the high fingered notes were a lot louder then the notes in the lower positions. Not a problem for me during that time playing half and first position mostly, but later when I tried to climb up the fingerboard.

Of course this will happen with any magnetic pickup, so it is not fair to blame the Schaller for it. But the single coil design was indeed a bit sensitive to noise.
 
#15
This is good to know- I am not fond of the finger/string noise I get, but will- for the most part- not be playing very high up the neck. Leaning toward a Bassmax as the first step, though.
I'm moving slowly due to budget constraints, but also because I want to be as informed as possible before investing any further. I will be thwacking the big dog this evening for a good part of a classic+a few pre-classic rock tunes- will have to use the Carvin, etc. Wish me luck!
 
#16
I had a homemade single coil magnetic pickup on my Kay for a while. It gave my bass the tone of an electric, but the feel and dynamics of an upright. More or less.

It was fun that I could really own a band with that thing, because it was feedback proof. And I was playing some stoopid loud gigs. Oh to be young and dumb. On the other hand, it wasn't too good for my musicianship. Switching to a piezo forced me to think and play more like an upright player.
 
#18
Whatever you decide on, I'd be interested to hear the results. I've spent a bit of time trying to get an accurate amplified tone for my URB but I've also wondered about magnetic pickups for a while. :p
 
#20
I would say that if you want a more electric sound coming from your bass, the BassMax is a good option. Some people prefer K&K's other pickup, the Big Twin, and K&K has a pickup that can be found on Gollihur that it both the BassMax and Big Twin with one output. Magnetic pickups work, and you will definitely want a preamp with either piezo or magnetic pickups. Fdeck's HPF-Pre is an easy solution that I haven't had experience with, but I now some people who have and I think it is nice sounding. I do not think that the graphic EQ will cut out a wolf, but buying a wolf tone eliminator and having a luthier put it in the right place would work. You say that Db is louder than almost any other note. Which Db, and when you play it, does it sound like the note is "skipping" or is it just loud?
 

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