Double Bass Help... with amplification

[bluesdragon]

Hi all,

I am looking for a magnetic pickup that DOES NOT attach to the end of the fingerboard. I have an Upton bass that has a teardrop design on the end of the fingerboard......It won't accomidate a standard magnetic.

I've looked online.. can't find any magnetics that attach elsewhere on the bass. Any help on this would be greatly apprecieated.

Thanks

 

[jlo95]

You may have to get a different type of pickup then. I have a realist (copper plate that sits under the bridge) and it's a wonderful pickup, but can be pricy. There are also pickups that clip onto the bridge if you're looking for something easier to attach.

 

[Ric Vice]

You may have to get a different type of pickup then. I have a realist (copper plate that sits under the bridge) and it's a wonderful pickup, but can be pricy. There are also pickups that clip onto the bridge if you're looking for something easier to attach.

+1 Since it's the only, place to logical mount a magnetic PU
pickups use that location. Biesele, Schaller, and Pierre Josephs all mount that way. One of the magnetics made by Michael Zadow uses velcro adhesive strips to attach the pickup to the underside of the fingerboard.

Ric

 

[DoubleMIDI]

The amplitude of the strings become smaller the closer you get to the bridge. Close to the bridge you won't get much of a signal (and as much noise as anywhere).

Also there are some frequencies of the strings blended out (or largely attenuated) depending on the position of the pickup because the partials have knots at (or close to) the position of the pickup. That's the reason having several switchable/mixable pickups at most electric giutars and bass guitars.

Piezos react on pressure (or bending), they can work on and inside a bridge or between bridge and top.

 

[Michael Eisenman]

It's probably obvious by this post that I know little about this application, but is it possible to mount a magnetic pickup under the fingerboard with the pole pieces coming through the fingerboard? (Likely not an off-the-shelf solution.) Of course, that makes it a fairly permanent installation.

 

[SamuelHarris]

I've found no data to back this up, but I'm pretty sure NHOP has his Pierre Joseph installed in his fingerboard. If you look at this photo, notice the shiny little squares at the end of his fingerboard. There appears to be 3 cables coming off of his bass, one coming from behind the tailpiece (pretty obviously taking his Wilson k4) and 2 wired to a right angled plug coming out the front of his tailpiece (one black, one white, zip tied together).

My guess is the mag was installed in the fingerboard with the wires running through the inside of the body (perhaps a small hole where the neck joins the body and another behind the tailpiece).

 

[Bob Gollihur]

If this was my dilemma, and I was married to using a magnetic pickup, I'd get creative with a nice chunk of wood. Carve a removable short fingerboard extension that would provide a strong, custom mounting point for the pickup you choose.

Pardon my rough drawings, attached; I'd make it with a step down so you could attach it with Dual Lock (super velcro) to the back of the fingerboard, and the end could be thicker and could be shaped for stability, likely better than the usual, thinner attachment point of a normal fingerboard end. Having a magnetic pickup positioned closer to the bridge would likely result in a slightly more focused sound, too.

Just my stray thoughts...