Double Bass How to choose the right pickup???

[Korus Bows]

I am wanting to start incorporating my double bass with the rock band that I am with and would like to know what the best way would be to mic it. I used to own a Fishman but didn't like it. It would never stay attached to the bridge and I didn't care for the sound. I also made a device that attached to the bass which has an attachment for a vocal mic. This actually sounded better than the Fishman (in my opinion) but it was kind of clumsy and got in the way when I tried to use the bow.

Here is what I am looking for:

I want a good clean sound. I intend on using the bow and messing with harmonics, along with basic pizz. (I don't really care for the sound of a bowed amplified bass, but I'm sure there are products out there that work fine enough for what I am looking for). Maybe more of a concern would be my amp. I have an Ampeg SVT 3 Pro running through an Ampeg 4x10 cab. It sounds great with my Stingray, but I'm not sure what it will be like with the upright...and I am not getting another "acoustic appropriate" amp to haul around, so my 4x10 is going to have to do.

I play an all carved maple/spruce 3/4 size Chinese bass. Decent bass around $5,000 or so. I have it set up for orchestral playing with Evah Pirazzi strings.

So, what are some options? I have considered the Realist, and have hear great things, but mostly form violinist and cellist.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks

 

[Ric Vice]

Les,
Well, I wish I could tell you that there's a one size fits all pickup, but that's just not the case. I'm assuming that you had a Fishman BP-100 not the Fishman Full Circle? If that's the case they are two entirely different sounding pickups! If you are going to use the bow then the Realist gets a better arco sound. The Revolution Solo II get's a decent sound as well. I have an Ehrlund pickup and it's incredible but it's more expensive .

Ric

 

[Matt Ides]

The realist should work fine for what you want to accomplish and to make it sound good with your current set-up a pre-amp might just do the trick. You have enough headroom so you can get pretty loud without feedback.

 

[Gord_oh]

until you try different pickups, its hard to know what works.

EDIT: didnt realized i ventured over to the DB side....

 

[d-sciple]

For what you are describing, I would recommend a full circle pick-up, but plugging into your amp you most likely are going to need a pre-amp. I have brought along the radial acoustic pre-z to many festival gigs and plugged it straight into whatever back-line amp was provided and have been fairly happy, but was playing in jazz situations. IMOP you most likely will never be able to achieve a comfortable volume with a loud rock band without either a magnetic pickup or an electric upright.

 

[flowinowen]

Might want to check those strings too. I've got Evah's on my chinese (willow and spruce) and running a Realist. The Evah's and realist are a cool combo for pizz, but my experience with bowing Evah's get a really nasally sound.

 

[d-sciple]

opps! The correct model for the radial is the acoustic pz-pre.

 

[d-sciple]

Believe me I've tried it. I did a tour one time where the guy was dead set on me using it for some of the tunes because he had used upright on some of the tunes on his record, but once you put it in a live setting it's a different ball game. Let's just say I was completely miserable trying to compete with the volume and control the feedback. After I tried to use it for a couple of nights, I just left it in the the bus and used my jazz bass for everything and was much happier. Also, a great resource for all bassists trying to amplify the double bass is the steve rodby interview on jason heath's podcast which you can find for free on itunes.

 

[Feral Feline]

Carved (cheap) bass w/ Evah Pirazzi >Underwood > Radial PZed-pre > provided backline of SWR something-or-other with 15" speaker.

Medium-sized ball/function room on a hollow riser type stage playing in a country-rock band with a hard-hitting drummer, telecaster, amped acoustic and a fiddler. Pizz, slap and a handful of bowed notes.

Had but only a hint of feedback a few times yet kept it in check throughout the night.

Several similar stories to tell, and most of the time I rarely get feedback though I've had a few instances of no feedback, but couldn't hear myself either.

I suspect the Radial's feedback fighting features have a lot to do with my lack of feedback problems.

Just my amateur 2c...