• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass I plead INSANITY, yer' Honor...

#5
Tom Lane said:
Hadn't heard of it before but the description makes it sound good. Let us know what you think once you've tried it on a few gigs. Why not go for the 4 element version?
Click to expand...
The Wilson K-2 is not well known, as far as I know. I found it on their website, not in stock anywhere.
I have had good results with 1 element (Underwood or B-Band) on the E wing of my bridge. I don't feel the need for "4 elements", as Earl's recent post about the single element Bassbalreit (sp?) pickup sounded great, but is no longer available - Wilson does make a single element version the K-1, and the Wilson K-2 has the ability to "fine tune" the 2 elements to somewhat balance the 4 strings in relation to each other (2+2), which should be adequate for my purposes. (I would like to have some control over the G side of my bridge sound...in a perfect world.)
Also - years ago, luthier Jon Peterson spoke of using a bright pickup on a dark bass, and a dark pickup on a bright bass - my Juzek tends toward the Dark, and I've always had an interest in the "Wilson..." line of pickups.
I know - TMI, again.
I have to go now, as the voices in my head are YELLING again! ............Shuddup!!!!
Thanks, Tom.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Matt Power
#6
Francois Blais said:
Had a K-1 a few years ago but couldn't dial a nice tone on both my DB and EUB.
Finding the sweet spot may not be easy though, especially with only one element.
Yours comes with the special tool to ream the holes in the bridge?
Click to expand...
FYI - the Wilson K-2 has 2 elements, so maybe a better chance of me finding a nice balanced response?
Also, I own a drill and am somewhat confident in my drilling abilities.
Drill Baby, Drill!
(Yes - all Wilson pickups come with the drill and the reamer tool.)
Thanks.
 
Last edited:
#7
Don Kasper said:
The Wilson K-2 is not well known, as far as I know. I found it on their website, not in stock anywhere.
I have had good results with 1 element (Underwood or B-Band) on the E wing of my bridge. I don't feel the need for "4 elements", as Earl's recent post about the single element Bassbalreit (sp?) pickup sounded great, but is no longer available - Wilson does make a single element version the K-1, and the Wilson K-2 has the ability to "fine tune" the 2 elements to somewhat balance the 4 strings in relation to each other (2+2), which should be adequate for my purposes. (I would like to have some control over the G side of my bridge sound...in a perfect world.)
Also - years ago, luthier John Peterson spoke of using a bright pickup on a dark bass, and a dark pickup on a bright bass - my Juzek tends toward the Dark, and I've always had an interest in the "Wilson..." line of pickups.
I know - TMI, again.
I have to go now, as the voices in my head are YELLING again! ............Shuddup!!!!
Thanks, Tom.
Click to expand...
The standard passive Bassbalsereit is available! [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
  • Like
Reactions: Don Kasper
#9
In a way, that's like a two-element version of Rufus' bridge pickup. His has four elements, each one inserted below the each string in the bridge. It's definitely one of the nicer sounding pickups I've heard.

But, I thought a Wilson K2 pickup would be a pickup game of volleyball using Tom Hank's friend from the film Castaway, no? ;)
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Ric Vice and Francois Blais
#10
Tom Lane said:
In a way, that's like a two-element version of Rufus' bridge pickup. His has four elements, each one inserted below the each string in the bridge. It's definitely one of the nicer sounding pickups I've heard.

But, I thought a Wilson K2 pickup would be a pickup game of volleyball using Tom Hank's friend from the film Castaway, no? ;)
Click to expand...
Did you recently move to Hollywood, Tom? (jk)
Maybe RR is using a Barbera pickup, or a Clevinger pickup? (Similar "in-bridge" mounting of elements.)
"Strings/Pickups - it's all One Rabbit Hole"
Thx.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ric Vice and Tom Lane
#11
Don Kasper said:
I have a drawer full of used DB Pickups that I either did not care for, or they Crapped Out, or both.
I might be INSANE. (...or, I just might be a GENIUS?)
Click to expand...
Insane would be mounting them all on your DB at the same time.

One system at a time, even with two elements, would be only mildly obsessive. You're in good company.

Really obsessive, but still not quite insane, would be a 2 element system and a mic. That's me. :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: Don Kasper
#12
Don Kasper said:
Did you recently move to Hollywood, Tom? (jk)
Maybe RR is using a Barbera pickup, or a Clevinger pickup? (Similar "in-bridge" mounting of elements.)
"Strings/Pickups - it's all One Rabbit Hole"
Thx.
Click to expand...
Looks like he's changed his setup since the last time, several years ago that I discussed it with him. Dunno what that is but I'm sure someone around here does!

1724117533869.jpeg
 
#14
Don Hergert said:
Insane would be mounting them all on your DB at the same time.

One system at a time, even with two elements, would be only mildly obsessive. You're in good company.

Really obsessive, but still not quite insane, would be a 2 element system and a mic. That's me. :D
Click to expand...

I know many guitar players and techs who wire up a giant mother board with multiple pickups and about 20 different capacitors with select switches so they can accurately compare between all of them.

Funny thing is that I also have a big drawer with a half dozen different pickups and, no matter which one I grab, they all tend to sound different depending upon which of 50 different rooms I might be playing with one of six different cabinets and four different amps using one of my five different basses in an empty room for the soundcheck an hour before 400 people fill up the place and start hollerin' & yappin' at the top of their squeeky little drunk hipster voices...

I feel yer pain Don! :thumbsup:

Maybe next you need to try one of my special tone enhancing bridges:

DSCN1393.JPG
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Matt Power, John Chambliss, truckplayer and 14 others
#15
james condino said:
Maybe next you need to try one of my special tone enhancing bridges:
Click to expand...
Woa, is there a kit I can order for that??? :D

Ironically, just yesterday my band did a gig on an outdoor stage at a bluegrass festival, the 9am Sunday morning Gospel music hour... I came with my DB ready to run with either the mounted piezo system or the mounted mic, or maybe even both. The FOH guy wanted neither, he wanted to use his equipment because he knew exactly how to tweak it.

He was right of course, and the sound was great.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tom Lane and Francois Blais
#16
Lee Moses said:
Looks like a Nadine.
Click to expand...

Yes. I wrote a review on that mic years ago for BGM. It’s very nice.

I wanted to also review the Ear Trumpet “Jolene” mic, but they wouldn’t send it to me because I’m a jazzer and it’s only for country gigs. 🥁
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Scott Lynch, james condino, Lee Moses and 1 other person
#18
I think you all might be stuck in the Bargaining stage of the Kübler-Ross Five Stages of Grief. I skipped ahead to Acceptance with the sturdy, easily installed, not-cheap-but-not-expensive, not-great-but-not-terrible-sounding Realist Lifeline, although I must confess the ToneDexter helps a lot.

My quixotic pursuit of perfection these days is mostly limited to portable iPad stands. :cool:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hectobar, Wasnex, coldsalmon and 1 other person

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back