Double Bass Installing a KNA DB-1

[Steve Freides]

How’m I doin’? I put it on the bass side not the treble side, just based on experience with other pick ups, but the instructions to say to put it on the G string side.

Did I mount it at all correctly?

It does work, btw.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

-S-

 

[lurk]

I've tried it every which way on my bass and I can't get anything but a truly awful sound that brings me back to the bad old early piezo days. I have heard it sound good on other's instruments though, so keep screwing around and maybe you'll hit the spot. I've tried a few preamps too, BTW, without success.

 

[longfinger]

If it sounds good, and is reliable, it is a good mount.

I've had excellent results with the KN-1. Works well on either the bass or treble side.

The output jack seems mounted for an L shaped patch chord. Is that what you use?

 

[adarvas]

I have tried mine on both sides and ended up on the E side. I would suggest mounting the jack behind the tailpiece facing down. I don't like piezo pups but this one seems to work okay.

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I put mine on the E side and it sounded beautiful, right before it died. I may have killed it. The one I fitted for a customer sounds good so I must be unlucky.

 

[Steve Freides]

The big selling point for me about this pickup is that it's thin and comes with shims - no need to become a woodworker to enlarge the spot in the bridge wing.

I have a rehearsal tonight and concert tomorrow - concert band is doing some "big band" numbers and that's what needs the pickup. After that's over, I will try mounting it on the inside of the tailpiece. For now, since no one has said I've done anything awful, I'm going to see if it works this way for a day.

One thing I do remember is that one shouldn't make these a really snug fit in the bridge wing - I tried a few different shim combinations until I found one that seems to stay in place but is also pretty easy to remove.

-S-

 

[Ric Vice]

The big selling point for me about this pickup is that it's thin and comes with shims - no need to become a woodworker to enlarge the spot in the bridge wing.

I have a rehearsal tonight and concert tomorrow - concert band is doing some "big band" numbers and that's what needs the pickup. After that's over, I will try mounting it on the inside of the tailpiece. For now, since no one has said I've done anything awful, I'm going to see if it works this way for a day.

One thing I do remember is that one shouldn't make these a really snug fit in the bridge wing - I tried a few different shim combinations until I found one that seems to stay in place but is also pretty easy to remove.

-S-

Steve,
That's where we put mine for a recent concert, it sounded just dandy. On my particular bridge it took 4 shims on either side of the pickup element. I've always been leery of shims, but it's simple enough to use them.

Bridge wing pickups remind me of porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, their either to hot (to tight), to cold( to loose), or just right. Sometimes getting it "just right" and having it stay in place, can be a royal PITA.

 

[Up and Away]

The big selling point for me about this pickup is that it's thin and comes with shims - no need to become a woodworker to enlarge the spot in the bridge wing.

I have a rehearsal tonight and concert tomorrow - concert band is doing some "big band" numbers and that's what needs the pickup. After that's over, I will try mounting it on the inside of the tailpiece. For now, since no one has said I've done anything awful, I'm going to see if it works this way for a day.

One thing I do remember is that one shouldn't make these a really snug fit in the bridge wing - I tried a few different shim combinations until I found one that seems to stay in place but is also pretty easy to remove.

-S-

Yup, not too tight but it takes some experimenting to get it just right.
I have used mine on two basses and put it on the G side as suggested and it sounds good on both basses. No problems in the 4 years or so that I have had it and I have used it direct into the PA and with just my amp. Have fun with the big band, lucky you!

 

[Steve Freides]

On my particular bridge it took 4 shims on either side of the pickup element.

I'll guess that your bridge wing gap had already been widened for another piezo pickup. Mine almost worked with no shims, and I only need one shim to make it stay in place, which it did through getting to the rehearsal, the rehearsal, and getting home again last night.

No problems in the 4 years or so that I have had it and I have used it direct into the PA and with just my amp.

I used a Phil Jones Bass Cub (which, if memory serves, has two 5" speakers). It allowed me to carry everything in a single trip from the car, and it was enough - it could have gotten louder than I needed, if I'd needed it to, although not a lot, I suspect. I mention the specific amp not just to comment on its size, but because I can never keep electrical things like impedance straight in my mind for very long. The little switch near the input jack ...

15. INPUT GAIN SWITCH
High: Higher sensitivity, high impedance input.
Low: Lower sensitivity input setting for guitars with onboard electronics.
Mute: mute the input stage, when switch on, the clip LED will light up with green.

... definitely gave me a better results set to High, for what that may be worth to anyone.

Have fun with the big band, lucky you!

Yah, got to play a bass chart for a tune or two and make up a walking part for another tune or two, all big band style arrangements of Christmas Carols. My favorite title of a piece on the program: Fly Me Tuba Moon. See below:

Also on the program was "Tuba Christmas," apparently a worldwide "movement" where tuba and euphonium players show up and play 4-part (2 euphonium, 2 tuba) arrangements of Christmas Carols - I sat those out. Google Tuba Christmas for more, anyone, if you're interested - apparently there are some 240 of these scheduled between now and Christmas.

-S-

 

[BrassedOn]

LTTP

for me, on an all laminate bass:

I installed the pup on the G side, and the output jack east-west facing the G, and I use a L 90 degree plug on my instrument cable.

With the pickup, I received 6 shims, 3 each .03 and .015 ish, in inches, close to .02. Barely enough with one .03, better with two .015+. Again measurements are ~ISH. On install, one thing that helped was first I stacked just some shims to fit and then measured that stack with my micrometer (.13), Then fiddled with my pup and shims and measured to get that same thickness, and resulted in a great fit.

CAVIAT: The cable from the pickup sensor to the jack is VERY sensitive, and if it touches anything like the tail piece or bridge it picks up crazy highs, so a lot of string noise, finger noise from the attack, and any bump to the instrument top. I used a light weight light density foam (the size like you might put under a P bass pickup) between the output jack and the tail piece and that’s fine.

I did not like the sound under the E side as much, for me the G was faint and thin. So per instructions mine is on the G side.

I think the KNA is designed for all shims to the flat side of the pup, but the pup is so sensitive so I tried one above and one below the pup sensor, which knocked a bit of the attack off. Interesting. I also saw on YouTube for a different pup, the luthier shaped the inside of the bridge points where the pup is set between the ears and feet, to make a very very low flat dome like a hundredth of an inch, to help create a sweet spot. Not sure if others have tried with the KNA. I imagine it depends on how the bridge was initially shaped.