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Double Bass Looking for a pickup that can be taken on and off multiple basses

Sam Dingle

Sam Dingle

Aug 16, 2011
6,786
5,562
Nashville TN
#1
Hey everyone. I’ve got a specific pickup question I need a pickup that can be taken on and off multiple basses, both with and without adjusters. To be honest quality of sound is not important.

I work at a summer camp and often there’s at least 3 young bassists who show up without pickups on their basses. This poses an issue when they play in ensembles. At one point we had a Meyers clip on mic that basically didn’t work for my needs, and we had a realist copper but we had to take the bridge off, and both of those walked off in the last two years.

so what fits that? needs to be quarter inch input, not flimsy (taking something like a full circle on and off would hurt the small wire) and not a mic cuz that’s the other thing we do, just throw a vocal mic on the f hole which as we all know isn’t great. Thanks.
 
#2
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Realist Soundclip. It ain’t perfect but it works. If you have to use a mic, I highly recommend wrapping it in foam and stuffing it up between the bridge feet, you get a more focused sound and some natural compression…
 
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#4
I think the KNA bridge wing is thin enough to fit most any bridge. You'll just have to keep track of the shims or keep a bunch of thin guitar picks handy. Vic's pickups are a great value but require sanding/filing the slots, so I think not a good choice in your situation.

The Magnetic Sandwich Pickup (MSP) might be another option if that's still available.

As for mics, you might consider a cheap side address mic like the Sennheiser e609 or its Superlux copy. One of those stuffed behind the tailpiece with foam or a towel sounds better than most pickups IMHO and can get pretty loud without problems.

Edit: Both those mics will work with a transformer based XLR to 1/4" adapter going straight into the amp. Those only costs ~$20. Or you can use a passive DI box in reverse.
 
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#5
I'd also suggest Vic's model B.

If it were me I'd contact Vic directly and ask him for a price for 10 model Bs for 10 students at your events. I'd be very surprised if Vic wouldn't price sympatheticly. 10 units would probably cover at least a year, maybe 2. And the students go home with a good quality pickup.

Then a part of the amped section class could be installing and setting up a pickup, very good for anyone who is ever going to plug in.

Oh, and I'd bet everyone is surprised about sound quality.
 
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#8
Ed Fuqua said:
View attachment 4915755 View attachment 4915755 Realist Soundclip. It ain’t perfect but it works. If you have to use a mic, I highly recommend wrapping it in foam and stuffing it up between the bridge feet, you get a more focused sound and some natural compression…
Click to expand...
Second on the Soundclip. Easily the best pick that goes on and off the bass easily. Best to find a used one. I find if you get the right spot for it and use a good amp and speaker you can get a great sound out of it.
Ed, Peter Kowald was into using the mic that way. He always sounded great. It would seem like it would mute the bass some, but it does get a strong sound.
 
#11
james condino said:
Really?????

A $400 pickup for a bunch of high school students who have already stolen two other pickups; we are not talking about Ron Carter at Carnegie Hall...
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If you could find a used one for $200, it would be worth it. It is tough, so it will last longer than cheaper pick ups. It has a nice, robust signal as well. It is overpriced, but it really works well once you get it set right. If you want one pick up to move around to a bunch of different basses, a used Soundclip would sadly be the best option.
If they are stealing the pick ups, then they should not have one provided! Get a big sound or get our own pick up!
 
#12
There are options to can be installed and removed quickly. But IMHO I can't think of one that sounds good without some fussing.

A friend of mine bought one of the Realist Sound Clips and it was easily the worst sounding pickup I have ever tried. It was awful on multiple basses, and we fussed with positioning and changing the amount of weights.

There are some contact pickups that go on with putty. These can sound really good, but you have to find a good place on the bass...and that's not easy. Also they don't necessarily work well on all basses.
 
#13
Haven't tried a Vic's, but used an Underwood years ago. Had to do a bit of filing to get the fit right, but afterwards could move the pickup. I did not move it around very much. I believe they may be prone to damage over repeated installations. Maybe the Vic's is more robust.

The Underwood required a bit of corrective EQ and benefitted from a relatively high impedance input on the amp or a buffer.

@DoubleMIDI has some expertise in this area...maybe he will make a suggestion.
 
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#15
Ed Fuqua said:
View attachment 4915755 View attachment 4915755 Realist Soundclip. It ain’t perfect but it works. If you have to use a mic, I highly recommend wrapping it in foam and stuffing it up between the bridge feet, you get a more focused sound and some natural compression…
Click to expand...
The mic wrapped in foam technique is the surest way to ruin the feel and response of a bass I have ever come across. There is a method of suspending a mic between the bridge feet that has no impact on how the instrument plays but it’s more delicate and more hassle to rig up
 
#18
I have an Ehrlund contact mic thing that comes on and off easily. It sticks on the front of the bass with putty. You need to find the "sweet spot", but once you do on and off is a breeze. Sounds great too, with a big acoustic punchy sound.
 

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