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Double Bass Mic or pickup or ????

fuzzy beard

fuzzy beard

Mar 8, 2011
2,747
31
Aurora, Indiana
#1
I know this is yet again another subjective question from me but hell I am really lost on this one.

Trying to amplify my bass a little at the larger bluegrass jams. Started looking into it and man theres a million options! Piezo, mic, both and blend. This all leaves me with tons of questions.

Do you need a pre amp?
Can you recommend a pre amp?
Can you recommend a pickup?
Do any of the cheaper mic options really work (rs mic, kk golden bullet, sm57, sm58, and so on)?
They didnt always have fancy 500 dollar mics. What did they use back in the day?
Do or can a piezo sound like my bass but louder?
Can I get away with a mic with out feedback? This is bluegrass and folk music not rockabilly.

And lastly what do you use?
 
#3
Thats the problem I have been reading to much. So I figured I ask other blugrass players there opinions. Trying to control my demographic to get a response from people in my situation by posting in bluegrass instead of one of the more popular forums.
 
#5
I vote pickup. If you have to choose between the two, go pickup. I play a lot of different places and there are only a few places I can use my mic. In small venues (bars and coffees shops), i get lots of feedback issues with the sound bouncing all over the place. And don't even get me started when the amps and drums come out! Outdoor and theatre gigs I can use the mic with success but if you are starting out with amplification, I'd get a pickup. Try a bass max or another pickup you can put in and take out easy. You want to be thinking about your playing not about how you have to hold your bass just right as to avoid feedback. Yes, a mic like a DPA will give you a truer representation of your bass's sound, but for jams and small shows, pickups are much easier to deal with. I've actually got 2 bass max pickups I bring along to gigs in case my full circle poops out or my DPA doesn't want to cooperate. You are welcome to borrow one or buy one of mine to give it a shot. I've gotten a bunch of compliments on the sound they get. But that's my two cents speaking as a guy who I think is in a similar boat as you. Hope that helps.
 
#6
Bass max is on my radar. But I was also thinking a clip on mic like the golden bullet or at pro35 or that rs lapel. What kind of mics did you try? What ones did you have feed back problems with.

The bluegrass scene here hasent been much help. Those guys roll whatever mic they can find in a shirt stick it under the saddle and let it rip!
 
#7
Done both. In just about every case, my good ol' Bass Max pickup has been the the way to go. The only time a mic has been worth the hassle is when there's a sound person dealing with it -- preferably a sound person experienced in dealing with acoustic bass.
 
#12
I've never had to amplify my bass during a bluegrass jam, are the other instruments miced as well?
But for shows I have an Underwood pickup going straight into an ampeg ba-112. Sounds great and has plenty of volume for an onstage monitor, plus it has a 1/4" jack to plug straight into the P.A. I've never had to fight feedback issues.

For a long time I just played it all acoustically with a 3 piece band all around one condenser mic, it always came through great.
 
#13
Good point. I just read the OP. for a jam you probably don't need an amp. Just crank the strings up a bit and dig in. There are lots of threads about which strings are loud for pizz.

The bass carries farther than you think. it may seem quiet to you, but can actually be quite loud from a different point in a jam circle.

JTL said:
I've never had to amplify my bass during a bluegrass jam, are the other instruments miced as well?
But for shows I have an Underwood pickup going straight into an ampeg ba-112. Sounds great and has plenty of volume for an onstage monitor, plus it has a 1/4" jack to plug straight into the P.A. I've never had to fight feedback issues.

For a long time I just played it all acoustically with a 3 piece band all around one condenser mic, it always came through great.
Click to expand...
 
#14
Mr Beard:

I have never amplified a bass at a bluegrass jam either...ever. And I have been at hundreds of jams.
What kind of a jam is it? Is there a PA? Who else is amplified? Is it a stage deal where people go up in turn?
I can't see bothering with a pickup, amp etc for anything like this. Playing in a gang is a great way to toughen up your hands and learn to get a full sound out of your bass.
Also..unamplified bluegrass jams sound better to me.
But if you need to amplify and there is a PA, just grab a mic (a 57 or 58 is all you need) and do the simple thing. Play into it on a stand or jam it under the tailpiece towards the saddle and enjoy.
 
#15
I also think it depends more on the circumstances than anything. If everyone else is using a mic, especially some type of single mic configuration, then a 57 or 58 in the tailpiece is all you'll ever need.

I see advantages with getting a good basic pick-up like the Bass max into the F-deck HPF dialed in too. It is pretty versatile and dead simple in terms of signal chain.

FYI- at this point I only ever use a mic (Brandon Essex's Troll ribbon mic.)

-Jeff
 
#16
The 2 jams in my area I go to have a main stage where people come out and play for spectator's and then back rooms for more private jams. The main stage at both places run full PA. I dont have any volume issues in jams but havent been on the main stage yet. Hope to some day! Also if your in the Cincinnati area the jams are the Ohio valley bluegrass jam every Thursday at white water senior center. And northern Kentucky blugrass association 4rth friday of every month at the willis music in florance. And I am also in the process of establishing a local jam in my home town of aurora, Indiana. Wich if it takes off will be a stage and separate rooms like the other 2.
 
#17
I'd say if you plan on playing more on stages just get a pickup, I have an Underwood on my carved bass and a TM pickup from Superior Bassworks on my Kay. The Underwood is a lot more expensive than the TM but you can't notice that much of a difference, they both sound great and it's awesome to just plug in and go.

I've played Willis Music in Florence before, fun venue.

Florence Ya'll!
 
#19
fuzzy beard said:
The 2 jams in my area I go to have a main stage where people come out and play for spectator's and then back rooms for more private jams. The main stage at both places run full PA. I dont have any volume issues in jams but havent been on the main stage yet. Hope to some day! Also if your in the Cincinnati area the jams are the Ohio valley bluegrass jam every Thursday at white water senior center. And northern Kentucky blugrass association 4rth friday of every month at the willis music in florance. And I am also in the process of establishing a local jam in my home town of aurora, Indiana. Wich if it takes off will be a stage and separate rooms like the other 2.
Click to expand...

Mr Beard :D:

The Pine Ridge Bluegrass Club in Oshawa, Ontario is one of the biggest in Canada. They have a similar setup to the places you describe....a main room with a stage and PA and then several other rooms for regular jamming. The stage is used for jammers who want to form a "temporary" band and play for 30 mins. There is a mic on a short stand for the bass. I'm not sure which mic they use but it is not an SM 57 or 58.
Never had any feedback problems and all the bass player has to do is walk up, plant the bass in front of the mic and play. Simple. No set up involved. When I play I keep my pick up on the bass but there is no need to use it and waste time fiddling around with a pre-amp etc.
There is a sound tech also but even without one it would not be difficult to set a general level for the bass mic.
 
#20
My experience.

In a jam you do not need any amplification. As several folks have noted, the bass carries much better than the player thinks. You may not hear yourself as well but unless you are just brushing the strings with you fingertips, the listeners have no trouble hearing you.

When playing in an amplified situation I usually prefer a pickup over a mic. My experience is that most sound men just turn up the volume on the bass which results in a muddy sound. You certainly have no problem hearing the bass but that is all you hear--no nuance or "woodiness," the things that give the upright its true sound. The only time I like playing into a mic is when there is a single mic setup.

I owned a Bass Max for a while and never liked it. It amplified the bass very well but the sound was just like a bass guitar. Part of that might have been my inability to dial in the sound on my amp but I'd have to give some of the credit to the pickup.

I currently use a Realist and am far more satisfied with the amplified sound I get. I find the Realist gives me a much truer sound than did the Bass Max.
 
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