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Double Bass Palatino Megathread part I

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#865
Here's a new recording called "Seaside Lady" done with the Palatino.

Link Removed

The only modification done to the bass was the bicycle tube under the bridge. I found that the tube gives the bass a bit more thump and overall muffles and mellows the tone. Good for recordings, I suppose, but the unmodified sound is lively and has its merits as well. As for recording technique, Pally is plugged right into the board AND I've clipped an Audio-Technica Pro 70 lavalier microphone to the bridge to pick up acoustic nuances. The lavalier adds a lot to the sound! As for the song itself, It's a little piece of casual fluff added to my upcoming CD. A bunch of people will be disappointed if there are no ukulele songs on the CD. The amazing Jean Sudbury plays mandolin. Play on big speakers if you can to hear the bass!
 
#867
Musings and ramblings....

Well, the Palantino arrived yesterday via Fed Ex in perfect condition. Bought it from a place in Utah called www.instrumentalley.com It was listed there at $670, but when I went to order, the price adjusted to $585. That was the total price including shippiing. Fast turnaround, and FedEx delivers on Saturday, which is really convenient.

I put the bridge on, and made sure it was exactly at a 180 degree angle from the bass. Its really easy to slip on this, and am wondering if a poor bridge setup. leaning to one side, could affect the sound. Medium high clearance for jazz and bowing. The bass came with a rubber tire-type square, so I am wondering if the manufacturer is now adding this and did not before?? I just used some cloth wrapped up to dampen the bridge, but I like another poster's idea of lacing black felt through the strings, so I think I will try that.

Just to answer a previous question about cases, I am saving the styrofoam that it shipped with and the box. I am wondering if there is a long enough keyboard bag that could be used with some of the styrofoam to make a case that could even be airline friendly. I suppose even a golf bag might be an option with cutting down the styrofoam. The box, styrofoam, and the bass are only 31 pounds. I guess it could even go via plane that way.

Took it to a rehearsal. Ran it through a GKMB150 head and a 10" Wizzie speaker. I was able to eliminate the hissing by turning the treble down on the bass and EQing on the speaker head. All in all, a positive experience. Takes some adjustment to get used to there not being that much bass there, but much easier than I thought. Do not care for the metal thing to insert to expand the bass size. Does not work for me. The fingerboard is so much like the one on my regular upright. Nice!

The bridge looks scarey, but it held up. I am assuming it is holding up for everyone. Lemur Music makes bridges from drawings, and their shop could probably make me a nonadjusable bridge of better quality once I settle on a string height.

I am used to Obligatos, so the strings felt different, but I am in no rush to change them.

I did a search within this thread, didn't find any answers, so I was curious if:

1. Anyone had tried Obligatos and thought they were better. Or any other significant difference with other brands of strings?

2. Is the stock pickup really that bad, meaning is there a big difference using another pickup/eq system? Is it because of the hissing or because the sound can be so improved with another system?

3. Has anyone tried the Realist on this and what were the results?

3, Has anyone had the problem of the knobs securing the endpins jamming so it is difficult to unwind it and pull the endpin up? Took a lot of someone else's strength to unjam the knobs and pin. Anyone have a good solution to this? Maybe WD40? Some kind of oil?

Curious mind wants to know.
 
#868
I was really disgusted with the amount of hiss I was getting out of mine so today I did what a few others here have done before and I wired the pickup straight to the output. I plugged it back into my Sansamp bass driver and that straight into my laptop as usual and was pleased to hear no hissing at all, I'd recommend that option for the hiss. Hope it helps!
 
#869
GD500 wrote :

Did you dampen the metal tailpiece? Could it be that your tailpiece is ringing?
Click to expand...

Just to let you all know that this was the problem I was having and it is now OK. I used a fairly crude roll of packing material stuffed between the tailpiece and the body, I've used it on two gigs since doing this with no problems.

All I need to do now is make it a bit prettier or build a new tailpiece when I've got the time.

Just to clarify the ringing I was getting was very low frequency around 40 - 80hz, if you damped the strings with your hand the ringing would continue on regardless, obviously hitting a resonant frequency.

Thanks to everyone here for all the tips and advice, it's been invaluable, just need to build a new preamp for it now and then.......
 
#871
IRT your problem with the endpin knobs, see my first posting on page 37 for an easy fix. I still use the factory endpin fittings and they are working just fine. I also use a soft hand therapy squeeze ball placed between the tailpiece and the body and I get none of the rattle or vibration that others refer to. I often get a little ribbing about the ball but it works for me.
 
#872
BigWookie said:
IRT your problem with the endpin knobs, see my first posting on page 37 for an easy fix. I still use the factory endpin fittings and they are working just fine. I also use a soft hand therapy squeeze ball placed between the tailpiece and the body and I get none of the rattle or vibration that others refer to. I often get a little ribbing about the ball but it works for me.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion about the endpin knobs. That's something do-able and I will get that taken care of.
 
#874
Go to Youtube and type in SSQ boats and bluegrass.

This is live audio and video on youtube of my old VE500 last fall. This bass has a revolution solo pickup, Eminence brdige, Euro ultralight strings and a K and K preamp. Nothing stock left on the bass at this time.
 
#875
I'm looking to build a flight case for my Palatino as quotes for flight cases were as costly as the bass itself and I think it's a good idea to use the styrofoam. Might try Corelli strings on mine,bridge needed a little adjustment but is fine. G string sounds a bit thin though E A D nice and chunky but G a little weak and not as loud. Might try it later through Graphic EQ pedal. As for knobs on end pin, mine were stiff so I put some graphite/ pencil shavings on the inside or you could rub it with candle wax. I will also try putting on an old Fishman 2 paddle pick up to see if that evens out tone.
C. Link Removed
jgbass said:
Well, the Palantino arrived yesterday via Fed Ex in perfect condition. Bought it from a place in Utah called www.instrumentalley.com It was listed there at $670, but when I went to order, the price adjusted to $585. That was the total price including shippiing. Fast turnaround, and FedEx delivers on Saturday, which is really convenient.

I put the bridge on, and made sure it was exactly at a 180 degree angle from the bass. Its really easy to slip on this, and am wondering if a poor bridge setup. leaning to one side, could affect the sound. Medium high clearance for jazz and bowing. The bass came with a rubber tire-type square, so I am wondering if the manufacturer is now adding this and did not before?? I just used some cloth wrapped up to dampen the bridge, but I like another poster's idea of lacing black felt through the strings, so I think I will try that.

Just to answer a previous question about cases, I am saving the styrofoam that it shipped with and the box. I am wondering if there is a long enough keyboard bag that could be used with some of the styrofoam to make a case that could even be airline friendly. I suppose even a golf bag might be an option with cutting down the styrofoam. The box, styrofoam, and the bass are only 31 pounds. I guess it could even go via plane that way.

Took it to a rehearsal. Ran it through a GKMB150 head and a 10" Wizzie speaker. I was able to eliminate the hissing by turning the treble down on the bass and EQing on the speaker head. All in all, a positive experience. Takes some adjustment to get used to there not being that much bass there, but much easier than I thought. Do not care for the metal thing to insert to expand the bass size. Does not work for me. The fingerboard is so much like the one on my regular upright. Nice!

The bridge looks scarey, but it held up. I am assuming it is holding up for everyone. Lemur Music makes bridges from drawings, and their shop could probably make me a nonadjusable bridge of better quality once I settle on a string height.

I am used to Obligatos, so the strings felt different, but I am in no rush to change them.

I did a search within this thread, didn't find any answers, so I was curious if:

1. Anyone had tried Obligatos and thought they were better. Or any other significant difference with other brands of strings?

2. Is the stock pickup really that bad, meaning is there a big difference using another pickup/eq system? Is it because of the hissing or because the sound can be so improved with another system?

3. Has anyone tried the Realist on this and what were the results?

3, Has anyone had the problem of the knobs securing the endpins jamming so it is difficult to unwind it and pull the endpin up? Took a lot of someone else's strength to unjam the knobs and pin. Anyone have a good solution to this? Maybe WD40? Some kind of oil?

Curious mind wants to know.
Click to expand...
 
#876
My Palatino sounds quite good when I amplify it through a Fishman BP100, Fishman preamp and the SWR Baby Blue.
I use D'Addario Helicore Hybrid Light. Compared to my DB with Thomastik Spirocores the strings on the Palatino are harder to play. They lack the smooth feeling of the Spirocores on the DB.
Does anyone have an idea if the reason is the shorter string lenghth below the bridge on the Palatino, or is it due to the string type?

Thank you and keep playing
 
#878
The realist won't work on the VE500 with the bridge holder that is on there. You can get a piezo film pickup that will fit under the bridge feet so you don't need to mod the bridge holder. ( I did that anyway cuz I had another mod in mind but didn't follow up with that.

Theoretically you could take the bridge holder off the body completely and put a better bridge directly on the body. ( Use an Eminence bridge if you can get one or cut down a 1/4 size bridge )

The Realist pickup is designed more for the direct contact of the pickup between the body and the bridge foot. Try the trout cove lutherie folks and they can send you their version of a piezo film pickup for about $20 or $25 . The Realist goes for $200 on Ebay.

I was almost ready to take off the bridge holder to try a direct mount of the bridge on the body but the band was playing to much to take the time to experiment with that approach.

Good luck

Bob
 
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