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Double Bass Palatino VE-500

H

Horganstein

Inactive
Feb 24, 2016
93
17
#1
Hey guys
Great to be here since I have quite a few questions and possibly some answers for some of you owning the Palatino VE-500 bass.
Questions:
1- As anyone found a way to get even volume and tone up and down the fingerboard?
I have trouble getting equal volume on my G string compared to the others.
Here's what I've used as a pickup for this test: David Gage Realist and the KK Bassmax.
G string volume is still week compared to the others.
2- Helllllllllllp ?
I installed the Eminence bass bridge on my Palatino also.
 
#5
carl h. said:
What have you done with the bridge?
Click to expand...
I still have the original Palatino bridge set aside. I'm now using a much better bridge which is the one made for the Eminence bass with adjusters. I've been playing Double Bass for 30 years and know a bit about the instrument just to make myself clear. My problem is not with strings, bridge or anything, the problem is that with the David Gage Realist pickup and the KK Bassmax I'm getting full contact from the E-A and D string but the G string is very week in volume with the pickups. All four strings come out evenly without amplification. The problem lies in getting these pickups to distribute even volume to my G string.
 
#6
Horganstein said:
I still have the original Palatino bridge set aside. I'm now using a much better bridge which is the one made for the Eminence bass with adjusters. I've been playing Double Bass for 30 years and know a bit about the instrument just to make myself clear. My problem is not with strings, bridge or anything, the problem is that with the David Gage Realist pickup and the KK Bassmax I'm getting full contact from the E-A and D string but the G string is very week in volume with the pickups. All four strings come out evenly without amplification. The problem lies in getting these pickups to distribute even volume to my G string.
Click to expand...


Do you have a picture of the bridge? Sometimes a poor job of cutting it down to fit can cause imbalances.
 
#7
carl h. said:
Do you have a picture of the bridge? Sometimes a poor job of cutting it down to fit can cause imbalances.
Click to expand...
I brought the bridge to my luthier and everything is fine . It fits perfectly on the top of the bass with no gaps
I know very well that it is easier for a bridge to transmit even volume on a genuine Double Bass but it is quite different getting a bridge to vibrate evenly on a piece of wood as is the Palatino
I've tried just about everything under the sun
 
Last edited:
#8
Horganstein said:
I brought the bridge to my luthier and everything is fine . I fits perfectly on the top of the bass with no gaps
I know very well that it is easier for a bridge to transmit even volume on a genuine Double Bass but it is quite different getting a bridge to vibrate evenly on a piece of wood as is the Palatino
I've tried just about everything under the sun
Click to expand...
Does your Palatino have equal volume on all strings with your pickup? If yes what kind of pickup are you using?
 
#9
I don't know if the Palatino has a soundpost or not, but on my big acoustic double bass I needed two element pickups to get the high strings equally represented in th pickup signal when the soundpost was very close to the bridge foot. After repositioning it, that problem has gone and now I can use single element pickups.

On my Clevinger solid body 5-string EUB a second element was needed, because the bridge cannot move on the rigid solid body. With single element pickups the high strings are underrepresented. I build a two element bridge foot pickup with changeable phase for one element and a balance pot for mixing the two signals together. That works well.
 
#11
DoubleMIDI said:
I don't know if the Palatino has a soundpost or not, but on my big acoustic double bass I needed two element pickups to get the high strings equally represented in th pickup signal when the soundpost was very close to the bridge foot. After repositioning it, that problem has gone and now I can use single element pickups.

On my Clevinger solid body 5-string EUB a second element was needed, because the bridge cannot move on the rigid solid body. With single element pickups the high strings are underrepresented. I build a two element bridge foot pickup with changeable phase for one element and a balance pot for mixing the two signals together. That works well.
Click to expand...
 
#12
No sound post on the VE-500 Palatino. my 1800 double bass has no problems with evenness of sound dispersion whether it be a one winged pick up or the Fishman Full Circle which is what I have on that bass now. I know that by putting 2 winged pickups things will even out but my concern if that those kind of pickups give a lot of string sound and not much body and usually sound pretty electric . I was hoping the David Gage Realist would work since it is placed right under the E side of the bridge and on a normal Double Bass sounds great but since I have a problem with the G string not being picked up as well as the others, I'm not even sure that the Realist would do the job. Very strange situation since when I play the Palatino acoustically all strings are equal in volume but as soon as I put any kind of pickup on the G string drops down in volume compared to the other strings. Mystery !!!!
 
#13
HateyMcAmp said:
If you are already bypassing the onboard electronics, you might try a two element bridge wing pickup like the Shadow SH950. The two elements would likely fix your balance problem, and the Shadow stuff is priced right.
Click to expand...
Thanks but don't those wing pickups sound more electric and pick up more string sound than body. Never tried the Shadow pickups but my experience with wing pickups is not positive for what I like to hear.
 
#15
Horganstein said:
Thanks but don't those wing pickups sound more electric and pick up more string sound than body. Never tried the Shadow pickups but my experience with wing pickups is not positive for what I like to hear.
Click to expand...

To me, everything I have amplified my bass with that isn't a microphone sounds electric. I'm using the single element shadow now, and it reminds me a lot of the Bass Max, which I like well enough. I'm a gut string player, however, so I tend to favor brighter pickups that pair with gut well, as well as the extra fingerboard sound for slap bass. I've also used the SH-965NFX that DoubleMidi recommended, which is like a two element realist with a built in preamp. On my (acoustic) DB, I can't say it was more "acoustic" sounding than a bridge wing pickup, but it was indeed darker with more "body" than string sounds. I used to own an Ergo, which has electronics built off the realist underfoot design, and it had decently dark, woody tone considering it was a solidbody bass!
 
#16
HateyMcAmp said:
To me, everything I have amplified my bass with that isn't a microphone sounds electric. I'm using the single element shadow now, and it reminds me a lot of the Bass Max, which I like well enough. I'm a gut string player, however, so I tend to favor brighter pickups that pair with gut well, as well as the extra fingerboard sound for slap bass. I've also used the SH-965NFX that DoubleMidi recommended, which is like a two element realist with a built in preamp. On my (acoustic) DB, I can't say it was more "acoustic" sounding than a bridge wing pickup, but it was indeed darker with more "body" than string sounds. I used to own an Ergo, which has electronics built off the realist underfoot design, and it had decently dark, woody tone considering it was a solidbody bass!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info I appreciate your insight. All the best
 
#17
My (5 string, High C, floating top Bug) Azola has a pickup in each wing slot--- I only use the high side pick up when bowing, otherwise the single pickup is very even for pizz.

I think the instrument quality and build, even on a EUB come into play, that's why I opted for the floating top option.
When I was shopping for an EUB 15 years ago, the quality of sound of the different brands were reflected in the build quality (and price).

I recently purchased a used NS CR5M that is excellent for pizz and arco--- but very dependent on string choice..

My suggestion---- check out some better instruments.
 

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