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Double Bass Pickup recommendation for Rockabilly and Jazz

mebusdriver

mebusdriver

Jun 11, 2001
900
23
42
USA, Warner Robins GA
#1
Need a recommendation for a pickup... I spoke to Bob Gollihur and he recommended the K&K Bass Master Pro system. Just wanted to run it by the many minds here at TB.

My main concerns are volume and versatility. The two group I'm playing with play mostly rockabilly and jazz. I don't like the really glassy clicking rockabilly sound. I'm more into the deep natural wood sound of Lee Rocker. Some click is necessary but it's not my main focus. I slap quite a bit with with the songs we play but I'm not looking for the psychobilly super fast clicky sound.

I can't even tell you what the current pickup I have is. It was given to me by a friend. It has two transducers that mount to the bridge between the E and A and the D and G strings. It feeds back like crazy and is incredibly sensitive. And it sounds HORRIBLE. Nasally, glassy, thin, and loads of feedback.

So do you guys have any recommendations? I'll probably be playing Spirocores. They were highly recommended in another string thread I started a couple of days ago. I really don't play arco so I'm not worried about a good bow sound. All pizz and occasional slap. Thanks a bunch!
 
#2
The PU you're describing looks like a Fishman BP-100, not a top quality device but shouldn't feedback that much. Feedback is not much a matter of PU, but rather how you amplify the signal. Me, I can't play without a notch and high pass filters (look for these topics in the forums, it has been discussed extensively).

As for a new PU suggestion, fishman's full circle is a good buy if you don't play arco. As for slap, I can't tell but I'm sure others will. K&k bass max should be a great PU for rockabilly from what I've read.
 
#3
I have no experience with the Bassmaster Pro- but you can usually take advice from anyone at Gollihur to the bank. I have used the K and K Bassmax and found it to be a very user friendly, versatile pickup...they come up used in the classifieds pretty frequently too- I think it would be a good match for the playing you describe.

What are you using for an amp?

Joe
 
#6
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Note that using a dedicated notch filter is often akin to using an elephant gun to kill an ant. With parametric tone shaping and/or more conventional "eq.," you can often gently attenuate the offending band. Sometimes the situation is so bad that you do need a notch filter. I've yet to encounter a situation in which I've needed one.
 
#7
drurb said:
Look Invalid Link Removed.

Note that using a dedicated notch filter is often akin to using an elephant gun to kill an ant. With parametric tone shaping and/or more conventional "eq.," you can often gently attenuate the offending band. Sometimes the situation is so bad that you do need a notch filter. I've yet to encounter a situation in which I've needed one.
Click to expand...

+1 Although I have a notch filter on my Headway EDB-1 I rarely use it for just the reasons stated above by Les, as the Elephant Gun always leaves a hole, even it it's a Bull Elephant. :) It's the court of last result. Tranqilizer Darts, in the form of Tone Controls work much better IME. Using them correctly, just puts that frequency to sleep, preventing the feedback, without destroying the Elephant's ability to trumpet.

Ric
 
#8
I use a shure sm58 or my DPA 4099b when I play with my bluegrass band and there is less noise - which I prefer. But when I play with my rock/blues/grass band, I use a k&k rockabilly pickup into a gk 150 mbs so I don't feedback with the drums and electric guitar. I really like it. I slap quite a bit and depending on the show, I adjust the second pickup under the fretboard to pickup the slap but adjust the amp to minimize that high clacky sound we don't like. Seems to work pretty well. So if you want a little of that slap in the mix, I'd look into the k&k rockabilly too.
 
#12
I just replaced my Bassmax with a Rockabilly Plus that I got here on the classifieds- I've been very impressed with it so far in rehearsals, but my first gig with it will be tomorrow night...I'll let you know how it goes, but I have a really good feeling that it's gonna be great for pizz and slap.

Hoping for an Ehrlund in my not too distant future to get my amplified arco sound back...but I digress.

The 800RB is a great amp! You can use the bi-amp mode crossover as a sort of "notch filter" if you use two cabs and put the crossover split where you usually get feedback. A friend of mine does this- he uses a Mesa 15 and some kind of 2X10- not a really "pure" sound, but he can get pretty freaking loud with it!

Joe
 

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