Double Bass Pre-Amp Options For Use With Multiple Pickups and Amps

[Steve Freides]

Background: I have at least three different brands of piezo pickup installed on various basses here, and also a cheapie-but-goodie Dean Markley Artist Transducer which costs all of $30 that I use with good results on my classical guitar. I play out infrequently; yesterday I played both double bass and classical guitar through a Phil Jones Double Four at two different points in the day, rehearsal for the bass where I'll be playing jazz/pizz next week for a few tunes in a musical review, art exhibition opening in town for the classical guitar. The PJ is just _so_ portable ...

I could use more gain to drive the PJ's input, it seems. The bass just got ugly sounding with the volume controls turned too high, and the classical guitar wouldn't quite deliver the volume I wanted because I couldn't drive the input hard enough.

I'd like a preamp that would meet my needs and won't break the bank - recommendations appreciated. I own a HPF-Pre, Series II, but I confess to not having used it at all, really, because the input stages on my AI Ten2 seem to do everything I need. But the PJ is a different creature. Is the HPF-Pre what I should be trying here? My memory of it is that it's supposed to handle impedance mismatches to produce a flatter response, but not that it's supposed to provide gain. I think I'm supposed to use something different for that.

Recommendations and education appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

-S-

 

[oren]

The HPF does not provide gain, but since you have it you might as well try it with your PJ and see if it helps.

 

[Keyser Soze]

I haven't kept up with the "arms race" of preamp rollouts over the past five years or so, as thoroughly chronicled here on TB. I have always been happy with the "Swiss Army Knife" abilities of my older Fishman Pro Platinum preamp that I bought here in the TB classifieds years ago. It has shined in every situation I've needed a preamp for. Very versatile, pretty transparent, lots of features, not all of which are necessary in every deployment but are nice to have. It also features a pretty good DI and can be powered by the PA's 48v phantom power, a really handy (and economical) feature.

They can be had used for ~$100 and resold for about the same if it doesn't meet your needs. They make (made?) a similar one for guitar but I'll bet this one -- the bass one -- would work well enough w/ your guitar's cheap pickup. I'd start here, go up the ladder if this doesn't solve your problems.

 

[Ric Vice]

I'd like a preamp that would meet my needs and won't break the bank - recommendations appreciated. I own a HPF-Pre, Series II, but I confess to not having used it at all, really, because the input stages on my AI Ten2 seem to do everything I need. But the PJ is a different creature. Is the HPF-Pre what I should be trying here? My memory of it is that it's supposed to handle impedance mismatches to produce a flatter response, but not that it's supposed to provide gain. I think I'm supposed to use something different for that. -S-

Steve,
The HPF only provides a 2 DB Gain. That's just enough to compensate for it's addition into your signal chain. So it isn't really designed to do what you're asking. I'd suggest that you're AI Ten2 would solve these issues and not cost anything, if you still own it.

Ric

 

[Steve Freides]

I'd suggest that you're AI Ten2 would solve these issues and not cost anything, if you still own it.

The Ten2 was just one too many things to carry for last night's classical guitar gig, but yes, it works well. I can't see myself ever selling it.

A tool - I need another in my toolbox, and it's a pre-amp.

-S-

 

[Steve Freides]

A search on the classifieds here for

Fishman Pro Platinum preamp

finds six of them, all marked sold.

-S-

 

[BobKay]

I use the Headway EDB-2 with both an AI Coda and Ten 2 EX. I really like it. Not sure where it falls in the "won't break the bank" category, since each person's bank is different.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I haven't used a double 4, but if it's anything like the PJB CUB, there's a limit to how loud you can get before it starts to sound "boxy" and a bit harsh. There are two small things that can be done at that point IME. First, maximize the PJB preamp gain by moving it forward until the input clip light comes on when you hit it hard, then dial it back to right before that happens. Second, use the Fdeck to roll off more lows when the volume creeps up toward the max - what causes the "boxy" sound is too many lows and low mids trying to escape the cab and not being able to. Those tiny little amps are great for what they do, but because the cabinet size is so small, the speakers are being asked to do more than they would if the cabinet were bigger, and the lows always crap out first.

 

[Steve Freides]

Roll off the bottom with Fdeck - good idea, thanks.

-S-

 

[Steve Freides]

Just bought a Fishman here that a fellow TN'er pointed out to me.

-S-