• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Preamp Ideas For Stereo Pickups?

Keith Rawlings

Keith Rawlings

Aug 3, 2019
1,476
2,759
#1
I recently played my first show again after a 10 year layoff from public performance and it became very clear that my pickup combination needed an upgrade. The Underwood and a Shure 57 microphone to pickup the slap sound just wasn’t cutting it anymore; so I moved my setup into the modern era with the purchase of a stereo pickup.

My question for the forum is in regards to the best preamp to operate the stereo pickup with? Many of my fellow bluegrass/rockabilly players that I know have said that the K&K preamps are ideal for stereo pickups in this application; yet others utilize Tone Bones, Shadow preamps or others. What would you all recommend to get the most out of my bass?
 
#2
I use the K&K Dual Channel Pro ST, which can be an on-board mounted pre-amp that receives a stereo male plug patch cord that comes from my Vic's Model C stereo female plug... This K&K model supports indivual EQ and Gain settings for each channel with micro pots (and an included screwdriver) inside the box, and dual volume for blending outside of the box. It works very nicely and I've come to really like having only the volume controls to worry about after setting the EQ and Gain inside the box the way I like them. Great for tone and lots of volume headroom. The K&K supports 1 Mega Ohm input which is fine for my Vic's Model C (piezos).

The one thing I'd change if I had a choice would be the on and off mechanism, and this applies to a lot of smaller battery pre-amps. Like many others, the K&K is turned on when you plug into the output jack and turned off when you unplug that jack. I'd really like to have an on-off switch and an LED to remind me, much less likely to forget. As it is I've forgotten a few times and come back a couple of days later to a dead battery. So I carry lots of extra batteries now.

Before I got the K&K I also tried an older Fishman single channel which we had sitting around, and it sounded good for the bridge wing, but of course didn't support the click (fingerboard) channel. But tone wise it was good and I'm not immune to curiosity about Fishman's and other companies' newer products.

That said, the K&K is really more than I need and I currently have no serious plans to change.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Keith Rawlings
#3
Don Hergert said:
I use the K&K Dual Channel Pro ST, which can be an on-board mounted pre-amp that receives a stereo male plug patch cord that comes from my Vic's Model C stereo female plug... This K&K model supports indivual EQ and Gain settings for each channel with micro pots (and an included screwdriver) inside the box, and dual volume for blending outside of the box. It works very nicely and I've come to really like having only the volume controls to worry about after setting the EQ and Gain inside the box the way I like them. Great for tone and lots of volume headroom. The K&K supports 1 Mega Ohm input which is fine for my Vic's Model C (piezos).

The one thing I'd change if I had a choice would be the on and off mechanism, and this applies to a lot of smaller battery pre-amps. Like many others, the K&K is turned on when you plug into the output jack and turned off when you unplug that jack. I'd really like to have an on-off switch and an LED to remind me, much less likely to forget. As it is I've forgotten a few times and come back a couple of days later to a dead battery. So I carry lots of extra batteries now.

Before I got the K&K I also tried an older Fishman single channel which we had sitting around, and it sounded good for the bridge wing, but of course didn't support the click (fingerboard) channel. But tone wise it was good and I'm not immune to curiosity about Fishman's and other companies' newer products.

That said, the K&K is really more than I need and I currently have no serious plans to change.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice. The K&K seems like it will do everything I need it to do; and the stereo pickup I’ve got is the Model C from Vic’s Pickups. I like that I can run the clicks through a separate amp with a touch of reverb to give it that classic “Bill Black” big room sound with the K&K. Does it have a separate AC adapter? As you mentioned in your write up that preamp appears to eat up batteries.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Don Hergert
#4
There is an AC adapter that plugs in directly to the 9V battery plug inside the box, and a small slot in the box itself to allow the wire through. It's a separate item, not included with the pre-amp.

The batteries will last 60 hours if I won't forget to unplug the output patch cord. :banghead:

3) Pre-amp And Wiring, Driver Side

3) Pre-amp And Wiring, Driver Side

4) Pre-amp And Wiring, Bass Side

4) Pre-amp And Wiring, Bass Side

1) Front

1) Front

6) Dual Mono Outputs

6) Dual Mono Outputs

 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back