Double Bass Realist Copperhead vs Realist lifetime?

[SMollock]

I have a Realist Copperhead on a custom Electric Upright Bass, and think it sounds great. I am planning on buying an Acoustic 3/4 upright soon. I will want to put a pickup on that also. I was going to buy another Realist Copperhead, and then saw the lifetime.
Anybody here that can give me a comparison on the 2 pickups for an Acoustic Bass?

Thanks!

 

[nogbert]

i own a lifeline, but i A/B'd them together before buying one. the copperhead has much more low end, whereas the lifeline has more midrange. For me the lifeline felt much more balanced. i felt like i would have had to mess around with the EQ a lot to dial in my tone with the copper head, but the lifeline sounded great with minimal effort. ymmv

many luthiers carry both (they are both very popular pickups) and might let you try them out back to back.

 

[SMollock]

i own a lifeline, but i A/B'd them together before buying one. the copperhead has much more low end, whereas the lifeline has more midrange. For me the lifeline felt much more balanced. i felt like i would have had to mess around with the EQ a lot to dial in my tone with the copper head, but the lifeline sounded great with minimal effort. ymmv

many luthiers carry both (they are both very popular pickups) and might let you try them out back to back.

Thanks Nogbert! I agree with the fact that the copperhead's output is definitely low end heavy. So does the lifeline round out the entire spectrum of the bass without getting too bright? I'm purchasing an acoustic upright because my Electric seems to be unbalanced in tonal qualities. I am looking for the old school sound. I play in a lot of blues/jump projects, and I like the old CBS recording sound for that. Can't get that from an electric bass, and I want a pickup that will amplify that sound, and use minimal eq when I play through an amp. Were there any sound issues with the pickup being attached to the bridge adjustment shaft? Like tinny overtones?

I would like to A/B them actually. LOL but I ain't driving to Denver to do it !

 

[Ric Vice]

I think it’s easier to add a little bass to the Realist Lifeline than it is to EQ the Realist so it’s got better definition. The
old CBS recordings were likely done with large diaphragm condenser microphones. I’ve only encountered one pickup that sounds like a mic and that’s the Ehrlund EAP. Unfortunately, it’s expensive and doesn’t work on all the different basses across the board.

 

[SMollock]

I think it’s easier to add a little bass to the Realist Lifeline than it is to EQ the Realist so it’s got better definition. The
old CBS recordings were likely done with large diaphragm condenser microphones. I’ve only encountered one pickup that sounds like a mic and that’s the Ehrlund EAP. Unfortunately, it’s expensive and doesn’t work on all the different basses across the board.

Thanks for your insight, Ric!

 

[bassmanbrent]

I think it’s easier to add a little bass to the Realist Lifeline than it is to EQ the Realist so it’s got better definition.

I agree totally. The Lifeline is a good plug-and-play pickup, and is also more flexible, sound wise, than the Realist IMHO.

 

[birgebass]

The Lifeline is more feedback resistant in my experience. That is another factor you want to consider.

 

[Fretless55]

As a jump and RnB pizz player, It’s been my experience that an fdeck hpf really helps tame boom and feedback with my hybrid with at higher volumes with my copper Realist.

At lower volumes I find I’m fine just straight into my GK 200mb combo.

 

[Sam Dingle]

Life line. The Cooper one scratched the top of my bass too much

 

[TroyK]

I have used both. Sonically both are good, neither is perfect, but neither is anything else.

The copper Realist will leave an imprint on the top of your bass, though, so I'd recommend the Life Line.

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I've used both and like the Lifeline better. It's currently on my main bass actually. It has more mids and overall definition than the Copperhead. I don't have nearly as many problems with feedback either.

It's also very consistent. There was different pickup that I had on my bass for a long time. It sounded good through some amps/sound systems but terrible through others. The consistency of the Lifeline is nice. Whatever I plug into, I know what sound I'm going to get.

 

[jj.833]

I played blues in small clubs with copperhead. I remember my biggest problem was feedback. Now I have a lifeline, the feedback is very easy to solve, any frequency can be effectively EQed up or down, and the sound without preamp is quite usable as well. Lifeline surely is a step further technically.
Soundwise, I would say that copperhead sounds more aggresive or rough, whereas lifeline sound closer to how my acoustic bass sounds. I like lifeline better, but I remember that more people were coming to me praising the sound of bass when I had the copperhead. So, if you can, try both, and try them on a gig. As @nogbert writes above, perhaps your luthier can let you choose, it's not uncommon.

 

[nogbert]

...Were there any sound issues with the pickup being attached to the bridge adjustment shaft? Like tinny overtones?

I would like to A/B them actually. LOL but I ain't driving to Denver to do it !

i've never had any high frequency problems or tinnyness, but like any piezo they both can be played too hard resulting in a quacky hollow tone. preamp and wise use of amplification can get around this though. both the realist and the lifeline will have this issue, its just the nature of the beast.

 

[Josh Kneisel]

I haven't tried both, but I have been using the Lifeline for about 3 years and I don't feel like I need to swap. I can also play at fairly loud volumes through my big ampeg rig without feedback issues. Tone on my bass is nice and thumpy not tinny overtones for me at all that I notice. Bow sounds fine as well. I run my eq almost flat maybe pull out some lows and low mids if anything. I play spiro mittels on a ply if that factors in for you.

 

[SMollock]

Thanks guys for all these helpful comparisons! As I stated.. I have gotten my upright yet. Still shopping, but I do have a copperhead, and my only gripe is the same as nogbert has. It's too heavy on the low end. That being said I don't think I will A/B them till I have my upright. My custom Electric upright would not give me the comparison I need to make a decision. ha ha ha However I "DO" already own a copperhead. I will keep all your comments in mind when I finally choose the upright I will be playing.

Also... Are any of these comments coming from anyone using GUT strings? I think I will be using them on my new bass.

Thanks again for your input! Nice to find a site with threads setup for specifics, and these doesn't seem to be a lot of topic changing!

 

[TroyK]

If you mount the "copperhead" on your bass, it will mark and leave an indention in your table. I wouldn't do that to "A/B" them. It's not a bad pickup and if you are sure it's what you want, go for it, but I wouldn't put it on there, even for a second, otherwise.

 

[lurk]

I've had both. The only thing the realist does better is Arco. If that's a big part of your game you should consider it. I currently have a Lifeline into a tonedexter and am very happy.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Why use the Realist which marks the top if the Shadow NFX doesn’t, is probably cheaper, has two sensor foils (works also wit one only) and an impedance buffer built-in. Very nice with the bow too.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

The current version of the Realist Copperhead doesn't have the "top indenting" piezo crystals anymore (I think they're using film these days.) All other observations apply... it can be amazing on the right bass.

 

[AGCurry]

Whatever piezo pickup you use, be sure that your amp or preamp input has a much higher impedance than you would expect for a magnetic pickup.