Double Bass Realist Copperhead vs Realist lifetime?

[SMollock]

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.

Thanks AGC! I have been using a copperhead on my custom electric upright for several years I have a DI box with a preamp. I get the signal thing, just looking for sound comparison with the lifeline model, and also the realist clamp on model.

 

[TroyK]

Thanks AGC! I have been using a copperhead on my custom electric upright for several years I have a DI box with a preamp. I get the signal thing, just looking for sound comparison with the lifeline model, and also the realist clamp on model.

I've used all 3 extensively.

The "copperhead" is deepest sounding. Can be muddy, sounds very good on some basses, and tends to get along well with virtually any amp. The downside (aside from scratching/indenting the top) is that if your sound is muddy, you can't really dial it in. It's just not there to dial. If it sounds good, you're cool, if not, you're stuck. I never had a feedback problem, though people do complain about that, but in a bad room, with the wrong drummer next to me, it left me wanting many nights.

The SoundClip is fiddly. It sounded okay sometimes and not others. Sometimes first set, but not second. My band mates made me move on from it. I liked the idea and would like to see Gage or someone else perfect it if possible, but I can't really reccomend it. It's not developed a very large following, so I think my experience is telling.

I currently use the LifeLine. It's overall the best of the 3. In a perfect room, on a perfect night, I might not prefer the copperhead, but on an average night or worse, the LifeLine any day. I like the way that it mounts better than the copperhead and it's just a better and 15 years more modern pickup.

It's not as good sounding (IMHO) as the Full circle, which I also used for a few years, but it is better constructed. Similar price, you should consider it as well.

The Yamiko is reportedly better still and I really like it's design and construction, but it's a whole different price point.

Then there are mics and blending multiple devices...but those things aren't necessary and your sound has to really be worth the trouble and expense. You're going to need to spend some time getting that sound out of your bass, coming from EUB, so I don't suggest chasing amplified perfection right now.

LifeLine or Full Circle or if you are sure it's what you want, copperhead and go.

 

[SMollock]

I've used all 3 extensively.

The "copperhead" is deepest sounding. Can be muddy, sounds very good on some basses, and tends to get along well with virtually any amp. The downside (aside from scratching/indenting the top) is that if your sound is muddy, you can't really dial it in. It's just not there to dial. If it sounds good, you're cool, if not, you're stuck. I never had a feedback problem, though people do complain about that, but in a bad room, with the wrong drummer next to me, it left me wanting many nights.

The SoundClip is fiddly. It sounded okay sometimes and not others. Sometimes first set, but not second. My band mates made me move on from it. I liked the idea and would like to see Gage or someone else perfect it if possible, but I can't really reccomend it. It's not developed a very large following, so I think my experience is telling.

I currently use the LifeLine. It's overall the best of the 3. In a perfect room, on a perfect night, I might not prefer the copperhead, but on an average night or worse, the LifeLine any day. I like the way that it mounts better than the copperhead and it's just a better and 15 years more modern pickup.

It's not as good sounding (IMHO) as the Full circle, which I also used for a few years, but it is better constructed. Similar price, you should consider it as well.

The Yamiko is reportedly better still and I really like it's design and construction, but it's a whole different price point.

Then there are mics and blending multiple devices...but those things aren't necessary and your sound has to really be worth the trouble and expense. You're going to need to spend some time getting that sound out of your bass, coming from EUB, so I don't suggest chasing amplified perfection right now.

LifeLine or Full Circle or if you are sure it's what you want, copperhead and go.

Thank you Troy for what definitely sounds like the voice of experience. I have noticed as stated above from another user that on my EB the copperhead is quite bottom heavy which is fine for Salsa music, but for blues and such I am looking for an even sound arcoss the board. I do understand that I first have to find a bass that has the tone, and playability that I'm looking for in a DB, This in it'self has become quite a challenge to fit that into my price range. I will still have the copperhead to use if I need it, but judging from the consensus in this thread it sounds like the lifetime will give me a truer sound once I find the DB.
Have you tried the Upton pickup? I think it mounts the same as the Full Circle single pizz but the pizz is encased with laminate or some type of cover?

Thanks for your input!

 

[SMollock]

I've used all 3 extensively.

The "copperhead" is deepest sounding. Can be muddy, sounds very good on some basses, and tends to get along well with virtually any amp. The downside (aside from scratching/indenting the top) is that if your sound is muddy, you can't really dial it in. It's just not there to dial. If it sounds good, you're cool, if not, you're stuck. I never had a feedback problem, though people do complain about that, but in a bad room, with the wrong drummer next to me, it left me wanting many nights.

The SoundClip is fiddly. It sounded okay sometimes and not others. Sometimes first set, but not second. My band mates made me move on from it. I liked the idea and would like to see Gage or someone else perfect it if possible, but I can't really reccomend it. It's not developed a very large following, so I think my experience is telling.

I currently use the LifeLine. It's overall the best of the 3. In a perfect room, on a perfect night, I might not prefer the copperhead, but on an average night or worse, the LifeLine any day. I like the way that it mounts better than the copperhead and it's just a better and 15 years more modern pickup.

It's not as good sounding (IMHO) as the Full circle, which I also used for a few years, but it is better constructed. Similar price, you should consider it as well.

The Yamiko is reportedly better still and I really like it's design and construction, but it's a whole different price point.

Then there are mics and blending multiple devices...but those things aren't necessary and your sound has to really be worth the trouble and expense. You're going to need to spend some time getting that sound out of your bass, coming from EUB, so I don't suggest chasing amplified perfection right now.

LifeLine or Full Circle or if you are sure it's what you want, copperhead and go.

Ha Ha Ha I took a look at the Yakimo dual element system. Looks great, and probably puts out a very natural sound, but the price! OY VEH! lol If I were gigging enough I might consider something like that, but as the basically weekend warrior I am anymore it's a bit steep for practicality for me! I play more at home now that at gigs with the exception of Jams ans rehearsals.

 

[TroyK]

Thank you Troy for what definitely sounds like the voice of experience. I have noticed as stated above from another user that on my EB the copperhead is quite bottom heavy which is fine for Salsa music, but for blues and such I am looking for an even sound arcoss the board. I do understand that I first have to find a bass that has the tone, and playability that I'm looking for in a DB, This in it'self has become quite a challenge to fit that into my price range. I will still have the copperhead to use if I need it, but judging from the consensus in this thread it sounds like the lifetime will give me a truer sound once I find the DB.
Have you tried the Upton pickup? I think it mounts the same as the Full Circle single pizz but the pizz is encased with laminate or some type of cover?

Thanks for your input!

I tried the Upton Revolution Solo when it came out (was using the "copperhead") at the time. It didn't work for me and the guys I was playing with at the time hated it too. It's actually unusual for anyone other than me to even notice the difference with things like Strings, but two pickups from this thread broke that trend with other musicians rejecting a change.

In fairness, the sound of bridge wing pickups in general is not to my personal liking, but they work fine for a whole bunch of people. I've never owned one, but Planet Wing(s) is the one that I would try if I wanted to see about a bridge wing mounted pickup, based on sound samples and users here.

Let's get the rest out: Fishman BP-100 (very old design and quite terrible), Stat-B (I've heard it sound very good on other people's basses, but for me it was very difficult to manage. Feedback, if it moves a little, your sound changes...), Ehlund contact mic (I stuck with this for a while and when it was good it was great, but in a poor sound environment, it was problematic.) People who stuck with it tended to have a piezo pickup they they blended the sound with. It certainly can have feedback problems.

...I think that's it for live performance. I prefer a mic for recording, but I don't own one and don't do a lot of that.

What I wanted from Realist SoundClip and the Ehrlund is a pickup that was a) awesome and b) could be removed when i wasn't using it and stuck back on when I needed it. They both accomplish that, but positioning and how firmly it is attached will dramatically effect the sound, so it's always a variable going gig to gig. Yamiko has a nice design that I think would mostly accomplish that, but I haven't made that move yet.

It's not as easy, but the Realist LifeLine can be taken on and off and is not that "fiddly" when you put it on, it's reliable, but it's a bit more involved to take it off and I find that I almost never bother.

In the end, all pickups suck. You have to decide what matters most and pick the one that sucks the least in that regard. And people here do report different experiences with the same pickup on different basses, just like with strings.

 

[SMollock]

I tried the Upton Revolution Solo when it came out (was using the "copperhead") at the time. It didn't work for me and the guys I was playing with at the time hated it too. It's actually unusual for anyone other than me to even notice the difference with things like Strings, but two pickups from this thread broke that trend with other musicians rejecting a change.

In fairness, the sound of bridge wing pickups in general is not to my personal liking, but they work fine for a whole bunch of people. I've never owned one, but Planet Wing(s) is the one that I would try if I wanted to see about a bridge wing mounted pickup, based on sound samples and users here.

Let's get the rest out: Fishman BP-100 (very old design and quite terrible), Stat-B (I've heard it sound very good on other people's basses, but for me it was very difficult to manage. Feedback, if it moves a little, your sound changes...), Ehlund contact mic (I stuck with this for a while and when it was good it was great, but in a poor sound environment, it was problematic.) People who stuck with it tended to have a piezo pickup they they blended the sound with. It certainly can have feedback problems.

...I think that's it for live performance. I prefer a mic for recording, but I don't own one and don't do a lot of that.

What I wanted from Realist SoundClip and the Ehrlund is a pickup that was a) awesome and b) could be removed when i wasn't using it and stuck back on when I needed it. They both accomplish that, but positioning and how firmly it is attached will dramatically effect the sound, so it's always a variable going gig to gig. Yamiko has a nice design that I think would mostly accomplish that, but I haven't made that move yet.

It's not as easy, but the Realist LifeLine can be taken on and off and is not that "fiddly" when you put it on, it's reliable, but it's a bit more involved to take it off and I find that I almost never bother.

In the end, all pickups suck. You have to decide what matters most and pick the one that sucks the least in that regard. And people here do report different experiences with the same pickup on different basses, just like with strings.

I will have to try the lifeline against my copperhead, and see which one I like the best. You are absolutely correct with the statement "In the end, all pickups suck. You have to decide what matters most and pick the one that sucks the least in that regard." I have never had any problems with my copperhead on my EB. My EB has a DB Bridge, Tailpiece, and 3/4 size neck on a nicely built Solid maple open top rectangle With a 3" wide Piece of maple connected side to side for the bridge to sit on. But there is really no acoustic value with the EB. That being said I am able to get pretty close to an actual DB sound through my amp and speaker cab. Like I said earlier it sounds really good, but is a bit heavy on the low end and I never thought about dents in the table of an acoustic DB, I have a feeling the Lifeline will work for me. I have an amp with tube pre, and a compressor in my rack should I need to tighten the sound a bit. But I definitely need to try one before buying one. they don't cost as much as the Yakimo, but they aren't cheap either.
I seem to remember a Realist copperhead that had double piezos one for each foot on the bridge. I wish he made a lifeline with 2 piezos going to stereo 1/4" jack. I could hook it right into one of the K&K stereo preamps and get a really nice balanced volume across all 4 strings. lol

 

[Ric Vice]

I seem to remember a Realist copperhead that had double piezos one for each foot on the bridge. I wish he made a lifeline with 2 piezos going to stereo 1/4" jack. I could hook it right into one of the K&K stereo preamps and get a really nice balanced volume across all 4 strings. lol

SMillock,
That's a different pickup, you're thinking of. The Shadow has dual elements under each foot of the bridge. The Realist (Copperhead) has only one.

The Shadow 965 uses electret film and by all accounts sounds quite good.

 

[SMollock]

SMillock,
That's a different pickup, you're thinking of. The Shadow has dual elements under each foot of the bridge. The Realist (Copperhead) has only one.

The Shadow 965 uses electret film and by all accounts sounds quite good.

View attachment 3875079

Nope Ric... The pickup I was remembering was a realist copperhead double pizz . I saw one about 10 years ago or so, but I guess David Gage discontinued it for what ever reason.

FYI: That would be SMollock

 

[DoubleMIDI]

BTW, I still think the Shadow NFX uses piezo film, not electret foil (that was the Russian APTflex).

The PCB in the battery adapter of the NFX can rattle, but putting some (rubber) foam under the PCB stops it. (Just four screws to open up the battery adapter.)

 

[Ric Vice]

Nope Ric... The pickup I was remembering was a realist copperhead double pizz . I saw one about 10 years ago or so, but I guess David Gage discontinued it for what ever reason.

FYI: That would be SMollock

So you saw a Dual Element Realist Pickup. Very interesting indeed. Probably was a prototype. But you learn something new everyday. He certainly could have done it that way BBand did, but they were using electret film I believe.