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Double Bass Realist Failure

#21
Steve Boisen said:
I couldn't disagree with you more.

BTW Your profile says you still use one.

- Steve
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I don't use it anymore. I prefer my new Underwood. Which I got by default from Gage's when they broke my old one.
Let me rephrase my comment:
On my bass, I think the Realist sucks and I prefer my Underwood.
Also, In My Opinion, those "name" guys who use one, their sound has suffered as a result.
 
#22
Gages is in NYC and is busy as hell, always. I was there recently to rent a Czek bass for a week stint and although I hadn't been in there in a few years, they all said hello and called me by name (and I'm nobody) and were wonderful. David set up the bass for me despite the fact that anyone could have done it. He asked me what I thought of the Realist (which he had replaced for me twice over the years) and which I am not into any longer, replaced by the much better Full Circle.
BTW, David's series of workshops is one of the very best things anyone has done for bassists. When I lived there I went to all of em, (I like to hear everybody's take on their approach) He had Dave Holland for 2 workshops and it was the best $40 I ever spent. I still pore over the mini disc I made. (David told me that this spring thee will be a video of Dave giving a workshop at NYU available like the Eddie Gomez DVD)
Those guys are busy, and you might have to call back to get some attention, and its more of a working shop then an internet retailer, but they are nice cats, and they have worked on Everyones basses, so if you want to know what cats are playing (strings set ups pups, amps, etc.) they have the answers.
 
#23
flatback said:
Those guys are busy, and you might have to call back to get some attention, and its more of a working shop then an internet retailer, but they are nice cats, and they have worked on Everyones basses, so if you want to know what cats are playing (strings set ups pups, amps, etc.) they have the answers.
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A while back we had a pretty long thread about Realist Falure on Talkbass. I tried searching for it but was unsuccessful. The jist of it was that "some realists" on basses with high bridge angles die after about 4 years. One of the tech's at David Gage confirmed this. That's my guess why they are only offering a year warranty now.

Ric
 
#24
Mine failed due to abuse. There was tension on the wire going into the foil, because the wire was too short to reach the point where it mounts with any slack. A longer wire would have helped, and there was no way I could mount it without the tension, so I just had to leave it on as is. However, while I had it, it was a great pickup. I never got to try it with my EA amp, which is kind of a bummer.
 
#25
Man, what is it with you cats? Breaking Animas and Realists like there ain't no tomorrow.

I've had a Realist on my bass for I dunno, ten or twelve years now? I can't even remember, I had an Underwood on the last boat gig I did, that was 94. I think I got the Realist when I got back form that, at the same time I bought a bow from Gage. I can try to dig up the receipt, if you need me to.

But no problems whatsoever.
 
#26
Ed Fuqua said:
Man, what is it with you cats? Breaking Animas and Realists like there ain't no tomorrow.

I've had a Realist on my bass for I dunno, ten or twelve years now? I can't even remember, I had an Underwood on the last boat gig I did, that was 94. I think I got the Realist when I got back form that, at the same time I bought a bow from Gage. I can try to dig up the receipt, if you need me to.

But no problems whatsoever.
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Ed you have all the luck.
I remember talking to David after my first Realist failure (1st gen Realist with the button) and he said he was trying to keep the cost down because all piezos have a fixed life, before they start to degrade...especially under a ton of string pressure. After that, I broke a realist at the point where the cord comes out. (Abuse) and again at the same place for the same reason. I dont use it now cause I like the sound of the FC a lot better.
as for Anima's...lets not go there...
 
#27
Ric Vice said:
The jist of it was that "some realists" on basses with high bridge angles die after about 4 years. One of the tech's at David Gage confirmed this. That's my guess why they are only offering a year warranty now.

Ric
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Well, that sure explains what happened to mine. The bass I had it on for five years had a horrendous bridge angle (and a very tall bridge). I was lost for awhile after it went (Underwood, Upton Revolution), but the Full Circle has stopped me from thinking about pickups any further.
 
#29
As far as breakage, I've had one on my ply bass for 8 or 9 years with no problems.

As far as sound...
As has been said MANY times, the Realist sounds better at lower volumes. It also tends to work better on basses with more resonant tops. As I said in the 'Purpose of the Amp' thread, (in a perfect world) amplification is meant to support your acoustic sound IMO. I use a Realist and a mic on my (carved) bass and I've had many compliments on my sound. I have tried a bunch of different pickup combinations and the Reaslist is the only pickup I've tried that adds size to my sound with sounding like a pickup. The mic adds air.

If volume is what you need the Realist is not the pickup for you.
 
#34
Anybody notice that the complaints in this thread are six years old!? It seems quite possible that a lot has changed in the way Gage's shop responds (and the Realist itself) in that time and the first complaints, though accurate at the time, just aren't relevant anymore.
 
#37
The best amplified bass sound I ever heard through PA was straight line from Darek Oles and Scott Coley Realists - no mixing with mic, just the pickup and the result was phenomenal in both cases. This would be impossible with any other pickup, in my opinion.
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I saw Scott Colley about 3 months ago with just the realist into his WW head and a swr 2x10 cab. Sound was bad. And I love Scott's playing, but his sound wasn't happening at all imo.
 
#38
mesmithnm said:
Anybody notice that the complaints in this thread are six years old!? It seems quite possible that a lot has changed in the way Gage's shop responds (and the Realist itself) in that time and the first complaints, though accurate at the time, just aren't relevant anymore.
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I liked my realist seven years ago; I don't like the one I got a year ago.
Not only that , but to be honest, I was always a Gage supporter, even when stories of less than great service began to circulate. The last time I was there, they had my bass for over a month and I dropped close to $3000 on repairs and updating; there are several things that they did sloppily...I could start a whole thread about it, but I know that's not the topic here.
Next time I need work I will try Arnold Schnitzer.
 
#39
Well since we're getting all serious about this, I'll add my .02. I purchased my Strunal 7 years ago and had a new Realist installed on it. Never a problem. As has been said before, it works best at lower volumes. About 2 years ago I bought my Chrissy and had the Realist switched over to it. Again, in these past two years I've had no problems whatsoever. I can't speak to the problems people are having with David Gage service, etc., but their pickups have been pretty good to me. I'm thinking of getting a NS Cleveland hybrid and am wondering if switching again might be tempting fate.
 

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