Double Bass Soundclip Realist

[Alain Martin]

Greatings Everyone! I'm wondering, does anybody know why the SoundClip Realist is so much more expensive than the rest of the Realists like the Wood and the LifeLine? I can't understand the differences to make it so much more expensive and I'm looking for a good pick up easily removable. Thanks in advance and cheers to you all!

 

[JimmyM]

The Soundclip is pretty deluxe with a clamping system and a volume control. I've never tried it, but I've used the original Realist on some rental basses and I've never liked it. Always too dark for my tastes. That said, the Soundclip might be great...who knows? But I use the Clef Rev Solo myself and absolutely love it. Fits in your bridge wing and is easily removable. The only drawback is having to sand it to fit snugly in your bridge wing, but small price to pay for the sound. Price is decent, too.

 

[Alain Martin]

The Soundclip is pretty deluxe with a clamping system and a volume control. I've never tried it, but I've used the original Realist on some rental basses and I've never liked it. Always too dark for my tastes. That said, the Soundclip might be great...who knows? But I use the Clef Rev Solo myself and absolutely love it. Fits in your bridge wing and is easily removable. The only drawback is having to sand it to fit snugly in your bridge wing, but small price to pay for the sound. Price is decent, too.

Thank you very much! I actually like it dark. Truth be said though it’s too passive when it comes to playing with too “active “ drummers and I’m always missing on sound volume. I’m mainly using mics now because so far I haven’t found a pickup nor amp who truly reproduces the sound of the acoustic without changing it in some way. That’s why I’m looking for something I can put in and take it off after each one of these kinda loud drummer gigs. I’ll checkout the solo Clef RV you recommend. Thank you very much.

 

[Frank77]

I too have found the original Realist to be extremely dark, and low output. I've recently switched to a KNA bridge wing pickup. It's better IMO (and more affordable), but it has honky mids that you'll need a para EQ to tame.

 

[Ric Vice]

Greatings Everyone! I'm wondering, does anybody know why the SoundClip Realist is so much more expensive than the rest of the Realists like the Wood and the LifeLine?

I would venture to guess that the Realist Soundclip costs more to build. That said, there are many removable pickups now. The Ehrlund EAP, the Ischell, The Remic, MSP. Most are more expensive than the Realist. Just my take.

 

[BobKay]

In addition to the ones mentioned by Ric, any of the bridge wing pickups are easily removable. The key is to not attach the holder for the jack by running the G string though it. I just use a cable tie. Easily cut and replaced, and either of my Rev Solo II piezo pickups simply slip out from the bridge wing.

 

[Ric Vice]

.........any of the bridge wing pickups are easily removable. The key is to not attach the holder for the jack by running the G string though it. I just use a cable tie. Easily cut and replaced, and either of my Rev Solo II piezo pickups simply slip out from the bridge wing.

Agreed, there is a simple way to put use shrink wrap around the jack with a cable tie placed between the wrap and the jack

 

[DoubleMIDI]

That also works very well with a piece of PVC tube of the right diameter instead of the shrink wrap.

 

[JimmyM]

In addition to the ones mentioned by Ric, any of the bridge wing pickups are easily removable. The key is to not attach the holder for the jack by running the G string though it. I just use a cable tie. Easily cut and replaced, and either of my Rev Solo II piezo pickups simply slip out from the bridge wing.

Why didn't I think of that?

Oh well, not like I'm removing it to go do symphony gigs or anything

 

[BobKay]

Jimmy M - I know this sounds wacky, but when I posted my response to this, the only other person who had responded was Ric. I would not have stepped on your post, which was basically the same answer as mine. Anyway, I never remove either of my Rev Solo pu's anyway. I've tried others, but I keep coming back to these.

 

[Grant the Canuk]

The benefit to the sound clip is that you don't have to modify your bridge and you don't have to worry about getting dents in your top plate from a copperhead. Also, if you travel a lot and use rented or borrowed basses you can presumably just drop the pickup on to any bass and then dial in your tone. In theory this is all great, however in practice it all sort of falls apart.

I had one years ago for my hybrid Czech bass and I found that the tone was pretty much always very thin and that it was super difficult to get the same tone twice. I was always messing with the thing and never satisfied. I tries different rubbers to dampen the pickup, different pickup orientations and positions, different weights, many gain and eq settings. I just couldn't get it to consistently sound like a bass.

I eventually got bridge adjusters installed and dropped in a full circle which was in my opinion about 100 times better. That said, I have upgraded my amplification several times since and maybe today I could coax a good tone out of a sound clip today, perhaps a super high impedance would yield some positive results, however I sold it many years ago...

 

[JimmyM]

The benefit to the sound clip is that you don't have to modify your bridge and you don't have to worry about getting dents in your top plate from a copperhead. Also, if you travel a lot and use rented or borrowed basses you can presumably just drop the pickup on to any bass and then dial in your tone. In theory this is all great, however in practice it all sort of falls apart.

I had one years ago for my hybrid Czech bass and I found that the tone was pretty much always very thin and that it was super difficult to get the same tone twice. I was always messing with the thing and never satisfied. I tries different rubbers to dampen the pickup, different pickup orientations and positions, different weights, many gain and eq settings. I just couldn't get it to consistently sound like a bass.

I eventually got bridge adjusters installed and dropped in a full circle which was in my opinion about 100 times better. That said, I have upgraded my amplification several times since and maybe today I could coax a good tone out of a sound clip today, perhaps a super high impedance would yield some positive results, however I sold it many years ago...

If I wasn't so happy with the Rev Solo, I would definitely go Full Circle. What a great pickup! Absolutely blows the BP-100 away. Hard to believe Fishman makes both

 

[JimmyM]

Jimmy M - I know this sounds wacky, but when I posted my response to this, the only other person who had responded was Ric. I would not have stepped on your post, which was basically the same answer as mine. Anyway, I never remove either of my Rev Solo pu's anyway. I've tried others, but I keep coming back to these.

Don't worry Bob...I don't stand on ceremony

 

[Alain Martin]

The benefit to the sound clip is that you don't have to modify your bridge and you don't have to worry about getting dents in your top plate from a copperhead. Also, if you travel a lot and use rented or borrowed basses you can presumably just drop the pickup on to any bass and then dial in your tone. In theory this is all great, however in practice it all sort of falls apart.

I had one years ago for my hybrid Czech bass and I found that the tone was pretty much always very thin and that it was super difficult to get the same tone twice. I was always messing with the thing and never satisfied. I tries different rubbers to dampen the pickup, different pickup orientations and positions, different weights, many gain and eq settings. I just couldn't get it to consistently sound like a bass.

I eventually got bridge adjusters installed and dropped in a full circle which was in my opinion about 100 times better. That said, I have upgraded my amplification several times since and maybe today I could coax a good tone out of a sound clip today, perhaps a super high impedance would yield some positive results, however I sold it many years ago...

Thank you very much for your answer Grant! That’s exactly the reason why I was thinking about the possibility of acquiring the SoundClip. Yet not sure about it either. The FullCircle is a good option but it means having it all the time on my bass which is what I’m trying to avoid plus I’d have to change the bridge on my bass because the adjusters I have are not the average. Also I’d like to try a bridge without adjusters. Theoretically the transmission of the string’s vibration into the body should be different.

 

[Grant the Canuk]

Thank you very much for your answer Grant! That’s exactly the reason why I was thinking about the possibility of acquiring the SoundClip. Yet not sure about it either. The FullCircle is a good option but it means having it all the time on my bass which is what I’m trying to avoid plus I’d have to change the bridge on my bass because the adjusters I have are not the average. Also I’d like to try a bridge without adjusters. Theoretically the transmission of the string’s vibration into the body should be different.

What do you use for amplification?

 

[Eric Hochberg]

The sound clip worked poorly on the three basses I tried it on. I suggest a Stat B. It's easily removable.