• 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 Stagg pickup upgrade

U

Unkle_Rolik

Oct 1, 2022
16
2
#1
Hi. A few days ago I buy stagg edb. It was my dream, play on the DB. And I'm glad that it come to reality.
I think we all like that instrument and we can think toogether how we can increase the sound, make it better.
Thats my 5sents. First of all I did not like when DB have meow sound like a fretless bass. I need more punchy and body in the sound.
That my first trying.
I using the mic+piezzo. Mic Rode NTK, but mic did not get sound of DB because silenth instrument. I put the mic between string and body and it works. Then put both lines piezzo and mic into DAW, and make few compression and EQ correction. Then reverb and mastering. I think it is well sound it have enouth acoustic character for me. And now I want to find some pickup that sounding like mic. What do you think about?
 

Attachments

  • 1665049359908.jpg
    1665049359908.jpg
    575.9 KB · Views: 219
  • Piezo.mp3
    Piezo.mp3
    706.1 KB · Views: 117
  • MIc.mp3
    MIc.mp3
    706.1 KB · Views: 105
  • Piezo+MIc.mp3
    Piezo+MIc.mp3
    706.1 KB · Views: 94
  • Piezo+Mic+Reverb+Master.mp3
    Piezo+Mic+Reverb+Master.mp3
    706.1 KB · Views: 105
#3
The Stagg bridge is bad. The pickups are OK. The bridge is designed for equal height on highest and lowest string, not for increasing action height towards the lower strings. For bowing the curvature of bridge and fingerboard is low. Plays similar to a 5-string bass that only has four strings mounted (small bowing angle).
Get higher damped strings like arco strings, turn up the string action and it sounds similar to an amplified DB.
Turn back the subbass control and put some foam under the lower part of the underlengths to damp them.

The Stagg is a cheap thing and not really designed by people knowing a DB, but still one of the better cheap things. Just needs some modifications.
 
#4
Francois Blais said:
You may want to change the bridge to install a new pickup.
A maple bridge would be nice I think.
But I can't help more, I don't know the dimensions of the Stagg stock bridge.
Click to expand...
Maybe I need bridge replacing. But first of all I want to understand wich pickup sounding execly like the mic.
DoubleMIDI said:
The Stagg bridge is bad. The pickups are OK. The bridge is designed for equal height on highest and lowest string, not for increasing action height towards the lower strings. For bowing the curvature of bridge and fingerboard is low. Plays similar to a 5-string bass that only has four strings mounted (small bowing angle).
Get higher damped strings like arco strings, turn up the string action and it sounds similar to an amplified DB.
Turn back the subbass control and put some foam under the lower part of the underlengths to damp them.

The Stagg is a cheap thing and not really designed by people knowing a DB, but still one of the better cheap things. Just needs some modifications.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks for the adwise. And sombody already done with that upgrade? I mean bridge replacing. May I listen to the record? Maybe it's what I need.
And I think that pickups on the stagg are not, not enouth high freq. Mic increase HF on my record. And piezo MF and LF mixing only.
 
Last edited:
#6
Bridge replacement has not been focused yet AFAIK. But the metal parts of the adjuster are heavy (more than other adjusters), the black laquer will go if you try to lower the higher strings.
Depending on your playing style the E string jump out it’s groove at the bridge.
I unscrewed the neck to put some cardboard between the lower screws to angle the neck a bit more which is more typical for a DB. But this enlarges the pressure on the piezo which might not be too healthy for it. But my instruments still play well after several years. But the you need a higher bridge or turn up the adjusters. Both adjusters need to be on the same level!
The enlarges pressure of the strings on the bridge also help to avoid a string jumping out of the bridge groove.

Any piezo pickup is limited in the high frequencies. But the position below the bridge feet is good.

A microphone on a solid body instrument doesn’t make sense. At least not alone. Between vibrating strings and body you might be able to get some higher frequencies, but only to mix it with a pickup.
EUB are a replacement for a pickup-amplified DB. The only thing you can do is using a Yamaha 300 series which has electronics to reshape the pickup sound to an acoustic one (that still sounds a bit amplified because of the speaker used) or get a ToneDexter and train it with an acoustic DB with a bridge foot pickup like the Realist and try to use that for an EUB. But both things are more or less expensive and in a different class than a Stagg EUB.

Better get an Italian MK EUB instead if you want something working out of the box.

The cheap EUBs were designed by BG players that want some upright thing and if you play with BG plucking technique it works, but sounds like a BG. Use DB playing technique, do some modifications and it can work as an amplified DB, but don’t expect more from a Stagg. It’s nice to find out what is wrong with the instrument while still being able to play it and do one modification after the other to make it better. Nice for a tight pocket. If you can spend more, you can find a lot of better instruments, but more expensive than a real DB.
You might be more happy with a solid top/plywood back and ribs DB.

Even EUBs with a resonance chamber don’t sound like a DB acoustically and any mic picks this sound, not the one of a real DB from that type of EUB.
For the same sound quality an acoustic DB is cheaper than an EUB.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Francois Blais
#9
DoubleMIDI said:
Bridge replacement has not been focused yet AFAIK. But the metal parts of the adjuster are heavy (more than other adjusters), the black laquer will go if you try to lower the higher strings.
Depending on your playing style the E string jump out it’s groove at the bridge.
I unscrewed the neck to put some cardboard between the lower screws to angle the neck a bit more which is more typical for a DB. But this enlarges the pressure on the piezo which might not be too healthy for it. But my instruments still play well after several years. But the you need a higher bridge or turn up the adjusters. Both adjusters need to be on the same level!
The enlarges pressure of the strings on the bridge also help to avoid a string jumping out of the bridge groove.

Any piezo pickup is limited in the high frequencies. But the position below the bridge feet is good.

A microphone on a solid body instrument doesn’t make sense. At least not alone. Between vibrating strings and body you might be able to get some higher frequencies, but only to mix it with a pickup.
EUB are a replacement for a pickup-amplified DB. The only thing you can do is using a Yamaha 300 series which has electronics to reshape the pickup sound to an acoustic one (that still sounds a bit amplified because of the speaker used) or get a ToneDexter and train it with an acoustic DB with a bridge foot pickup like the Realist and try to use that for an EUB. But both things are more or less expensive and in a different class than a Stagg EUB.

Better get an Italian MK EUB instead if you want something working out of the box.

The cheap EUBs were designed by BG players that want some upright thing and if you play with BG plucking technique it works, but sounds like a BG. Use DB playing technique, do some modifications and it can work as an amplified DB, but don’t expect more from a Stagg. It’s nice to find out what is wrong with the instrument while still being able to play it and do one modification after the other to make it better. Nice for a tight pocket. If you can spend more, you can find a lot of better instruments, but more expensive than a real DB.
You might be more happy with a solid top/plywood back and ribs DB.

Even EUBs with a resonance chamber don’t sound like a DB acoustically and any mic picks this sound, not the one of a real DB from that type of EUB.
For the same sound quality an acoustic DB is cheaper than an EUB.
Click to expand...

Message before, it's the answer to this post. IMHO sound from my first message good enough. piezo+mic sounding like I want. And it cheap for me. I'm only think how can I get that sound, without big mic. Maybe I should try some electret mic. But I do not need trully acustic innstument, just EUB close enough for me.
 
#10
If just your mic is too big (and the Rode NTK is big) just get a small diaphragm condenser or electret.

An Omni sounds best, but you might get a lot of bleed from other instruments. A directional one might sound less good (either use omni, hyper-/Supercardioid or figure of eight, cardioid sound the worst in my experience) because it might not primarily pick up what you want. There are some SDCs that can take a side addressed mic capsule like the Russian Oktava MK-012. Electrets are small enough to direct them where you would like it.

But try a cheap electret with a battery adapter that you sometimes can get for 10 to 15 US$. Worth a try.

But any condenser can easily feed back on stage if fed to the amp. Mics are often only used for FOH. Which can be mixed with your pickup for FOH that should feed your amp.

Feel free to report what you have tried and how it has worked.
 
#11
Hi, me again.) Before I will try to install electretmic on the bass. I tryed to add some HF to the bass by using stock piezo from the tuner set(noisy thing). Funy but not well. It have a HF, but you cant hear allot some DB character like "tudum" atack, as it possible with mic. Im try add chracter with dynamic FX. I don't want to bore you with details. I'll Just leave here pic and sound.
 

Attachments

  • 1666040158873.jpg
    1666040158873.jpg
    457.5 KB · Views: 107
  • 2Piezo+FX.mp3
    2Piezo+FX.mp3
    2.3 MB · Views: 66
#16
Happy Steve said:
I own a Remic 540 ('white'). I have a Yamaha SLB200, and previously I owned a Stagg EUB.
Unfortunately I cannot think of a position where the Remic could be mounted on either of these EUBs, as the bridge is too low on each.
I think a small 'lavalier' clip-on mic would be much simpler and cheaper to try.
Steve
Click to expand...
upload_2022-10-19_11-6-50.png

Great! Can you tell me, remic 540 just fully soft like a spongle only part in the red rectangle are hard with mic inner. And the gren dot are mic diaphragm. Am I right? And hard part looks like replacements element.
So I think, if you want do that experiment of cause, beter way rotate mic upsidedown and mount betwen stings and body. If mic to short you can use some spongle. Look at my scheme above remic some flat hard plate and under some spongle. Hope I draw it clearly.
If you make a record SLB200 with that mic it would be great. Feel free if you want to mix with onboard sound. I think it is a good experiment.
And about clip-on mic. I will try electret mic later, just waiting while it arrive with the amplifier. Two weeks, not longer.
upload_2022-10-19_11-37-42.png

upload_2022-10-19_11-41-57.png
 
Last edited:
#17
First try any cheap electret with a battery adapter and check any position and direction for best sound and highest output.
Use the free hanging mount with foam or a flexible holder. But also try attaching it with putty to different parts and in different orientation to the bridge and body. If you seal both/all sides airtight (yes, also the PCB side if you have a capsule without a case), you have a contact mic that is much more feedback and bleed resistent.
Always keep in mind the sensitivity of the capsule (perpendicular to the membrane) and the main vibrational direction of the source.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Unkle_Rolik
#18
Unkle Rolik, in your diagram above, the green dot is not the only 'port' to the microphone. There is also a port (or hole) in the bottom of foam which is pressed against the wooden top of the bass, to pick up the direct body sound.
The polar patterns of the remic mics are described on the remic web site.
The remic is quite expensive and DoubleMIDIs suggestions could save you a lot of expense. You could also buy some camera-case foam or a soft foam 'nerf' ball and mount a small electret that way - like this:
good luck!
 
#19
DoubleMIDI said:
A Fishman Full Circle mounted at an original Stagg EDB Bridge?
I cannot imagine that this would fit without some changes (holes filled and drilled, maybe a thread in the wood).
Click to expand...

Just checked my order from years back, that's the model that exactly fitted my bridge, without having to redrill a thing. My Stagg is a good free years old now so I can't say for sure it's a fit, but it fits mine. I'll take a photo when I get it out next...
 
#20
I think I have my first Stagg EUB more than 10 years ago, later one with the enhanced headstock and a rosewood fingerboard (but without a bridge, it was cheap and I wanted the rosewood fingerboard for an older Stagg).

Just a few months ago I saw an even newer Stagg that was marketed under a different name and it had the same bridge as my old ones.

Maybe the metal inserts to the bridge just had the right diameter.
I got my Full Circle used without the inserts and used the old inserts from my brass adjusters. (BTW, all mm threads for me.)

The adjuster threads from the Stagg bridge are very thick.
A picture might be nice.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back