Hi all reviews pickups Underwood vs Fishman? And would I need a preamp either way? Thanks in advance.
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Double Bass Standup bass amplifier
- Thread starter ynagohamluos
- Start date
Thanks, I am happy to clarify. I would appreciate some input on Underwood pickups. Fishman was recommended but I hear Underwood has been around a long time and works well. Just that if I choose Fishman my Luthier would have to cut through the bridge and I have an A-class bridge on my bass that I don't really want to tamper with. Also would I need a preamp? I am new and just gearing up for gigs. Thanks in advance.
If you don't like to have your bridge changed get a second one for the adjuster pickup.
The Fishman Full Circle sounds better with the bow than the Underwood. But the Fishman might get damaged over several years due to the high constant pressure on the crystals. The Underwood needs a very good fit to sound good. Too much pressure and it sounds like under pressure, too light and it may fall out by accident. But the Underwood holds forever and if not you get a replacement.
It's not a bad idea to have both, mostly using the Full Circle and carrying the Underwood as a backup with you. (But not installed, the sound of the bass might be a bit less good with the Underwood installed. In an emergency case it is installed in seconds.)
Yes, you should get an impedance buffer or preamp unless you don't have an amp with a 1 MegOhms input impedance minimum.
A cheap but good one is the HPF pre series I or II for double bass.
The Fishman Full Circle sounds better with the bow than the Underwood. But the Fishman might get damaged over several years due to the high constant pressure on the crystals. The Underwood needs a very good fit to sound good. Too much pressure and it sounds like under pressure, too light and it may fall out by accident. But the Underwood holds forever and if not you get a replacement.
It's not a bad idea to have both, mostly using the Full Circle and carrying the Underwood as a backup with you. (But not installed, the sound of the bass might be a bit less good with the Underwood installed. In an emergency case it is installed in seconds.)
Yes, you should get an impedance buffer or preamp unless you don't have an amp with a 1 MegOhms input impedance minimum.
A cheap but good one is the HPF pre series I or II for double bass.
A simple Fishman B II preamp with a 10meg ohm buffer would be cheap and fine for the Underwood. The Full Circle would be less picky.
The Full Circle sounds different if the pickup is aimed at the strings or the body.
The Full Circle sounds different if the pickup is aimed at the strings or the body.
I just got a Fishman pick up installed into my adjustable bridge. Would a pre amp help deliver a better signal/sound? Right now the gain has to be sky high. What gives?
Cynthia, please leave your question in one thread.
If you have a Fishman in your adjustable bridge it might be a Full Circle.
This pickup has a huge output signal (voltage) and needs a medium high input impedance on the input of the first connected electronic device. So it depends on the device input you connect your pickup to if you need a preamp.
Make sure your bridge is not angled to either side. The contact surfaces of the bridge to the Full Circle need to be very plan. If you did the exchange of adjusters yourself, you might have uneven surfaces that should be corrected. If a luthier did the install, you might want to ask him if he planed the bridge surfaces AFTER you checked the electronic connection with us.
If you have a BP-100, you need a preamp with at least 10 MegOhms input impedance, like a Fishman preamp or Francis Decks HPFpre. Both could be used with the Full Circle too.
A BP-100 not well installed could result in a weak and bad signal. Just a few bass players are happy with this pickup.
If you have a Fishman in your adjustable bridge it might be a Full Circle.
This pickup has a huge output signal (voltage) and needs a medium high input impedance on the input of the first connected electronic device. So it depends on the device input you connect your pickup to if you need a preamp.
Make sure your bridge is not angled to either side. The contact surfaces of the bridge to the Full Circle need to be very plan. If you did the exchange of adjusters yourself, you might have uneven surfaces that should be corrected. If a luthier did the install, you might want to ask him if he planed the bridge surfaces AFTER you checked the electronic connection with us.
If you have a BP-100, you need a preamp with at least 10 MegOhms input impedance, like a Fishman preamp or Francis Decks HPFpre. Both could be used with the Full Circle too.
A BP-100 not well installed could result in a weak and bad signal. Just a few bass players are happy with this pickup.
