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Double Bass The Realist ?

#21
bassistms said:
The thing about this new Realist is that it is nicely seated in a thin maple (I think) strip; the maple sits between the copper foil and the Bass Top (this should prevent further damage to the bass), the coper foil does make contact with the bridge foot but that is not a problem as the bridge foot is a harder wood than the Bass Top.

I dont know if this was just a prototype or if all Realists are now shipped with a wood base. I only tried it once and it seemed to have a higher output and it distorted my preamp (I should probably try it again to see if I can make it work).

Has anybody else ever seen one of these and if so what has your experience been?
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Still wanting to know if anybody has ever seen this Wood/Foil Realist ?
 
#24
..."The damage can not be repaired and the bridge foot will never again make 100% contact with the top; I know this must effect the tone of the bass as complete bridge foot contact to the bass top is critical."... (The italics are mine.)

This is an interesting notion. Are any of our luthiers out there able to comment?

Thanks.
 
#25
bassmith said:
This is an interesting notion. Are any of our luthiers out there able to comment?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I've had a Realist on my personal bass in the past and it does have the very small indentation on the top. I consider it strictly cosmetic and I don't think it has made any change what so ever in the sound of my bass. I have a feeling that if there wasn't any varnish in that area that a drop of water would probably remove most of it. The dynamic nature of wood and humidity makes the possibility of continuously maintaining perfect 100% contact highly improbable even if if the bridge was fitted absolutely perfect (which is doubtful). If that tiny indentation is the worst thing that ever happens to your bass, you are living a charmed life.
 
#27
I agree in part, the original 2 small dents you get in the top with the original installation are only about 3 millimeters (Canada) or about 1/8 inch across.

If the Realist never got moved and stayed in this exact original position there would be a theoretical 100% contact as the disks in the Realist themselves make good contact with the top and the bridge foot (think of this, the top wood has been depressed, if the ceramic disks are still in their first installation position they are making good contact with the top and the bridge).

Any time your bridge is moved, adjusted in any way I think it is almost impossible to put the Realist in the exact position again. The result is that the top indentation will progressively get larger leaving a void where the disks were previously.

I don't know of many basses that have not had the bridge removed, adjusted, replaced, realigned, adjusters installed etc.

I would recommend that anybody installing a Realist for the first time on a bass to lightly scratch the top to mark the exact original location of the Realist so it could be placed in the exact same place if any of the above bridge changes are made. But this now prevents you from doing what a member previously mentioned; that is, moving the pick-up until you get the sound you want.
 
#28
bassistms said:
If the Realist never got moved and stayed in this exact original position there would be a theoretical 100% contact as the disks in the Realist themselves make good contact with the top and the bridge foot (think of this, the top wood has been depressed, if the ceramic disks are still in their first installation position they are making good contact with the top and the bridge).
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Theoretical 100% contact? Keep in mind that a bridge would have to be fitted with the Realist in place for any hope of achieving perfect full surface contact. If the bridge was fitted to the top prior to installing the Realist under the E leg, the thickness of the Realist will tend to raise the inside edge of the G leg. With a loose fitting adjustable bridge, this rise would be minimized or eliminated in a best case scenario. With tightly fitted adjusters or a bridge without adjusters there is probably going to be a small gap under the G leg that can only be eliminated by refitting the G leg with the Realist in place. Of course, the E leg would no longer make full contact if you were ever to remove the Realist after refitting the G leg.

I've seen this little gap on lots of basses with a Realist pickup installed and the owners are seldom aware of it since any loss of sound caused by the ill fitting bridge is more likely to be noticed when playing acoustic rather than playing amplified. As usual YMMV:)
 
#29
Yes, I never thought about the inside edge of the G foot, it would be slightly raised on a bridge with no adjusters or with tight fitting adjusters if it has not been carved for the Realist.

However I have never noticed that on my bass as the adjusters fit loose and allow for pivoting of the foot. Though I suspect if the inside edge of my G foot is nice and flush with the top then I would have a slight gap on the inside edge of the bridge where it meets the top of the adjuster, as my bridge was fitted before the Realist was installed.

By 100% theoretical contact, I do mean theoretical, I know a bridge foot is not carved to fit the grain of the top but should contact the top along all edges and corners including the majority of the surface of the foot. I don't think that you should be able to slip a thin sheet of paper anywhere under the bridge at any corner or side of the foot. I think after time the foot will actually fit better as it seats itself into the softer top wood
 
#30
How do I know when my Realist pickup is shot? I have had it for a few years in conjunction with GK 150 amp and acoustic Kay bass. Very happy with the sound until recently. Recently I started getting lots of noise ie buzzing but not consistently. Can sometimes stop it by pinching or holding the pickup.
 
#32
David schiff said:
How do I know when my Realist pickup is shot? I have had it for a few years in conjunction with GK 150 amp and acoustic Kay bass. Very happy with the sound until recently. Recently I started getting lots of noise ie buzzing but not consistently. Can sometimes stop it by pinching or holding the pickup.
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David,
What usually happens is you will begin loosing volume from the pickup. Several years ago, Sam Findlay from David Gage said that “on certian basses”, the Realist starts to degrade at around Four Years. You might want to have someone check, to see if the pickup is seated properly, underneath the E foot of the bridge. Piezo film pickups, like the Realist, benefit from having equal pressure over the surface of the pickup.
 
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#33
Ric Vice said:
David,
What usually happens is you will begin loosing volume from the pickup. Several years ago, Sam Findlay from David Gage said that “on certian basses, the Realist starts to degrade at around Four Years. You might want to have someone check, to see if the pickup is seated properly, underneath the E foot of the bridge. Piezo film pickups, like the Realist, benefit from having equal pressure over the surface of the pickup.
Click to expand...
Thanks. A little twist of the piezo seems to have done the trick for now. Let’s see if it maintains.
 
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#38
David schiff said:
How do I know when my Realist pickup is shot? I have had it for a few years in conjunction with GK 150 amp and acoustic Kay bass. Very happy with the sound until recently. Recently I started getting lots of noise ie buzzing but not consistently. Can sometimes stop it by pinching or holding the pickup.
Click to expand...
I have also used a copper Realist on a Kay through that amp but recently switched to a Lifeline. The result is a clearer tone which sounds more natural.

If anybody wants a low mileage Realist, I have two I’ll pass along........
 

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