Double Bass Underwood Fix

[Ike Harris]

I have one of the first run of Underwood pickups (has a serial no. on one of the wedge pieces), which sounds particularly good. It has an RCA plug instead of the standard 1/4 inch which has a short in it or somewhere in the wiring. It also survived the flood here a couple of years ago and needs a thorough cleaning.

Can anyone here recommend a good tech person to a) switch the plug to the current 1/4 and b) fix the wiring and clean it. Underwood offered to give me an even trade on a new pickup, but I'd rather have this one in better shape. Let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Ike

 

[Kai Sanchez]

I have a friend who has repaired underwood pickups in the past, he is a bass player that is really good with electronics and other instrument repairs. I think he is an authorized ampeg repair guy (he does amazing work with ampeg baby basses). His name is Jentzen Ruggiero. His email is [email protected]

 

[DoubleMIDI]

I don't have an Underwood but a Shadow SH950 which is an Underwood clone.

Twice I had problems with it. In both cases the cable shield was broken directly at the first piezo (strating to count from the connector end of the cable). Probably caused by mechanical stress.
I just had to pull back the shrinking tube at the piezo and resolder the shielding to the brass. It might become much more difficult if the hot wire gets broken at the same position. Then you might need more professional help.

If it is somewhere along the cable (try to locate it by wiggling the cable while listening to the amp sound until you can identify the spot) just shorten the cable and solder a new shielded cable to it to get the length you need, isolate the soldreing points and resolder the connector.

Good luck with your repair.

 

[mauroconga]

is very neccesary notify to all the true ..this guy ruggiero is a liar ...
he not are aothorized by ampeg to repair/modify/make or any service...and not are italian ..are a venezuelan citizen ...and have a police prontuary :
Link Removed
and ...
in the facebook comunity of bassist ,he was discovered like a liar ,and he cancel the Ruggiero`s accont ,for open this:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004004125953

resuming : BEWARE WITH THIS GUY...!

 

[Roger Mouton]

I'd go for the replacement p/u. They can wear out (not a very technical term). Mine did. Don Underwood will replace them.

 

[Ric Vice]

Ike,
I hung around a luthiers shop here in St. Louis when I was a kid, and we tested the older (thicker) Underwoods against the newer ones. Although they both sound good, the older ones sounded better IME, IMHO. So if you can get it repaired then that's the way I'd go, but it may not be possible, since piezo crystal's only last so long.

Ric

 

[Roger Mouton]

Don't know anything about older vs. newer Underwoods. My first was 1987. It was replaced in 2007. Both had identical thicknesses.

 

[Ric Vice]

Roger,
Well, thickness may have been a inappropriate description, but, to our ears the first ones did sound different, whether that's significant enough to warrant repairing one vs replacing one would be up to Ike.

Ric

 

[dukeorock]

Ike...PM me and I may have a local solution

 

[B String]

A few years back, my original Underwood pickup (#008) was failing. I bought it from Mr Underwood many years ago when I was doing a gig around Monterey. A local bassist told me about this new pickup for upright. I drove over and got one.

When I called and told Mr Underwood I still had it and it had been working all these years, he was amazed and insisted on sending me a new one. He wouldn't take a penny from me.

I think your pickup might have seen its best days. Maybe time for a new one.