Double Bass Upright bass on Fender Studio Bass

[Criss]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a piezo pickup for my double bass (which is a cheap study bass).
I'm thinking to get the K&K Bass Max, since I read some good reviews on it (price/quality ok), but the only drawback for the moment, is that I'm unsure about the high input impedance this kind of pickup requires (since I was not planning to buy a preamp in the first place).
I'm not sure about the input impedance of my bassguitar amplifier, which is a Fender Studio Bass (1977).

Anyone's got some advice?

Thx
Criss

 

[Groove Doctor]

Ask over at the BG side - The Fender Studio Bass Thread (IIRC). Someone will know the impedance.

A correctly buffered pedal or DI (thru signal) might also work. My Fishman Plat Pro Preamp/DI is mega useful.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

You can always buy a HPFpre I or II for $50 to $70. It even helps you if you need to play another persons bass (so keep it with you and a short cable). This is no high impact on your finances and can help you in many situations (i.e. if your sound is boomy in some places).

 

[Mark Gollihur]

I'm thinking to get the K&K Bass Max... I'm unsure about the high input impedance this kind of pickup requires...

Of all the pickups we've tried (and that's a BOATLOAD of pickups) the Bass Max is among the most likely to "get away with" not using a buffering preamp. This may be because it has quite high output, so it overcomes some of the quirkiness in the tone that an impedance mismatch can cause, or it may just be that its tonal character is such that isn't as noticeably "affected" by the mismatch. Pickups that are clamped/adhered (like the Double Big Twin, the Fishman BP-100, et al) usually fare poorly without a preamp - they have much lower output, since they're not under pressure.

In any case, if a Bass Max is properly/well installed (not a difficult job with simple hand tools - sandpaper, small flat file) you can probably do just fine without a preamp. Having one will still probably improve the tone, and give you other benefits (better EQ, a handy volume control next to the instrument, other various features depending on the model) but if budget prevents you from getting one now, you should be okay.

 

[M Ramsey]

Get the K&K Bass max, be done. I've used them to good effect, for years.

 

[FatBoutedGirls]

I advise you get a preamp for the bassmax, I didn't use one for a few months and always wondered why I sounded so terrible.

 

[Martin Beer]

I'm not familiar with the Studio Bass schematic, but most Fender valve amps have an input impedance of around 1M ohm if you use input 1 rather than 2. That will work fine with many piezos, although some sound better with higher impedance.