Double Bass Want Dark Warm Tone for Jazz

[martinc]

seanto:

Hang on to your present strings until you get a new pickup. Using a Rev Solo piezo pickup ( I have one but can't get a full warm sound out of it no matter what) may not be the best way to get your "warm dark tone".
I'd say a mic would be a much better choice. I use an ATM 350 wherever possible but there is a lot of info on mics right here on Talkbass. It's well worth the time to read about the experience that other ply bass owners have had with mics.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

You might want to get an MSP pickup first. It works the same way and at the same position than the Ehrlund, but is much cheaper, so you can try if it works with your ply. Generally the ply tops are stiffer than the carved ones and often contact mics don't work as well on ply tops as on carved ones. But it depends on the instrument.

Find the MSP thread on Talkbass if you want more info on this pickup.

BTW, a high impedance preamp help the MSP to sound a bit better even if the company claims you wouldn't need one.

 

[rolandm]

I'd have to say that a pickup change could dramatically effect how your bass sounds in the mix (plus the EQ, processing, etc.). I have a Full Circle installed on my Chadwick, but it also came with an Underwood. With the same settings on my Fishman Platinum Pro Bass, the two of them are night and day. The Full Circle is warm and pillowy with my Garbos, and the Underwood provides a lot more upper mid tonality and board/finger detail. I use the Underwood with the full band so I cut through, and when it's just a duet, I often find myself using the Full Circle to just sit in the bottom and provide a foundation.

 

[PaperbackRyder]

I have an Upton std ply with a full circle wearing Zyex med's, and going for a similar sound to what the OP describes. Have tried Spiro M, Spiro Bot / Obli top, Evah M, Evah W, Evah Slaps with the guts and with Pistoy/Lyon gut tops.
The Zyex are the best sounding to me, when amplified...or maybe I should say the easiest to EQ for a live sound without going all "full EB" sounding.
Still looking for a less twinky G. On my bass every G has been thin and weak sounding.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

I have an Upton std ply with a full circle wearing Zyex med's, and going for a similar sound to what the OP describes. Have tried Spiro M, Spiro Bot / Obli top, Evah M, Evah W, Evah Slaps with the guts and with Pistoy/Lyon gut tops.
The Zyex are the best sounding to me, when amplified...or maybe I should say the easiest to EQ for a live sound without going all "full EB" sounding.
Still looking for a less twinky G. On my bass every G has been thin and weak sounding.

Think about a soundpost repositioning, it might be a bit too close to the bridge.

 

[Selim]

Pretty much what i tend to hear on classic jazz records

Classic (to me) could mean most jazz from the 70's all the way back to Pops Foster & Wellman Braud. Can you articulate that "classic jazz" sound you're talking about?

Also, this:

And raise the bridge to see how that changes the response before you go headfirst down the string rabbit hole.

Also, considering pickups weren't available in the jazz classic days: +1 on the Mic suggestions (if your situation/venue will allow the use of a mic alone). I think that sound you may be looking for has a lot to do with the sound of a mic'ed bass.

 

[martinc]

Classic (to me) could mean most jazz from the 70's all the way back to Pops Foster & Wellman Braud. Can you articulate that "classic jazz" sound you're talking about?

Also, this:


Also, considering pickups weren't available in the jazz classic days: +1 on the Mic suggestions (if your situation/venue will allow the use of a mic alone). I think that sound you may be looking for has a lot to do with the sound of a mic'ed bass.

Daveming: Good point. To me that "classic" old jazz sound is gut strings with a large diaphragm dynamic ribbon mic. For the 60's jazz sound....Spiro mediums or lights also with a large ribbon mic. However as I posted earlier, Zyex (med or light) will work too but using a piezo pickup will likely mean a lot of processing at the pre-amp stage.

 

[Selim]

I think it was Milt Hinton, talking about the old days before pickups & amps - he said that when you couldn't hear the bass, the band leader would make the WHOLE BAND come down. As opposed to nowadays, where the guitar player can't hear him/her self so they turn up, then the bass can't hear, so they turn up, etc., etc..

 

[iiipopes]

I just finished a gig with a swing/jazz/dance band. I used D'Addario Prelude for the G, Bel Canto for the D and A, and Spiro 3885,5W for the E string. This setup gave the tone the OP described, and was well received by both the rest of the band, including the band leader, and our respective audiences. I have this setup with a Fishman Full Circle, "upside down" to take the edge off the articulation.

 

[iiipopes]

Daveming: Good point. To me that "classic" old jazz sound is gut strings with a large diaphragm dynamic ribbon mic. For the 60's jazz sound....Spiro mediums or lights also with a large ribbon mic. However as I posted earlier, Zyex (med or light) will work too but using a piezo pickup will likely mean a lot of processing at the pre-amp stage.

Remember if you use an RCA 77 with a short floor stand, to tilt the microphone in its gimbal back a little bit. This will point the microphone more towards the bridge and soundhole for better definition and isolation, and will cause the slightest sag to the ribbon, which brings out the upper bass/lower mids for definition, and truncates the top end just slightly in order to get rid of noise artifacts. Depending on which model of RCA 77, you may need to experiment with which rolloff setting or (on the later ones) which pattern setting does best. But if you are going "old school," nothing beats a RCA 77 set up as described for recording double bass.

 

[AMJBASS]

I'd sooner buy a pickup like the Realist rather than replace the strings. It will give you a big acoustic sound assuming your bass has a good natural tone.

 

[iiipopes]

I'd sooner buy a pickup like the Realist rather than replace the strings. It will give you a big acoustic sound assuming your bass has a good natural tone.

Indeed. For lesser basses that still gig well, I recommend the Fishman Full Circle. I have mine installed "upside down" to truncate some of the articulation edge.