Double Bass what is your favorite pickup?

[tornadobass]

The RS2 seems to capture the sound of my bass nicely. I usually play in an acoustic old school blues trio, mixed with a bit of jazz standards and musicals.

There are times, though, where I wish I could capture mostly the string sound without the body. I know, that sounds backwards, but at some gigs with bad acoustics, I find my BugBass with BassMax does a better job of fitting in the mix cleanly.

 

[greitzer]

I'm looking for a new pickup..I have used a bassmax, Rev Solo I, and String Charger and I want to hear want all you guys favorite pickup is and why you like it!

BassGreaser, why are you looking for a new pickup? A certain sound you want? Problems with the three you've tried?

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Full Circle.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

I'm looking for a new pickup..I have used a bassmax, Rev Solo I, and String Charger and I want to hear want all you guys favorite pickup is and why you like it!

I've used these three pick-ups also.

Now I have Realist on a New Standard Cleveland w/gut strings. This pick-up, for me at least, is the most versatile and simple to use. It's pretty accurate in reproducing the sound of my bass, BUT it's still a pick-up.

Music is mostly older blues and jazz.

-J

 

[DaveAceofBass]

The B-Band Statement System, which is being discontinued. If there were more interest in their pickups from fellow bassists they might design a newer, better version.

 

[mikkejohansson]

The B.band is getting discontinued? That would explain why they've dropped the prices on them....hmmm.

I was looking at the Statement for whenever I want to upgrade from my Bass Max, I've tried on a friends bass which sounds great.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

I've heard good things about B-Band. I know a guy who used to post here often who bought one and someone I knew had heard it and as very enthusiastic about it. I like the idea, but I'm not looking for anything that goes into the bridge wings anymore: gives me weiird feedback-like issues with my half-position Bb.

They were written up in Bass Player mag, but I can see how marketing a pickup can be very difficult, especially when you're overseas. Unless you're hooked up and communicating with sites like TBDB, I can't see how you can contact the average bassplayer without going to every local luthier and trying to get them to carry the pickup. Either that or you get an a player to endorse it with a magazine ad or something. I would think that B-Band probably would've had a easier time had they gotten written up in DownBeat or JazzTimes or something.

I'm sure the RS has gotten out there to the masses much faster because of TBDB or RAB.com. Very interesting stuff.

 

[bolo]

Can anyone give me a comparison between these two pickups ? [ Underwood and Rev Solo ]
I bought the Underwood many years ago and tried it on all five Basses I have had over the years.
On all of the Basses, I've found that the Underwood has so much midrange that I don't have enough EQ on my amp to bring it down to acceptable levels.

Don, I think this may be kind of repeating what I said on another post earlier this evening.

But FWIW, not having tried an Underwood on my bass, but having heard them on other DBs, I think as a very gross generalization, to me the RS sounds more natural and woodier. I have fit four RS's on the same bridge (long story, won't go into it here). But IME, with the 'R' brand symbol up, you get more midrange and more string. With the 'R' symbol facing the table, you get a sound that's a little less 'hyped' and more subdued, but fuller, warmer, w/ more body, and still plenty of string. That's how I have it set up currently, facing the table. Not peaky or mid-rangey in a bad way at all. It's all there, again IMO/IME, with my bass, my ears, my tastes, et al.

BTW, I run the EQ flat on my main amp, a Euphonic Audio Wizzy combo. Just plug the Solo straight in, no preamp (unless I am blending it w/ a mic).

Not everyone has the same level of success with the RS (or any other) p/u. But especially factoring in the price and the ability to take it on and off the bass, the RS has worked out excellent in my case.

 

[Ike Harris]

I've found if you have a bass that an Underwood works on, it's hard to beat. I have one of the really early ones on my Kolstein - with a serial no. on the curved back side and an RCA plug - sounds much better than a later one I have on the Am. Standard(which still works fine). I just use one side of it though, in the E wing(more punchy). Not really a natural tone listening to it at home or in a music store, but get it on the gig with all the other things going on, it's what the Dr. ordered. With the AS on the road I run it through a Solstice(along with a Lakland) and usually into a SWR amp/cab - works for me. The thing is - make sure your bass is well setup and sounds great acoustically first.

Ike

 

[Don C]

Thanks Steve, that gives me an idea of what to expect.
I'm using an SWR Baby Blue II amp and it has a ton of EQ available but not enough to tame the midrange in the Underwood.
All of my Basses sound great accoustically and I'd like to find a pickup that will enhance that sound instead of changing it so much.
I've heard Basses that Underwoods work very well on, they just don't work well on mine.
The fact that you can reverse the RS for a different type of sound, and its easily moveable from Bass to Bass makes it more desirable already.
I think I might like to try one

 

[Reuben]

My favorite pickup no longer exists. It was the older version of the Schertler Stat-B that had two corks. For the last bunch of years it's been a simpler one-cork design that to my ears is nowhere near as good, and has a much harder time with feedback. On the other hand it is a lot cheaper than the old model was.

 

[damonsmith]

My favorite pickup no longer exists. It was the older version of the Schertler Stat-B that had two corks. For the last bunch of years it's been a simpler one-cork design that to my ears is nowhere near as good, and has a much harder time with feedback. On the other hand it is a lot cheaper than the old model was.

- I think that is what Barry Guy uses.

 

[Ric Vice]

I'm looking for a new pickup..I have used a bassmax, Rev Solo I, and String Charger and I want to hear want all you guys favorite pickup is and why you like it!

BG
My little 5/8 Mirecourt Bass has a very bright sound, so the darker sound of the Realist works to "ballance that out". Esentially however, I've found that you can't push the Realist at higher volumes. It has some of the tone characteristics of a microphone, not all of them however.
I like it because it's simple, but from what I understand, a Full Circle will do much the same thing without the inherent darkness of the Realist.
The other thing that's a little problematic, is the fact that Realists do have a "shelf life" they can last longer, but on many basses they deterorate after around 4 to 5 years. So you have to take that into consideration as well.

 

[Robert Sabin]

I'll second the B-Band endorsement. I use the D-1 and I't's the best thing I've heard, bar none. Not much more $$ than a realist (which I think sounds like an aluminum bass under water for some reason.) Get them while you can...

 

[fish slapper]

Started with BassMax, great starter but challenging taming the tone (but the volume was great), went to RSII, a lot of work to get it to fit (would recommend a professional fitting for this one), then sprung for Full circle and haven't looked back. I kept the RSII as an "in the bag back-up."

 

[Blaine]

old polytone, keep coming back to it

 

[bolo]

My favorite pickup no longer exists. It was the older version of the Schertler Stat-B that had two corks. For the last bunch of years it's been a simpler one-cork design that to my ears is nowhere near as good, and has a much harder time with feedback. On the other hand it is a lot cheaper than the old model was.

- I think that is what Barry Guy uses.

Rick Jones too (Acoustic Image). At least the last time I asked him about pickups anyway. That was about 7 years ago …

 

[bolo]

The fact that you can reverse the RS for a different type of sound, and its easily moveable from Bass to Bass makes it more desirable already.
I think I might like to try one

I guess I should add that yes the Rev Solo goes on and off the bass easily. But since fitting it to a bridge involves sanding the p/u and/or the bridge wing, getting it to fit well on two different bridges might be somewhat challenging.

Like the Bass Max (and maybe other wing mounted piezos too), getting the "right" fit in terms of positioning and how snug it sits in there is pretty key to getting the best sound out of it, at least IME. So the thought of setting up a single RS to swap around on two or more basses is just a level of complexity I would consider carefully I guess.

 

[RevJPBass]

I'm pretty courageous (fools rush in?) with a file, and have fitted my RS II to two different bridges, and also fitted my K&K Bass Max. My first pickup was a BP 100 that I hot glued to the bridge. (That actually worked better than the clips, I think, but tricky to remove.) I hated the RS II initially, but tweaking the position to get the sweet spot made it my favorite. Most important to keep that bridge slot parallel and go slowly.

 

[seamonkey]

I was using a pulse trigger for a neck pickup:
Link Removed

After my second realist died (low volume, excessive hum), I moved the pulse down to the bass wing of the bridge. I used some small shims to wedge it in. It works great. Strings are even, clear, and full. There's no shielding problems.

In the reviews at the above link, another bass player has reviewed it for the same use.