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Double Bass What pickup do the TB DB guys prefer?

Which pickup do you use/would recommend to others first?

  • Total voters
    257
  • Poll closed .
#21
Voted for the Rev Solo. Patience during multiple trials working with the fit and placement was key for me. I have it flipped over with the "R" symbol facing the bass.

Previously used the Bass Max, Double Big Twin, and Schertler DYN-B (on a loan). Tried the Planet Wing too, and liked it enough to keep it as a backup.

Of course none of them sound as good as my Beyer M88 or DPA 4099 mics. But that's another poll. :D
 
#24
FMartin said:
The AMT S25B is not on the list, but that's my 1st choice nowadays...
Click to expand...

At the risk of derailing this thread into a discussion about amplification in general, I also use an AMT SP25B (or whatever mic the sound guy has that is better.)
Losing the pickup was the best thing I've ever done for the sound of my bass. I do however keep a BassMax in the bag as a worst case scenario... sorta like a suitcase nuke! :D

The caveat: I also don't own or use an amp.
-J
 
#25
My 1st bass-an oddly shaped 1/4 size-had a Barcus Berry on it when I bought it. My next pickup was a BP-100, which sounded very similar. I experimented with a p-bass pickup attached at the end of the fingerboard, which pretty much sounded (as you would expect) like a fretless electric with more low end. I used an Underwood for a good while, which was an improvement, and I currently use a Rev Solo 2, which was a pretty vast improvement and gets my vote.
 
#27
..but I haven't been thrilled with the sound I've gotten yet...either too much "thonk" on top or too much "boof" on the bottom. Cannot seem to get a clear midrange.
Never have heard anything near the richness & punch of the acoustic sound. Strangely, I have not experienced a significant improvement using either the Fdek or Fishman PlatPRo units. The best tone I have heard was running straight through a Countryman DI into a PA. Using a WW into an Epiphany 12 sounded ok too.
=JR=
 
#29
PaperbackRyder said:
..but I haven't been thrilled with the sound I've gotten yet...either too much "thonk" on top or too much "boof" on the bottom. Cannot seem to get a clear midrange.
Click to expand...

I've mentioned this in other threads, but for Rev Solo users, some people get a better sound with the pickup flipped over. I mean with the "R" brand symbol facing toward the bass instead of away from it.

Doesn't always work. But it definitely does for me. More body, still plenty of string.
 
#30
Realist user here! While I have not tried any other pickup (I had this one installed the very day I bought my upright) I can't say that I've felt the necessity to try anything else. The input signal is very hot, however, which took some time for me to figure out and learn to deal with. Low gain/high master on the amp took care of that. More than 9 o'clock gain on my LMIII causes a boomy sound incapable of being tamed.

Now that Gage/Steinberger have come out with a new pickup with an input volume knob...I am currently GASing for that! ;)
 
#32
I've had most success with underwood.

Over the yrs I used:

(70's) Polytone
(80's-mid 90's) Underwood
(Mid 90's-2009) Realist - I hated the way it made my bass sound
(2009-present) back to the Underwood

I also have a Merchant Vertical Bass w/ Full Circle - it's the only p-up that make it sound ok. I haven't tried the full circle on my Wilfer bass.
 
#33
I've tried Realist, Shadow, Barcus Berry, Fishman BP100, Fishman Full Circle, Underwood and K&K Bass Max.

I have the K&K Bass Max and Fishman Full Circle both installed on my bridge. For most gigs, the K&K sounds better to me. Very even and dynamic. THe Full Circle is a little more compressed and piezo sounding, but can handle higher volumes without feedback.
 
#34
I find that what pickup works is entirely bass dependent. What works on one bass very likely doesn't work on another and you just have to try a bunch until you find the one the works best. The best sounding pickup on my main bass is a, believe it or not, BP-100. On my backup, I'm using the new Gage SoundClip.

Pickups that I've tried: Realist, Schertler Stat and Dyn B, Plant Wing, Underwood, Shadow and probably a few more that I don't remember now. The Realist works great on the back up bass but doesn't work at all on the main bass. The BP-100 works great on the main bass but is fingernails on a blackboard bad on the backup. The SoundClip works great on the back up. I've had no luck with it on the main. Underwood worked ok but the position of the piezos made a huge difference in sound and I could never keep them in one place. Shadow was also ok. I couldn't find the sweet spot with the Dyn B. The Stat B worked very well in conjunction with another pickup. I also used an AMT-25B for a while but it has been replaced with an EV RE20. I have to carry a stand around for the RE20 but the improvement in sound quality is striking.

Edit: I also tried a String Charger a million years ago. It lasted maybe one gig before it went into the black hole of my bag where it was, presumably, whisked off to another part of the space-time continuum because it hasn't been seen since.


mark
 
#36
I've used a number of pickups including Underwood, Full Circle, RSII, and Vektor. I've also tried out Bass Max and Realist on my bass, didn't like either one.

On my main bass, the RSII didn't sound good at all, boomy and too much string noise. Maybe the fit was just off. Full Circle sounded good, but died after 3 years. Went back to my 15+ year old Underwood and it sounds freaking great...but only when I leave the G string element out and run it through my SansAmp Bass Driver DI. Sounds awful straight into my Acoustic Image. The Vektor sounds really good, too, but I occasionally get a ground hum from it and I don't like relying on a battery.

On my new backup bass, I dusted off the RSII and it sounds pretty good. Still a little more string noise than I like, but it blends fine in the mix.

As for what I would recommend to a new player...well, I might have to go with the Full Circle. While it wasn't my favorite overall, I always got a good, useful sound no matter what amp, preamp, or PA I plugged into. Also sounded good arco (much better than the Underwood) and it seems more consistently good across basses, in my experience, than other pickups.
 
#38
I like my DIY job; 2 piezos & a socket a la F*shman BP100. Difference in sound: negligible; different in price: about $350AUD (cost me $30 to make, but that includes a couple of prototypes). So far my bass teacher & other DB friends have all liked it, too, although interestingly, I've found that their denser bridges make it sound a bit thinner; I think it's because the heavier wood transmits higher frequencies a bit better internally which tilts the tone towards the top end of the frequency range. Interesting...
 
#40
I just bought a BP-100 (from a fellow TalkBass-er, as a matter of fact - thank you, classifieds!) and it sounds great on my plywood bass.

Some people mentioned something about the clips muting the bass. I don't really hear that, but if so, all the better - it should help a bit to minimize feedback.
 

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