Double Bass What pickup for upright does not require a preamp?

[jazzuprightman]

Underwood wins my vote for the most controllable pickup on the market. BUT the setup has to be correct AND the input impedence of the amp MUST BE 1 Meg. or better or the finger noise and thinness will be painfully aparent. I own two uprights, one plywood and the other carved and have never felt the need for a preamp or having to match it to my rig, although I do run through a Walter Woods with either an Aguilar 1-12 w/horn or a Bag End single 15''. In the old days I used a Polytone AND a Barcus Barry mixed through my Ampeg B15N with a Altec Lansing 421-8H in it. I'm O.C.D. about my sound and can't stand anything less than the best I can get (within reason) that will last. By the way my main electric bass is an Alembic..... enough said ?

 

[Ric Vice]

Underwood wins my vote for the most controllable pickup on the market. BUT the setup has to be correct AND the input impedence of the amp MUST BE 1 Meg. or better or the finger noise and thinness will be painfully aparent. I own two uprights, one plywood and the other carved and have never felt the need for a preamp or having to match it to my rig, although I do run through a Walter Woods ................

Walter set the input impedance on his amps at 1 megohm back when he first built the MI-100-8. Don Underwood told me that Walter used his pickup to determine how to set the input impedance. Thus you have a pickup and amplifier that are matched. That's why that combination sounds so good.

Ric