The best pickup! Got single sensors, threads down on the E string side of 2 basses and no pickup sound can come close.
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Double Bass Yamahiko Double Bass Pickup
- Thread starter Mike Arnopol
- Start date
Earl
Supporting Member
On my 7/8th bass (with it's own sub-woofer) I have come to enjoy the slightly more compressed sound of both sides together. Just the E side is WAY too bassy, just the G is better and a bit thumpier but still not as clear as both. Your results will vary on your bass of course.
Yeah with a nice cab and a little eq I keep coming back to the bridged version. So many gigs I start with the bridge wire undone ( E side only) and then reconmect drop the mids a bit (600ish) and bam yes it is compressed and phased but I dont care it works and cuts theu but still has it
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This pickup is so versatile with just the two pickups and the bridge wire you have three distinct, totally different (in terms of dominant frequencies) sounds: G side, E side or bridged.
I often start a gig with the wire un screwed and the G side pickup. If the room is muddy or I need more definition I bridge them. In some rooms my little bass needs more bass and then I use the E side. Totally stellar design and build...I cant believe anyone uses the FC instead, it is so much more finicky and limited and fragile.
I often start a gig with the wire un screwed and the G side pickup. If the room is muddy or I need more definition I bridge them. In some rooms my little bass needs more bass and then I use the E side. Totally stellar design and build...I cant believe anyone uses the FC instead, it is so much more finicky and limited and fragile.
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Earl
Supporting Member
And with them bridged you can get a slightly different sound depending on whether you connect to the G side or the E side.
ya know I just did this nice concert with Paul Mccandless last night, Paul used to live in town here and it was a community concert, everyone came out. I know the room and it is unforgiving as hell so I just went for the full piezo two pickup bridged mid range whine to cut thru...that is pretty much what it sounded like to me too...it was super fun to tell you the truth, with that mid range you can hear everything so quick that articulating anything you can think up is so much easier....but I listened to a minute of a dudes zoom recording and man the bass wasn't so icky out in the house.It was clear and directish but not icky. (MAS speakers are killing) If I could get used to that idea, that what I am hearing and responding to isn't what the audience or even the other musicians hear it would be great.
@flatback thats always the way, isn't it? I’ve kind of gotten used to it, because of hearing things so quickly, and in so much detail. A worthwhile trade off, IMO.
I'm thinking of replacing my dead FC with one of these. Does anyone have any experience with installing it threads up? I know it shouldn't make any difference since the pickup is inside the shaft, but thought I'd ask anyhow... Thanks!
@bassmanbrent it's a good question, because it should actually make a difference. Depending on which shaft (i.e. threaded or non threaded) the element is in, it would put it either closer to or farther away from the strings.
One of the reasons I bought a Yamahiko was from watching this thread. Great pickup, great decision. I play through a Mesa Walkabout head through one or two Bergantino 112 cabs and use a Grace Felix pre-amp. I also have a Krivo magnetic pickup and during concerts play through my GF into an Aguilar DB 751 and either an Ag 115, 212, or both. When I am playing at medium to loud volume I use the Krivo exclusively (anti-feedback). I have tried the Krivo alone at low volume and I gotta tell it’s not quite as natural as the Yamahiko, but at least on my bass it is REALLY close...just my two pennies.
Good point! And just in case - I'm asking because the install info on their website shows threads down, but my bridge is threads up and I'd really like to be able to swap things out without making another visit to the luthier. I'm afraid he's going to tell me to go practice and stop tinkering.
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be careful with the Yamahiko that unthreaded side is longer then you might think. If you have a shorter bridge it might not work that way. I would plan (if you want to install a Y pickup) to do it right. Have a luthier do it. It isn't a DIY pickup but once it is in it acts like the best adjuster you ever had so, it is worth having it installed.
My bridge foot is 23mm and the unthreaded post is 15mm, according to the website, so there's room. I'm just waiting to hear back from Yamahiko to see if he thinks there's any disadvantage to installing it this way...
As intended by the manufacturer.
The leg was too short, but since the top has been sunken a bit the bridge leg got some wood on top and that way the length was OK.
I got the old big metrical thread, so the bridge foot had to be modified anyway.
I was thinking about a thread insert on both sides (leg and crown) since the diameter of the metrical non-threaded side is about the same as the inner diameter of the thread (or the thread insert could be drilled minimally to hold the non-threaded part.
If both sides are long enough, you could then either mount the pickup threads up or threads down.
But that might not work with the new imperial thread Yamahiko.
The leg was too short, but since the top has been sunken a bit the bridge leg got some wood on top and that way the length was OK.
I got the old big metrical thread, so the bridge foot had to be modified anyway.
I was thinking about a thread insert on both sides (leg and crown) since the diameter of the metrical non-threaded side is about the same as the inner diameter of the thread (or the thread insert could be drilled minimally to hold the non-threaded part.
If both sides are long enough, you could then either mount the pickup threads up or threads down.
But that might not work with the new imperial thread Yamahiko.
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Thanks all. If I don't hear back from Yamahiko, I will probably just get the metric version and follow the advice from @Mike Arnopol. Sounds easy enough...
I just re-read a bunch of stuff in this thread and in #360, @flatback says that the piezo is in the threaded part of the pickup, so threads down sounds like the way to go to me. All I need is an M8 tap, which is pretty darn cheap ($8 locally) and a 1/4 drill bit (which I already have). It might take me a little while to get around to this, but I'll report back after I've installed the Yamahiko and gigged it a few times. Thanks!
