• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Yamahiko Double Bass Pickup

#781
I've played many acoustic or nearly acoustic gigs, and I agree that it's important to be able to play the appropriate dynamics acoustically first. When I use a mic, I approach switching to arco the same way I would if I were playing acoustically: no pedals. However, certain pickups really do pick up arco and pizz totally differently. I was playing with my Vic's bridge wing today, and playing pianissimo with the bow comes out of the speaker about as loud as a pizzicato forte.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ric Vice
#782
True, and I do and I don't use a volume pedal, I have a two channel preamp, but with my bass 5/8 Mirecourt, my pickup Ehrlund EAP, my pre/amplifier the Grace Felix and my MAS 1/8. If I'm doing a musical or a big band gig only using Double Bass
and their's lots of switching between arco and pizzicato within a number then I assign one channel for pizz and the other arco. Just my take of course it's not always an issue but occasionally it is.:)

P.S. I studied with Dr. Phillip Albright, a graduate from Eastman School of Music at Ball State University for 6 1/2 we covered tone production and volume production and throughly :)
 
Last edited:
#783
Ric Vice said:
Roger,
From what I gather and my experience with the Underwood (I had one on my bass for over 10 years when they first arrived on the market) I think the Yamahiko will be a pretty big step up sound wise. I was told by reliable sources that Fishman
took a look at the Yamahiko and developed the Full Circle from that, although the Full Circle puts the piezo crystals in the wheel while the Yamahiko puts them in the shaft where their better protected. Just my take of course.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ric for your input. I should clarify the previous post and the reference to Eddie Gomez playing on Eliane Elias' Brazil/Jobim CD. I discovered it was released in 1989, which is probably long before the Yamahiko pickup was available. Eddie Gomez sounded then like he does now.
 
#784
Roger Mouton said:
Thanks Ric for your input. I should clarify the previous post and the reference to Eddie Gomez playing on Eliane Elias' Brazil/Jobim CD. I discovered it was released in 1989, which is probably long before the Yamahiko pickup was available. Eddie Gomez sounded then like he does now.
Click to expand...
"Actually we could honorably inform you of the fact that our pickup has been used by a professional bass player since 1987 without troubles, and hopefully will be continuously in sound condition toward the future."
 
#785
Earl said:
"Actually we could honorably inform you of the fact that our pickup has been used by a professional bass player since 1987 without troubles, and hopefully will be continuously in sound condition toward the future."
Click to expand...

Thanks Earl. I stand duly informed and highly edified. I'm more motivated than ever now to get mine installed soon. It will require a new bridge too because I have Delrin adjusters and their threads are not compatible with the 1/4" threads on the Yamahiko.
 
#787
Roger Mouton said:
Thanks Earl. I stand duly informed and highly edified. I'm more motivated than ever now to get mine installed soon. It will require a new bridge too because I have Delrin adjusters and their threads are not compatible with the 1/4" threads on the Yamahiko.
Click to expand...
You do not necessarily need a new bridge, you can have your existing bridge re-tapped for the proper size.
 
#788
Probably, the reason that the Yamihiko didn’t appear on the radar in 1987 was that until Eddie traveled to Japan for concerts, it wasn’t
well known outside of the mainland. Until Eddie endorsed the pickup very few players knew about or had one. Remember, we’re talking
the pre internet days when manufacturers advertised in the ISB quarterly magazine, International musician monthly, Rufus Reid’s Evolving
Bassist et.al. If you add the fact that they were quite expensive in the beginning it makes for a pickup that’s expensive not we’ll known. Just my take.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Povl Carstensen
#789
I recently ordered another sensor so that when Luthier Matt Bohn finishes my American Standard rebuild the bridge has two Yamahikos rather then one (and a non Yamahiko adjuster on the other side as was planned.)
At first I was going to just have the one sensor but I wanted the bridge to have either the Yamahiko dummy adjuster on the other side or another sensor and I just decided to go for it. The one sensor that Matt already has, is the phase reversed one (from much earlier in this thread....I asked Kiyohiko a few years ago if he could build a sensor with reversed phase thinking it would sound better to have one in phase and one out of phase...it had mixed results haha)
For this AS bass I am planning to use either one or the other (in phase or out) or to mix them in the Felix where I can change the phase of one or the other.

Kiyohiko wrote to me that he is still working on the problem and has plans to offer a version of the double sensor that...
"I haven't forgotten the task you gave me.
I'm thinking of a way to mix the two sensors in different phases at any level.
I will consider launching a good product."

I think and hope this will be an excellent addition. I suspect (and when I eventually get a phase adjusting Felix2 or the new Yamahiko, will be able to confirm) that being able to adjust the phase in degree (rather then 180 in or out) will be an ideal way to run two sensors.
I have done a lot of playing with both the two sensor Yamahiko AND a Wilson K4 blended in the Felix (6 pickups) all working at the same time. There really isn't any downside to it. It sounds frickin great. I am able (with the mid contour and HPF) to make the two pickups have different characteristics so that when I get to a gig (or difficult room) I can just adjust the blend knob on the Felix to really dial in all the eq I need. Although having only one Yamahiko (on the E side) can work great, (and for a lot of players may be preferable) I have a lot of experience with these multiple blended pickups and I think that for working with a drummer more is better (on my contrabassetto) ...looking forward to finding out if this holds true for the big box (American Standard)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Ric Vice and Earl
#792
Well, after reading all 40 pages and pondering for a few months. I finally ordered my Yamahiko yesterday. The timing is good because I need a bridge replaced on the Tyrolean (it’s a little too wide so it had to be done sooner or later). So I figured doing both together would make things easier for me.

Gig money has been pretty good lately, so I opted for the dual sensor option. Eager to see how it performs once it’s all set up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lrhbass, Ric Vice, Doug Harrison and 3 others
#793
After playing with the Yamahiko on my small bass for 6 years now, I had my luthier install a new bridge with Y pickup (and neck and fingerboard) on my American Standard and it shakes the house down. After a week with this cannon of a bass I am finding that I am using it plugged into the MAS16 almost exclusively (the bass is so loud by itself and the Y works so well) The 16 seems so far loud enough for anything. Using a fair amount of HPF but otherwise the Y is killin on this new old bass
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ric Vice and Hasty
#794
flatback said:
After playing with the Yamahiko on my small bass for 6 years now, I had my luthier install a new bridge with Y pickup (and neck and fingerboard) on my American Standard and it shakes the house down. After a week with this cannon of a bass I am finding that I am using it plugged into the MAS16 almost exclusively (the bass is so loud by itself and the Y works so well) The 16 seems so far loud enough for anything. Using a fair amount of HPF but otherwise the Y is killin on this new old bass
Click to expand...

Sounds like we might have a fairly similar setup. Old bass, MAS 16... Now I'm even more excited to get this setup.

I'm thinking the Grace Felix, the MAS 16 or the 28, and just about any of my power heads is going to make for an insanely good combination.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back