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Pickups grrrhhh


bassadder
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The K10's sounds to be a winner has anyone tried the K12. I did use a MarkBass 15 combo for a while but the amp is truly not suited to the double bass. Did you all try the K10 before you purchased it or did buy purely on reviews?

My bass is harder to amplify using a mic than a 3/4 bass and the Realist works best on something 3/4 size bass IMHO. I did a CD recently with a fantastic ribbon mic great sound on it's own it would the perfect live sound but impossible to use in a modern jazz situation.

Glad to hear you can get a decent sound with Underwood Roger it my not be ideal but at least it works not forgetting a certain Mr Holland is still using one, do you reckon a pre-amp is essential.

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I didn't actually try a K10 before I bought but I did try it thru a big QSC FOH cab and various mackie and jbl powewered speakers and it did seem like you got what you paid for to some extent

I bought mine from digital village and got the bloke to blast solo DB from my ipod thru various cabs , not a great test I know and I think I should of got a K12 but it's a bit of a compromise with weight isn't it. I just sold my beloved ampeg for a genz benz bergantino set up for that reason and that sounds pretty awful with the realist as you'd expect

has anone tried an underwood/realist blend?

do acoustic image amps sound good with a pick up without running into ext. pre?

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[quote name='bassadder' timestamp='1333984589' post='1609172']
The K10's sounds to be a winner has anyone tried the K12. I did use a MarkBass 15 combo for a while but the amp is truly not suited to the double bass. Did you all try the K10 before you purchased it or did buy purely on reviews?

My bass is harder to amplify using a mic than a 3/4 bass and the Realist works best on something 3/4 size bass IMHO. I did a CD recently with a fantastic ribbon mic great sound on it's own it would the perfect live sound but impossible to use in a modern jazz situation.

Glad to hear you can get a decent sound with Underwood Roger it my not be ideal but at least it works not forgetting a certain Mr Holland is still using one, do you reckon a pre-amp is essential.
[/quote]

Laurence

I reckon a preamp improves most piezos and IMO it does with an Underwood, although not essential. I use a Fishman Pro eq. Anything with a phase reverse is an added bonus not only for defeating feedback but somehow (not sure of the reason) in certain rooms a click can get you an improved bass sound.

I didn't consider a K12 because of the weight problem but also I seem to be using 10" speakers a lot except in very loud situations when I add a 12" Wizzy. Some say the K8 is also very good but I was a bit nervous about getting one quite that small. Who knows, in time we may use 8" a lot more.

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[quote name='spencer.b' timestamp='1333986597' post='1609212']
I didn't actually try a K10 before I bought but I did try it thru a big QSC FOH cab and various mackie and jbl powewered speakers and it did seem like you got what you paid for to some extent

I bought mine from digital village and got the bloke to blast solo DB from my ipod thru various cabs , not a great test I know and I think I should of got a K12 but it's a bit of a compromise with weight isn't it. I just sold my beloved ampeg for a genz benz bergantino set up for that reason and that sounds pretty awful with the realist as you'd expect

has anone tried an underwood/realist blend?

do acoustic image amps sound good with a pick up without running into ext. pre?
[/quote]

Interesting that Thwaites have a 'house bass' for sale that is also hired by visiting jazzers. It has a Realist and Underwood fitted. Whether it is used as an either/or or blended I'm not sure. I had both initially on my Upton and whereas I favoured the Underwood I found myself in a small bar with a trio once and the Realist was the better of the two - but only that once. Never been a great fan.

Re AI amp, it seems to prefer an outboard preamp with a piezo but you can get away without one - as most other amps.

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[quote name='spencer.b' timestamp='1333907159' post='1608080']
I know what you mean about the headway and realist together, I tend to put mine thru a sansamp into the other channel of the QSC
what else have you tried with the DPA for the phantom and eq
[/quote]

A DPA will go straight into a Clarus and a two channel model will let you put in a pickup as well. Although each channel has phantom power and a notch filter I found that I can use higher volumes with a Headway.

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Very interesting Roger the bass player with Tord Gustavsen band uses an Underwood and sounds incredible probably because he is incredible as is Dave Holland I think I'm going to go down that root for now.

I just need something that works and doesn't distract from just playing which is the most important thing for me. I read that the Fishman Dual Parametric DI is the best product Fishman ever made and now discontinued is a fantastic pre-amp you can get them second.

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[quote name='bassadder' timestamp='1334000637' post='1609507']
Very interesting Roger the bass player with Tord Gustavsen band uses an Underwood and sounds incredible probably because he is incredible as is Dave Holland I think I'm going to go down that root for now.

I just need something that works and doesn't distract from just playing which is the most important thing for me. I read that the Fishman Dual Parametric DI is the best product Fishman ever made and now discontinued is a fantastic pre-amp you can get them second.
[/quote]

You probably don't need something too fancy. Priority is to buffer the very high impedance of the piezo to match the spec of the amp, which the outboards do.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I had a chat with my luthier last night and he thinks the reason my legs wrapped (other than the adjusters and BassBalseriet pickup) was due to the Belgian style Despiau bridge on the bass which has much longer legs and less mass he also said the bridge wasn't aged which was another factor. He's putting on a very nice Aubert Deluxe old selected Maple bridge, the bridge has much shorter less and more mass and because it's been aged for up to 30 years will be much stable and vastly improve the sound, we decided not to put installed the BassBalseriet pickup so that's going to be available if anyone is interested.

Both Clarky ans Keith have kindly offer to lend me pickups once I get the bass back so I will see what works best.

Interstingly I was old told that the Correlli Tungsten strings sound pretty darn good last night low tension and big sound and they bow really well has anyone tried them?

Cheers

Laurence

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I have had the best luck with a Fishman Full Circle. I play several different gigs, and the Full Circle holds up very well indeed. I have it installed "upside down," and this takes a little bit of the edge off the attack, but allows the full "bloom" of the bass. My bridge came like this, but most people might have to have a new bridge fitted with the sockets reversed.

Being in the USA, I buffer it with a fdeck preamp/high pass filter into a Carvin MB-12 combo.

Edited by iiipopes
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[quote name='slobluesine' timestamp='1334931643' post='1623680']
can you put me on the list too TPJ?
[/quote]

Yes that's fine. Keith and yourself are next after it comes back from lockpicker1969 as is Laurence if he wants to try it.

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I'd be interested to hear users' comments on the Hurley when available.

Funny things, pickups. Some you like, some you hate; and someone else will no doubt like the ones you hate and vice versa. One aspect that hasn't been discussed is the player's 'ear' and pickup sound that he gets used to. I've been playing with an Underwood for many, many years and have got used to the sound. I like it very much, I know how to eq the various amps that I use and I can get a good sound, although I'm fully aware that there will be those whose opinions may differ. In any case, when you play in a band, the sound you project to get yourself heard won't be a true DB sound, unfortunately. It will be an amplified double bass sound - which is different, but not disastrously so.

I have resolved to stick to my Underwood, concentrate on trying to improve my playing and enjoy my music as long as I am able.

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