daflewis Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Hi, Just wanted to say sorry I'm not more involved in the discussion - I'm on holiday till a week Monday, but I'll certainly plough in then! (also I gave Kev a £20 "Basschat discount" and that, of course, goes for anyone else too) - hope I'm alright to mention that here! Cheers, Daf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 (edited) Well drurb on the Talkbass thread has just reported back after using the Ehrlund with a Big band and is raving about it. Sounds the way to go. Just got to figure how I replace the Full Circle wheels on my bridge with identical size adjusters .... Edited September 6, 2012 by Clarky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 I've left the Realist on my bass for now. Daf mentioned that he sometimes likes to mix a piezo and the mic, and I'm not removing my piezo until I've tried this mic on a few gigs at least! My tailpiece is a bit busy now though. The G string has the Realist jack attached to it, the D and A have the Ehrlund preamp zip-tied through their holes with some foam to insulate/damp it, and the E side has a bow quiver tied to it. It makes me a bit uncomfortable having all these things attached to my bass but either it doesn't have a massively detrimental effect on the sound or I'm too much of a savage to notice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1346973877' post='1795682'] Well drurb on the Talkbass thread has just reported back after using the Ehrlund with a Big band and is raving about it. Sounds the way to go. Just got to figure how I replace the Full Circle wheels on my bridge with identical size adjusters .... [/quote] Those adjusters will be 1 of 3 sizes Clarky; UNC 1/4-20, 6x1mm or UNC 5/16-18. If you have the original package it will tell you. You can buy adjusting wheels accordingly. I think I'm glad that I'm happy with the FC on my bass...DB GAS = ££££ Edited September 7, 2012 by TPJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 [quote name='TPJ' timestamp='1347014830' post='1795971'] Those adjusters will be 1 of 3 sizes Clarky; UNC 1/4-20, 6x1mm or UNC 5/16-18. If you have the original package it will tell you. You can buy adjusting wheels accordingly. [/quote] Thanks TPJ, unfortunately the FC came installed on the bass so I have no idea which size they are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1347014993' post='1795975'] Thanks TPJ, unfortunately the FC came installed on the bass so I have no idea which size they are [/quote] [url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/faq/10-PICKUPS_FISHMAN_FULL_CIRCLE_SIZING_FAQ.html"]All things Bob [/url]has a good guide, you could take the non-pickup side off to check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 [quote name='TPJ' timestamp='1347015190' post='1795982'] [url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/faq/10-PICKUPS_FISHMAN_FULL_CIRCLE_SIZING_FAQ.html"]All things Bob [/url]has a good guide, you could take the non-pickup side off to check. [/quote] Thanks for that - looks very helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Oh dear. First I get GAS for the mic, then i remember i've got a buzz from somewhere inside the bass body, which I've been able to ignore because i don't use a mic. Aaargh! We should have our salaries paid directly to luthiers and cut out the middle man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Well I got my Ehrlund this morning (thanks Daf!) and have been playing around with it this afternoon (allegedly working from home, ahem). It sounds great on my steel-strung Kolstein without too much mucking around over positioning and very much "my bass only louder". However I am really struggling with my German 1880s flatback which has thumpy SIlver Slaps on. If I site the pickup too close to the bridge and sound bar, all the volume disappears (presumably as there is less resonance of the top) but if I move it to far away it becomes boomy and can even run to feedback. I've tried it where drurb has his on the picture in the aforementioned TB thread (which is not so far from yours is sited, Kev/TNIT by the sound of it?) So far I just can't get a nice sound. It generally sounds too boomy or like a nasal piezo. I will persevere but I am a little disheartened that it simply will not suit this particular DB. Any thoughts TNIT and Daf? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 Mine's not quite where he's got his. Mine is an inch and a half or so further north and it's up against the edge of the F hole. I may move it further towards that position he's using though as that's quite a nice open sound, but it sounded a little bit too scooped to me when I did it. How is yours mounted? I find if it's mounted very close to the body it starts to sound compressed, and if your blobs of tack are too close to the middle it gets a bit nasal. The most natural-sounding results - for me - were with just a small amount of tack at each corner, creating about a 1mm gap under the mic. Bigger gaps can sound better but the volume starts to drop off quite quickly. I think it's important to try to mount it consistently each time as you move it around looking for an ideal position, because the way the pickup is attached to the bass can have a large influence on the sound. You might not be able to judge the positional adjustment very well if the pickup is mounted closer or less evenly or the tack is blobbing close to the centre, etc. Choose a mounting method and stick as close to it as you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 OK thanks for the advice. I do have only a small blob of tack on each corner but I may have the overall pickup itself too close to the body (I guess the gap is 0.5mm). I will play around further with positioning, gap size, blobs etc and report back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Great advice thinameistaken - very small amounts of blue tack on the corners and don't squash them down.... The only thing that I'd add is that I use a German flat back too and had a similar issue; I spoke to Ehrlund and they said that if the sound is good but the volume low, don't be afraid to switch the pre to "hi" and max out the volume - the pre is designed to work flat out and it won't introduce any noise or headroom issues running it this way. I now do this very successfully and still get 2 months + out of the battery doing 8 shows a week. Hope that's of some help.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 Daf the pre low/high switch isn't really explained in the accompanying instructions. I thought it would be some sort of EQ shape setting to suit different instruments, but I guess not? Is 'low' simply a pad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Yes, you're right... On both counts! it is just a pad, and it isn't explained... at all if I recall correctly.... Ehrlund said that they recommend trying it on low first just to play it safe (they had a problem with someone recording a violin on hi without checking if low was suitable first and ending up with distortion on playback). So don't be afraid to try hi... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Right chaps, tried turning preamp to 'high', smaller blobs, different sized gaps, different placements ... and what ever I do it still sounds worse than the Full Circle that was on there to begin with Thing is, it sounds great on the Kolstein but that not my main gigging bass ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 That seems really weird to me. Is there nowhere between the quiet position and the boomy one where it sounds good? To be honest mine sounded pretty good on my bass in most of the places that I put it, and I'm still not totally decided where it's staying but that's down to choosing what type of sound I want rather than one sound being bad and another good. I'm really surprised to hear that it doesn't sound good on a ripe old antique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 So far, nowhere sounds good. The irony is my experience with the Kolstein is much like you describe, ie, it sounds pretty good wherever I place it (within reason). On the flatback, it sounds - when not booming or too quiet - either hollow, compressed, reedy/nasally or chorus/echo-ey. Plenty of different sounds but none of them sound like a double bass "only louder". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bassman Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 (edited) Try a different string on the fatback. Don't change the whole set, just one string for whatever you've got in your spare box, then listen and compare. It might be that the new pick up doesn't like your current strings! What sounds nice acoustic doesn't always work amped innit! Edited September 14, 2012 by Mr Bassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Thanks Keith, it may be that the 'thunking' sound of Silver Slaps just doesn't translate well. I will try a spare Kolstein Heritage string but I can't do that until after Sunday (as we have a recording session and I need the bass set up as it is) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 Very odd. I'll be keen to hear if it's the silver slaps because I've got a set I've been meaning to put back on my laminate bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Damn! That must be frustrating... Sorry to hear you're having problems Clarky. I know it won't help for Sunday, but I'd be happy to meet up and do some experimenting... Two heads are better than one! The placement I have found works on mine is in between the bridge feet, but about 2 inches south, or alternatively, on the bass bar about 1/2 inch below the bass side bridge foot.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bassman Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1347659447' post='1803866'] I will try a spare Kolstein Heritage string [/quote] Don't forget Kolstein Heritage take a while to settle in and sound their best. I believe they improve with time, after they've stopped strechin' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Oh, by the way, I did a recording on my Wilfer 5 string using slaps and the Ehrlund - the only problem I had was string noise due to the Ehrlund giving me more top end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mixingwithtom Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I'd like to try one of these on my viola...! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 (edited) Well i swapped the strings over from Silver Slaps to Kolstein Heritage steels (which have been on a bass before, so not new) and unfortunately the result is the same, irrespective of blob size, placing, gap size and placement on the bass. Maybe the fact mine is an old bass (1880s) that has undergone many repairs is affecting the way it resonates and thus its suitability for the Ehrlund? The nearest I can get to a usable sound ends up much like the sound of a piezo with way too much top end (so much I can't really EQ it out) Edited September 16, 2012 by Clarky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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