monkey_dancer Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I'm looking to get a pickup for my double bass so I can use it with a band more easily than with a mic, and know nothing about them. The most important thing is a nice full pizzicato sound , I hardly ever play arco with the band. I'll be running into a DI box -> pa if that makes much difference. Looking to spend <£150 probably, unless there's something not too far out of that range that's a huge step up. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ash Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Steel or nylon/gut strings? You could go for a magnetic pickup - like a Schaller, or a transducer type like a Fishman. I made a magnetic one for my double bass out of an old Squier P bass pickup. There's a guy on eBay selling pickups that clip into your bridge for £18! So you can experiment without having to dig into your pockets too deeply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I've used the David Gage realist for years,as have most of the people I know,and it's always worked and sounded great,especially if you run it through some form of preamp-which I would recommend,whatever you choose,especially as you are going direct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkey_dancer Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) Steel strings, although I'd like to try nylon in the future so I'd probably prefer a transducer pickup anyway. ^What research I've done has turned up the David Gage realist too, seems like a good bet. Edited October 22, 2012 by monkey_dancer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 The most common recommended bridge wing piezo (which tends to be the cheapest type of pickup) would probably be the BassMax, also the Shadow 950, the Rev Solo and Underwood are liked by many DBers. These are generally quite simple to operate but require a preamp to match their impedance with an amplifier. They can be thin and nasal sounding and feedbackprone but with the right EQ and a decent preamp they deliver a decent DB type sound live. I have a Full Circle on my 3/4 double bass which sounds nice but is a bit above your budget as it requires fitting in an adjustable bridge. On my smaller bass I have a Realist and it sounds very nice, although I have only just fitted it so my experience is a little limited ( one gig only so far). They are a bit more than £150 new but you can pick them up second hand for £80-110. So far I am liking the Realist a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin spangles Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Yes as Clarky says the Realist is an acceptable option to the Full circle. Some people have had good success with the Rev solo too. I remember getting good results with a Shadow pick up many years ago. I wedged the pick up into the bridge wings with cardboard. Been using the FC for quite a few years now and it meets all my requirements. If the band on stage sound is so loud that it gives me problems with my own set up then I don't really want to play with them. You don't say what type of music\band you will be playing with. Could make a difference to your choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Remember that if you go with a piezo, you will need a buffer amp of some sort. This will raise your budget, in fact, double it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I've got a Realist on one bass and Bass Max on the other. The Bass Max has quite a pronounced nasal thwack along with the pizz attack which is difficult to EQ out. The Realist has the same characteristic (it seems all piezo pickups do) but less pronounced, although the Realist has less of everything - it gives you a sound with no treble or high mids, they're just not there to dial in. I guess this is due to the pickup being fitted so far away from the strings. I don't like piezos to be honest but if I had to use one, the next model I would try is the Full Circle, although it's expensive, especially if you don't already have an adjustable bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I've tried quiet a few and stuck with the Full Circle. Also, a pedal tuner can work to buffer the piezo or if you're handy with a soldering iron, look at making the fdeck preamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 The fdeck preamp, for those unfamiliar, is a clever little preamp box which contains a high pass filter (which dials out boomy bass frequencies by cutting everything below the chosen threshold), a phase switch (useful for fighting feedback), and a volume switch. The DB players on TalkBass love it to bits and a large number of them place it in their signal path between pickup and amp (many not bothering with a traditional preamp like a Fishman Plat Pro, even though the fdeck has no EQ capabilities). Its very cheap (<£100) but the drawback is that they are not on sale in Europe. However there are several helpful Stateside TB'ers who will order one on your behalf and then send it on. Details here: [url="https://sites.google.com/site/hpftechllc/home/hpf-pre"]https://sites.google.com/site/hpftechllc/home/hpf-pre[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Just to bring something else into the mix, I'll mention the Underwood that I like very much. It is quite a bright pickup, which is a good point to start from and it can be eq'd down a bit with a PlatPro or FDeck. The Bassmax can be got from Thomann for just under £100 delivered. Usually this single pickup will slot into the E wing of the bridge but on my Kolstein it is better on the G wing. So I have put a second one in the E just to get a little more bottom and the two are mixed in a two channel Clarus amp. Of course your bass will sound better with a mic but don't be in a hurry to go there. You will encounter initial expense, feedback probs, more expense and you'll finally get there after even more expense but at the end of the day the object is to get an an acceptable sound out there and enjoy your bass - which I've done for a few years now with a PU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 A cheaper alternative to the K&K Bassmax is the Tacoman, available from superiorbassworks.com. It has a lower output than the Bassmax but, to my ears, has a flatter, cleaner response. At around £40 inc p&p, you'll have cash left over for a decent preamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I have a Realist and a Fishman Platinum Pro pre-amp I am about to put up for sale. £90 for each if you (or anyone else) is intersted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslapper Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 [quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1350981232' post='1845703'] A cheaper alternative to the K&K Bassmax is the Tacoman, available from superiorbassworks.com. It has a lower output than the Bassmax but, to my ears, has a flatter, cleaner response. At around £40 inc p&p, you'll have cash left over for a decent preamp. [/quote] I've been using a TM pickup for 2.5 years, never had feedback issues, very much like what it produces on my old ply with Prestos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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