Amplifying a DB

[Buzzy]

Whats the best/cheapest way to amplify a DB?
I'm looking at gigging with a singer,acoustic guitarist and cajon all of which will go through the P.A.
I don't think putting the DB through the P.A. will work so I'm looking to sort my own amplification out.
Any advice from other basschatters would be welcomed. The DB is rented so I can't fix an expensive system to it as I've got to give it back at some point

[BassBus]

Get a sponge and wedge it between the legs of the bridge. Then stick a microphone in that. If there is a PA at the venue they might have a spare mic. Put that through your bass amp. Probably the cheapest way.

[mybass]

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1390753608' post='2349027']
Get a sponge and wedge it between the legs of the bridge. Then stick a microphone in that. If there is a PA at the venue they might have a spare mic. Put that through your bass amp. Probably the cheapest way.
[/quote]

My DB teacher of many years ago, (Roy Babbington) used the mic and sponge trick. Always sounded good through an old valve amplifier he had.

[TheRev]

Do you want the best way or the cheapest way? In my experience you can't have both ;-)

A wing pickup like the Shadow or K&k basmax can be fitted to a bass without major modifications (or no modifications if the wing slot is wide enough). You'll probably need a preamp to get the best out of the pickup before plugging into the pa or bass amp.
The cheapest shadow pickup plus a basic preamp will set you back about 60-80 quid.

[Buzzy]

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1390756775' post='2349092']
Do you want the best way or the cheapest way? In my experience you can't have both ;-)

A wing pickup like the Shadow or K&k basmax can be fitted to a bass without major modifications (or no modifications if the wing slot is wide enough). You'll probably need a preamp to get the best out of the pickup before plugging into the pa or bass amp.
The cheapest shadow pickup plus a basic preamp will set you back about 60-80 quid.
[/quote] Thanks for the replies, can the Shadow pickup be attached and removed easily? I can't fit anything permanent as I've got to return the DB in a few months.

[Clarky]

Any piezo wing pickup (Shadow, Bass Max etc) just squeezes into the side slots in the bridge. So it can be quickly added in or removed. If the wing slots are too wide, a simple shim (paper, cardboard etc) is all that's needed to wedge in the pickup

[Clarky]

J-tone do good basic, cheap n cheerful copies of a Bass Max for about £30 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/J-tone-Big-double-Bass-Pick-up-/200613316399 A brand name piezo like a Shadow or Bass Max usually runs to about £100 new or £60 used on BassChat

[Buzzy]

Thanks guys, any recommendations about amps? I've got my Ashdown Mag210 that I used for electric gigs and an Ashdown perfect 10 for home use. Either of these any use for DB?

[Clarky]

Any amp will work with the right preamp in front. also you can go straight to PA with a preamp. A used PlatPro would be ideal if you can get one for comfortably under £100. So your signal chain would be

DB>piezo pickup>preamp>PA

Or DB>piezo pickup>preamp>amp/combo with PA feed from preamp or amp/combo

[TheRev]

http://www.thomann.de/gb/shadow_shsb1.htm

This Shadow pickup is pretty cheap....

[timbo1978]

Definitely try for second hand kit rather than cheap and nasty.

With a pick up and preamp the PA can sound fine. With amps it seems to be either pay out for an expensive one designed for upright, or pour through the bass guitar amp specs to find one the right input level for a piezo pickup.

**in my limited experience that is!**

[Maude]

Your Ashdown might be alright with no pre amp in front of it. I use a Perfect Ten minirig and sounds brilliant with the bass just plugged straight in.
I have a BBE Acoustimax pre amp which I use when I run through the PA at bigger gigs but I can't get a better sound using the BBE than just plugging direct into the Ashdown, if the Ashdown had a DI out I wouldn't bother with the BBE at all, although the notch filter has come in handy.
I use the J Tone double pick ups and got complimented on tone by a professional sound man at the Eden Project.

Small gigs = J Tone pickup straight into the Ashdown.

Edited January 26, 2014 by Maude

[BobVbass]

I used to use my old Abm ashdown head for years with my DB - sounded great, with a magnetic pickup tho. I used a bass max with a plat pro and that was ok except for feedback - even used a boss bass eq pedal that did just fine as well..

[invicta59]

If it's a rental bass and you can't modify it, you could get any of the pickups mentioned above. Rather than try and modify the bridge wing gap, which will almost certainly be too narrow (in my experience I have had to widen the slot on every bridge I have owned), you could attached the pickup to the bridge leg, either with Gaffer tape or a modellers 1" or 2" G-clamp. It wont look pretty but it will produce a sound. Behringer make a cheapish pre-amp that would do something to help. So potentially, A J-tone pickup @ £30, a G clamp @ £2, and a Pre-amp @ £25 = £57.

[ubassman]

Not an expert on amplification but you may have[b] F[/b]eedback issues with a cheap solution.

I am sure others more knowledgeable will chip in with thoughts on the 'F' word and the lengths they have gone to in order to get round it!

[TheRev]

The Fishman BP100 just clips onto the bridge next to the strings - no modifications needed at all.

There's one in the for sale forum, IIRC. Not the best sounding pickup out there but it will make your bass louder.

[fonzoooroo]

I reckon my current gigging setup must be about as cheap as it gets:

Shadow pickup (though I was told it was an old Fishmann... to be honest, I really don't care! ... It was a 2 paddle one - I removed 1 of the paddles) which I took as payment for a job (approx value £20)

Click pickup - Cheapie piezo glued to the top of a cork.

Amp - Old silver face Carlsbro Marlin 1024 PA head (4 input effort) ... Paid £25 for it. Input impedances are spot on - no need for a preamp, just turn the bass up on the bass channel and treble up on the click.

Now these amps are only 100W... but they did a matching "Slave 1000" ... and I found one on ebay, which I bought for £13.

I run both of them into an Eden 4x10 (internal wiring modified to suit) which was another ebay bargain.

I've tried silly setups with multiple preamps, POD, power amps... Nothing sounded as good/natural as this!

The bass itself is an ex-high school ply blonde (60s/70s) with Innovation nylon core strings. ... No modification to that except a sponge wedge under the tailpiece to cure a buzz. I use the same bass in the local orchestra.

Feedback is no problem on a pub/club gig unless I'm right in front of the cab.

[timbass]

I hate piezo sound and think a simple mic will cause you less hassle, modifications and risk of damage and obviate the need for a pre-amp (that most piezo set-ups seem to need). What's the PA? If the cajon is going through it, it can't be that bad and I would include it in your set-up and use the mic/sponge and your Ashdown Mag 210 to drive the PA via DI and for back-line monitor and EQ. You will get feedback at some point, but with more power (using the PA as well) and a greater spread you will get a better sound-level and tone before feedback level and having to use notch filters. If you use ONLY the Mag 210 with a mic you will have to position yourself some distance away. Also look out for feedback through the stage and endpin into your DB that can also give a horrible boomy resonance in some halls. BTW, tape the mic lead to the tail-piece to stop annoying vibrations against the sound-board and to prevent the mic being easily pulled out during your gyrations at the gig! Good luck. Please let us know how you get on.

[jakenewmanbass]

All the advice here is good so far, so the only message I would repeat is the Fishman plat pro pre amp, it has phase cancellation which will eliminate feedback in the vast majority of situations, and the 5 band graphic seems to be balanced just right so that you can compensate for any room/amp issues, and get as near to an acoustic sound as the rest of your gear will allow. The reality of amplified DB is it's never going to sound exactly like the bass itself so you need to find a sound with which you can work.