OK now the new bass is here..... how do I amplify it?!

[stingrayPete1977]

I have been waiting for my new Gedo to arrive before posting this in case I tempted fate or something, so what should I get as regards piezo or mic or both or what I have no idea (as is the norm with me where the DB is concerned).

I was thinking some form of clip on job and a preamp?

Thanks in advance and I know this is a biggie

[Clarky]

My view (everyone is different in part as basses respond differently)

The very best amplified sound (my bass only louder, as the jargon has it) is with an Ehrlund EAP, a triangle shaped contact mic for which BCer daflewis is the UK dealer, together with its preamp. A cool £300-odd. Plug into your normal electric rig with as clean a setting as poss (or in the effects return) and its wonderful

Cheaper but still good sound - piezo wing pickup into a Fishman PlatPro EQ bass preamp. Loads of piezos but popular are K&K BassMax (quite bassy I find), the Shadow SH950 or very similar Underwood (BC'er bassace swears by these), or - for a slightly darker sound - the under-bridge-foot David Gage Realist copper pickup. The best piezo I have tried is the Full Circle but this requires swapping out a bridge adjuster and is expensive. Some people hate piezos as they can be a bit nasal and require careful EQing. If you get EQ right they sound pretty good to my ears.

Depends on your budget but for a good start I would buy a PlatPro and a used Shadow/Underwood/BassMax. The Ehrlund is fantastic but a budget stretcher

PS, whatever you do, get a preamp with a phase switch if possible and either through preamp or amp have reasonable frequency control as feedback can be a real bugger

Edited March 8, 2013 by Clarky

[stingrayPete1977]

I think a Platinum pro is on the cards then and a lucky dip into the piezo world! My amps should be good as far as I know so that is a big cost saving alone

Off to look for plat pros.........

[Beer of the Bass]

I'd add to that list the Upton Revolution Solo pickup - another workable bridge wing pickup. If your amp has an input impedance of 1 Megaohm or greater (check the manual), some of the piezo pickups may sound fine without a preamp, so you may want to try that and see how you fare first.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Beer of the Bass

[stingrayPete1977]

What is the general feeling about these and at this price being B stock?
[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/shadow_sh_965_nfx_b_b_stock.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/shadow_sh_965_nfx_b_b_stock.htm[/url]

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1362777503' post='2004809']
I'd add to that list the Upton Revolution Solo pickup - another workable bridge wing pickup. If your amp has an input impedance of 1 Megaohm or greater (check the manual), some of the piezo pickups may sound fine without a preamp, so you may want to try that and see how you fare first.
[/quote]

Ah OK I will check that, I have a selection of Genz amps which I beleive are fairly popular with DB players especially in the States?

[Clarky]

Ed Friedland, the Bass whisperer, swears by his Genz Shuttle so your rig is fine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA8K-UXuAh4

Edited March 8, 2013 by Clarky

[stingrayPete1977]

The manual says >500k ohms and the Max9.2 suggests it is good for upright basses? looks like some work without a pre into Genz heads where others still need one.

[stingrayPete1977]

Ed has cost me a lot of money over the years

[stingrayPete1977]

Looks like I am sorted then

[stingrayPete1977]

Actually....
[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/shadow_sh_950_b_stock.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/shadow_sh_950_b_stock.htm[/url]
Or even for the full Ed Friedland rig...
[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/david_gage_the_realist_double_bas_b_stock_2.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/david_gage_the_realist_double_bas_b_stock_2.htm[/url]

[Clarky]

Be careful with the Realist, it has a 'hot' output that doesn't work with some amps. Its why David Gage sells a 'padded cable' for it

[stingrayPete1977]

I might go for that B stock SH950 then, looks simple enough and might just do the job in one go?

[Beer of the Bass]

I've never tried one, but I have a friend with one of those Shadow pickups. He gets a reasonable sound and plays on some fairly large stages at festivals etc. Because it has the little preamp attached, it should work well with a wide range of amps too. The preamp does look a bit flimsy though...

[Clarky]

Worth putting an Items Wanted thread up on BC I'd say as I bet you can get a decent piezo p/u cheaper than that. Loads of DB players on BC seem to have a drawer full of piezo pickups so may be willing to sell

[thisnameistaken]

I agree with everything Clarky said. The Ehrlund is what you get when you've decided that piezos aren't good enough. Regarding the Realist, it's one of the easier piezos to get an acceptable sound from but that's because its sound does not have enough detail - there is no treble frequencies in there. Avoid if you intend to slap and don't want to also need a specialist 'clicky' pickup. Also avoid if your favourite aspect of playing the DB is the sound one makes, because you don't get enough of it from a Realist.

Edited March 8, 2013 by thisnameistaken

[timbass]

I am sure your amps are fine, Genz-Benz are amongst the best. The problems will be pick-up and pre-amp/mixer. If you want to chat about my trial and error trip to Kent Armstrong mag pu and AKG 411pp mic then pm me or find me on Facebook.

[keeponehandloose]

the shadow nanoflex is pretty uninspiring from hearing it on a friends bass. Under leg pickups wont give as direct a sound as wing slot types,
Rev Solos work best for me , and not too expensive. Piezos like a bit of pressure on them to work best so clip on or stick on ones arent very sucsessful. Aim for an airtight fit in the wing ones,ie all faces parallel, it will help wih feedback issues.

[stingrayPete1977]

I have ordered a cheap ebay one just to get me started, hopefully something good will crop up at the right price soon. It is a wing type one so I will try and get it snug then, await many questions......

[4-string-thing]

I got a cheap wing type on ebay, and at first was not impressed, but once fitted properly (after a bit of careful filing) things improved no end! Sadly, I didn't get to try it with my other ebay purchase, an ART tube MP project preamp which sounds really good with my acoustic guitar.... But as some on here said, it might be worth going down the cheap and cheeful route first, you can spend a lot ofmoney and still sound rubbish!

[stingrayPete1977]

I'm pretty sure my bad playing will be more of an issue than the piezo I will report back after I have fitted it.

[fatgoogle]

Ive got a revolution solo mounted on my bass. Really good pickup and imo a better all rounder then the realist. Cheaper too!

[fatback]

The business of matching pickup to bass seems a long, expensive and frustrating road. It's like there's no telling in advance what will work for your particular bass. So as has been said, might as well start cheap and work from there.

[stingrayPete1977]

It has arrived but I will need to cut some wood away!

[TPJ]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1363109692' post='2008683']
It has arrived but I will need to cut some wood away! [/quote]


Just file it nice and slowly. Take your time. If the slot ends up too big, you can usually shim the pickup with card, saxophone reed, wood laminate etc...

Try to keep the edge as flat as possible so the pickup sits squarely in the slot.