Problem switching the pickup

[Cat Burrito]

[attachment=146231:pup.jpg]

I appreciate this may sound like a real newbie question but I've recently upgraded my old upright bass and subsequently taken the Shadow pickup off the bridge of my old bass to put it on the new bass. It was a tight fit on the original bridge but I'm having the opposite problem with my new bass and the pads simply slide out of the gaps in the bridge. Where am I going wrong? I figure I can't be the first person to have this problem so looking for tips / advice. They really are quite loose and just fall out. I don't want to buy a new pickup and it was an aftermarket pickup so it's not like it should fit the old bass and not the new one.

[Clarky]

Its perfectly fine to use a shim, be it a thin piece of card or paper. All you need to do is ensure the element is solidly seated in the bridge wing, the vibration of the strings does the rest sound-wise

[Cat Burrito]

Thanks Clarky, I guess that was my question phrased better

[marvin spangles]

When I had a shadow I used a sax players discarded reeds as a shim. They're tapered and do the job well.

Edited October 15, 2013 by marvin spangles

[symcbass]

+1 on the reed.

[bassace]

You know the small boxes that up market cheese comes in? I keep the wooden sides and they make great shims. Thin card does well for the smaller gaps a la Clarky ( actually gender fail; should it be aux Clarky?)

[Clarky]

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1381930834' post='2245636']
a la Clarky ( actually gender fail; should it be aux Clarky?)
[/quote]
Depends on my mood and on what clothes Mrs C has left lying around

[ubassman]

Theres only one Clarky. Au dear !

[Dad3353]

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1381930834' post='2245636']...a la Clarky ( actually gender fail; should it be aux Clarky?)
[/quote]

Literally, [i]à la[/i] only means (in this case) [i]in the[/i]. It's an abbreviation of [i]à la mode de[/i], which means [i]in the style of[/i]. The [i]de[/i] is not governed by the gender of the place/person/etc that follows. "À la Clarky" is correct.

[keeponehandloose]

i find a cut up credit card is also good, I also find that the sound is far better when its one of
Ladyonehandloose's cut up credit cards.