randythoades Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Morning chaps, just wondered if anyone had got experience of fitting either a passive or active electric bass pickup to their DB? I currently run Kent Armstrong mag pickup with my bass and generally happy but the signal output is a bit lower than my electric bass which would be handy to improve without the outboard preamp that I use at the moment So thinking about modifying my backup EUB (which has piezo pickup which I find a bit feeble) with some ideas to improve this... Possibly could improve the signal output and give me more tone shaping options if I fitted either active MM or similar pickup with preamp or even just a PBass set onto my bass and fit the controls onto a plate attached to the side. I understand would be a bit hit and miss and need to make a structure for it to fit on but wondered if anyone else had attempted such a heresy and had an guidance (ie: does it work)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Most bass guitar pickups won't really work - they are the wrong shape and won't be a good enough fit to the arc of the strings. A split Pbass can be used, but you've got to construct a fairly complex bracket to hold it and get good string coverage. Look up Rockabilly players, as they tend go for a Mag pickup for volume and a piezo to get the click in their sound. I've used a Kent Armstrong hum bucker, which had a healthy output and Pierre Joseph single coil - a very clean and clear sound - but only with metal strings, of course. If you are fairly happy with the sound you've got...I'd suggest looking at good preamp options. Just getting the levels right makes a big difference. Something like the Sansamp with two inputs and memory would give you a lot more control - the setup would take some time to get right, but after a few gigs it should work well. Its really level first, then eq to taste. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randythoades Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Cheers for that. I am happy with the sound of my current mag pickup, but it is just to make a simpler setup at the preamp stage. I did think that it may be complex to build and did worry me that I didn't find any DIY instructions online... I don't need to amplify the click, I am more jazz than rockabilly orientated, so just a nice rich sound. Would something like a clean boost pedal work well next to my tuner on my board instead of a separate preamp? Or maybe an active EQ built onto the side of my bass that I can adjust on the fly? I have had a look at different preamps and there seems to be a huge range at generally a lot of money to fork out just to try so not sure which would work for me. I will have a look at the Sansamp but thought they were more distortion/overdrive based. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 The Sansamps do mild boost or just a touch of eq well...just ignore their suggested sounds that use 100% blend. What is essential is two physical inputs that you can switch easily between, a gain setting for each and then an eq option for at least one. Radial make some good switcher/eq preamps..but I never like having power supplies or eq on only one channel. I tried for years to balance upright (EUB) and bass guitar, and only two things worked. A basic A/B footswitch combined with a Sansamp Bass Driver (bypassed for EUB, on for BG) or an Alembic F2B with two identical but separate channels. Even then the BG always tended to sound a bit weedy when I changed over, so I had to use more low end eq than I normally would. The programable Sansamp would make life easier - it wasn't around a few years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randythoades Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Just been looking. Are you referring to the Sansamp VT programmable? If so, looks good. I actually don't use BG and DB on the same gig/rehearsal generally but I do share a pedal board between them with tuner, vocal harmony pedal and DI so this would be good actually as I can leave all the settings the same but leave my amp and/or PA as flat response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Either the VT programmable or the Bass Driver Deluxe. They are very similar (two inputs, three memories on each) but the VT has a more Ampeg style sound..they say. I'd stress the usefulness of a blend knob, which from memory is only on the smaller VT pedal, but is on the Deluxe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 When I got my Kolstein Travel bass a few years ago it had an uneven balance across the strings, using a piezo pickup, that I couldn't even out. So I fitted a Schaller mag pickup. You can raise or lower the volume of individual strings and I now have a perfect balance. It plugs straight into any of the heads or combis that I use and I'm very happy with the result. In fact I seem to have more compliments on my sound than my uprights. It's a quick and easy fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randythoades Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Hi Bassace. I have adjusted the polepieces to get good balance and I get a good tone. My issue is that the overall output is a bit low. I have tried pulling the poles/pickup closer to the strings but I keep catching the string on the poles and getting the nasty click. As it stands, I run straight into my amp for home practice/recording but for full on rehearsal or gig I either have to crank the amp which starts feedback or (more usually) run into an ART valve preamp to boost the signal before the amp. This is a bit of a clunky setup so just looking for a simpler to set up solution. Granted, my amp (GK MB200) is underpowered, but works fine under normal conditions. With my violin bass I only have volume up at around 10 o'clock and it is plenty of stage volume an DI into PA. Using the ART preamp to add 15dbor so, DB is the same, but otherwise volume is pretty much at 3- 4 o'clock. Would simple clean boost pedal (ie: TC Electronc mini Spark) do the trick or would that just add loads of noise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 With some simple woodwork it will be possible to make a mount to support P bass pickup on the end of fingerboard. Essentially a flat piece of plywood or similar that is the width and profile of the fingerboard and say 20cm long, extending another 3~ 4 cm beyond end of fingerboard. Make another piece of wood that is an inclined wedge shape /\ at suitable angles and size to match fingerboard radius and support the P bass pickup. Glue this at the end of the plywood slab. Screw P bass pickup onto /\ wedge. The whole slab can be fixed to fingerboard with cable ties ( I do not like the schaller pickup method of screwing into the side of fingerboard). P bass pickups with output: DiMarzio and G&L SB1 type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 BassBod mentioned steel strings. A mag pickup needs these, or at least strings with a high proportion of steel in them, to produce an acceptable volume. The attraction of a mag, to me, is that you can plug it straight in to an amp without any other outboard stuff in the chain. My Schaller will give good volume with the strings 10mm above the pickup elements. I have a spare mag here that you could try if you're prepared to find some way of mounting it. If you're interested perhaps you could PM me your address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randythoades Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 Thanks for the offer Bassace, I already have a mag pickup that I like (Kent Armstrong DB pickup) and I run steel strings (Blast Lowlife) but I would just like to find an easy way to either boost the signal output slightly without my outboard preamp and thought about experimenting on my EUB to find a solution before taking tool to my main DB. 3below: that sounds just like I am thinking. I may give it a go with a bit of gaffa tape to test the feasibility, I have a spare PBass set. But I also like the idea of Sansamp or similar to boost the output enough to just keep the pickup I have. Cheers guys, will go through my parts box and also have a look on eBay at Sansamps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Sansamp is a good solution in that you can also eq the two basses and store settings. This might make switch over between the two basses even easier. I am very impressed with my Sansamp vt dl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 The best magnetic pickup in the USA is the Krivo. It is made internally similar to a Precision Bass pickup, so it is noise reducing, and is specifically made to mount at the end of the fingerboard: [url="https://www.facebook.com/KrivoPickups/"]https://www.facebook.com/KrivoPickups/[/url] [url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/2435-KRIVO_HUMBUCKING_MAGNETIC_UPRIGHT_BASS_PICKUP_INCLUDES_FREE_JACK_MOUNT.html"]http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/2435-KRIVO_HUMBUCKING_MAGNETIC_UPRIGHT_BASS_PICKUP_INCLUDES_FREE_JACK_MOUNT.html[/url] Of course, it does not work with gut, synthetic or non-ferrous wrap strings. Depending on the setup, it may need additional earthing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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