Weak signal boosting.

[Scoop]

I have an old Status Electro Mk1 (no magnetic pickups, just a piezo bridge) that I've owned for in excess of 12 years and while I love playing it I've never been in a position to gig it because, even with amps maxed out, it sends too quiet a signal to compete with a classic rock band. It's just very low output.

Is there anything out there on the market which will boost the output signal without (and that's important) colouring the tone. I don't want any tonal distortion - I just want *more* of its regular output.

Edited March 15, 2017 by Scoop

[EBS_freak]

Google clean boost pedal.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Scoop' timestamp='1489579464' post='3258062']
I have an old Status Electro Mk1 (no magnetic pickups, just a piezo bridge)...
[/quote]

Many (most..?) piezo pickups need a specific pre-amp to adapt their output and impedance to a standard amp. Perhaps you could try out such a pre-amp; they're often used by acoustic bass players.

[Scoop]

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1489580389' post='3258076']
Google clean boost pedal.
[/quote]

I'm not much of a pedal head (I own a couple, bought 15 plus years ago, hardly ever used) so I had no idea such things existed. An Electro Harmonix LPB-1, a simple linear power boost, seems ideal. And cheap.

Thanks EBS_Freak. Much appreciated.

[markstuk]

Worth trawling Talkbass as well - the general informed opinion is that you need a preamp capable of handling the very high impedence of a Piezo pickup otherwise your tone will be shot to pieces..

[Dood]

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1489582161' post='3258114']
Worth trawling Talkbass as well - the general informed opinion is that you need a preamp capable of handling the very high impedence of a Piezo pickup otherwise your tone will be shot to pieces..
[/quote]

Yes indeed. Radial do a range of pedal preamps with a 10M ohm input for just this need

[Marc S]

I wasn't aware of those Electroharmonics pedals either. Always nice to know such things exist....

I know the OP didn't really want to "colour" the tonal output of his bass, but another alternative could be to use a D.I. Pedal, and set the tonal controls to "flat". I mention this because these pedals are quite cheap. One here on ebay is around £25. Luckily, I got mine for a tenner, second-hand locally (Though a local Facebook "guitar gear for sale forum"). Though it's quite noisy when you boost the higher frequencies - there's a really quite good degree of tonal control with it... I'm sure you could get very close to original tone

Indeed, I'm glad I bought mine. Now I have a supposedly better quality option - I use this for rehearsals and for gigs in "certain venues"

[url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Behringer-BDI21-V-Tone-Bass-Preamp/6LV?origin=product-ads&utm_campaign=PLA+Shop+-+Behringer&utm_medium=vertical_search&network=google&adgroup=1+-+Product+Level+-+Behringer&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=8563d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=111959022559&gclid=CKegqvLi2NICFYYcGwod7C4JTA"]http://www.gear4musi...CFYYcGwod7C4JTA[/url]

Edited March 15, 2017 by Marc S

[ivansc]

I have a fishman rare earth in my martin acoustic & it certainly does need the little belt-clipped preamp I got at the same time.

[jonnybass]

I have a status electro 3, it has a piezo and a mag pickup. I use a fishman platinum pro and it works wonders for the signal.

[bazzbass]

I have the Mooer Pure Boost, lots of clean boost, for around a hundred bucks. Has a boost knob and bass treble and volume knobs as well IF you want to change the tone.

I also have a Wounded Paw Boost,also great.