David Gage Realist Lifeline

[petebassist]

I tried out my new Lifeline pickup the other night (fitted on the E string side) into the band PA via a KK Pure Preamp. It seemed slightly boomy at times and if I upped the mid and treble I got slight feedback, so it took a while to dial in an acceptable sound, which was a compromise between volume and quality.
I've got Evah Pirazzi Weichs on, and it's a VB150 hybrid Eastman with solid front and back with laminate sides.
I thought I'd try to reduce the boom/feedback by stuffing a rag behind the tailpiece to dampen the sound. I'd be interested if anyone else had any tips using this pickup.
Thanks, Pete

[bassace]

I'm happy with mine, Pete. It is a bit dark and I always run a high pass filter (FDeck HPF) in the chain.

[rorysmith]

I used to own one and got a great sound straight from my old ply DB (w/ EP Weichs) into a PJB Briefcase with the middle EQ slider (630Hz) cut all the way and the rest flat

[Blartfactor10]

I have one on My carved bass, The FDeck will sort out most issues with this type of Pickup and still leave you with enough volume so as you don't have to resort to stuffing the bass with Rags, foam, Concrete etc.

[Hector]

[quote name='petebassist' timestamp='1499341604' post='3330837']
I tried out my new Lifeline pickup the other night (fitted on the E string side) into the band PA via a KK Pure Preamp. It seemed slightly boomy at times and if I upped the mid and treble
[/quote]

Better to cut frequencies than add (whenever possible). If it's too boomy take out some of the lows. Either EQ on amp, or if that doesn't do the trick some sort of HPF as mentioned.

[petebassist]

Appreciate all the advice, will be giving these things a try. Cheers.

[bassmayhem]

[quote name='petebassist' timestamp='1499341604' post='3330837']
I tried out my new Lifeline pickup the other night (fitted on the E string side) into the band PA via a KK Pure Preamp. It seemed slightly boomy at times and if I upped the mid and treble I got slight feedback, so it took a while to dial in an acceptable sound, which was a compromise between volume and quality.
I've got Evah Pirazzi Weichs on, and it's a VB150 hybrid Eastman with solid front and back with laminate sides.
I thought I'd try to reduce the boom/feedback by stuffing a rag behind the tailpiece to dampen the sound. I'd be interested if anyone else had any tips using this pickup.
Thanks, Pete
[/quote]

I use the same pickup AND the same strings on my all wood bass; a BIG bass with 110 cm (43") scale. It sounded terrible with the Realist Copperhead, but very good with the LifeLine. I have tried a lot of different preamps, as well as direct into my different amps, and found I only have to cut the low on the amp and - depending on amp/preamp - cut some low mid. I find it very easy to get a nice tone without a lot of disturbing colouring. But - when I used the GB Streamliner it didn't work: to low emphasized, also big cabs with 15" woofers are difficult (for me) to use. I prefer small single 10"-12" cabs with tweeter for the upright. I use the Basswitch to get the 10 Mohm input stage, but not that much tone tweaking other than a "massive cut of the lows" to match the acoustic tone of the bass.

Edited July 19, 2017 by bassmayhem

[petebassist]

I turned up to the new bass's first ever gig in Bath a little early at the weekend, this time armed with my reading glasses so I could read the friggin small dials on the PA. Turns out I had gain, mid, and low turned to max. I turned them all flat, and just added a tiny amount of low and high on the KK Pure Preamp and managed to dial in a great tone with zero boom or feedback. Much relieved and very happy.

Edited July 26, 2017 by petebassist

[bassace]

Interesting that on the 'other' forum there is some current dissatisfaction with the Full Circle, as there seems to be from time to time. Surely the Lifeline is the go-to pickup for the gigging bassist. It picks up from the same part of the bridge as the FC and is wired much more robustly. You need a bridge adjuster, of course.

Mine works very well on a plug in, play and forget basis.

[TPJ]

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1501085112' post='3342393']
Mine works very well on a plug in, play and forget basis.
[/quote]

+1

I tried something for the firstime on a bluegrass gig this past weekend. Duke bass with a Lifeline running straight into an AI Focus. I only tweaked the HPF to tame the Fearless F112 and it sounded great. So easy not having to faf with an extra preamp. Still wish the Lifeline had a little more trebble to it like a FC but not a deal breaker.

[petebassist]

Typo: "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]dial in a great tone with zero [s]tone[/s] or feedback" L[/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]OL[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Of course I meant zero boom or feedback, at least I hope it wasn't zero tone [/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I ordered my bass with the 'jazz setup' from Bassbags specifically [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]because I [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]wanted an adjustable bridge and the Lifeline. So far it's been great.[/font][/color]