bassmayhem Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 (edited) I have a super nice Bulgarian upright bass, a custom built - but not for me - instrument with some strange dimensions. The scale is 4/4, but the body is 3/4, built with massive tone wood. It is nothing short than huge. I had to get a new car to be able to transport it smoothly. Anyway, the bass is huge, the tone is huge. The instrument is built 2012, so I wonder how the tone will be in a hundred years when it is this big and full now... I've used a David Gage Realist on the bass, but it didn't work well. A lot of ugly "mid artifacts" that demanded heavy filtering to sound decent amplified. I sold the Realist and bought a Realist LifeLine and an adjustable bridge. The bass loved the LifeLine; it was the opposition to the Copperhead... I've used the bass with a Fishman Platinum Pro EQ/DI, and with my BasSwitch preamp, but when I got my little Quilter BassBlock 800 I could amplify the bass without preamp. Then I got a Vanderkley Spartan, and that one did NOT like the piezo pickup at all. The input impedance on the amp was a real mis-match to the LifeLine. Then my eye caught the little Redeemer Beltpack from Creation Audio Labs. It has an input impedance over 20 Mohms(!!!) making any pickup work well with any amp. I ordered one, and Lo and Behold! The tone is big and full. No gain problems. No need for eq-ing other than cutting some low bass. Best preamp I've ever used. So far the Beltpack isn't finally mounted on the tailpiece of the bass, I have to think a bit more before I get the proper design for the fastener. Anyway, the bass hasn't sounded petter amplified... Edited May 20, 2018 by bassmayhem 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 "The belt pack is simply a Redeemer guitar buffer in a convenient box to make buffering any guitar or bass easy." Is this actually a preamp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmayhem Posted May 20, 2018 Author Share Posted May 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Happy Jack said: "The belt pack is simply a Redeemer guitar buffer in a convenient box to make buffering any guitar or bass easy." Is this actually a preamp? Well, not really. It is a buffer that really "buffers up" the signal. You won't need a dedicated preamp for the upright bass. It is potent enough to send direct to mixer without DI-box. I rename the thread... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 I've tried a few preamps for DB and always seem to go back to the FDeck Clone. Has a great buffer and the useful HPF and phase switch. You can get them made in several forms and are pretty cheap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blartfactor10 Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 What TPJ said, ...I use an FDeck and I'm in the process of getting someone to build a two channel FDeck so as I can mix two signals from my bass into one unit. I've used a Plat pro...A KnK, ..Baggs gig-pro and a Behringer mixer all with decent results but the FDeck just gets the sound of my bass but pushes the signal into my amp without any faffing on with EQ, (It has one volume and one Tone HPF..... High Pass Filter??) It has to be the easiest of all the pre's out there to use, and one of the best sounding (IMO of course) Its a bit like the Greenboy of Pre's, you can down load the plans and DIY or get a builder to make one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 Different budget, I know, but the Vintage Revolution Acoustic Box II is the bees knees... it is not cheap, BUT it is several leagues above the others I tried and it is the best for microphones and blending a mic with a pickup. I still play the fun pub gig with a mag pickup and a Headway, but for good gigs, I definitely do not leave the house without it! Sounds brilliant with the Remic mic. Not at all dissing the other preamps, which are great at letting a DB pickup work with regular bass amplifiers. To sound like you sound acoustically though requires different tools, and I think the Acoustic Box 2 and a mic do the business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanOwens Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 On 5/21/2018 at 11:30, TPJ said: I've tried a few preamps for DB and always seem to go back to the FDeck Clone. Has a great buffer and the useful HPF and phase switch. You can get them made in several forms and are pretty cheap. Who's making the clones at the mo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 22 minutes ago, DanOwens said: Who's making the clones at the mo? This is the company that i used, as did a few others if memory serves. http://4114customeffects.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmayhem Posted May 29, 2018 Author Share Posted May 29, 2018 On 2018-05-21 at 12:30, TPJ said: I've tried a few preamps for DB and always seem to go back to the FDeck Clone. Has a great buffer and the useful HPF and phase switch. You can get them made in several forms and are pretty cheap. Since I don't use a microphone, but just the LifeLine, I manage without the phase switch. Also, I do not encounter problems that have to be "notched out". I just roll off a bit of low end on either amp, and then go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 I've found the phase switch is not just for mics. There are noticeable changes to the tone depending on the pickup. It can make a pup sound more open when using the phase switch. Don't ask me why but it does change the sound. The HPF isn't a notch filter. It certainly has helped especially when running without an amp, which was how we were used to performing at festivals and pubs etc... If they are pumping a lot of bass through subs then it can get out of hand quickly. The HPF helps control that, IME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 1 minute ago, TPJ said: I've found the phase switch is not just for mics. There are noticeable changes to the tone depending on the pickup. It can make a pup sound more open when using the phase switch. Don't ask me why but it does change the sound. The HPF isn't a notch filter. It certainly has helped especially when running without an amp, which was how we were used to performing at festivals and pubs etc... If they are pumping a lot of bass through subs then it can get out of hand quickly. The HPF helps control that, IME. Yup, all of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 Dan, who makes the Fdeck clones at the link supplied in a previous post will make one for you with or without the features you want. I had mine made without any frills, just the HPF control on the top and a 9v socket instead of a battery clip. I always use it and just roll off the bottom end as needed. It makes the whole band sound better as the sound in the room is cleaner without all those subharmonics rumbling around muddying things up. Your amp and speakers will thank you as well for taking the load off them. It takes a lot of power to produce the inaudible subharmonics of a doublebass, power that's wasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basshead56 Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 What was the approx cost of the Fdeck clone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Can't remember exactly, about £90 delivered I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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