Members Tlaloc Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 Well, it's been ages since I've been here once again! Still busy being a science geek at school (STILL), but I am on break, and I once again, rediscovered that I am in fact, a bass player (8 years exactly this February!). Anyways, I have plans with a few friends of mine to start a band, AND, I'm about to dive into the world of upright basses! I've been visiting music stores obsessively over the past week or so, and I could just spend hours playing one of those huge instruments; it just feels so....right. SO, I plan on purchasing one very soon! So for all of you upright bass players out there, what kind of amps/pickups do you use for gigs/jamming sessions? Right now I have a Peavey Deltabass head running a homemade 1x12 cab, and I like how it works for my electric bass, but I'm curious what you folks use. As for the pickup situation, I was thinking of trying to mic the bass with some drum mics that my friend has and run them into my amp. Also, just for fun, I'm going to build my own little piezo pickup and see how that works, since I'm a big DIY nut and it won't cost much.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rikshaw Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 Also, just for fun, I'm going to build my own little piezo pickup and see how that works, since I'm a big DIY nut and it won't cost much.. cool idea. post whatever you come up with for that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members One Bad Monkey Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 For your pickup needs, it really depends on what you want, and what you want to spend for it. I used to use the old standard Fishman transducer which was okay, but it muted the bridge a little due to the clips holding the piezos on. Currently, I'm using a KK Double Big Twin (which is like a double-Fishman system due to four piezos instead of two). Nice thing about it is that you can position them as close or far from the strings to even out the vibrations you receive. Plus, they have double-sided tape (or do what I did and use silicone) to affix the elements which allow for more bridge vibration. I've played on a David Gage Realist pickup and that's really nice too. But I got the same exact sound from the KK by putting some of the piezo elements right on the bass body itself and still had some attack from the piezos on the bridge. I've mic'd it in my old Dixieland Band with an SM-57 and a Sennheiser kick drum mic. Hands down, while the Shure did a great job, the Senn really brought out the entire body of the instrument without being overly boomy or tubby. As for amplification, it really will depend on your needs. I've never played in any situation where I wasn't either DI'd or with a combo-sized group that I didn't need anything huge. My current setup gives me 325 watts, which really is plenty for me. If you're playing a rockabilly show, that may not cut it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Perfessor Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 I always used a bridge mounted peizo and through my regular bass amp. You'll need a premap with that! For real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Onkel Bob Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 I always used a bridge mounted peizo and through my regular bass amp. You'll need a premap with that! For real. Premap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tlaloc Posted January 4, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 I always used a bridge mounted peizo and through my regular bass amp. You'll need a premap with that! For real. Amazing. "You'll need a preamp for that" actually applies! So, what kind of preamp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassgirl9 Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 Good for you, welcome to the dark side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catphish Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 I'll be getting a David Gage Realist, which my instructor said is the best out there. I've not tried any but trust his opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whit townsend Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 Pickups: K&K Revolution Solo David Gage Amps, depends on your needs. For bluegrass and jazz, you cant beat a good old microphone. But a lot of players just go thru the board with a Baggs PARA DI, or other good preamp. Thats what I do cause I like to move around, and a mike kinda limits that. The small GK combos are a standard. Acoustic Image Contras are raved over. For high vol rockabilly/punk, those guys use really big bass rigs and stand far away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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