Upright Bass Pick-ups

[aens_wife]

I know there are only a few UB players here, but TalkBass forums suck balls so here goes.

I need a pick-up for a fully carved maple upright. I want something that doesn't cost a million dollars and that doesn't sound like I am playing through a tin can.

I doesn't, however, have to sound "natural" exactly. It just has to capture the growl and low end.

Someone suggested K & K Bass Max. I don't like the fishman or underwood sound.

Also anyone with string recommendations would get a great big internet hug.

[Mudfuzz]

As for sounds, I agree with you on the fishman and underwood sound, too hi-fi

Strangs eh... I'm sorry but I'm going to have to be all TB on you...

What have you used, and what did you like hate about them? What sound are you after?

Lets see...

I've been using Jargar Fortes on my bass for wow 5 years... didn't think it has been that long They still sound good They are dark and on the thumpy side, I can still get growl when I dig in. Great arco string.

Before that I use Corelli 370s in Extra Forte, bright strings, very easy to play, HARMONICS! Great arco string, but celloy sounding. My only big complaint was the E wasn't loud enough on my bass.

And before that.. Thomastik SuperFlexibles... LOUD, BRIGHT, JAZZY, I didn't like the E with these either and use a Pirastro Permanent E, which was a little deeper and beefy. [had this setup for a year]

And Before that... and still on my Electric upright.. Thomastik Spirocores mediums. LOUD, growly, punchy. I had the same set on my bass for over 7 years then I started playing more arco and those strangs on my bass do not sound good with a bow But a lot of other players seem to get these to sound fine with a bow

Hope that helps...

[The4455]

i use, beleive it or not, D'addario's on my upright. They sound really good. Super loud and full sounding. they're around $100 a pack, maybe more. IN terms of pickups I've never had one of my own. I'd say go for somethign on the "cheap" side. Or try and find a used one. None of the ones I've ever used were amazing, they really just recreat exactly what your bass sounds like. The only bad thing about that is that you have to crank the volume on your amp.

[one bad monkey]

Before I sold my upright, I had Kolstein Heritage strings on my bass. They were awesome. They're a synthetic gut like string, very low tension but an extremely warm sound. The bass really opened up more with those strings than with the orchestral Helicores that I had on it for the ten years prior to the Kolsteins. I think they run around $130 from Bob Gollihur at http://www.gollihurmusic.com.

I have an old set of Spirocores on my EUB right now and for that bass, they work quite well. The Spiro B string is pretty sick when bowed.

What's your budget for the pickup? I used the K&K Double Big Twin for years, and found it to be very nice. When my teacher put it on the bass, he didn't put the piezo elements right up on the bridge, but moved them back a little, which cut down on the thin harsh sounds you can get.

Have you considered using a mic instead of a pickup? I did that when I was in my dixieland band, and it worked well. Doesn't have to be anything fancy; I was using a Shure SM57 and getting great results.

[aens_wife]

Right now I have helicore hybrids on my bass and they are fairly new. They G sounds like shit. I used them way back when I used to play a lot of jazz and classical and was broke. Now they just don't do it for me.

Mudfuzz - how much are the jargars? I want a dark, growly string that responds well when bowed but is loud enough with pizz.

I can't use a mic if I am going to run my UB through any effects. And I don't like that you can't really move without potentially fucking up your set up.

I don't exactly have a "budget" for a pick-up. If the one I want ends up costing me big bucks, I will just save a bit longer. I used a Gage Realist for years and it was ok, but not amazing. Much better than the fishman and underwood, though. I am leaning towards a K & K, but we'll see.

[delaydecay]

just for shits and giggles, ever thought to try a contact mic? its a piezoelectric element, brass circle thing that picks up vibrations when stuck against stuff. you can make one for a couple of bucks. you just need the piezo from radio shack and a cable with a 1/4 instrument plug. they look something like this:


http://www.contactmics.com/

[Mudfuzz]

Mudfuzz - how much are the jargars? I want a dark, growly string that responds well when bowed but is loud enough with pizz.

$120.00

Lets see.. here...

http://www.myspace.com/Dumovichblues
Listen to Sweet Emily, that is a good recording of my sound... I did pizz and arco on the song.

and...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TImBYpm_RBg[/youtube]
I know... my playing is not the greatest

My bass is a ply and on the bright side, but it is really loud so there is your grain of salt...

[aen]

just for shits and giggles, ever thought to try a contact mic? its a piezoelectric element, brass circle thing that picks up vibrations when stuck against stuff. you can make one for a couple of bucks. you just need the piezo from radio shack and a cable with a 1/4 instrument plug. they look something like this:


http://www.contactmics.com/

That would pickup all the wrong frequencies. COntact mics are great for a lot of things, but only if they are in the mids and treble.

[one bad monkey]

Right now I have helicore hybrids on my bass and they are fairly new. They G sounds like shit. I used them way back when I used to play a lot of jazz and classical and was broke. Now they just don't do it for me.

Mudfuzz - how much are the jargars? I want a dark, growly string that responds well when bowed but is loud enough with pizz.

I can't use a mic if I am going to run my UB through any effects. And I don't like that you can't really move without potentially fucking up your set up.

I don't exactly have a "budget" for a pick-up. If the one I want ends up costing me big bucks, I will just save a bit longer. I used a Gage Realist for years and it was ok, but not amazing. Much better than the fishman and underwood, though. I am leaning towards a K & K, but we'll see.

My teacher has a clamp that he made that mounts to the side of the bass with a small gooseneck for a mic to keep the position the same, instead of doing the kick mic stand. That still doesn't help you with the effects part.

Give the folks at K&K an email or phone call. I've found them to be extremely friendly and easy to talk with about pickups and things. Also, Bob and Mark at Gollihur Music are just nice people.

[Mudfuzz]

Also, Bob and Mark at Gollihur Music are just nice people.

+1 to that, once I posted on TB about a plastic can I found that was the right size for carlsson rosin, they sent me a coffee mug
I agree on K&K, I've had a bassmax for 6 years, good pickup.

[bronzetalon]

Any update with what you went with...my wife has started play upright bass and shes already wanting to play around with my pedals.

[aens_wife]

I ended up finding a Realist on Talkbass for really cheap. It's just like I remembered it. OK, but not great. I am trying to break my learned "need" to have the bass sound a certain way when plugged in. I want to find a sound that is just different. THere is no way to make an upright sound perfect through an amp. Some jazz guys have it close, but they spend hundreds on mics and pick-ups and crazy expensive amps and strings and ....

Aen traded a baby thundaa for a Line 6 DL4, so I will try that a bit later today. I am going to use his Sunn head and a 15 speaker, which gives it a certain tone that I still have to figure out. It is just so different than an electric. I also LOVE the Robot Devil, so I will give one of those a try.

Have any of you guys used any great pedals with your uprights. I haven't even posted on TB, cuz I don't want to hear their snobby comments on the purity of UB tones. Barf.

[bronzetalon]

You need to talk to my wife once we decide on a pickup choice, I have quite the collection for her to experiment with.

[aens_wife]

Let me know what you end up getting. I may not stick with this one. Not super impressed. My husband also has a pretty extensive pedal collection to fuck around with. I am sure we will post demos eventually.

What kind of bass and amp does your wife have?

[bronzetalon]

She dosen't have a dedicated bass amp right now, she would be playing through either a pignose hog or a fender twin into a 15" cab. Any suggestions in the amp world?