pick-ups for solid body upright bass

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Tom Mason
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I don't know about combining.....

Post by Tom Mason »

I use a Schaller on my upright. I have made adjustment to the pickups to get the attack sound you are seeking by raising the magnetic screws. Getting the screw head slightly closer to the string helped me get that sound without using the Fishman set that I got for the same purpose you are thinking.

Knowing that there are equipment differences, I found that I was making a lot of adjustments to defeat what I did not want out of each pickup instead of finding what I did want when I tried using both.

IN my case, the one thing that helped me eventually go with the Schaller by itself was getting the small Ampeg combo amp that I now swear by. There seems to be something special about that little knob with the five way tone adjustment that gives me the growl that a lot of pick-ups and amps don't seem to get.

Tom Mason
Last edited by Tom Mason on Sun Sep 18, 2005 7:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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funkcicle
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Re: I don't know about combining.....

Post by funkcicle »

Tom Mason wrote: IN my case, the one thing that helped me eventually go with the Schaller by itself was getting the small Ampeg combo amp that I now swear by. There seems to be something special about that little know with the five way tone adjustment that gives me the growl that a lot of pick-ups and amps don't seem to get.

Tom Mason
To which Ampeg combo amp are you referring? I've got a B2 tube combo and a B100 100w solid state that sounds SURPRISINGLY good with the upright.
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Tom Mason
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115 BE

Post by Tom Mason »

I have the 115 BE combo. I might get a tube combo someday, but for an amp that I can throw in the truck, I like this one. I also like the tilt back capability.

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I agree mostly

Post by Tom Mason »

I agree that the preamp is a prerequisite for most upright pickups.

That being said, My Schaller works better without a preamp box such as the one that one needs to use with a Fishman, Barcus Berry, or other such pickups. I might just be lucky, but the volume control on mine works just fine. I have used my Fishman preamp box with the Schaller before, and nothing hurt except that I like a mid-range control in the mix somewhere. When I play in a PA system, or an amp that doesn't work for me as well as my Ampeg, I will use the box.

I do like the 7 band graphic pedals for the options of fine tuning your sound. If you are looking for string options, I particularly like the D'Aria Hybrids. I guess one might ask if you have a 41/42 inch length (3/4 size upright).

Tom Mason
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