Double Bass Good Pickup For Low B 5-String

Jefenator

Jefenator

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Aug 22, 2008
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#1
Last year I got a full-size 5-string and have been having fun trying it out. It did well with the symphony, but I really want to use it for jazz gigs.

The bass came with an Underwood pickup that seemed to work well enough, until it died.

I have since tried Realist copper & lifeline pickups which are okay sometimes, but I struggle pretty badly with loud drums - and the low B string really lags. (Okay for ending arco drones, but close to useless for walking.) I think I might need a little more "growl" & "punch" to bring it out.

I am mulling either a magnetic pickup (if anyone out there still offers one for 5-string as a custom option – maybe Biesele?) or just getting another Underwood. I would concur that Underwood sounds more like a magnetic pickup than most other piezos, but that might actually be what I want for this application. (While retaining some acoustic nuance. 100% magnetic can sound awfully close to a BG and if that's the sound I'm going to wind up with, I might as well just bring the fretless BG and save a lot of hassle...)

So I have some ideas but am open to suggestions! Thanks in advance! :cool:
 
#6
I use a Realist Lifeline into an AI Clarus and Doubleshot with my five string and the pizz definition is very clear. I’d encourage you maybe get a sound post adjustment (helps a lot with pizz response) and if you haven’t already, get at least a Spirocore Mittel B on your bass.

Also out of curiosity what’s the string length on your 5 string? Mine has a 41 inch string length, but a 7/8ths body and the shorter string length helps a ton with facilitating a better pizz response for a low B. The 5th string is already adding nearly 100 lbs of pressure on the top, so the less weight you have the more full your B string can sound pizz.
 
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#7
Sean Riddle said:
I use a Realist Lifeline into an AI Clarus and Doubleshot with my five string and the pizz definition is very clear. I’d encourage you maybe get a sound post adjustment (helps a lot with pizz response) and if you haven’t already, get at least a Spirocore Mittel B on your bass.

Also out of curiosity what’s the string length on your 5 string? Mine has a 41 inch string length, but a 7/8ths body and the shorter string length helps a ton with facilitating a better pizz response for a low B. The 5th string is already adding nearly 100 lbs of pressure on the top, so the less weight you have the more full your B string can sound pizz.
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Current string length is 44" with (I think) standard Spirocores. I am definitely thinking about getting a Weich set to lower the tension. Another trip to the luthier to adjust the sound post & maybe shorten the scale does sound like a good idea – maybe I'll try that first.
 
#8
Jefenator said:
Current string length is 44" with (I think) standard Spirocores. I am definitely thinking about getting a Weich set to lower the tension. Another trip to the luthier to adjust the sound post & maybe shorten the scale does sound like a good idea – maybe I'll try that first.
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Definitely try working on the scale length with your luthier. A false nut could be a great option to shorten the string length.
 
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#9
There is a reason why Thomastik only offers a low C for their 3/4 strings but a low B for the 4/4.
The longer string length can use a thinner string for the same pitch and tension which makes the string sound better for lower pitches.
I would rather change the string tension than shortening the scale. But a repositioning of the sound post would be my first choice.
 
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#10
I use Solo Revolution which is set on the bass side (lowB). It sounds good enough, but I haven't used anything else.
The long string length might be the envy of many on this side of the ocean when it comes to five strings. Here, some luthiers are looking for very large basses with 44" or more SL to convert into five-string instruments. String lengths of 41-42" are fine for the player, but for lowB strings, many people want 43-44". I'm hinting that the string length of your bass can be an advantage and doesn't need to be shortened. Just consider it.
 
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#11
DoubleMIDI said:
There is a reason why Thomastik only offers a low C for their 3/4 strings but a low B for the 4/4.
The longer string length can use a thinner string for the same pitch and tension which makes the string sound better for lower pitches.
I would rather change the string tension than shortening the scale. But a repositioning of the sound post would be my first choice.
Click to expand...
The reason the maker of my 5 string went with a shorter scale was to lessen tension on the top. A longer string length would add a few more pounds of tension and require some extra bracing inside, which is great if it's going to be an orchestral bass. But not necessarily for jazz pizz growl. So a 41 inch string length subtracted a few extra pounds of weight and allowed him to make the top a little thinner, preventing the common issue of overbuilt 5 stringers, but still relatively keep the dimensions of a large 7/8ths bass. There are probably some 5 stringers that have better arco response on the low B than mine, but the pizz response is extremely clear and strong compared to others I have played.
 
#12
4/4 Spiros are made so that they have the same tension on the longer 110 cm scale as the 3/4 Soiros on a 104 cm scale. But since this is only true for Spiros and Superflexibles there might have been a reason to do that.
But if you use 4/4 Spiros on a 3/4 scale normally that doesn‘t help much.
Since the 4/4 Spiros are a bit thinner and you want less tension, using a 4/4 Spiro low B should be OK. There is even a low C# for the Spiro Solo set, so you can get a very low tension with the Solos downtuned.
 
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