Acoustic Overtones on Electric Bass

[DaveT]

@eric.kiser If you are strictly recording and have a controlled room, you could consider the Blumlein technique with ribbon mics. It would be lovely.

Again, you could use the pickup for the primary bass tone and then mix in the acoustic as desired for spice.

What is the Blumlein Technique?

[eric.kiser]

@DaveT

I’m not exactly sure what you are going for.

Me neither!

This thread started out as how to hear the harmonic overtones on my electric bass and then it morphed into how can I make my acoustic sound more like an electric.

Really, I’m just chasing the tone in my head and trying to do it with inadequate knowledge and a very limited budget.

I finally settled on, “What can I do with just my acoustic bass, my amp, and this pickup?”

I’m going to my sons house for the weekend of the 12th and we’re going to test the pickup on both my (cheap) acoustic bass and his (really nice) Martin guitar and see what sounds we can make.

It’ll also be the first chance I’ve had to really crank my Rumble 500. So, who knows where I’ll end up after that. I might just send the pickup and the amp back, put the money back in savings, and start completely over with gear.

[eric.kiser]

@Gio

I have an old old version of the Fishman Rare Earth. It was KILLER.

The Fishman pickup came in a day early and I couldn’t be more pleased.

Actually, saying, “I couldn’t be more pleased.” is a massively disgusting understatement.

I’m blown away.
It far surpassed my expectations.
Oh man.
I can’t say enough good things about it.
I got instant bass face right from the first note.

I was even starting to get pretty down about my amp with not being able to get a sound I really liked and this pickup has made a world of difference.

The piezo pickups and electronics that came with my bass are an embarrassment compared to this thing.

I want to install it at the base of skull so I can make the whole world sound like this.

Have I gushed enough? I can gush more!

Nope… nope… I gotta go play.

[Gio]

@eric.kiser

I’m blown away.
It far surpassed my expectations.

YES!!
I love the feeling of being happy with a purchase!!

Congrats on that.

Yes, they are rad pickups.
I’ll decry the piezo to anyone who will listen to me.
It’s a very particular sound, but - for my taste - always too much attack.
The magnetic soundhole pickup still catches the resonance, but the sound that transmits doesn’t have that tinny, pointed attack like a piezo.

Lovely.

[DaveT]

@Gio

The magnetic soundhole pickup still catches the resonance

I’m a bit confused about how that happens with the base model in the link above. They make another version of that pickup that also has a little gooseneck mic to pick up the cavity resonance and a blend control . . .

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RareEarthB--fishman-rare-earth-mic-blend-magnetic-soundhole-with-mic-acoustic-pickup

[Gio]

@DaveT

I’m a bit confused about how that happens

Me too.
Pickups work by magic, as far as I know.

But - a magnetic pickup in a solid body sounds different than a magnetic pickup in a chambered archtop / different than an acoustic.
Maybe resonance is the wrong word.

For real high fidelity acoustic pickups, I love a microphone blend (I have that with my acoustic guitar, and always use both mic and pickup when recording upright).

[DaveT]

@Gio

Pickups work by magic, as far as I know.

That would certainly be the best technology available!

@Gio

But - a magnetic pickup in a solid body sounds different than a magnetic pickup in a chambered archtop / different than an acoustic.
Maybe resonance is the wrong word.

Thanks for this! Good to know. I would have had a difficult time trying to figure that out.

@Gio

For real high fidelity acoustic pickups, I love a microphone blend (I have that with my acoustic guitar, and always use both mic and pickup when recording upright).

Also very useful, thank you!