Type: piezoceramic
Mode: passive
Preamp: –
Similar to the Underwood pickup.
Jitterbug Electronics, 27 Kettenring Place, Eastfield Dale, Cramlington/Northumberland, NE23 9XP, England (GB) (no website)
Jitterbug
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Category Archives: Gear Guide
Highlander
Type: piezoceramic coaxial cable
Mode: active
Preamp: incl.
The pickup sensor is embedded in a coaxial cable of 2 mm diameter and 6 cm length. The Highlander pickup was actually developed for acoustic guitars where it is situated inside the guitarbridge. For the use with a double bass, a small groove is routed in the tailpiece side of the bridge, and the PU is pressed in the groove. The preamps is housed in a little bag of black nylon, which mounts to the tailpiece.
This pickup can be found factory installed in the Fichter Electric Upright Basses.
Headway
Type: piezoceramic coaxial cable
Mode: active
Preamp: incl.
The Headway piezo-cable Active Bass Pickups fit into a slot routed under the bridge feet, pressured by Maple plugs, and made to measure to touch the instrument top. Send your fitted bridge to Headway, to have this work done by a luthier.
Hauske
Type: piezoceramic
Mode: passive
Preamp: —
Similar to the Underwood, but the piezo elements are embedded in wood.
available at www.gknauer.de
FWF
FWF-MB1
Type: piezo
Mode: passive
preamp: –
double bass passive piezo pickup with low pass filter, passive pickup with a quadruple piezo builded in two single elements, mounts to the bridge wing slots.
It has a tunable low pass filter within the jack plug.
FWF-MB750
Type: piezo + condenser
Mode: active
preamp: incl.
condenser microphone (cardoid pattern) + two piezo sensors, comes with a small preamp with microphone power supply and tone controls (low pass filters)
FWF pickups are entirely hand made in France by engineer Franck Fromy. FWF was founded twenty years ago at Paris. Today Franck Fromy lives and works in central France. No website available.
Fishman
BP-100
Type: piezoceramic
Mode: passive
Preamp: optional; several preamps (single/dual channnel) available
Two piezo plates are stuck to the top side of the bridge by means of two metal pegs. (Alternatively, the piezo elements can be glued on.)
This pickup is offered since 1979, and has been sold over 75,000 times so far, as Larry Fishman states.
Full Circle Pickup
Type: piezoceramic
Mode: passive
Preamp: optional; several models (single/dual channnel) available
Encased inside an aluminium height adjuster wheel of the bridge, which are very easy to install of you already have adjusters with the same thread in your bridge. The sound can be adjusted by turning the wheel some degrees.
Fishman/Crown microphone
Type: condenser microphone
Mode: active
Preamp: mandatory; several preamps (dual channnel) available
Fishman offers a small microphone from Crown as a supplement to or budled with the BP100. It is attached to the bridge and has a short gooseneck. Both signals can be mixed with a Fishman Blender dual channel preamp.
available at www.kontrabass-atelier.de
Zadow
ze200 Combo
Type: combo
Power rating: 300W
Drivers: 10″ downfiring speaker, 5″ speaker
Features: Gain, Bass/Mids/Treble controls, parametric mid control, Anti Plop circuit, Soft Start circuit, Line Out, Effects Loop. Optional: phantom power
Size: 47 x 40 x 36 cm
Weight: 14 kg
ze200II Combo
Type: combo (2 channel)
Power rating: 300W
Drivers: 10″ downfiring speaker, 5″ speaker
Features: 2 channels with Gain, Bass/Mids/Treble controls, parametric mid control; Anti Plop circuit, Soft Start curcuit, Line Out, Effects Loop. Optional: phantom power
The ze200 amp is designed and hand-made by electrical engineer and double bassist Michael Zadow. It has a 10″ downfiring (!) speaker + 5″ mid/treble speaker combination in a cylindrical enclosure, which produces a very clear and powerful sound reproduction. Since it’s designed for double bass amplification, no external preamp is needed when using piezo pickups. Available with 1 or 2 channels.
Michael Zadow is also a repair expert for other popular amp models (e.g. Walter Woods, G-K, Polytone, Acoustic Image).
Walter Woods
M-100, M-300, M-800
Type: amp head
Power rating: M-100: 120W@8 Ohms, 200W@4 Ohms
M-300: 300W@8 Ohms, 450W@4 Ohms
M-800: 800W@8 Ohms
Features: dual channel (buffered, high impedance inputs), parametric EQ, XLR DI output
Size: 9 x 31 x 22 cm
Weight: 3kg
Walter Wood’s makes his really legendary handmade amps in different versions with one, two or four channels. When they first came out in the early 1970’s, they were the first amps designed for the double bass. For many bassists, the Walter Woods’ amp is still the reference amp. They are available as special order directly from Walter Woods only.
Walter Woods, Tel. 760 772-7952, Palm Desert CA, USA
(no website)
Two vintageWalter Woods amps (1970ies):
Some more informations about the history and the models of Walter Woods’ workshop are available at the website of Hubert Ligeois, french double bassist and electrical engineer.
Tech21 (SansAmp)
SansAmp Para Driver DI
Type: preamp, DI
Features: 4.7Meg Ohms input, bass/treble controls, semi-parametric EQ for feedback elemination (mid shift, mid); blend control, effects loop, 9V battery powered, phantom powered or AC adapter, 1/4-inch and XLR outputs with selectable levels, Parallel, uneffected output to run a dry signal to a separate channel
(replaced the SansAmp Acoustic DI)www.tech21nyc.com
SWR
Natural Blonde
Type: combo amp
Power rating: 200 watts
Drivers: 2 x 8″ enclosure w/ hi-fi tweeter & rear-firing 5” driver
Features: Classic SWR preamp w/ Aural Enhancer™
Bass Intensifier™ circuitry
Master tuning mute & individual channel mutes
Two independent input channels w/ 3-band active EQ & phase reverse
¼” Low Z Balanced input (ch. 1)
Low Z Balanced XLR & unbalanced ¼” input (ch. 2)
EQ bypass function on both channels
Independent XLR outputs for individual & summed channels
Independent side-chain effects loop for each channel
Footswitchable (Master mute & Bass Intensifier)
Convenient luggage-style telescoping handle w/ wheels (optional)
Spring-handle on bottom of cabinet for carrying or operation in tilt-back mode
California Blonde II
Type: combo amp
Power rating: 150 Watts RMS @ 8 Ohms
Drivers: 12″ speaker, tweeter (with tweeter attenuator control)
Range: 30 Hz to 16 KHz
Features: 2 Independent channels w/ 3-band active EQ & phase reverse, mic input w/ 16V Phantom Power supply onboard
Size: 24″H x 14.5″W x 14.5″D
Weight: 50 lbs.
Workingman’s 10
Type: combo
Power rating: 80 Watts RMS @ 8 Ohms internal speaker
100 Watts RMS @ 4 Ohms (with 8 ohm extension speaker)
Drivers: 10″ speaker + Piezo tweeter
Features: 3-Way Output Switch (selects Full Range, Horn Off, or Headphones Only)
Bass, Midrange, Treble Control, Aural Enhancer Control
Size: 16.25″W x 14.5″H x 14″D
Weight: 32 lbs.
Workingman’s 12
Type: combo
Power rating: 120 Watts RMS @ 8 Ohms internal speaker
160 Watts @ 4 Ohms (with 8 ohm extension speaker)
Drivers: 12″ speaker + Piezo tweeter
Features: 3-Way Output Switch
Bass, Midrange, Treble Control; Aural Enhancer Control
Automatic compressor/limiter
Size: 15.5″W x 22.25″H x 15.25″D
Weight: 50 lbs.
Baby Blue 2×8
Type: combo amp with tube preamp
Power rating: 160 Watts @ 4 ohms (internal cabinet)
180 Watts RMS @ 2.6 ohms (with 8 ohm extension cabinet)
200 Watts @ 2 ohms (with 4 ohm extension cabinet)
Drivers: 2 x 8″ speakers + 5″ Cone Tweeter
Features: Passive/Active Input: 800K Ohms
Active Input: 60K Ohms
3 band semi-parametric EQ, EQ bypass switch, Aural Enhancer Control
Size: 14.5″W x 24.5″ x 12.5″D
Weight: 45 lbs.
Baby Baby Blue 1×10
Type: combo amp
Power rating: 120 Watts @ 8 ohms RMS (internal cabinet)
160 Watts @ 4 ohms (with 8 ohm extension cabinet)
180 Watts @ 2.6 ohms (with 4 ohm extension cabinet)
Drivers: 10″ Speaker + Piezo tweeter
Features: Passive/Active Input: 800K Ohms
Active Input: 60K Ohms
3 band semi-parametric EQ, EQ bypass switch, Aural Enhancer Control
Size: 13 7/8″W x 19″H x 13 7/8″D
Weight: 39 lbs.
Spellbinder Blue
Type: combo amp
Power rating: 160 Watts @ 4 ohms
Drivers: 10″ Speaker + tweeter
Features: Tube Preamp, +15V Phantom Power with On/Off Switch, Phase Switch, Aural Enhancer, Side-Chain Effects Loop with Blend Control and Effects Bypass Switch
Size: Height: 19.5”, (49.5 cm); width: 15 3/8”, (39 cm); depth: 14.5”, (36.8 cm)
Weight: 26.5 lbs./11.6 kg