Eliminating feedback in an upright bass?

[ReverendRevolver]

Other than a preamp of some sort with a hi-pass/low cut filter and a higher impedance input, does anyone know how to reduce feedback from an upright bass?

We have a bass player now, but the upright was feeding back pretty hardcore and he has to switch to electric after about 1 song in order to turn up enough for the drummer to hear. His upright has an active piezo in it, but there was feedback galore when turned up high at all.

Anyone have a handy workaround? Or is it down to getting a preamp and turning PA equipment?

 

[jaxjaxon]

I would say get a acoustic in hole bass pickup and mount that on the Bass but it seems they dont make them. next solution is to block off the sound holes on the bass that will cut down how quick it feeds back un less he is mounting the pezio on the bridge. If the pickup is on the outside then you can try and surround it with Styrofoam so only the part that is against the bass is left open.

 

[bottlenecker]

Other than a preamp of some sort with a hi-pass/low cut filter and a higher impedance input, does anyone know how to reduce feedback from an upright bass?

We have a bass player now, but the upright was feeding back pretty hardcore and he has to switch to electric after about 1 song in order to turn up enough for the drummer to hear. His upright has an active piezo in it, but there was feedback galore when turned up high at all.

Anyone have a handy workaround? Or is it down to getting a preamp and turning PA equipment?

Something is wrong with the pickup, or the way it's mounted, or the way it's being monitored.

I use a microphone mounted on a double bass at club volumes with no problem. A pickup is easier. I've done live sound for double bassists with piezo pickups.

You can't point a speaker right at the bass with the signal from the bass pickup in it.
Try putting the speaker with bass in it behind the bass, so it's not blasting the soundboard. Point it away up to 90 degrees.

 

[johnny k]

put some foam in the f holes ? I have seen it done before.

 

[Kevin Wolfe]

Tape over (or inside) the f-holes and jam a tennis ball between the top and tail piece.

 

[63telemaster]

The bass player in my last band used a Schaller mag pickup which attaches at the end of the fingerboard. This was in a full band setting in large venues DI'd straight to front of house and he never experienced any problems. Actually sounded very good.

Schaller Double Bass Pickup

Double Bass Pickup Model 10/70 High-gloss chrome-plated, Adjustable single magnets, Volume control, Mounting to fingerboard, 6.3mm jack socket, Schaller Article Nr: 411

www.thomann.de

 

[El Marin]

The bass player in my last band used a Schaller mag pickup which attaches at the end of the fingerboard. This was in a full band setting in large venues DI'd straight to front of house and he never experienced any problems. Actually sounded very good.

That one was the pickup the bass player in my band used... no feedback but some rattles so he had to tape it with duct tape.

He changed to K&K system has two sensosrs, one below fretboard (no frets but I call it that) and the other at the bridge... no problem never more

jam a tennis ball between the top and tail piece

Some foam also works

 

[wulfenganck]

I used to play for a couple of years with an upright-player. He tried out several ampps and also pickups/micros. In general, a piezo-pickup was less an issue with feedback than the mike (and yes, it was one especially designed for acoustic instruments). So, I'd also say that the piezo isn't mounted properly and should be checked.
The feedback problem was history once he implemented a parametric eq-pedal in his signal chain. He was able to spot exactly the resonating frequency that caused the feedback and eliminate it with the parametric eq.
Oh, of course the usual suspects: the way the bass is placed in correlation to the amp, i.e. changing the angle of bass towards the amp, changing the position of the amp, we also once had issues with the standtom being to close to the upright etc.