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shakinbacon

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While this is fresh in my mind I wanted to share a few things...

I played with the group (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, drums and keyboard) and tried a few eq experiments.

I left my stage amp flat (Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 set FLAT through an Epifani UL2-112).

While playing with the full group and tweaking knobs when I could, I learned the following:
1) The piezo transducers add a lot of midrange. The less piezo signal the more LO/HI mids I found I needed to add.
2) The louder I played, the more the volume of the low notes on the B string equaled that of the other strings
3) The more bridge pickup I panned, the more the B string's low notes "spoke" to me. The response seemed "quicker". The more neck pickup the more blurred the low notes became and the response became "slower".
4) When using the bridge pickup alone, I found I could eq with 50% bass and treble boost and NOT get lost in the mix (this did NOT work if I had 50/50 bridge/neck pickup). In other words, the dreaded 'smiley faced' eq was functional when using the bridge pickup alone.
5) My favorite tone is (drum roll please) all knobs (including piezo pan) at center detent and volume @ 75%

That's all I had time to try without getting in the way of practicing. I'm sure with more time I could have refined the observations, but that's all I got. I think I'll try to dial in more Bridge pickup for more LOW B definition though.

This was with fresh batteries and roundwound strings (coated Slinkies).
 
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keko

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All You wrote is exactly like it is!

Only difference is that I tried Bongo HSp 5, but that's close!

Continue testing some more options with powerful 4 band EQ, it's really amazing what this "thing" can do!

Bongos are great basses, especially with piezo, like You said, it adds some important midds which allow Your bass tone to push through stage, or should I say band "noise"! ;)

Good luck!
 

shakinbacon

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keko - Did you have a preferred setting you could share for the 5HSp?

Chuck B - My pleasure
 

Grand Wazoo

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Bacon, now that you are "...experienced..." could you imagine life without the piezo in your Bongo?

I find that to be a dreadful thought... a bit like the day after the apocalypse, as in... what now?
 

keko

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keko - Did you have a preferred setting you could share for the 5HSp?

Actually I did, but must warn You that was in the store on two different amps!

So, I never tried it in some live performance or with the band practice ...etc.

First time I plug it in Ampeg combo 2x10" + Hf (better), next time in Ampeg 1x15" +Hf combo, all set flat!

In fact I have a few preferred settings :D for a few most wanted sounds I usually use:

1. Balance 100% to magnetic pickups, balance (H/S) about 80% on bridge H pickup, 20% Bas & treble boost, 20% Hi-middle cut and 20% low-Middle boost!

2. The same as 1., but with center balance with piezo/magnetic 50/50% (I think this is the winner)! :)

3. Only piezo with similar EQ settings from above, just some more bass boost! (very nice for some acoustic bass improvisations and domestic folk music from my region)

P.S. ...don't kill me for a few percent +- boost/cut, it's aprox. as far as I remember! :eek:
 
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shakinbacon

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Played another service on Sunday which went very well. However I got feedback from the soundman and a trusted musician that the sound was "hummin'" and "a bit too thick".

I could see where they were coming from. I had the amp set flat and the Bongo eq flat and boosted the magnetic pickups for 75% magnetic pickup signal and 25% piezo signal.

I don't want to add more piezo signal as I don't like what it does to the Low B definition. Also, I like the thickness of the tone. So my question is, what do I do to get more note definition?

I think it is a combination of putting more bridge pickup signal, more high mids and more treble from the Bongo.


Any thoughts?


Thanks
 

oli@bass

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4) When using the bridge pickup alone, I found I could eq with 50% bass and treble boost and NOT get lost in the mix (this did NOT work if I had 50/50 bridge/neck pickup). In other words, the dreaded 'smiley faced' eq was functional when using the bridge pickup alone.

Funny. Who would have thought that the concept of the 2 band single H StingRay could possibly ever have been able to work well in a band setting... :rolleyes: :p ;)
 

shakinbacon

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settling on a tone center

I'm finding live adding piezo helps a lot in getting note definition (except for the B string per the OP) and cutting through a mix.

I'm also finding that the more I add piezo the more I can cut the Low mids and get a nice tone.

There are so many sounds in this thing. Which is a good and bad thing :eek::D

Its odd, seems that if a signal is too bassy that if I add low mids it cleans it up. Does that make any sense? I don't quite get it.
 

oli@bass

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All that is exactly why I prefer a four string StingRay with the pickup selector, no piezo and a 3 band EQ. Very simple to operate. Always sounds great. KISS
 
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