The Realist

collapse expand iconDescription

The Realist Upright Bass Pickup consists of a piezo in a flexible copper housing that fits between the top of your double bass and the E string bridge foot. The Realist acoustic transducer was designed by Ned Steinberger in collaboration with the well-known NYC-based luthier David Gage.

Co-designer David Gage's thoughts: "Recognizing the limitations of microphones and traditional piezo transducers, Ned and I decided that for the working musician things could and should be better. We felt a transducer should be equal in its ability to recreate an acoustic pizzicato and arco sound through commonly used amplifiers. Furthermore, this pick-up had to be simple, dependable, and affordable. After years of consideration and tests, we have come up with a system that achieves all of these goals.

The Realist understands the hours of practice it takes to draw your sound out of your instrument, and with this pick-up your voice can be heard more accurately through an amplifier. Both recording engineers and professional musicians have been startled by the great tone and even response when playing pizzicato and arco. Finally, you can play both pizz and arco without having to play with your controls."
The Realist Lifeline Piezo Double Bass Pickup

collapse expand iconFeatures

  • Great sound
  • High output
  • Rich, powerful response
  • Great for fingered, plucked or arco