Acoustic Bass Pickups

No venue or playing style is off-limits to a musician with the drive and the gear to make it happen. You've got to provide that drive yourself, of course, but when it comes to gearing up, equipment like acoustic bass pickups will play an important part of the equation. With designs for acoustic bass guitars and upright double basses, these make it possible to connect any acoustic bass to an amplifier setup or a backend sound system, so you'll be able to take on the biggest venues and be heard in every corner. Plus, when you have your bass connected via pickup, you also give yourself the option of adding effects units to craft your own unique signature tone.

Naturally, with the different varieties of acoustic basses out there, the first step to picking out your pickups is to narrow the options down to those that will fit your instrument. For acoustic bass guitars, a couple of good suggestions would be the Shadow 4 String Acoustic Bass Bridge Pickup with Saddle and the Lace USAB Ultra Slim Acoustic Bass Pickup. Looking for something even more versatile than those? How about the Dtar Bass Soundspot Pickup: it fits an acoustic bass guitar as well as an upright bass or even a cello, so you can move it from one instrument to another as needed.

If you would prefer a pickup designed specifically for the double bass, you can find some of those here as well. For basic amplification and recording needs, the Shadow SH 951 Single Side Upright Bass Bridge Pickup is a good starting point - not to mention a rockabilly favorite. To turn the sound quality up even higher, you can double up with a two-sided model, or go all-out with something like the Shadow SH 965 NFX-B Nanoflex Pickup with Preamp for Upright Bass. This top-shelf unit's built-in electronics make it ready to take on just about any live reinforcement or studio recording task.

Acoustic bass pickups are practically a must if you play in a gigging band where amplification allows you to be heard without getting drowned out in the mix. And since they also offer flexibility for recording and the opportunity of using effects with your bass, they're great for many other situations too! You'll still have the option of playing acoustic-only when you want to, of course, but with a pickup installed, you're free to choose the best way to go for each individual performance.