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K&K Bass Max

159 Customer ratings

4.5 / 5

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67 Reviews

K&K Bass Max
$118
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Seems good to me
Anonymous 19.01.2015
Technical note first; Surprisingly high output, almost into the range of an active pickup, so just plug straight into your amp.

I come from electric bass and EUB playing to finally getting the real deal - a double bass. So having gotten a double bass I needed to get a pickup because double bass makers live in the 19th century and haven't yet realised they should have a built in pickup like every acoustic guitar that costs more than 50 pence.

I went for this pickup because it was moderately priced and looked easy to fit, as well as getting good reviews. I needed to do a tiny amount of sanding to open up the bridge but it only took a few minutes and then it fitted in just fine. The sound seems very authentic to my my ears, it picks up each string evenly and pretty much reflects the bass itself.

For live music, I'm willing to accept that a pickup costing twice as much might sound better in a side by side comparison but a) that never happens at a gig, and b) when the rest of the band is playing, any difference in tone will be swamped by the other instruments, and c) no one wants to hear your bass solo, so give it a rest.

IMHO you need to pay a certain amount for a pickup or it just fails to perform the basic functions. If you pay more then you get into a region where stuff works ok, and after that it becomes diminishing returns where nobody but you in your front room can hear what you paid for (I'm talking about for basses, it's different for guitars, fiddles etc). I reckon this pickup is at the point where you get a pretty good deal and spending a lot more won't make it that much better.
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Absolutely great piece of kit.
chrisofsaltburn 29.03.2019
Take time (a few extra minutes sanding etc.) to make sure this pickup is fitted correctly - mostly youtube research - and the results are stunning. Both pizz and arco are amplified naturally and efficiently. I am mostly impressed that you can hear, distinctly, vibrato playing pizz.
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East to fit, reliable and sounds great
Anonymous 12.01.2017
I recently purchased an upright bass and was looking for a pickup to use when playing live. After a bit of research, I went for this model. Wasn't sure whether I'd need a pre-amp or not, so bought this - I could always add a pre-amp if it needed it.

Pickup arrived quickly and I fitted it into the bridge in about 15 minutes. A bit of trimming / sanding of the bridge wing was required, but nothing major. The output jack clips onto the strings between the bridge and the tailpiece.

The pickup has a fairly high output so I can just plug straight into the amp. I've not had the need for a pre-amp, but I found it works best with a bit of compression. The sound is great - it took a bit of experimenting with my amp settings but managed to get a sound I like.

Played it live a number of times and it's been loud enough to hear with the rest of the band playing.
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Ø
Great for rockabilly
Ørjan 23.03.2020
Bought this and paired it with a Harley Benton bass preamp and Gut-A-Like bass strings. No problems with feedback at loud gigs.

Pro:
Easy to install

Con:
A bit expensive for a piezo-pickup for some people?
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JG
Bass pick-up review
Jonny G. 10.09.2014
An excellent budget pick-up: comparable with (but more sturdy than) the Realist. I use both, but travel with a K&K Bass Max, especially when performing abroad on unfamiliar basses. This is a perfect "first" pick-up for any bassist, and an ideal back-up pick-up for any professional.
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Excellent piezo pickup
walbassist 22.06.2015
I wasn't too optimistic about this pickup, as piezo pickups often sound very tinny and hollow. However, paired with a good preamp, I have been delighted at the quality of tones I am getting. It has a very well balanced, articulate tone, with even output across all the strings, and while it has some detail from finger noise it's not harsh at all.

Fitting it was easy, as I just had to file open the gap in the bridge a touch more. I as a little worried about damaging the crystal, as I was unsure how tight it should be, but I took my time and waited until the gap was wide enough to just make sure it was held, and that seemed to do the trick.

Simple and effective, what's not to like?
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good choice
Anonymous 18.07.2014
i had this pickup on my bass for about 18 months until i upgraded to the Rockabilly Plus system.
it is a very well made pickup & simple to install,it took me just a few minutes to file out the bridge wing a little then push fit the pickup in place.
it delivers a very pleasing warm double bass sound & even does a good job of picking up percussive slap sounds too,make sure it is a snug fit however or you may get feedback problems.
it has a high out put too so you don't need a necessarily need preamp to get a good sound with this pickup.
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Double Bass pick up
Anonymous 19.07.2014
This pick up was recommended by Thomann when I was making enquiries about buying a double bass. I have used my double bass with a KG 112 200w amp and it sounds great. With this pick up I have not had to buy a pre-amp so I can plug straight into the GK and get a great sound. I would recommend this product.
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K&K Bass Max