Headway bass band pickups

Various pickup/mic configurations have been used either working in tandem or as a single source, but all require some form of adaptive surgery to the instrument and are more often than not in practice awkward to use.

Headway themselves do have other bass pickup systems, most notably their highly successful model with contact points that sit under the feet of the bridge, though this of course requires expert fitting and possibly a new bridge and crucially (like similar systems) relies on battery power. The flexible nylon ‘band’ however has no need of a battery and doesn’t require any adaptive procedures, as it simply fits around the waist of the instrument attached with a quality velcro strip. A quarter-inch jack socket is set into the end of the band so that the lead runs out from the rear of the bass, while the enclosed pickup sits centrally under the four strings.

The Band proved to be a lively pickup with a very clean sound that seemed to have a heightened sensitivity to the mid range. There were no blank spots, no feedback and there was no finger noise. With our amp set flat the Band gave an exceptionally realistic string bass sound – there was no need to tweek the EQ and in a small combo environment it was more than able to cut through the mix. And all this for a piece of equipment that you can stick in your top pocket! This is clearly a major move forward in bass amplification and we reckon that it is likely to become the chosen pickup for many a gigging bassist.

For more go to www.headwaymusicaudio.com