David Gage REALIST Pickup INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Installing the jack: (Photo A) l The enclosed looped plastic 'tie down' piece is intended to hold the jack securely, without buzzing. First the G string should be completely removed from the instrument. Simply thread the G string through the two holes starting from the looped or humped side. Then thread the G string through the tailpiece and continue with normal string installation. Before bringing the G string up to pitch, slide the jack into the loop up to the white plastic stop washer. The black ten sion rubber band can be slid up or down to appropriately take up any slack in the wire. Note from Bob: You may want to consider using wire or other ties to anchor the plastic pieces that hold the jack in place, at least until your next string change.
2) Setting the copper plate: (Photo B) The Realist ^tm is designed to go under the E side or bass foot of the bridge with the cord attachment at the back inside. To do this you must first loosen the strings in order to slightly raise the foot. In case the bridge moves during installation, we suggest that you mark lightly with a #2 pencil around the feet so that the bridge can be reset to the same spot. Loosening strings: Loosen the bottom 2 strings (the E & A) and slide them off the bridge. Loosen the 1st or top string 1/2 turn and the 2nd (D string) one full turn. Now the tension on the bridge is low enough to slightly raise the bridge foot with one hand to slide the element under with the other hand. (as in photo B). The element should be centered under the bass foot with the wire extending from the lower inside corner. The pressure from the strings will hold the element snugly under the foot. However, if you are concerned that the bridge might slide on the upper element, a small amount of rosin should be rubbed onto the bottom of the E-side foot. We recommend that you use the same rosin that you use on your bow. Make 2 or 3 passes with the cake of rosin along the bottom of the E (or bass) foot and on the top instrument where the E foot rests. Then install the copper element under the foot as per previous instructions.
	Photo C: The Realist^tm completely installed.
PDF Version of this manual It's a bit fuzzy, but if you prefer something that can easily be printed, give it a look. Here is a new color addendum from David Gage. The pickup savvy players are raving about... John Patitucci: "The most natural sounding pick-up I've ever heard. You wouldn't believe the sound of it through my rig. It feels great -- I'm totally into it. I'm really happy with it. It's easy, I love it. I can go from pizzicato to arco without any hesitation." Michael Moore: "The best Arco sound of them all. THE REALIST^TM sounds the most like a microphone without the problem of feedback." Jay Leonhart: "The Realist is absolutely the best sounding pickup I have ever used. It creates a sound and texture that is very much like the instrument it is on, and you really feel like you are playing acoustically. Yet it can still crank out a lot of sound. Try it." Some Background on the Development from Ned Steinberger: This pickup is the result of an intensive collaboration between myself and luthier David Gage. He is one of the first people from the acoustic bass scene to reach out and support my work on the electric upright. It was the piezo bridge pickup in particular that caught his interest because of the full, rich tonality, specially when bowed, that seemed to be missing in other electric instruments. We got to talking about the dissatisfaction so many acoustic string players have with the sound of the pickups that are available. The next thing I know, I've got one of David's prize instruments in my studio, and we are testing all kinds of old and new variations of pickup designs. The result is The Realist, which is an evolution of the original pickup in the NS Double Bass. Three elements combine to give The Realist the exciting tone that has so many players raving. The first is finding the right structure within and around the piezo crystal to respond optimally to the acoustic resonance of the instrument itself. This involves endless comparisons that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and we have David's sensitivity and patience to thank for the excellent result. We owe a debt also the many fine players who were corralled into helping evaluate the various options. Second, placing the transducer under the foot of the bridge puts it exactly were the sound is transferred from the strings to the sound board. This is definitely where the action is, and the rich, powerful response, both pizzicato and bowed, testifies to this simple fact. The output level directly from the pickup is unusually high, and as a result the signal to noise ratio is also very high, so no pre-amp or other active, battery powered gear is necessary. Just plug it in! The copper foil sandwich construction is the third key element in the system. It provides total shielding to eliminate hum from light fixtures and other electrical or radio interference. It is flexible enough to conform to the curve of the top of the instrument, so that the full pressure of the bridge is concentrated evenly onto the piezo surface. But all this technical stuff is beside the point when you are on stage or in the studio, the pressure is mounting, and you need your sound to be there. As both luthier and musician, David has plenty of field experience in the ongoing battle for tone. David Gage: "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 it's 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. We understand the hours of practice it takes to draw your sound out of your instrument, and with this pick-up we feel 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 is available for string bass and cello. Violin and viola are still under development. See your dealer, or contact: David Gage String Instruments 36 Walker St. New York, NY 10013 Phone: 212 274 1322 Fax : 212 274 9634 E-mail: Eppis@aol.com www.davidgage.com