mcnach Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 I've got a fretless Precision that I really like. It was one of those £60 sale Sue Ryder basses about 5-6 years ago... I put a DiMarzio Model P, nylon tapewounds, removed the frets and had the fingerboard planed nicely, and it worked out so well I ended up selling the CIJ fretless Fender 70s RI and kept this instead. Anyway, I would like to get a piezo bridge / saddles for it, to allow me to get that thumpier "more acoustic" tone you get with those systems. I imagine I'd need a preamp of some sort for it too, and I'd like a tone control (passive is fine). I don't need to blend magnetic/piezo, I'd use a switch to choose one or the other. Does anybody have any recommendations, or some to avoid? I don't want to spend a lot on this as this is a bass I only really use at home or rarely busk with, but I don't take it to any serious gigs or record etc (I still need a lot more fretless practice!). I'm not afraid to chisel, rout and gouge the bass to install stuff in it, I have some experience in that kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleOhStephan Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Following Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 I believe that my Spectorcore fretless has a Piezo but it is a hollow-body - not sure if the bridge can be retro fitted to your P bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Piezo-4-String-Bass-Bridge-Pickup-Chrome/372637793027?hash=item56c2f17b03:g:6tQAAOSw1ZBboCkQ Not sure how he did it (he's a magician , you know) but @Andyjr1515 installed a Piezo in my Psilos. He'll hopefully be along shortly... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 3 hours ago, TheGreek said: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Piezo-4-String-Bass-Bridge-Pickup-Chrome/372637793027?hash=item56c2f17b03:g:6tQAAOSw1ZBboCkQ Not sure how he did it (he's a magician , you know) but @Andyjr1515 installed a Piezo in my Psilos. He'll hopefully be along shortly... Hi The Psilos uses an acoustic type single bone saddle and has an under saddle element. There are a number of UK-available brands but of all of them, in my view, one of the better ones, Artec, is one of the cheapest. But I guess that you, @mcnach , are talking of an electric bass bridge fitted with piezo elements? Graphtec are probably the market leaders - they do retro fit piezo saddles for a P & J type bridges and also some Hipshot type bridges. Even for these if you are looking for affordable and OK rather than top end, I would probably look at an Artec preamp rather than the pricier but good John East ones or the even pricier Graphtec ones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted September 1, 2019 Author Share Posted September 1, 2019 Yes, I'm looking at an electric bass bridge with piezo saddles or even the saddles alone. I found about Graphtec and very little else, so I think I'll end up with a set of the Graphtec ones. They're not too scary pricey... and my bass will suddenly duplicate in value! The preamp is what I'm really not sure about. I don't think a standard preamp for magnetic pickups will do the job. Ideally I'd like a preamp without EQ, and simple passive tone/volume for it... I have to keep looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 23 hours ago, TheGreek said: I believe that my Spectorcore fretless has a Piezo but it is a hollow-body - not sure if the bridge can be retro fitted to your P bass. Tapewound strings wouldn't fit that bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 I have installed a K and K pickup on a fretless acoustic bass guitar (Godin A4). I found it here: https://www.gollihurmusic.com/category/7-UPRIGHT_BASS_PICKUPS.html But I can see that the one I ordered is no longer available. Thing is, what are you trying to do because a small microphone might be a better choice. I've noticed that on my ABG that a combination of the acoustic bass pickup and a microphone gets the best upright-like tone. Also, if blending the piezo PU and the Precision PU there may well be a big difference in output! Peace Davo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted September 3, 2019 Author Share Posted September 3, 2019 21 hours ago, Davo-London said: I have installed a K and K pickup on a fretless acoustic bass guitar (Godin A4). I found it here: https://www.gollihurmusic.com/category/7-UPRIGHT_BASS_PICKUPS.html But I can see that the one I ordered is no longer available. Thing is, what are you trying to do because a small microphone might be a better choice. I've noticed that on my ABG that a combination of the acoustic bass pickup and a microphone gets the best upright-like tone. Also, if blending the piezo PU and the Precision PU there may well be a big difference in output! Peace Davo I'm not trying to get the best approximation to an upright, I just really like the sound of piezo pickups on fretless/tapewounds so I'm looking at getting that option added to this bass. Not interested in mixing outputs either, just wanting to have the option of one or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted September 21, 2019 Author Share Posted September 21, 2019 I've come across this little buffer which sounds like something to have, and not expensive. It is $49, although there's also $17 for postage... but I like the idea, form and function of it. Essentially a little buffer with a trim control, to bring the impedance in line with that of a magnetic pickup. It should be easy to mount onboard in a Precision (a few minutes with a chisel under the pickguard and that's it). Then just add a passive blend control (or a switch if not interested in blending), and use the existing passive volume/tone controls. I could even use a stacked vol/tone potentiometer and keep the bass in a 2-knob configuration. That and one of the many piezo bridges available. The Hipshot one looks good and not so expensive... if you can find it. Graphtech saddles are a possibility for an existing bridge. Ghost make nice bridges with Graphtech saddles although not cheap. There's some decent looking on eBay for around £60, but they're in the US and postage & import duty brings the cost up a bit, so I need to see if I find an alternative within our own continent (and before Brexit... but let's not go there ) Here's the PZP-1 buffer: https://cafewalter.com/pzp-1/ And here's one possible bridge: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Piezo-4-String-Bass-Bridge-Pickup-Chrome/372637793027?hash=item56c2f17b03:g:6tQAAOSw1ZBboCkQ Another alternative is, if blending is not required, installing the bridge with no controls on the bass except for a switch to act as a mute and use an external preamp (input impedance must be in the 10 MegaOhm range, which is close to an order of magnitude higher than many preamps out there, so that's something to consider). That would be the easiest thing to do, but it would be a strictly magnetic or piezo situation and no quick changes between both sounds. I don't see that as much of an issue, given my intended use, but if I can get a suitable buffer like the PZP-1, I think that's a neater way to go about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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