Owen Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I have a bass with piezos in it. I love the sound but don't really get on with the bass (one magnetic pick up and I like 2). Due to playing a DB I know how important a decent pre-amp is to buffer the piezos, but I am guessing that a piezo saddle is pretty much a piezo saddle. As long as it is seated properly under the string it will do it's thing. Am I right or wrong? Do piezos which have been artificially aged and had special radiation treatment to enhance the mids sound better or is it all just to do with a decent buffering pre amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Basically piezo transducers are a type of rare earth ceramic that generates an electric current when pressure is applied. Pretty amazing stuff! Phil Mann and I were comparing notes on the piezos in our basses on Facebook this morning because we've both had issues. Mine have been described elsewhere but basically its important to get good contact between the string and the saddle. They can otherwise be a little temperamental if not set up properly. Taperwound or exposed core strings are usually needed to get the best out of them too. Phil uses La Bella Super Steps on his and recommended them to me. I may go with a handmade custom set from Newtone as well though because they can do a thick, exposed core. I'm not aware that treating the piezo in any way has an effect but I could be wrong. As far as I'm aware, it all comes down to good string contact and making sure there's a buffer preamp in place to take care of any impedance issues. Buffer preamps don't have to be complicated and are even sometimes included already in some circuits. For example, you could have a chat to John East about creating a customised U-retro with an additional buffer preamp to handle the piezo output. I think it might be relatively simple for him given his units are modular in design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 (edited) So as far as piezo action goes This [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-BRIDGE-W-BUILT-IN-PIEZO-PICKUP-ACOUSTIC-CHROME-A27_W0QQitemZ250391014644QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item250391014644&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1121|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-BRIDGE-W-BUILT-...%3A1|240%3A1318[/url] will sound the same as this [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-ABM-Bass-Bridge-Lock-Down-Piezo-Saddles-GOLD_W0QQitemZ270145028852QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item270145028852&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1121|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-ABM-Bass-Bridge-...%3A1|240%3A1318[/url] I do realise that the second one has individual outs and that is big and clever, but the essential piezo elements will sound the same (notwithstanding easier to balance the second one). Edited March 19, 2009 by owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I can't tell you how they will sound and I think you will be hard pressed to know the difference between them (assuming there is some difference) unless you buy both. What made you think that piezos sound different? I think you should go with the bridge that has the biggest transducers. Mine are by ABM BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 What I was hoping to ascertain was that there is actually no difference between one piezo and another - it is all down to the buffering involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walplayer Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I've got 4 basses with piezos in (an they're probably all gonna be up for sale soon too!)all have different piezos all sound/respond differently....i wouldn't say one is better than another they just seem to differ in the way or amount they respond to pressure from your right hand...they've all got different pre's too so that doesn't help much in making judgements either [quote name='owen' post='439526' date='Mar 19 2009, 06:22 PM']What I was hoping to ascertain was that there is actually no difference between one piezo and another - it is all down to the buffering involved.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 I'm on my third, and the first two were RUBBISH. I had given up on the whole thing really, but my present one is LUSH. My DB has a piezo buffered by a Summit Audio TD 100 and it sounds fabulous. I suspect that a well seated piezo will work as long as it is well buffered. I just dont want to find that they can be different as magnetic pickups can after I lay my £ down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walplayer Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 (edited) If the first two were rubbish doesn't it answer your own question, that they're all different?Or was it the pre-amps making them rubbish? I dont know much about the technicalities of piezo's but i saw,i think it was Shuker ,describing their's as "360 degree" piezos so there must be differences? [quote name='owen' post='439569' date='Mar 19 2009, 06:54 PM']I'm on my third, and the first two were RUBBISH. I had given up on the whole thing really, but my present one is LUSH. My DB has a piezo buffered by a Summit Audio TD 100 and it sounds fabulous. I suspect that a well seated piezo will work as long as it is well buffered. I just dont want to find that they can be different as magnetic pickups can after I lay my £ down[/quote] Edited March 19, 2009 by walplayer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 Having spent a lot of time (and money) getting to the state of being happy with my DB sound it's my suspicion that it was the various pre-amps which were having the main effect on the sound of the piezos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walplayer Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Having just thought about it,360degrees piezo possibly means as in fixed bridge /strip type(like acoustic guitars have). 2 of my basses are this type .I actually think they're better than the "in saddle" type because they seem to respond better frequency wise to what your right hand's doing...ie;you dig in more you seem to get a bigger freq. range/different tone. But obviously from a playability aspect you lose the flexibility of the string if you will,that you get with the in saddle type. Also i've heard that the best in-saddle type are RMC. I discussed piezos a few times with percy jones and tbh he lost me with the technicalities (lattitude for placement an other stuff)He's been playing them in ibanez basses for about 10yrs now and iirc his last bass might have had just RMC piezos in it. Also Chris Larkin said he tried loads of piezos and rmc are the only one he likes/uses. Dunno if any of this helps Pete [quote name='owen' post='439629' date='Mar 19 2009, 07:46 PM']Having spent a lot of time (and money) getting to the state of being happy with my DB sound it's my suspicion that it was the various pre-amps which were having the main effect on the sound of the piezos.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted March 22, 2009 Author Share Posted March 22, 2009 I've been pondering this over the weekend and have realised that it will be worth trying a piezo strip squashed under the bridge. It will not give me the individual string control of a dedicated multi piezo unit, but that has never bothered me on my Double Bass or my Acoustic guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.