Piezo?

[Ginnagan]

Hey there guys,

Just wondering what a piezo actually does for a stingray bass or any other basses out there? Im not all that informed on these things.

Thanks!

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

My take on piezos unless on a fretless...

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

That said..this was hands down the best fretless I've ever played. It just worked so well.

 

[adouglas]

My take on piezos unless on a fretless...

-1.

The piezo on my fretted Bongo is great. It's subtle, but it definitely has an effect. Adds a bit of edge and clarity in the mix to my ear.

Here's the bottom line...if it does something to the sound that makes me want to use it, then it's worthwhile, right?

So, from time to time I turn mine off just to see what will happen.

I always wind up turning it back on. Haven't yet found an application where I don't want to have at least some of it mixed in.

Conclusion? It makes the bass sound better to me.

BTW, I've owned piezo-equipped basses before, and the Bongo's piezo doesn't seem to be quite the same.

 

[TheAntMan]

I have a Fretless Bongo 4HH with Piezo and it definately gives it a nice presence. I use just a touch of it to give an ambiant quality to the tone. I have not tried it on a fretted bass.

My $0.02

Ant.

 

[PzoLover]

Basic Piezo

Hey there guys,
Just wondering what a piezo actually does for a stingray bass or any other basses out there? Im not all that informed on these things. Thanks!

I'm no electronic engineer;
my understanding about Magnetic Pickups is that they create an electrical signal due to an electrical 'disturbance' created by the movement of a metallic sting in their magnetic field

In simple terms, the Piezo Pickups in each of the saddles of the optional MM Piezo Bridge convert the actual vibrations of the strings at the saddles into an electrical signal that goes to the active preamp;
the signal created by a Piezo Pickup gives a different type of sound than what you get from 'conventional' magnetic pickups mounted on the body between the bridge and the neck

On my SR5s, both fretted and fretless, the Piezo sounds blended in the preamp add an entire different dimension to the standard magnetic pickup sounds;
in loose terms, I'd suggest the words "open", "rich", "alive", "sensual"
It can be cancelled anytime by simply dialing out the Piezo with the Blend Knob.

Depending on the kind of music you like to play, piezo sounds in the mix may seem inappropriate; it may take some determination to get the feel and settle down the finger/string noises; given an open mind, they may offer an entire new experience

These days I'm playing mostly with folkish songwiters using acoustic instruments at low volumes and piezos are a real winner in that environment;
the fretted piezo bass seems to enable some of the "sensuality" of a fretless piezo bass, but with incredible "sustain and punch on demand", and without the "mwwahh" factor; now I'm curious to try it in a more orchestral environment

Curious? Try one