Hipshot Piezo bridge on fretless?

i_got_a_mohawk · #1 04-05-2008, 12:29 PM

Just wondering if any of you guys have used the hipshot piezo bridge on a fretless bass, and how did it turn out?

Also, would it work well solo? (ie without a magnetic pup)

Finally, if using without a magnetic pup, do you still need to add a buffer?

Cheers

i_got_a_mohawk · #2 04-06-2008, 07:03 AM

D.Don · #3 04-09-2008, 02:18 PM

I am considering one since some week ago for my fiver fretless, just found out today that the buffer demands 9v, which of course is not a problem but I was hoping that I wouldn't need it before I got the facts about it.

Where did you find it? Bestbass as well?

D.Don

Mushroo · #4 04-09-2008, 02:24 PM

I had a Hipshot piezo bridge on a fretless Squier. It sounded incredible! I put TI Acousticore strings on the bass, which don't work with magnetic pickups, so it was piezo only. Lovely sound, with all the "mwah" you could ever ask for. Playing this particular bass was somewhat demanding technique-wise, because string noise, bad muting, etc. came through loud and clear. It was a challenge I enjoyed.

I used a 9 volt buffer preamp. Last I heard, the guy I sold the bass to has bypassed the buffer and is running the piezo passive. He loves the sound. Your mileage may vary

agfrag · #5 04-10-2008, 07:34 PM

I don't have a Hipshot piezo bridge on my fretless 4 string, but I do have a Yamaha piezo bridge I bought on Ebay. I originally used a Fishman Powerchip piezo buffer, but it was only single channel, so I had to screw around with terminating all 4 of the piezo outputs and grounds together while maintaining shielding, what a mess, and you had to route the magnetic pickup output into it, because it wouldn't work in parallel with the magnetic pickups. So, basically, you had to turn on the Powerchip to hear the magnetic pickups. Which is a stupid idea. Also, there was no way to adjust the individual piezo volumes per string.

So I looked around, and saw the EMG 4CH mixer on their OEM webpage. It has individual piezo pickup volume controls, and an overall volume control (on the circuit board), and, both a single ouput, and seperate outputs, so you can hook up a midi convertor if you want to. And the best part is, is that you can hook the output up in parallel, and turn it on and off with it's own switch, and hook up a volume control on the output of it, and whatever you do with the volume and the switch, has no effect on the magnetic pickup outputs! Yippee!

So my configuration is I have a bridge and neck pickup wired just like a jazz bass would be, and the output past the volume control of the piezo output is wired just like a third pickup, and the output of the 2 mag pickup's volume control and the volume control for the piezo go to the tone control, and then out to the output jack.

And it costs the same as the Fishman!!! So, I relegated the Fishman Powerchip to my single channel Electric Cello pickup, and I'm loving the EMG, it even has a better tone than the Fishman, for my fretless anyway.

I had to order it through a local store that had an EMG account though, Low Down Sound here in Michigan, I don't think you can get it through GC!

Now all I gotta do is figure out how to convert the signal to midi!

richnota · #6 04-10-2008, 08:28 PM

Tom Clement installed one on my Fretless 5.

It sounds fantastic (combined with an aguilar 3 band pre); Solo or mixed with the mag. If you combine it with a mag, you have to use a buffer.

Solo, it has great bottom combined with really transparent highs. I'd definitely do one with only the piezo.

Koeda · #7 04-15-2008, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Just wondering if any of you guys have used the hipshot piezo bridge on a fretless bass, and how did it turn out?

I added the Ghost Saddles to a Hipshot B Bridge on a Jazz Fretless loaded with Chromes for strings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Also, would it work well solo? (ie without a magnetic pup)

Yes - most often use it solo. Had tried an under bridge one - hard to get string balance. These work much better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Finally, if using without a magnetic pup, do you still need to add a buffer?

Absolutely. piezo = high imp. I didn't want to do onboard so use a stereo jack and Y cable. Ring goes to a Fishman BII and either select or mix with the tip wired to the Barts with a Boss LS-2.

Laterz,
David

elros · #8 04-17-2008, 10:08 AM

I think it is a good idea to have an on-board buffer for the piezo pickups. They are high impedance which means that longer cable between piezo and buffer will have more impact on sound.
I haven't tried this one, but BassLab has a buffer with independent volume control for each string.
As for my own basses, the Surine 6 has ABM piezo with Bartolini buffer, and the Conklin has RMC piezo with RMC PolyDrive buffer.
My Benavente used to have piezo pickup as well, but those bridge saddles were higher than the standard ones so I coulnd't get the action as low as I'd like. So I took them off. That one had a home-built buffer though, using a single FET.

i_got_a_mohawk · #9 04-17-2008, 10:18 AM

Thanks for all the replies guys.

It was on best bass gear that i saw the bridge.

The question regarding the buffer was because on the site it says:

"If used with magnetic pickups, you will need a magnetic-piezo buffer." So i just wasnt sure if you needed one all the time or only if you used magnetic pups too.

elros · #10 04-18-2008, 01:51 AM

Probably it means that the buffer would also need an input for the magnetic pickup.
The Bartolini buffer has this.

DanSwain · #11 11-12-2009, 05:31 PM

I'm going to have a go at making a 6-string fretless, probably with the Hipshot A-style bridge that includes the Graphtech Ghost saddles.

It seems to still be a niche thing, so I'm quite intrigued by it! Once I get started on it I'll get a thread going in the Luthier's Corner, and make sure to post loads of audio examples!