Installing a piezo on a Warrior & other questions

[Dynastes]

Any of you guys have experience with adding (a Fishman or other) piezo to your bass? Thinking of getting some kind of cheap solution, preferably something that I can install myself (to save money, needs to be pretty simple though) and just order off of thomann.de or ebay.

Ideally, it would be cool to just add it internally to the Bartolini pre-amp system (or in combination with) and perhaps just changing one of the control knobs to one that has two controls in one knob, to control the blend of the piezo. I don't think I'm "ready" to change out the Hipshot bridge for one with built in piezo, as I kinda like the one that's in it now (mostly because I'm able to adjust the string spacing - I ideally would like a bridge with a slimmer string spacing, right now I'm pushing it at around 15.6+ mm, but would like to go down to about 15mm)...Any advice, pic's etc. is very welcome

Another question: I always have the switch that changes the polarity/direction of the magnets, in one position (to the right) - it sounds hollow, and static and weird if I switch to the other polarity.

So I was thinking, since I don't use that switch, but it's there, and it's soldered to the system - I could probably use it for something else, like a bypass switch (or a switch/knob for the piezon blend?). Anyone got other ideas for a cool use of such a switch?

I need advice on that, and how to technically do it. I can handle a soldering iron, but don't have other technical equipment, so I need to know which wires to unsolder and put elsewhere

I'm 90% sure it has the TBT 9volt pre-amp system (might be NTBT -the volume trim inside, covers the model name, but it ends with BT and looks like there's not room enough for it to say NTBT underneath the blue volume trim thingy, that's glued on it with superglue), but none of the Bartolini diagrams show anything about that switch, guess it's something Warrior chose to put in it (like a lot of other manufacturers) - only problem is, it does no good sound wise, so I'd rather have the setting it's at now, be there always, and use the switch for something cool.

[Dynastes]

Come to think of it, wouldn't it be possible for me to order just the piezo parts and the saddles, take out the saddles that are in the bridge I have now, and just install those piezo saddles myself? That way I wouldn't have to buy the whole bridge and saddle and piezo parts, and I would get a clean look, as i could probably use the hole that's already drilled for that switch, right?

Another geeky question, let's say the answer to the above is, that I need to buy the whole thing (why?) - then I'm unsure which spacing to buy, cause the slimmest spacing is .669 (17mm) - but is the base width of those bridges the same, no matter what spacing you choose? And would I be able to adjust it down to the 15 or 15.5mm that I'd like, even with the difference in design of the piezo parts ?

As you can tell, I'm looking to go the easiest but cheapest route, while maintaining the setup I got, with the narrower string spacing, than a stock setup Warrior Soldier Fretless 5.

http://www.bestbassgear.com/hipshot-...ss-bridges.htm

[1bassleft]

Are you hoping for an acoustic bass sound? I ask because I have the Ghost saddles (which is what the Hipshot uses) in a Jazz - very easy to get the saddles only for that, of course - and I don't think it's very acousticy. It's an interesting addition (with a lot of fingers-moving-on-strings noise) but still electric sounding (with flats on a fretless). On a Jazz there's not a lot of room and my tech did quite a bit of work to do a nice installation. He detailed it in this blog:

http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.u...nix-jazz-bass/

TBer seang and I have also bought this type, which I have been told is pretty good:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMBINATION-...item5d34381305

and can be hooked up to an EMG PB3 or Fishman Powerchip (the Shadow has its own, pricey blender) but we're both at the early stage. Funnily enough, I was just looking up the ebayers I bought a Washburn-version Powerchip off, and they also sell this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-STRING-BAS...item43b8dbc939

whose saddles look uncannily like the ABM, but a lot cheaper.

[4Mal]

I used the full on graphtech ghost bridge an acoustiphonic pre on my Barker Brio... Really like that setup a lot. Using the right pre makes a difference... Correct strings as well. I run LaBella or D'Addarrio tape wounds ot TI Jazz Flats on my piezo basses.

[1bassleft]

Mine has the Ghost Shadow pre, and D'Ad flats, but I'm not getting the acoustic thing. At first, I thought it might be the newness of the strings, or my valve amps, but the strings are a few years older now and I've tried it through SS.

I like what it does, though.

[seang15]

Hey 1bassleft, thanks for letting me know about this thread! Sub'd for sure!

Originally Posted by 1bassleft

Are you hoping for an acoustic bass sound? I ask because I have the Ghost saddles (which is what the Hipshot uses) in a Jazz - very easy to get the saddles only for that, of course - and I don't think it's very acousticy. It's an interesting addition (with a lot of fingers-moving-on-strings noise) but still electric sounding (with flats on a fretless). On a Jazz there's not a lot of room and my tech did quite a bit of work to do a nice installation. He detailed it in this blog:

http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.u...nix-jazz-bass/

TBer seang and I have also bought this type, which I have been told is pretty good:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMBINATION-...item5d34381305

and can be hooked up to an EMG PB3 or Fishman Powerchip (the Shadow has its own, pricey blender) but we're both at the early stage. Funnily enough, I was just looking up the ebayers I bought a Washburn-version Powerchip off, and they also sell this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-STRING-BAS...item43b8dbc939

whose saddles look uncannily like the ABM, but a lot cheaper.