Piezo Bridge: Worth the effort?

SuperBassSam · #1 03-08-2009, 06:01 AM

Hi all,

Just thinking, do any of you have a piezo bridge fitted to your bass? If so, does it sound good and would it be worth trying to mod an existing bass to fit one or just saving up for one with it already on?

Cheers

i_got_a_mohawk · #2 03-08-2009, 06:22 AM

I have a bass that already has one.

They are certainly a different sound! Very clean sounding.

Only thing I would say is that if it's not so great if playing with a pick. I think the piezo bridge would be best on an ABG or fretless.

fullrangebass · #3 03-08-2009, 06:25 AM

I've only had 6 piezo-equipped basses so far but it all depends what kind of tone you are aiming for. The piezo bridge, per se, will not get you an upright thud (unless it has a dedicated piezo EQ before buffering the piezo and the magnetic together). The piezo will give you more of the string tone (and "noise" as well). It worth experimenting with a piezo bridge. IME the best piezo tone was from my Sei 5str bass (with a dedicated 2-band EQ piezo preamp). I was able to even achieve the upright Thud!!!

India_Sierra · #4 03-08-2009, 06:28 AM

They are very cool with very nice sounds. However, it is not a mod I would try myself, I'd definitely be taking it to be a proper tech if I wanted one fitted!

z6e9n · #5 03-08-2009, 11:31 PM

If you try the diy way with 2 piezo buzzers. You are gonna need a preamp. Otherwise the volume won't be half of what the other pickups give you. I tried this before on a fretless. Honestly I would get a bass with one already installed that way you know exactly how it sounds. If you mod try a mod like this you just cross your fingers and pray its going to sound ok. Hope this helps.

bongomania · #6 03-08-2009, 11:58 PM

I've heard more bad piezo tones than good ones. Of course that does mean there were good ones, it can be done. But IMO adding a piezo is a lot of trouble for not very good odds of nice sound.

StyleOverShow · #7 03-09-2009, 12:07 AM

Would have to agree with all: they can sound amazing, very different than passive or active pickups but require pre/amplification as well to get the very best sound out them; and yes, modifying an existing to incorporate them is difficult. Better to buy something with them exclusively. I bought a Dean Pace for $270 shipped on eBay. Still working on it but the Peizo is amazing.

-richard

**Marcus Willett** · #8 03-09-2009, 12:14 AM

The only piezo-equipped bass I have (and the only one I have heard that I like....no coincidence) is my Wendler. In my case, the piezo pickup adds a very organic/woody quality to the tone. It's completely passive though, so it's a different animal altogether.

KJung · #9 03-09-2009, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Willett

The only piezo-equipped bass I have (and the only one I have heard that I like....no coincidence) is my Wendler. In my case, the piezo pickup adds a very organic/woody quality to the tone. It's completely passive though, so it's a different animal altogether.

+1 for a more organic instrument (i.e., semi-hollow body, passive, fretless, using tapewound flats) like the Rob Allen basses, a piezo bridge pickup can really do a decent job mimicing the big low end and that certain treble 'click' of a DB. However, for more traditional solid body fretted instruments, I find that a piezo pickup does just what you typically don't want in a fretted electric sound... HUGE low end and massively clicky upper treble.

To the OP, if you have a more traditional bass (Music Man, Fender, whatever), I would not bother.

Jjango · #10 03-09-2009, 03:08 AM

If you have a piezo-equipped bass, and you thump your palm against the body – not the strings, the body – of the bass... do you hear a loud thump through the amp?

**smperry** · #11 03-09-2009, 03:34 AM

I *love* piezos on my fretless basses, which also have magnetic pickups. Both of those basses have great bufferering preamps, and one has a high-pass filter, so that I can get more traditional tones (and knock out some of the sub-bass tones) as desired. IME, it's one of those things that needs to be done "right" though...I've heard some basses where I felt it did nothing for the sound. But then again, I feel that way about some magnetic pickups.

Done well and used judiciously, I agree with what others have said: it's a beautiful "honest", "airy", "big" sound. For a busy mix, it can be lost as it tends to be scooped in the mids....for that reason I like being able to combine it with magnetic pickups when needed. But I often use piezos solo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jjango

If you have a piezo-equipped bass, and you thump your palm against the body – not the strings, the body – of the bass... do you hear a loud thump through the amp?

I don't with mine, one which has an ebony bridge, the other which has a traditional metal Hipshot.

Joe Nerve · #12 03-09-2009, 04:39 AM

I've got a piezo on my bongo and I never use it.

topcat2069 · #13 03-09-2009, 07:36 AM

I have a Godin Z Bass, it has the Zeta piezo bridge that was used for the Zeta Prism. I couldn't find a Prism but when I found this one I snapped it up. I love the sound with flats. I'm thinking about building a fretless Warmoth bass with a Z body and using the Zeta bridge and electronics.

richnota · #14 03-09-2009, 07:54 AM

I have a piezo in....well almost all my basses.

First get a buffer (unless your dave wendler, you will need it). Almost impossible to get a good piezo/mag mix without them.

Blending piezo with the mag pickup brings in a ton of attack. Forgive my lack of technical verbiage, but IMO Piezos are "faster" responding and can add a bit of explosive. You get a lot more of the string sound in the mix with a piezo.

I think more folks like them on fretless basses. More expressive to that fingerstyle? I'd say so.

I've found a bass that sounds good when its not plugged in will sound great with a piezo. Other benefit is the piezo is much quieter than a mag pickup--on my basses there's almost no interference or noise.

The Clement basses (5 and 6 singlecuts) use the hipshot piezo bridge into a bartolini buffer and aguilar preamp. Great combination.

elros · #15 03-09-2009, 02:45 PM

For me, piezo pickups are definetly worth it. Great sounds! Different - don't expect the same type of punch as the magnetics. Very acoustic-like.

tjclem · #16 03-11-2009, 09:07 AM

Piezos are nice, something very different about them just a whole other sound......t

mikezimmerman · #17 03-11-2009, 11:11 AM

I've got them in my fretted Curbow 6, and have had them in a couple other basses I've owned. It's definitely an interesting tone solo, but not particularly in a busy mix/loud band context in my experience (too scooped and "airy" as someone else put it). I personally find I don't really end up using them enough to justify the cost, but this was my "kitchen sink" bass where I had Greg put pretty much everything on it I imagined I might ever want!

If you haven't played a piezo-equipped bass, you'll definitely want to spend some time with one and listening to the tone before deciding to spend the money on them.

Mike

elros · #18 03-12-2009, 08:33 AM

Hey Mike,

Didn't you have the fretted Curbow 6 for sale a while ago? It didn't sell?
I remember drooling over it for quite a while..... nice bass!

mikezimmerman · #19 03-12-2009, 11:38 AM

I did have the Curbow for sale at one point, but didn't get all that much interest and I had second thoughts about selling it--it's really a one of a kind instrument.

Mike

warnan · #20 07-12-2009, 06:53 AM

does piezo pickup must be driven by preamp? can i solder it directly to pot or jack? will it have small output?