piezo vs. magnetic: interesting observation

[Shoewreck]

Preface: My current bass has a humbucker in the sweet spot position and a set of GraphTech piezo saddles. The humbucker has been regaussed, so sonically it's closer to a single coil. Both pickups are buffered and only controls are blend and volume.

What I found strange is that both pickups sound very similar. I have a hard time telling one from other on a recording. Standing next to a stack I can hear that piezo has just slightly smoother and more transparent tone with more fundamental, but again, not much difference from magnetic.

BUT. When I'm playing along others I clearly hear that magnetic cuts and piezo just fills the bottom.

[ZolkoW]

that says to me that those Graphtech saddles must be some good saddles!
(I was already interested in them, but find the price a bit high.. must try them once anyway)

the magnetic pickups always have that "comb filtered" output, no matter how narrow the aperture is, and the piezo must be flatter I think.
are you using something like this: Products*&*Ordering - Graph Tech
?


EDIT: oh, and don't forget that both pickups transfer/filter quite the same input : how your strings vibrate I mean, your bass has the unamplified sound, which must be recognizable through the pickups.

Originally Posted by Shoewreck

Preface: My current bass has a humbucker in the sweet spot position and a set of GraphTech piezo saddles. The humbucker has been regaussed, so sonically it's closer to a single coil. Both pickups are buffered and only controls are blend and volume.

What I found strange is that both pickups sound very similar. I have a hard time telling one from other on a recording. Standing next to a stack I can hear that piezo has just slightly smoother and more transparent tone with more fundamental, but again, not much difference from magnetic.

BUT. When I'm playing along others I clearly hear that magnetic cuts and piezo just fills the bottom.

[recnsci]

Originally Posted by ZolkoW

the magnetic pickups always have that "comb filtered" output, no matter how narrow the aperture is

Comb filtering is consequence of relative position of pickup versus vibrating length of a string (pickup closer to neck -> lower frequency of first null and stronger low order harmonics; see this). However, region of dramatic cut (lets say 12dB or more) around comb null is quite narrow and further more pickup is sensing string disposition in quite nonlinear fashion so linear analysis can be thrown trough the window. Pickup aperture affects high frequencies and you don't perceive it as classical comb effect but more as dramatic coloration in HF band.

Depending on pickup, strings and playing technique you can expect that under certain conditions piezo and mag output sound quite alike in isolation. One of the reasons is that our ears are more sensitive to envelope of harmonics than to absolute amplitude of harmonics without referent content. However, when listened as part of whole band mix difference gets dramatic (as Shoewreck experienced). It's quite similar to common mistake people make when they venture in the world of mixing: young engineer apply EQ and compression on isolated/soloed track and when whole mix is brought up details you where obsessing about disappear and some details you haven't actually heard when soloed become dramatic (been there, done that). That's the reason why pickups height/balance and amp EQ should to be adjusted in context of whole band instead of soloed bass [just few days ago I spent few hours of nudging pickup up and down until I've reached (what I perceived as) perfect balance, just to go to the rehearsal to find out that A and D are quite a bit off in context of whole band)

[Shoewreck]

Originally Posted by ZolkoW

are you using something like this: Products*&*Ordering - Graph Tech ?

Yes, but mine are ABM type.