Is this the equivalent of a Realist?

[Phil Smith]

SDT1 Pickup

This is using Piezo-electric film, I don't have a Realist, never had one, but was wondering if this was the same technology? I suspect that it may be, and this thing is 1/4 the price. Anyone have any answers? Speculations? Good jokes?

[olivier]

According to US patent # 6,018,120 to R N Steinberger, to be a realist this stuff should:

1 be placed under the bass foot of the bridge, and
2 pick up only a small amount of the forces transmitted by the bridge to the table, and
3 be shielded from electromagnetic fields, and
4 be flexible.

Anyway, I don’t think this is the piezo element currently being used to manufacture the Realist™.

But this tinker toying around is very interesting. If you find something good and new, just tell me and nobody else, we’ll file a patent application.

[Pete OLeary]

I just started messing with PVDF film transducers. Up 'til now, bending mode piezo trnasducers were thicker than compression mode bugs. It's interesting stuff.

[Barefoot Larry]

Originally posted by Phil Smith
SDT1 Pickup

This is using Piezo-electric film, I don't have a Realist, never had one, but was wondering if this was the same technology? I suspect that it may be, and this thing is 1/4 the price. Anyone have any answers? Speculations? Good jokes?

Speculation; I wonder how well film would stand up to around 120 lbs of pressure between the foot and the belly of the bass.

I seem to recall that tuned strings put about 240 lbs of downward pressure on the bridge, depending on the strings you're using.

[Pete OLeary]

Originally posted by Barefoot Larry

Speculation; I wonder how well film would stand up to around 120 lbs of pressure between the foot and the belly of the bass.

I seem to recall that tuned strings put about 240 lbs of downward pressure on the bridge, depending on the strings you're using.

Nit-pick: lbs. mean force, not pressure. These things are important to some people.
Actually the force that a bass' table sees from the bridge feet is considerably less, somewhere in the neighborhood of 45lbs. when the strings are tensioned. The total tuned string tension however is in the neighborhood of 250-300lbs, depending.
This film is made for strain gages and such and won't have any trouble with bass type forces.