• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass B-Band D1 broken piezo

Teijo K.

Teijo K.

Commercial User
Sep 8, 2014
4,204
23,525
55
Jyväskylä, Finland
soundcloud.com
Disclosures
Endorsing Artist: CCP
#1
My electric band decided to practice an acoustic set, and instead of playing my Rickenbacker sitting down like its usually done I dusted of my old double bass. It sounded really thin amplified, and I suspected something is not working. Looks like the body "piezo" of my B-Band D1 is not working anymore. It has that weird 3 part film "piezo" system that gets easily broken. Naturally B-Band is done for, so no spare parts.

So, have anyone gotten good results with a normal piezo with the B-Band pre? Or should I just buy a completely new system? I was never really in to that technical side of things when I played more DB. B-Band was local, so I got that and did not have a second though about it until today.

I play mostly pizzicato, but I do use a bow from time to time. Music is just pop/progressive rock but played with acoustic instruments.
 
#3
DaveAceofBass said:
I used B-Band Statement and D1 for a while. The Statement was superior tone, the D1 caused my bridge to slip. Both crapped out after a while. They are really fragile. Now I play the Yamahiko pickup and I couldn’t be happier. Highly recommended!
Click to expand...

Thank you. Yamahiko looks nice but a bit too expensive and difficult to get. I am on a bit of a tight budget for my secondary instrument here. That is why I was hoping I could use the preamp in the B-Band at least. If I end up getting a completely new unit, it needs to be around 200€ shipped. OR cheaper, cheaper would be preferable lol.
 
#4
Teijo K. said:
Thank you. Yamahiko looks nice but a bit too expensive and difficult to get. I am on a bit of a tight budget for my secondary instrument here. That is why I was hoping I could use the preamp in the B-Band at least. If I end up getting a completely new unit, it needs to be around 200€ shipped. OR cheaper, cheaper would be preferable lol.
Click to expand...
You might want to try the B-Band D-1 with only the wing element - unscrew the jack cover, remove the single element (and small connector) that goes under the bridge foot. Then, PAN the preamp "mix" to favor ONLY the wing elements. (You may need to experiment to find the preamp "side" that will control and boost the 2 wing elements. Also - make sure you have installed a new 9v. battery to power the D-1.
I have been using the D-1 with only the Bridge element side with good results for about 10 yrs.
Let me know if you have questions or if I have not clearly explained myself.
Thanks and Good Luck.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Teijo K.
#6
Don Kasper said:
Only the B-Band elements will work with the B-Band D-1 Preamp...Those tiny 2 prong connectors were/are only used by B-Band, I believe.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

I can work around the connector one way or another. They kind a look like normal circuit board connectors to me, and that would make sense. Why design and manufacture your own if there are a lot of cheap options available. What I am worried is if its voiced for those weird film piezo thingies. If I had spare piezos around I could easily test it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Don Kasper
#7
Don Kasper said:
You might want to try the B-Band D-1 with only the wing element - unscrew the jack cover, remove the single element (and small connector) that goes under the bridge foot. Then, PAN the preamp "mix" to favor ONLY the wing elements. (You may need to experiment to find the preamp "side" that will control and boost the 2 wing elements. Also - make sure you have installed a new 9v. battery to power the D-1.
I have been using the D-1 with only the Bridge element side with good results for about 10 yrs.
Let me know if you have questions or if I have not clearly explained myself.
Thanks and Good Luck.
Click to expand...


This is what I had to do. The wing elements alone just sound a tad thin to me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Don Kasper
#8
You might try a Vic's Pickups piezo system (NFI). Prices, quality and service are excellent. If you get the single channel Model B you can probably get away with no pre. Vic's pickups each use a dual piezo system that produces sufficient signal to feed into most amps

If you do want to model the tone with pre-amp based EQ, etc -- Vic's pickups can be terminated with a standard 1/4" plug, or 1/4" socket (TRS or mono depending on the pickup model) so your pre-amp choices are pretty broad.

Good luck with this!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Earl
#10
Francois Blais said:
@John Littler may be able to help you.
Click to expand...
John Littler is associated with "The Band....." pickup, not with the "B-Band...."pickup.
"B-Band..." is no longer in business, FYI.
Are you suggesting that the OP look into replacing the "B-Band...." with "The Band..." pickup?
(Or, have I misunderstood your post? It has happened!)
Thanks, Francois.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ric Vice and bassically_eli
#12
Teijo K. said:
...
I am on a bit of a tight budget for my secondary instrument here. That is why I was hoping I could use the preamp in the B-Band at least.
…
Click to expand...
It depends where the JFETs are. If they are inside the box, you have a full buffer/preamp. If they are on the foil, maybe under a small case, the box is only a battery adapter, maybe with EQ.

To check that measure the DC voltage at the input of the box from tip to sleeve. If it is (almost) zero you can use the box as a preamp for a passive piezo pickup, but if the voltage is above one volts, there is no JFET in the box so it won’t work as a buffer/preamp without an external JFET.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bassically_eli and Ric Vice
#14
Electret is a kind of condenser where you do not have to supply a voltage for the electrode. But without a preamp (which is part of any condenser microphone following the bare capsule), the (electret) condenser capsule has a very high output impedance. In case if a microphone capsule several hundred MegOhms to one or two GigOhms.

I have no idea if this applies to electret foil too, but the input impedance of such a preamp should at least be high enough for a piezo.
It is easy to lower the impedance by soldering a 5 to 10 MegOhms resistor from hot to shield at the input of the preamp (or into a cable plug).

But I might be wrong with the input impedance since the APTflex was electret foil and didn’t had a preamp.
 
#15
Teijo K. said:
... I play mostly pizzicato, but I do use a bow from time to time. Music is just pop/progressive rock but played with acoustic instruments. ...
Click to expand...

Sorry I didn't catch this earlier...

Most piezo pickups have a hard time balancing tone and volume when moving from pizz to arco (and back). For piezos, arco tends to present with much more power than pizz, and can blow the audience away related to volume and tone, often requiring a change at the pre-amp levels before and after grabbing the bow. Going from pizz to arco and from arco to pizz on stage is complicated enough; it's sort of a pain to have to also adjust your balances at the same time.

While magnetic pickups tend to do very well related to balance, they tend to unfavorably change the tone of arco.

Mics, on the other hand, seem to do a good job of balancing. But mics at high volume tend to have problems with feedback.

If your acoustic sets are at sensitive volumes and you expect to use the bow at all, you may get better results with either a floor-stand mic, a mounted mic, or a mic temporarily stashed under your tailpiece. Aside from getting a good pizz/arco balance, you'll get more accurate double bass tone...

Just a consideration for a quick and easy temporary mic solution... The Sure SM57 wrapped in a handkerchief and stashed under the tailpiece, pointing at the bridge, is the old reliable standard for acoustic bluegrass sets. It's easy, fast, and just about every FOH has SM57s or similar dynamic mics available.

The other consideration I'd suggest, no matter how you collect your double bass sounds, is getting wireless TX/RC dongles for use on stage. They work well with both amps and FOH systems. Stages are typically small and crowded, while double basses are big, in the way and harder to move around than an instrument strapped around your neck, and cables just make everything worse. Wireless makes many things easier with a double bass.

Best wishes with your double bass sets!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Teijo K.
#16
I did a quick and dirty test with a random piezo, and it did work. Kind of. But then my drummer was going to get something from Thomann and I kinda maybe ordered David Gage Life line. Accidentally. Simple passive and sounds good enough. I have an older version of the Fishman pro eq preamp, I should be good to go with those. Simple and passive was really tempting after all the hassle with the B-Band.

31
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ric Vice and Don Hergert

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back