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Modifying the nut slot on an optical pickup

A

Arr MiHardies

May 11, 2011
131
2
Las Vegas, NV
#1
Anyone Here with a lightwave guitar or other instrument that uses the same optical pickups done any nut slot widening? I recently bought some flatwounds with a .132 gauge b string, but with the string wrapping at the nut, it wouldn't fit. Had to shave the string wrapping off. And now I'd really like to get a set of rotosound Tru bass nylon wrapped strings, but that b is a .135 gauge, which the mfg tells me is closer to .138
So... Anyone widened the nut slot on their lightwave?
 
#2
I've never worked on a Lightwave but I don't see why there would be an issue with widening the nut slots. It appears that all the action with the pickup is in the bridge pieces.

Or do you mean the saddle?
 
#4
The nut is the piece that holds the strings at the headstock. i believe you are talking about the saddle. in which case im not sure you would need to widen it if its v shaped. And i believe every one of those basses have piezo pickups in the saddle so this may not be a good idea.
But do send pics of the saddles as ive never seem them
 
#5
Arr MiHardies said:
Invalid Link Removed

The pickup/ bridge/ nut slot are all part of the same piece, thus my concern in damaging something. These aren't tradition pickups by any means.
Click to expand...

Wow. I've never heard of this before. Looks like fantastic technology. I would be concerned about causing damage, too. But, that's just a generic concern, I can't think of anything specific to warn you about.

I do have a question, though. If the vibration of the strings is picked up by light, doesn't that negate a lot of the properties of the strings? If two sets of strings have the same relative stiffness, wouldn't they sound identical on this bass, whereas on a more traditional bass they would not? I guess my point is, how much do the properties of the string matter?

I hope I'm not derailing your thread. I'm going to read more about this, it looks like very cool stuff.
 
#9
OmnitzGarima said:
Wow. I've never heard of this before. Looks like fantastic technology. I would be concerned about causing damage, too. But, that's just a generic concern, I can't think of anything specific to warn you about.

I do have a question, though. If the vibration of the strings is picked up by light, doesn't that negate a lot of the properties of the strings? If two sets of strings have the same relative stiffness, wouldn't they sound identical on this bass, whereas on a more traditional bass they would not? I guess my point is, how much do the properties of the string matter?

I hope I'm not derailing your thread. I'm going to read more about this, it looks like very cool stuff.
Click to expand...

There is a bit of a give and take. It negates any -magnetic- properties of the string. I don't even have to use metal strings if I don't want to. I could use cat gut, or even a sufficiently taut rubber band. Stiffness isn't so much of an issue as each different material will vibrate in different ways, so the is still a noticeable difference in different types of string. On the flip side, since I have no magnetic pickups pulling on the strings, sustains are LONG with a linear decay instead of a sharp drop off. I have the chambered model of the bass and the tone of the thing is incredible. Admittedly, I haven't played a lot of basses, but i do have a pretty good ear, and I honestly think this is probably the best sounding bass I've ever heard. Has a very clean, upright and acoustic sound to it. Turn up the gain a bit too much and you'll get a slight phase sound, like it's going through a phase processor, but since the pickups are active, you don't have to turn it up very far to begin with.

It is a clean, and elegant looking bass, appealing to the artist in me, has a great sound, appealing to the bassist in me, and the optical pickups appeal to the geek in me.
 
#10
There is slotted brass saddle for adjusting the string height, built into the bridge. There is witness spot ridge for setting the intonation. You can open up the sides with some jewerlers file, to accept the larger string gauge (North and South in pic). You may have to touchup the ridge after filling the width.

I have a Saber 4 string that I really like. Have Chromes on it now, but looking at some black nylons soon to get more of an upright sound.


IMG_3607.jpg
 

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