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Double Bass Realist worn out?

Wxp4759cb

Wxp4759cb

Nov 23, 2000
1,025
132
42
Columbia, MO
#1
I have had a realist on my (carved) upright for over a decade. Lately, I haven't been getting very much high mids or highs out of it. I remember when I first got it that it was relatively bassy as well, and I haven't noticed a sudden change. I'm just wandering if it is common to degrade over time and if I should look into getting a new one. I don't really have an easy way to compare it to a new one since I would have to have a shop put the new one on. Any input is appreciated.

Edit: Also to clarify, I had tried other pickups prior to the Realist, and thought the Realist sounded good when I first got it compared to the others. Its just so long ago I cant tell if it has changed or my ears have changed.
 
#2
I haven't experienced it myself, but most folks say piezo transducers do eventually wear out. They are relatively fragile; part of it is the constant pressure that they are under, part of it is the constant vibration that they sustain.

I carry an exact backup of my pickup model, just to be safe. I hope to never need it, but it's there for when I do.

You might consider installing a replacement, and if it makes no difference in sound, you have a backup for when you do need it.
 
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#4
Sam Findlay from gage posted this to Talkbass several years ago.

"It has been a long time since I’ve searched the buzz on TalkBass, so please excuse our delay in responding to your questions.

First, we’d like to make clear that the vast majority of our clientele DO NOT experience a drop-off in sound or response from The Realist. That being said, we do recognize that The Realist, after 5 or so years, will start to degrade gradually. As some of you have said, the pressure applied by the bridge feet is substantial and over time, it can take its toll on piezo ceramic elements. We have also decided, however, that the realistic sound the pick-up produces is a result of the unique combination of piezo size, quality, and the specific stimulation the element is afforded because of its placement under the bridge foot. –For us (and most of our customers, it seems,) the sound The Realist has become famous for is more important than durability beyond 5 years.

Why does it drop-off or degrade? Most of the evidence we’ve gathered is simple and empirical. It seems that certain bridges wear the element more intensely than others. We suspect that taller bridges, bridges that press with greater force against the top, wear the elements at a greater rate. Beyond that, we are not sure what the exact cause of the increased wear is, so we asked a couple of experts.

Rich Brooks, a piezo engineer at the American Piezo Coorporation, says, “there is a logarithmic deterioration or amelioration of a piezo’s properties over time.” Mr. Brooks says that there are many different reasons for this. He says, “[Deterioration] will be mitigated by the effects of temperature, other materials and mechanical interface.” He agreed with what we had hypothesized and didn’t see any way of avoiding the drop-off without substantially changing the element, an action that would alter the output and clearly diminish the true value of the pick-up."
 
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#5
Thank you for all the replies! Sounds like I should look into getting it replaced next time I'm near the shop. Might be a few weeks, but Ill report back if I notice a change in case anyone else has the same dilemma. I'll try to do a before and after recording to post.

Thanks!
Chris
 
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#8
A piezo foil bridge foot pickup like the Shadow SH-965NFX might be worth a try. You get two fouls, but it works also with only one connected, so you have a spare one then and the impedance buffer is included as well as a volume control too. The tone pot is useless, set it bright.
But the key is that there are no ceramics but a synthetic material for the piezo. Synthetics do age too, but you might get a few more years out of them.

Just unplug the cable from the battery adapter after playing, this is the power switch for the buffer. And carry a few spare batteries with you.
 
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#9
Sean Riddle said:
5-10 years seems like the common life span of a Realist, which is honestly such a great deal in the end for such a nice piezo.
Click to expand...

I used the Realist for around 10 years and was never really totally satisfied with the sound. It was a great impovement over pickups that preceed it, with regards to arco passages, but

apparently on my bass there is a great deal of pressure exerted on the Realists element by the bridge, so mine would fail right around the 5 year mark. After going througn my third Realist

I switched to a Ehrlund EAP and still have that pickup on my bass 11 years later. It seems that anything you do on my 5/8 th's Mirecourt bass, that interferes with vibration of the strings, bridge, bass bar and soundpost

chokes off the sound. I really think the EAP is amazing, but unfortunately it's hit and miss depending on the bass and how the EAP senses the top. Some claim that it's a "boxy" sounding pickup, with my bass

I have never found that to be the case.
 
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