Tapes and Piezo Saddles?

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I'm planning a build with Ghost piezos in the bridge saddles, on a fretless 5er. Just wondering - What's the current TB hive mind thinking on using Tapes with GraphTech Ghost piezeo bridge saddles? Any issues (other than grounding)?

I saw this older thread here: Nylon tapes and piezo bridge the last post of which suggests I should be ok, but has anything changed since then?

 

[johnh89]

I have Roto 88 tapes on my piezo only fretless jazz bass . Cheap no no name piezo bridge with DIY buffer circuit . Works and sounds fantastic . Cant see there being a problem . Go for it .

 

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OK, then there's the "which tapes are best for piezos?" question... so I just ordered some LaBella 760n-b 60-130 strings for it - are the Rotos better?

 

[BlueRock]

Tapes will probably work better with those piezos than they do with some magnetics. Go for it.

 

[BlueRock]

OK, then there's the "which tapes are best for piezos?" question... so I just ordered some LaBella 760n-b 60-130 strings for it - are the Rotos better?

Try them both and report back!

 

[Levent]

I had a boutique with hipshot graphtech and used 3 different tapes on It. LaBella Roto and D'addario, all sounded plastic to me I guess It's just me though. I hear It from other demos with the same piezo too but people in comment section like It so I believe It's just me
What I liked is Richter and K&K . Sounds way more woody and organic to me. My acoustic has the K&K.
RICHTER ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Pure Bass — K&K Sound

 

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I

I had a boutique with hipshot graphtech and used 3 different tapes on It. LaBella Roto and D'addario, all sounded plastic to me I guess It's just me though. I hear It from other demos with the same piezo too but people in comment section like It so I believe It's just me
What I liked is Richter and K&K . Sounds way more woody and organic to me. My acoustic has the K&K.
RICHTER ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Pure Bass — K&K Sound

Interesting - my project is a solidbody electric, so that setup wouldn't work, but K&K does have a good rep in the acoustic world...

 

[Levent]

I

Interesting - my project is a solidbody electric, so that setup wouldn't work, but K&K does have a good rep in the acoustic world...

One solid I liked had ETS Tuning Fork Piezobridge and I believe(edit:sure) Noll buffer
Home
MixPot / noll electronic

 

[scuzzy]

OK, then there's the "which tapes are best for piezos?" question... so I just ordered some LaBella 760n-b 60-130 strings for it - are the Rotos better?

i love black nylon labellas with my piezo equipped basses.

 

[iiipopes]

OK, then there's the "which tapes are best for piezos?" question... so I just ordered some LaBella 760n-b 60-130 strings for it - are the Rotos better?

No. The Roto G string is so tight it hurts. When I tried a set of Roto tapes I actually discarded the G string and replaced it with a La Bella 60. Stay with the La Bella set you ordered. Underneath the tape, a La Bella 60-135 set is similar to a conventional rounds 45-100 (4-string) set so it will have good tone, feel, tension, and downforce onto the piezo to get a good signal.

 

[Relsom]

I wish I'd considered tapes when I had a Godin Acousibass fretless. I love them on my 4003FL, but the Godin had a peizo bridge.

 

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Here's the mock-up of the project it's going on:

 

[MrLenny1]

I alternate between RW's and tape wounds on a 5 string
with Ghost Piezo with no issues.

 

[KenD]

You should have no issues attributable to using tapes. Piezo crystals are excited by mechanical vibration of the strings, not by the vibration of the string inducing a current in a magnet.

 

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You should have no issues attributable to using tapes. Piezo crystals are excited by mechanical vibration of the strings, not by the vibration of the string inducing a current in a magnet.

Sure, I understand the Physics of it - it'll work - but musical sound is a funny thing - what sound aesthetically pleasing isn't necessarily an "optimal solution" when looking at it as a Physics problem.

"In Theory, Theory and Practice are identical. In Practice, however, they are not."

 

[fokof]

Black Labella here too, flat , sounds good here.
Takes a while though...

I'm a 100% roundwound/all the time type of guy on my "normal/magnetic" basses but for that one , it sounds better after a while , with time and lots of sweat. I was disapointed when new.
YMMV

 

[johnh89]

No. The Roto G string is so tight it hurts. When I tried a set of Roto tapes I actually discarded the G string and replaced it with a La Bella 60. Stay with the La Bella set you ordered. Underneath the tape, a La Bella 60-135 set is similar to a conventional rounds 45-100 (4-string) set so it will have good tone, feel, tension, and downforce onto the piezo to get a good signal.

To each their own . I have never found the G string of the Rotos to be a problem . I do have a set of Jamerson Labellas on the Yamaha so I am maybe immune to high tension strings .

 

[KenD]

Sure, I understand the Physics of it - it'll work - but musical sound is a funny thing - what sound aesthetically pleasing isn't necessarily an "optimal solution" when looking at it as a Physics problem.

"In Theory, Theory and Practice are identical. In Practice, however, they are not."

I do not possess the depth of perception to be able to assess your psycho-acoustic response to the magnitude and characteristics of the current created by mechanical titillation of the piezo cyrstals

 

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I do not possess the depth of perception to be able to assess your psycho-acoustic response to the magnitude and characteristics of the current created by mechanical titillation of the piezo cyrstals

Dude, you have a bright future in Marketing.

 

[fokof]

Black Labella sure looks nice me thinks