Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Yellowbelly Flatt on May 13, 2013 at 1:45pm

I guess a large one would be fine. I used a small one on a 3/4 size double bass and that sounded great. You could also use an under saddle bass pick up. They work well as well as anything.

The piezo positioning seems to be the important thing so experiment with its location.

Permalink Reply by jamie bark on May 13, 2013 at 3:26pm

I embedded a 20mm in the bridge on one I built. it had a very warm, full sound. The next one I made I used a rod piezo with a bone saddle and it went to a preamp- also sounds good. Both were wired straight to the jack. 

Permalink Reply by Matt scott on May 14, 2013 at 5:12am

I think I would go with a bass pup

Permalink Reply by Ted Crocker on May 14, 2013 at 5:23am

I've done a lot of experiments with piezos as part of developing my line of pickups.  I didn't find any real difference in output based on size, even when cutting a small part of a disk and using it.  Size makes a difference when using it as an output device like a buzzer or speaker.

Permalink Reply by eK on May 14, 2013 at 1:54pm

Agree with the earlier comments about the piezo's size not making much if any audible difference when used as a pickup.

The only real problem IMHO with piezos is that they can sound harsh and/or muddy with low frequencies unless you use an active preamp or buffer with them. But maybe that's just me and my admittedly aging ears.

If you do want to do an active circuit, check out this page for schematics and parts plus a video of one very nice circuit. This one doesn't use an op amp so it has a slightly higher part count than some - but it's still cheap enough to put together. And I think it sounds nicer than your average op amp circuit - but again, maybe that's just me.

Another good sounding non-op amp buffer circuit can be found here.

Permalink Reply by Tony Brown on July 10, 2013 at 9:08pm

Still experimenting with the Piezos.

Sometimes I stick 'em straight to the lid but usually sandwich them in thin Balsa Wood. One I sandwiched in thin 

1/8th inch thick foam.

Building my 1st 3 string Bass at the moment and would welcome advice on Padding and position for the piezo.

Permalink Reply by eK on August 26, 2013 at 7:58am

Somebody here earlier encased them in rubber using one of those dipping solutions you get at a hardware store that are for putting a rubber coating on the handles of hand tools. He said he thought it helped.

As for positioning, it's wholly subjective. The two most useful spots for pickup placement on a bass are in the vicinity of the bridge (try directly under and to the left and right sides with a piezo); and in the "sweet spot" which is somewhere around the midpoint between the 12th fret and the bridge. The actual position depends upon the pickup and strings being used. But there is usually one placement position somewhere close to the midpoint where your instrument will sound noticeably "better." That's your sweet spot.

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Permalink Reply by Ted Crocker on August 26, 2013 at 10:06am

This bass uses one of my Tesla Transducer piezo pickups as the bridge with a brass rod as the saddle.