Gruuve Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Hey folks...hope y'all are doing well! I was playing my Steinberger Synapse fretless last night, and decided to slap on it a bit (I make it a rule not to slap on a fretless because of the fingerboard damage it will do, but once ain't gonna hurt). Not very impressive panned to the magnetic pup...however, panned to the piezo bridge or somewhere in between...wow! Lots of punchy lows, lots of sheenful highs...I didn't even need to move the EQ knobs from flat to get what I felt like was a great slap tone. Even with older strings, the piezo bridge makes the strings sound "new". Excellent transients as well (part responsibility of the graphite neck and phenolic fingerboard...part responsiblity of the piezo bridge). Like I said...wow! I don't recall the piezo bridge on a Carvin bass that I had previously sounding this way at all (the piezo setup on the Carvin was pretty lame in my opinion)...but I'm impressed with what is on the Steinberger (which is all EMG, if I'm not mistaken). The thought has crossed my mind of snagging a fretted Steinberger Synapse, but we'll see what can be had at a decent price. I totally love the "graphite grittiness" of the fretless synapse...based on sound samples I've heard, the fretted version seems to share that grittiness characteristic. Although I've never been a fan of the visual appeal of the body style on these, I have to admit...headless and the small body sure do make for a small, comfortable, portable, lightweight, and well-balanced bass, and doesn't sacrifice great tone to do so. (Although, my one beef is that you just can't get a nasally compressed bridge tone out of these guys...it just ain't in there since there's no bridge pickup. However, everything else is so good, I don't miss it that much on the fretless...not sure if I would or not on a fretted.) Anyway...just curious if other folks have found piezo bridge systems that give a killer slap tone, and what those piezo systems were and/or what basses they were on. Cheers! Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Jeez, if you wanna slap that bad boy, then slap it. Don't worry about the fingerboard damage. Remember, it's a tool. Slap as necessary -- i.e., as dictated by the music. If it works, do it. You'd need to do a whole lotta slappin' to create damage quickly enough that you'd actually need to take steps to address it. Phenolic fingerboards are tough. As for your question, I've had a contrary experience with a Carvin piezo system and slapping. A friend with an Overwater bass gets some nice slap tone using the piezo system on that bass. I don't know the make of the system. Peace. --SW PS: The body size/shape on the Synapse is not ideal for seated playing, though, even with that fold down arm thingie. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Yeah, I've heard mixed reviews on the Carvin piezo...perhaps they tried a couple different vendors before they found the "right one" or something, I dunno. The Steinberger's have it right, IMHO. I wasn't thrilled at all with that Carvin bass anyway...after I sold it, the buyer realized that Carvin had put a 35" scale lined fretless fingerboard on a 34" scale bass. And there I was thinking "man, my intonation must be aweful judging from the fret lines!" (Luckily, they replaced the lined fingerboard for free for him...LOL.) And also agreed...even with the "leg" on the Synapse down, it's still not stable to play sitting down. (I rarely sit down to play though...the closest I get is the edge of my butt on a tall stool with one leg on the floor.) They'd have done better to put a built in guitar stand on the Synapse instead of a "leg". (Paul K, if you happen to read this...how are you liking your Synapse these days?) Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I can't slap to save my life and haven't played many piezo systems, I can't offer too much. It strikes me (get it?) that slap and piezo should go together like a mic and vocal pops. You are in effect banging on the transducer. And since those systems seem to pick up the highs, I'd expect pops to be very bright. Maybe I'm wrong about all of that (and I look forward to seeing what others say). I do agree that a phenolic board should take lots of abuse, so don't hold back! Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Piezos use physical vibrations to expand and compress the diaphragm so every bump and jostle of the instrument will be picked up...not just the movement of the string as with magnetic pickups. In that respect I'd think Tom's comparison to a vocal mic would hold true. I'd guess that piezos would allow a more percussive sound when played aggressively. That said, a piezo system is only as good as the components and design of the buffer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danzilla Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I'd just like to add that I have nothing to say on this matter. Except... Hi, Dave! Welcome back! Stick around for a while. "Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion) NEW band Old band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Hey Dan...I will try. It's a been a tough beginning to a year (marriage separation, unemployment, etc.) but I'm digging myself out of my various holes. Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Tempting but . . . . "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Okay, moot, I'll go there... ...but I'm digging myself out of my various holes. And once again folks, I give you... ...the man with his head up his @$$! Peace. --s-uu spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 A piezo bridge may help you with your slap sound, but as far as I can tell, very few of the people who are known for slapping are using one. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Well you got me curious so I grabbed the only bass I had with a piezo pickup which is my ABG and tried some of my meager at best slapping skills on it. Yes it's very much like mic pops and pretty responsive. My string action is a bit too high to really get anything going but it does lend itself to interresting possibilities. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Okay, moot, I'll go there... ...but I'm digging myself out of my various holes. And once again folks, I give you... ...the man with his head up his @$$! Peace. --s-uu I figured if I left the door open, Sweet Willie would walk through it. I wasn't laughing a couple months ago...but, freedom definitely has it's advantages. Cheers, Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky P Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 A piezo bridge may help you with your slap sound, but as far as I can tell, very few of the people who are known for slapping are using one. But there are a handfull of people known for slapping who use a graphite/carbon neck. :confused:I dig the slaping with a garphite neck sound I've heard. "there ain't no faux mojo" jcadmus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I'd like to try slapping on a bass with a stainless steel fingerboard. I'll put one on my "lottery list." Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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