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  • Hear The Light

    Thought I'd bring this around again - we have some new members who might enjoy seeing this remarkable bass in action (and Bruce's great pix!):



    I was in the music store the other day and had the chance to see a demo of a pretty remarkable product. Not new to the market, but it was the first I’d seen of it.

    It’s called the Lightwave Optical Pickup Bass. Instead of using magnets to pick up the vibration of the strings, the Lightwave uses optical infrared sensors to read the movement of the string, and then transfer that information to the amplifier.

    Controls for the accuracy of the sensors are on a motherboard inside, and it’s there where you have to go to fine tune the alignment when you change strings, gauges, etc.

    He played a black fretted 4-string model, but it comes as fretted 5 as well, and a fretless 4 or fretless 5.

    The sound was very good - totally different to the sound of magnetic pickups (IMO), but it still sounded like a bass. Extremely clean and crisp - no buzz at all. In fact, he said there is no buzzing on this bass.

    He played Smoke on the Water and a softer instrumental piece. Smoke on the Water rattled the rafters and the other piece was soft and relaxing. Ahhhhh.

    With the number of people there, I didn’t get a chance to ask everything I wanted to, so I looked the product up online and came up with plenty of information.


    http://lightwave-systems.com/product/product.html


    Why not let Ed Friedland tell you more?




    This bass starts at approximately $1000.00.

    Would you make the switch?
    Comments 23 Comments
    1. Greg Jewell's Avatar
      Greg Jewell -
      Let's see...off shore manufacturer, an optical system that must be kept clean (dirty light / lens means degradation of perception), technology that may not be settled science as applied to bass guitars...it may need time to prove itself to the industry. But it offers a new and creative approach to traditional pick-up engineering.
    1. Elmeaux's Avatar
      Elmeaux -
      It's not a new thing. Been out since about 2005. I had just never seen it before.

      It's a speciality market, for sure, but it has a pretty impressive following of bassists who use it.
    1. Ditto's Avatar
      Ditto -
      I like that sound.... Would like to hear it through TUBES!

      You think GENZ is paying that guy?
    1. Jauqo III-X's Avatar
      Jauqo III-X -
      I've been playing a 5 string LW on and off since the early 2000's. The bass is definitely not for every one but the bass does sound nice. There can be a slight learning curve in regards to setting up the action and intonation the instrument. The qaulity is very nice and the weight is very comfortable. One of the more interesting aspects of the LW is how much low end one can get from that oddity of a pickup system. And the lows are not muddy at all. Very clean and even.


      The best thing one can do is give a Lightwave bass a spin yourself. You really might be surprised at what you discover.





      Jauqo
    1. TLDTR's Avatar
      TLDTR -
      Hey, Jauqo -

      Good to hear from you. If there's an LW at NAMM in Nashville this summer, I'll give it a try. Hope to see you there!
      David
    1. Jauqo III-X's Avatar
      Jauqo III-X -
      Thank you David. Definitely check one out if you see one at summer NAMM.








      Jauqo
    1. Bruce Alan's Avatar
      Bruce Alan -
      A bit of resurrecting an old thread here, but I was searching the forum for anything on this bass. I think (depending up an answer from the manufacturer about fretless vs freted) I'm pulling the trigger on one tomorrow. Looks like an interesting bass.
    1. Elmeaux's Avatar
      Elmeaux -
      Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Alan View Post
      A bit of resurrecting an old thread here, but I was searching the forum for anything on this bass. I think (depending up an answer from the manufacturer about fretless vs freted) I'm pulling the trigger on one tomorrow. Looks like an interesting bass.

      Jauqo's our expert on the LW. I'm currently doing an interview with him (coming soon). I know he posted a couple of replies to this thread, but if you need any more info, visit his website and maybe drop him a line. He's a kind and generous man. I'm sure he could give you some info that would help in your decision.

      http://www.jauqoiii-x.com/
    1. Bruce Alan's Avatar
      Bruce Alan -
      My biggest concern about the fretless was placement of the side markers. I just got my answer moments ago. I'm not fond of lined fretless fingerboards, which appears to be the majority of their fretless basses. The side markers get put between where frets would be rather than exactly where a fret would be. I had a Rick fretless a couple years ago like that (less the actual lines on the fingerboard) with less than desirable results in my playing. I've since become very used to side markers where a fret would be on my electric upright. I know, I know, just develop a better ear and none of this matters, right?

      If I cannot find an unlined fretless of theirs (because I would simply like a different sound in the arsenal to better justify the purchase), I would not be heartbroken to go with a fretted model. So far the sound on video samples is quite nice.
    1. Bruce Alan's Avatar
      Bruce Alan -
      Ahhhh, the brown truck showed up this evening - finally! I hate ground shipping. So far, it's shaping up to be a rather nice bass. I went with the Saber SL5 fretless mostly because I have to somewhat justify the purchase as something that will add a different tone to the arsenal. It doesn't make too much sense, to me, to add more of the same thing (fretted five stringers). I did not like getting the lined fingerboard, but I think it will do fine in the end. I suppose it'll make me play more on the frets on a fretted bass like our lessons tell us to, eh?

      Cons:
      1. Very light weight - gives an immediate impression of wondering how cheap it is.

      2. Bridges are some kind of plastic or composite - maybe not a con?

      3. Finish has some places where the grain is not well filled and the paint depresses in those lines.

      4. No hard case, but I knew this going in.

      Pros:
      1. TIGHT TIGHT TIGHT tone. Very tight and flexible. Has the ability to pump way too much bottom, so that's good in regards of headroom if the need arises.

      2. Very light weight - if the construction turns out to be solid over time, this will be a bonus.

      3. Neck feels solid.

      4. Customer service with Lightwave is fantastic. They answered many questions prior to the sale, usually in less than an hour after I asked via e-mail.

      Over all, this appears to be a good solid workhorse, time will tell. There's only so much I can do with it this evening by itself. Tomorrow's rehearsal will tell a more complete story. The cons about this so far are probably so insignificant as to not even be an issue. I just need to get time under my belt with it both playing and doing adjustments over time. Tonally, it's so far much less finicky than my Rickenbacker 5 stringer (one of my favorites), which puts it ahead of the pack in getting used.
    1. Elmeaux's Avatar
      Elmeaux -
      Good luck!!! When do we get pix/videos?

      Does she have a name yet?
    1. TobiasMan's Avatar
      TobiasMan -
      Congrats. Nothing like getting a new axe.

      Lightsaber claims the optical pickups bring out the mwah and growl on a fretless. I'd be interested in your take on that.
    1. Bruce Alan's Avatar
      Bruce Alan -
      Pictures soon, Elmeaux! It needs a proper set, not my filthy corner. No name, yet. Although the fact that it's almost black-on-black-on-black-on-black, it may take the place of the black Rick, also known as PFB (Pretty Freakin' Black, not to be confused with None More Black).

      As far as tone, TobiasMan, the "mwah" is definitely very pronounced. Heck, not even plugged in and it wmahs quite loudly. The pickups do accentuate that very well.

      The plastic/composite bridges baffle me. All our bass lives we've been led to think of heavier bridges offering more sustain and string character. Yet, here are these plastic thingies that do not seem to hamper the sound one bit. It has sustain for days on new strings, just as much (possibly more) that any metal bridge I've had.
    1. TobiasMan's Avatar
      TobiasMan -
      Hmmm . . . perhaps the fact that they use optical pickups means that resonance from the body (which is where heavy bridge comes in) is not important.

      Maybe you could put those pickups on a shovel and they'd sound the same

      Sure interested in your longer term feelings about that bass. Does it also have the piezo PUPs at the bridge?
    1. Bruce Alan's Avatar
      Bruce Alan -
      It's supposed to have the piezos in there, but I'm not hearing any difference using the knob that controls those. Either something's not quite right or I'm not yet grasping how it all works.

      Edit - I'm in the process of running the rechargeable battery all the way down so as to fully charge it again. There's the piezo!! When the light system no longer functions doe to lack of power, the piezo is clear as a bell. Maybe the rest of the system simply over powers it. I believe each string's output can be tweaked, so perhaps a better balance can be found. however, I don't play in many situations that would require that kind of high end. I think this beast regularly puts out enough of that to not need the piezo in the first place. Learning.
    1. Bruce Alan's Avatar
      Bruce Alan -
      Photos of this bass, finally:

      Full Body


      Cavity 1


      Cavity 2


      Bridge


      Body 1


      Body 2


      Headstock
    1. Elmeaux's Avatar
      Elmeaux -
      Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Alan View Post
      Photos of this bass, finally:

      Wow! What a beauty!!! What kind of strings?
    1. Bruce Alan's Avatar
      Bruce Alan -
      I think it's a keeper. There are things I would expect to be a bit better for a bass of this price (finish - grain depth shows through in places, one bridge is set a bit wider than the others, truss rod placement is a bit difficult with middle string at full tension, battery rattles a bit in the compartment, but easily overcome).

      But I think the good points far outweigh the moderately annoying points. I do like using brass grommets (right word?) for the cavity plate screws. Those will last without danger of stripping wood in the screw hole one day. The light weight is becoming addictive to me. The neck has a nice flat profile on the back.

      But the kicker is the sound. I finally got flat wounds (Thomastik-Infeld Jazz) on it last night and gigged it. Ohhhhhhh, so sweet sounding! This bass was made for flats as far as I'm concerned. It had tons of the stereotypical fretless sound and the ability to get away from that and be punchy in the band mix by simply playing differently. There is much bass tone in reserves with the tone adjustment. Much more than I would realistically need in most situations.

      Bright, clean, punchy, and growly when need be. It's a keeper!
    1. DONNIE B's Avatar
      DONNIE B -
      congrats BRUSEALAN nice looking bass sounds like you are getting any bugs worked out. thats cool.have fun and enjoy, really nice pass.
    1. TobiasMan's Avatar
      TobiasMan -
      Does it have the open chamber in the body? Couldn't tell from the photos. How much does it weigh?
      Just bought an EUB and am having great fun getting used to a 43" scale, so not in the market for anything different right now, but that is a VERY interesting instrument.
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