B- band opinions

[tedmich]

Any opinions on the B Band electret pickup system?

Grizzly has then pretty cheap, including endpin preamp for ~$80

are the under saddle transducers (UST) as thin as the AST 1470 film?

[Plucky]

The UST is thinner than the AST. B-band systems can sound quite good if installed properly. The saddle slot needs to be perfect, though, as does the fit of the saddle. It should be snug. If there is a loud string(e.g. the 'B'), DO NOT scrape away material from the bottom as one would with a Fishman transducer. The string balance can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the saddle in the area under the string. Tighter=quieter, generally, but the results can vary depending on the relationships between the different zones of the saddle. Also, if the transducers that Grizzly are selling are red in color at the saddle end, do not buy them. Those are the older ones, and they will compress and die months later.

[Plucky]

By the way, I find the 2.2 system to be better than just the UST. Also, on many guitars the AST will sound better when applied to the bridge plate behind the pins rather than under the saddle.

[belwar]

I've used B-Band OEM on over 20000 instruments. While the sound is top notch out of the gate, the failure rate is over 50% over a period of a few years.

The problem is that the electret is too thin, and is damaged when soundboard swells or contracts in different climates. The expansion and contraction of the top cause a shearing effect which destroy the material. The Preamps also suffer from ground problems quite regularly and the plastic is quite cheap.

It is among the best of the undersaddle type pickups for a duration of time, but the L.R. Baggs "element" is far superior. I've had virtually no failures of the element in the last 6 years.

If you wanted a B-Band for experimentation, I suggest messing around with the soundboard transducer they have. It's extremely pressure sensitive, and you can get some great results by sandwhiching the material between two plates and placing it against the soundboard. but for regular usuage I would avoid it.

[Plucky]

Matt, I believe you guys discontinued the use of B-band before they improved the UST. Also they are not a practical choice for a factory, due to their finicky nature. They aren't as temperamental as they used to be, but they lost some if their warmth as well...

[belwar]

Matt, I believe you guys discontinued the use of B-band before they improved the UST. Also they are not a practical choice for a factory, due to their finicky nature. They aren't as temperamental as they used to be, but they lost some if their warmth as well...

Interesting how the above is worded :>

[Plucky]

Interesting how the above is worded :>

Yeah, they used to have a lot of bottom-end due to their slightly spongy structure, but that sponginess was the reason they compressed and lost their output. They were also overly sensitive to percussive playing styles, like palm thumping, which made them the wrong choice for some players. The newer ones are more durable and versatile, but at the expense of one of the main reasons I started using them. That said, they are still better than most transducers out there.

As far as the L.R. Baggs Element is concerned, it's very similar to the B-Band. I've had some good success with it. Isn't it basically the same technology wrapped in braided shield? I would use it more if they had a decent soundboard transducer to pair with it.