From single-string guitars to optical pickups: the wonders of modern basses

The standard electric bass has four strings, although the five and six strings are fairly easy to locate, and purchasing one with more than six strings is simply a case of paying more for a custom boutique guitar. However, there is an alternate scale to move towards, and you might be surprised to learn that three-string and even two-string instruments are available – and for the final challenge, a single-string electric bass model!

Those who design, manufacture and play electric basses have employed a wide variety of techniques, and many of these techniques have focused on trying to expand the range of notes available, such as being able to provide more than one octave of notes in any single position, or increasing the range of available shades. In addition to reducing the number of strings, different forms of tuning have been explored, including, for example, a tenor bass or a piccolo bass.

Another way the extended octave range has been included has been to increase the number of strings to 12 or even 15. In this way, multiple octaves can be included, with strings paired with those that are one octave above or below. This is the same way that standard 12-string items are used.

In addition to developing alternative ways of enhancing or affecting the voice, tone, and range through the number of strings and the way they are arranged, the pickups also play an important role. Electric basses use two basic types of pickups, although they are always electric. The basic way the standard pickup works is by detecting the small electrical charge generated by the vibrating metal string near the magnet. This electrical signal is fed through an external amplifier and sound is created.

Instead of using these pickups, some models have piezo pickups and work with a more mechanical method. These pickups detect the physical movement of the strings rather than the electrical current that generates the movement. Because it is a non-magnetic pickup, based on physical movement, the tone and sound are quite different, and are said to be more closely compared to the sound produced by an acoustic bass. Again, since no magnetic detection is used, the strings do not have to be steel, or even metal, and both nylon and silicone have been used quite frequently.

A third alternative, although rare, is the optical pickup. In these cases, the LEDs or light-emitting diodes optically track the movement of the strings and then these tones are reproduced electrically. Because no magnets are used and the pickup is purely optical, the hum or hum associated with these types of instruments can be omitted, producing a much clearer and brighter note.

Today, more and more electric bass instruments include built-in electrical circuitry that boosts the signal at the pickup point and also allows for some alteration of the pitch and voice before the signal is sent to the external amplifier, which was previously only included. in the high-end boutique models.