Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Since one was just sold over at the For Sale thread, I have one of my (usual) dumb questions.

What is the difference in the sound between having and not having the Piezo PUPs?

I will assume the PZ-less model does not have active electronics and doesn't need a battery.
And it doesn't have that acoustic sound?
Does it have a humbucking sound?
Thanks!

It definitely has a humbucking sound, but it's not as night & day as say, a Strat vs. Les Paul.

Hi, Mark. Not dumb questions at all. The "regular" 380L's do not have active electronics of any sort and no battery is required. I understand that they're wired just like a 360 equipped with HB's. This would give you a lot of control over the sound of the HB's, which can get close to a "hi-fi" jangle. 380L's do not have that 380L PZ "acoustic sound" except, of course, when they're not plugged in. Sorry. Bad joke.

The piezo has a very bright, almost ice-pick like quality to it. It sounds pretty good on its own, but it really shines when it's used in conjunction with the HB's. I ended up having the phase switched on mine because I tend to run the blended signal into a single amp. It just sounds a bit better to my ears, a bit closer to the sound of the HB's but still distinct. When run through separate amps, the stock set-up sounds better IMO.

I agree with Jdog about the 380L PZ not going from Strat to LP, but it definitely can go from Tele to LP (at least through my amps). But it also sounds a lot like a Rickenbacker (go figure). My 380L PZ is what I turn to when I want big time "chunk" (usually with the piezo turned all the way down) but I also use it for fingerstyle accompaniment and for recording solos on quieter, introspective stuff. It can really shimmer.

Thanks John.
I also guess I wasn't very clear.
I already own a 380L PZ. I was interested to find out how different the NON PZ sounded.
Funny that you turn the piezo all the way down.
Thanks again.