Why an optical pickup instead of a trusty old magnetic pickup? It’s the sound, according to LightWave President/founder Christopher Willcox. He cites the negative influence magnetic pickups have on the string vibration and their limited frequency response as factors in obscuring a flat, full response to the strings’ fundamentals and overtones. Willcox says that infrared light provides a more accurate representation of the string’s vibration than magnets, so they can provide a more linear response, with more sustain and an even decay. Plus, since light isn’t susceptible to radio frequency and electromagnetic interference, Lightwave-equipped basses are dead quiet, even at loud volumes.
So, what’s an optical pickup? It’s a completely analog system that shoots an infrared beam across each string, casting a shadow on an array of photodetectors. As soon as the string begins moving, the photodetector’s current modulates based on the shadow’s movement. Since the pickup system is immediately in front of the bridge saddle, where the string moves less, it can be smaller and less intrusive to plucking-hand technique, while still harvesting the necessary information. Since the string’s upper harmonic content is greatest near its endpoints, Willcox says the pickups can provide the maximum amount of overtones in addition to the fundamental.
Since the LightWave system uses rechargeable NiMH batteries, each bass comes with an ac adapter. Having to charge up a bass to play it is a little weird at first, but I quickly got used to it. You can also play while the bass is charging. The battery fully charges in about an hour and is juiced for about 15 hours of playing time. A red LED in the bridge goes dark when you’ve got two hours left. Another LED in the control-cavity coverplate changes to green when the battery is full.
Loud & Clear
Willcox designed the Sabers, which are built using bodies and necks fabricated in South Korea and electronics made in the U.S. and Canada. LightWave assembles them in California. The 4-strings both have slightly chunky C-shaped necks, while the 5-string has a flatter neck profile for easier negotiation of its wider fingerboard. Both were comfortable. Despite the bridge units’ large size, they didn’t hamper my right-hand technique, including palm muting. I did miss having a pickup or thumbrest to anchor my thumb on, though Willcox says this will be an option. The two fretted Sabers had faultless fretwork. The fretless pair arrived with low, buzz-free setups for a speedy feel, but the fretless 5 had noticeable deadspots around the 12th positon. All four basses had slightly loose batteries that jiggled around in the control cavity despite a Velcro attachment to the body. [LightWave responds: “The loose battery problem has been remedied by smoothing the cavity’s finish so the Velcro holds securely.”] The asymmetrical cutaway around the rear strap button tilted the bass to one side when leaned against a cabinet or wall, causing one of the 5-strings to fall over.
In addition to volume, bass, and sweepable mid EQ controls, there’s a “warm/cool” switch. With the switch flicked forward to “warm,” and each knob at its center detent with the EQ flat, the basses sound most like those with magnetic pickups, but with their own voice. The sound was both buoyant and massive, with bountiful frequency response across the low, middle, and high ranges. It was like a cross between the quick-n-thick response of a high-quality piezo bridge pickup and the distinctive, broad-frequency presence of EMG pickups.
Flicking the switch to “cool” engages a preset frequency curve that cuts bass and adds upper mids; creating an effect that LightWave describes as a quick tone change option that’s something like switching from the neck to the bridge pickup on a conventional bass. I found switching from “warm” to “cool” was more like going from “thick” to “thin;” the cool sound got lost with the band, but I could see it being useful for a soloist.
There was an ultra-high fizz present, capturing string and finger noise, that I wished I could dial away with a dedicated treble control. The iceTone, which LightWave intends to function as a treble control, is actually a piezo pickup that can be blended into the optical pickup’s signal, for a crisper top end and percussive attack. It can’t be soloed, so it only adds flavor—and some gain—to the optical tone. Rolling it off didn’t really remove highs like a traditional treble control or passive tone knob. However, it was cool for adding presence that’s most noticeable during hiccupping Jerry Jemmott-inspired 16th-note lines. Even still, I kept trying to find a knob that would help smooth out clicky pick-playing highs or deliver a darker, fluffier tone for a ballad. The mid control came in handy at a rock band rehearsal when the Saber needed a generous mid boost to be heard between the loud guitars and drums. Note-to-note, the basses were exceptionally clear and focused, with a sound that seemed born for chordal or solo work. On the 5’s, the B string’s detail and punch were outstanding, with each low note sounding clear, loud, and full. These basses speak fast, too; each note seemed to spring out of my amp’s speakers.
The LightWaves’ bountiful frequency presence and quick response seemed particularly well suited for the fretless Sabers. They had a more upright-like thrust and bloom, with a quicker decay than their fretted brothers. This translated to a sweet, vocal-like quality that invited nuanced playing.
A chambered body, eyebrow-shaped ƒ-hole, and flame-maple top make the semi-hollow Saber VL the most visually exciting—and expensive—Saber in the lot. If I closed my eyes, I could convince myself that the VL had an ever-so-slightly warmer high end when set flat, but either soloed or with a band, I didn’t hear any airiness around the notes like I’ve heard on other semi-hollow basses. Instead, it sounded basically the same as its solidbody brothers.
It’s All In The Pickups
Since optical pickups rely on vibration rather than magnetism, they could theoretically work with strings of any composition. The manual encourages experimentation, so on the fretted 4 I tried a set of bronze acoustic bass guitar strings—which are non-ferrous and don’t work with conventional magnetic pickups—and La Bella tapewounds. I figured they should sound as different as the tastes of jalapeños and chocolate, but I couldn’t hear much of a difference, even on test recordings. [Lightwave responds: “We have done hundreds of hours of string tests, both objectively with instrumentation and subjectively with our ears. Our results—as well as reports from the many musicians using our instruments—don’t mirror yours. Lightwave pickups are more sensitive to the sonic differences between strings than magnetic pickups.”]
Changing string gauges on the LightWave, which required the included six-piece toolkit, was also a whole new experience, too. In addition to the normal bridge, trussrod, and intonation adjustments you’d want to do with a string change, there’s also an adjustment to the optical pickups. With the LightWaves, the intonation adjustment is particularly tedious, since the entire bridge unit needs to move and the adjusting bolts are located directly under the strings. That means you have to completely slack the string to access and loosen the two Allen bolts, guess how much to nudge the bridge, tighten down, tune up, and pray you got it right so you don’t have to do it again.
Next came the optics adjustments. According to the manual, they can be adjusted two ways: by “listening for a sweet spot” of tone or by using an electronic method using the onboard electronics. The listening method took a lot of trial and error, but I could see that it might get easier over time. On the other hand, the electronic method was frustratingly different from the manual’s instructions. However, it worked well once I figured out which string I was adjusting. I found a third way that was quicker than either and worked as well. Looking into the bridge, I adjusted the infrared elements in-line with the string. Victory!
It’s unlikely that LightWave’s infrared beams will zap magnetic pickups into the background, but by installing their pickups in moderately priced instruments, LightWave is making their technology available to more players willing to try something new. The LightWave Saber SL and VL basses are an interesting step in a new direction and worth checking out, especially if you worship ultra-defined B strings, place a premium on clarity, or crave an expressive, sensitive fretless.
TECH SPECS
Saber SL 4- & 5-strings
Body Alder
Neck Three-piece maple
Fingerboard Rosewood
Scale 34"
Weight 4-string, 7 lbs; 5-string, 7.3 lbs
Pickups LightWave optical, iceTone bridge piezo
Electronics LightWave, with rechargeable NiMH batteries
Controls Volume, bass (±12dB @ 80Hz), midrange (±12dB variable), mid frequency sweep (200Hz–1kHz), iceTone piezo level, warm/cool switch
Hardware GraphTech Monolithic bridge
Nut Plastic
Frets 24 (24 fretlines on fretless)
Finishes UltraBlack, InfraRed, XenonBlue
Saber VL 4-string
Body Chambered ash with flame-maple top
Neck Three-piece maple
Neck joint Bolt-on, asymmetrical
Fingerboard Basswood, fretless
Scale 34"
Weight 6.5 lbs
Pickups LightWave optical, iceTone bridge piezo
Electronics LightWave, with rechargeable NiMH batteries
Controls Volume, bass (±12dB @ 80Hz), midrange (±12dB variable), mid fre- quency sweep (200Hz–1kHz), iceTone piezo level, warm/cool switch
Hardware GraphTech Monolithic bridge
Nut Plastic
Positions 24 fretlines
Finishes Transparent red, transparent amber, transparent natural
Made in Body and neck, Korea; electronics, U.S. and Canada; assembled, U.S.
Warranty Three years limited
SPECS
Saber SL 4-string
List $1,295
Street $995
Pros Full, clear sound; lightweight
Cons Loose battery bumps against body; tough to tame high end
Bottom line A different sound and new technology in a moderately priced package.
Saber SL 5-strings
List $1,395
Street $1,095
Pros Tight, focused B string; full, clear sound; lightweight
Cons Loose battery bumps against body; tough to tame high end
Bottom line One of the tightest-sounding B strings available, packed in an innovative, moderately priced instrument.
Saber VL Fretless 4-string
List $2,195
Street $1,645
Pros Looks cool and so very red; full, clear sound; lightweight
Cons Loose battery bumps against body; tough to tame high end; negligible sound difference over the less costly models
Bottom line The minimal sound difference from the solidbodies makes the Saber VL more of a visual statement.
Contact
800-549-6600
www.lightwave-systems.com