Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Charlotte Henry on February 10, 2012 at 3:25pm

Hey Roger,

I'm new too, but I can give you my opinion.  I'm finishing up my 5th and using a humbucker on it, BUT, I think the piezos sound great, they are cheap and keep things fun.  I like the simplicity of the piezos but there are ways to get creative using them once you have a couple of instruments under your belt.  

Permalink Reply by Tom Caneschi aka cbg tom on February 10, 2012 at 3:53pm

Hi Roger, I recommend u cut your teeth on a piezo and just a vol pot ... then look around at pictures of what others on the nation have done and move on to a magnetic pick up with vol and tone pot on your next build...

Permalink Reply by Jim Olean (JimO) on February 10, 2012 at 5:50pm

Roger, I'm new also but I know that the piezo's are very high end, hot.  I put a piezo in a drum I built and I thought the windows would shatter. Then I set it in a bed of hot meld glue and then incased it in the glue and what a difference. On the CBG I have been using a thick layer of  silicon glue.  

Permalink Reply by steve payne on February 11, 2012 at 1:25am

Hi Roger, i was asking this exact same question a few weeks ago and there is a thread relating to it under my name with some great info and an excellent video by David Loyd in which he does actual sound comparisons between different Pickups which directly influenced my final choice.

All the best Steve Payne.

Permalink Reply by Mark "Fatt Max" Hill on February 20, 2012 at 5:47pm

Hey guys

Ive used a Piezo in my first CBG but I get a really nasty hum. I want to use it live but that isnt looking too good unless I can sort the noise out. Any tips from you fine people?

Permalink Reply by Charlotte Henry on February 20, 2012 at 6:17pm

Are you using a volume pot or are you going straight to the jack?

Permalink Reply by Mark "Fatt Max" Hill on February 20, 2012 at 6:19pm

Straight to the jack for this one

Permalink Reply by Charlotte Henry on February 20, 2012 at 6:30pm

There are only 3 places to look then, the jack, the pickup and the cable. The jack and piezo are cheap to replace, the cable is easy to rule out with another guitar. Are you using two discs or one, or an undersaddle type?

Permalink Reply by Mark "Fatt Max" Hill on February 20, 2012 at 7:03pm

Single disc piezo, the cable is brand new so not sure why. It was my first CBG, the next one will have a volume control which I hear can help with humming sounds. Is it anything to do with grounding? not sure how that works. Thanks for your help so far by the way, appreciated

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on February 20, 2012 at 7:54pm

Mark,

 

Take a lot of pics of the connections, and the guitar, and post them here; makes analysis easier. Often, other people will spot something you (not just you, but me, and everyone else in the personal build hotseat - the general you) would miss.

Some typical to slightly advanced "Help Desk" questions beyond those already asked (Q 1 is really the only appropriate one for your situation; the others are just there for future reference):

1) Are your leads from piezo to jack shielded? Shielding will reduce hum. Right now, you basically have an antenna. Any 60-cycle noise from nearby flourescent lights, computers, TVs or other electronics (even your amp) can induce hum in such a simple circuit. You can do very cheap shielding by just making them a twisted pair. Twist the leads together, like a cable harness, all the way from piezo to jack. Just make sure to connect the "red" and "black" (or "green") leads from the piezo to the appropriate  + / - on your jack.

 

2) Does your git have a metal bridge or tailpiece? Won't matter with your piezo circuit, but if this were a mag pup, you'd have to ground the bridge / tailpiece.

 

3) How is your piezo attached to the box / neck? May not affect the hum, but placing the piezo in a wooden sandwich, either as part of your bridge / saddle combo, or in a bed of hot glue or silicone, as already noted, can reduce unwanted highs and give you a more mellow sound.

Permalink Reply by Mark "Fatt Max" Hill on February 20, 2012 at 9:01pm

Thats a great help mate, I'll twist the leads as you suggest and also silicone the pick up. Thanks mate, really appreciated

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on February 20, 2012 at 9:41pm

Mark,

 

No worries. Post a vid or sound clip of you playing something awesome on it;-). And if my suggestion doesn't work, come back and say that, too. We're all learning here, every day, and need the feedback.

 

So to speak >:-E

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