I hope this isn't too off topic for this forum. I am a dulcimer builder and have a small business selling my instruments. I have built and sold a fairly large number of acoustic instruments including various guitar and dulcimer variants.
I have a customer who has been after me to build her a three string electric solid body dulcimer and I finally relented and said I would give it a go. I started to build a prototype. So far it is just a body, and I need to figure out the electrics before going too much further.
I was kind of overwhelmed when I start reading about electrifying an instrument. Can someone point me to which type of setup makes sense for this? Suggested reading? Specific suggestions?
I was wondering if it made more sense to go with a piezo rod under the bridge or a three pole (CB Gitty Electric Delta?).
I am not afraid to solder, but would like to keep this simple for the prototype at least.
Replies
You may have seen this already, but CB Gitty has a (new?) ad here on CBN for rods specifically built for CBGs. I would guess they'd work well for this application...
http://www.cbgitty.com/cigar-box-guitar-parts/1pc-3-string-rod-piez...
Looks like a good deal. The spacing on the wafers is wider than my string spacing typically is. How sensitive are they to the string being off center on the wafer? Are there piezo rods with narrower spacing?
On a solid body, how much different would the sound be as compared to a magnetic pick up? As mentioned above the magnetic pick up on my prototype has a very electric guitar like sound, nothing like a dulcimer. I guess that makes sense since acoustics don't come into play. It is a nice clear clean sound, just not dulcimer like.
FWIW, the customer has been playing her Risa solid body uke (bridge piezo) with no preamp and ear buds plugged into a cheap mini amp (Joyo). She seems happy with it, but wants a dulcimer with a similar setup.
Don't hold me to be an authority Pete,but my opinion is that the rods pick up both the accoustic properties of the soundboard,plus the string effect directly,i can't fully detail my thoughts as i'd like,but a rod,suitably amplified, gives a pretty good amplification of accoustic sound,personally i would not be in a hurry to use a rod on a solid,but it may just be the sound you want
That makes sense to me, but it probably doesn't help with making a solid body sound like an acoustic dulcimer. I fear that it just isn't going to happen.
I bet someone who knew what they were doing could design and amp that did the trick, but the demand would be nil.
I'd like to be wrong on all of that.
Adding piezo discs and/or a rod under the bridge of an acoustic instrument does the trick well on the ones I have heard, but my customer wants a quiet practice instrument.
I am starting to think that she may be happy with what I did on the prototype, since her Risa solid body uke probably sounds like a guitar too. Maybe I'll ship the prototype to her to try before I commit to building her custom job in nicer materials.
To make a solid sound like an accoustic,especially commercially,sounds like a lot of trial and error,and maybe even unobtainable,I've read your reasons and purpose,but i think it may be a bridge too far,but may be a simple amp modelling app or program can give her both worlds,no help i know,but following with interest
I am starting to think that I may just have to accept that while a pleasant instrument and fun to play, it isn't going to sound anything like an acoustic dulcimer. My customer may be OK with that. It doesn't really inspire me to make more solid body dulcimers though. I can see myself offering piezo pick ups as an option on my acoustic ones.
I am still open to suggestions, but am kind of resigned that it is what it is.
I may offer to ship the prototype to my customer to try before committing to the custom job in fancier wood that she wants.
Initially I was playing only one string since I was waiting for geared tuners to arrive, so after finishing stringing it and then tinkering a bit I am feeling a little better about how it sounds. I had to laugh about how it sounds if the amp is set to metal and the distortion is cranked up, but in clean mode it sounds pretty good. No one is going to mistake it for an acoustic dulcimer, but I find the sound acceptable.
Here's how I did mine, it's about 10 years old and made from recycled materials. The pickup is a Tele style neck pickup with volume and tone controls. The bridge is a piece of bent brass with Strat bridge saddles. My bridge is a string-through but they now make 3 string hardtail top-loading CBG bridges that you can get from C.B. Gitty and eBay.
If she's asked for a solid body electric, then presumably she'll be expecting an electric pickup, not a piezo. If someone asks me to build a solid body electric instrument, one of the first things I discuss is what type of pickup they want - single coil, humbucker etc. Talk to your customer, ask her what she wants.
I exchanged a few emails and she really doesn't seem to know what she wants. I think the main reason for the solid body is that she is shy about playing around other people, so she plays with earbuds.
Any way, I ordered a 3 pole single coil pickup to play with on the first prototype.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next