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Piezo Pick-Up Question! :)

Hi again!

ALMOST done with my first build- SO FAR so good for the most part! :)

Question regarding piezos- at SOME point, I remember seeing something in a video about this- vaguely remember it- and now can not find the video and wonder if I'm just losing it or dreamt it or something!

So the volume knob thingy (yeah, very girly of me I know) lol I have it coming out of the lid of my cigar box- it however, doesn't sit quite right, and the threads are BARELY above the hole- NOW, what I REMEMBER seeing in a video, was a guy explaining that if you wanted it to sit more flush- you could totally cut down that little bit of medal sticking up as a post.... (see below please!)

See that tiny bit of metal sticking up to the left of the knob? That's the thing I want to cut down if possible!

Is that OK to do? Or? :)

THANK YOU MUCH FOR ANY AND ALL ADVICE! :)

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Permalink Reply by JL on November 16, 2016 at 2:15am

when you set the frets, did you measure from the edge of the nut slot, or the center of the bolt you are using as a nut?

and I agree with Wayfinder and Darryl, the bolt looks too tall to play fretted

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Permalink Reply by Rosanne Reynolds on November 16, 2016 at 5:41am

It came pre-fetted.... if I had the pre-marked spot for the bridge sticking out of the end of the box, several frets would be IN the box- so I just kept the exact spot marked on the box itself for where the bridge needs to be... and did the frets starting where they do on a couple acoustic guitars I had.

So I SHOULD just be able to make my notch for the bolt near the tuners deeper, so less of the bolt sticks out of it- correct?

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on November 16, 2016 at 12:14pm

It looks like you can lift the rear about a 1/4" inch by those pics, if you can lift it a little more, and lift the front by about 1/2 as much you should be ok, the neck angle will allow a higher bridge, i'd also suggest cutting a little off the tail length as it will improve your string break angle at the bridge

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Permalink Reply by JL on November 17, 2016 at 3:00am

pre-fretted: I'll guess the edge of the nut slot to the 12th fret and 12th fret to the 'indicated' bridge position are the same, meaning it was intended for a standard nut blank, not a bolt. The string contact point across the nut will need to be at the edge of the nut slot. The string contact point with the bolt is too far back, the intonation will never dial in.

your favorite hardware/craft store will have some square 1/4x1/4 or so hardwood sticks you can quickly and easily make a nut from. or get fancy and grab a hard plastic cutting board from a thrift store and cut a nut out of that.

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Permalink Reply by Rosanne Reynolds on November 18, 2016 at 5:54am

Ok now I'm panicking!!!

I measured though- and it isn't the same both ways at all? I'm freaking out now so I measured it all:

Length of neck all together is about 35 1/2"

From the marked spot for the bridge/bolt to the 12 fret down is 17 1/4" - then from the 12th fret up to the spot marked for the nut is about 12 1/2"

HELP! lol Now I'm super worried.

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Permalink Reply by Fomhorach on November 14, 2016 at 12:17pm

I used to break it off. It works fine as long as it never comes loose. If it ever does and you can't hold the pot from both sides, when you tighten the pot from the front you risk twisting the wires inside the guitar.

It's not hard to make a little indentation/hole to fit the tab into. If the pot ever comes loose, it can be tightened from the front without spinning and twisting the wires inside the guitar.

First guitar? Break the tab, just build something that plays. Next time, have a think about it and use it. It's there for a reason, now you know what it is.

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Permalink Reply by Shawn on November 14, 2016 at 4:21pm

I just use some wire cutter and snip it off leaving a small sharp nub so it acts like a nail and pushes into the lid this helps it not move( rotate when turned). To tame the piezo solder a .022 capacitor across the + and - of the output jack as CB Gitty shows in a video on here. I hope this helps

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Permalink Reply by Shawn on November 14, 2016 at 4:44pm

No problem Wayfinder we are all here to help each other to grow in out skills.

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Permalink Reply by Rosanne Reynolds on November 15, 2016 at 4:42pm

Thank you :) I feel better now! LOL This has been an adventure for sure- every time I have to go to the hardware store especially- I know what it is that I want, but not what anything is technically called! However, the combination of dramatic hand signals, charades and sound effects seems to get me what I need from the hardware store usually LOL on here I can't be quite so elaborate ;)

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Permalink Reply by JL on November 15, 2016 at 2:38am

I buy the volume knob thingys that don't have that anti-spin prong, and have never had a problem with them spinning. just cinching that nut down firm but not crushing works for me.