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Question About Avoiding Piezo Feedback Issues

I am currently building my 1st CBG and am planning to add a piezo pickup. I have read a bunch about piezos feeding back & what can be done to reduce it.

Would it be feasable to use a small circle of Dynamat rubberized audio sound dampening material attached to the back of the piezo, or covering/doming the back side but not touching it?

Seems like this would prevent sound waves from reaching the back side of the piezo which may help reduce feedback...maybe I'm way off base though. My concern is that it may interfere with the effectiveness of the piezo in some way. Any thoughts?

Thanks for your help, Joe

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Permalink Reply by Eric E Smith on June 21, 2013 at 8:55am

It is under the lid off to the side of the neck as it goes through the body.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on June 21, 2013 at 8:59am

Sorry, I misunderstood you. What did you use to glue it to the lid?

Hot glue or epoxy works the best, in my opinion. You have to make sure whatever holds it to the lid transmits the vibrations to the disc.

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Permalink Reply by Eric E Smith on June 21, 2013 at 9:04am

Super glue. Was that a bad idea?

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on June 21, 2013 at 9:06am

Pop it off and try hot glue or epoxy. I think you will find it will work a whole lot better.

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Permalink Reply by Eric E Smith on June 21, 2013 at 6:37pm

Will do.

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Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on June 21, 2013 at 8:29pm

Piezos feed back if too close to the amp speaker - there is an acoustic amp with a built in anti-feedback switch, the Marshall ASD-50D 50 watt combo, but sitting several feet from any ordinary amp and keeping the volume and gain down will cut out the feedback - unless if there when you want it! (-;

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Permalink Reply by Eric E Smith on June 22, 2013 at 1:24am

This feedback isn't quite like if I plugged my acoustic or an ES330 or a Casino into my AC15C1. I get what you are saying, and even have it on a 15 ft. line with me facing away from the amp and me between the amp and the guitar.

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Permalink Reply by Terry Buehner on June 23, 2013 at 9:45am

I normally embed a 27 mm piezo in my bridge under a brass or black threaded bolt without much feedback issues. My last build I tried another disc in parallel and was getting a lot of feedback with it mounted on the box near the sound hole so I moved it to the neck and eliminated most of it, the thing is experiment with the placement. Just tape it in so that you can move it arround, then when you do find a sweet spot glue or silicone it in place. Also the amp is key as well, I use Billy Gibbons theory on larger amps with the CBG using a piezo.............no treble, full bass. Good luck and have fun jammin.