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Will this piezo-blend-magpup schematic work?

Hello folks,

I found this fantastic site when googling for my new project. After discovering that seasick Steve played on something called a didley bow I realised I had to build me one of those and now that I'm (almost) done with it I really really must build myself a 3- stringer. My D- bow has two strings, my 3-stringer will have... One string at a time. Don't know where I'll end up!

All I need for finishing my first instrument now is electrification ! In this part I need some help. I've made up a schematic with all functions that I want and I've gotten all the parts. The thing is that I'm not much of an electrician. I'm actually not an electrician at all so i did some copying and pasting to achieve this schematic. It's a mixture of symbols and pictures but I hope you'll understand it anyhow. The big question for me is. Will this work? So, please help mee! Take a glance at it and please, please take a look at all the parts of it. For example is the preamp correctly connected?

As a total rookie I have of course many questions. Here are some more...
What capacitor would be appropriate for something like this?
Is it a bad idea to have conducting steel plate as a pick guard? Will I get electrocuted?
I've read about connecting all ground to one spot. Is that necessary or could I just use shielded cable?

Very very thankful for answers.

/Emlas

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Attachments:

schema.pdf, 463 KB

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on February 8, 2012 at 1:02pm

I am no wiring wizard, but Seymour Duncan has a bunch of diagrams on their site.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/

We also have a wiring group here:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/cbgwiringelectronics

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Permalink Reply by Mark Bliss on February 8, 2012 at 4:10pm

As Dan pointed out, you might get more experienced responses by going to the appropriate discussion group.

I am also not a guitar electronics expert by any stretch, but I will give the opinion that yes, you need to avoid ground loop circuits. That is why you dont wire your grounds with multiple routes. Reduces noise and feedback problems.

Grounding the strings via the bridge is considered the standard route to reduce hum. A conductive pick guard needs to be grounded too.

Some people would consider it critical to A: have a grounded outlet to plug your amp into, and B: make sure the ground prong in the outlet is actually grounded. I have been electricuted, but never through a guitar because of a freakishly unlikely short that delivers high current through a guitar chord. But on the other hand I guess I would like to keep it that way. I also dont stand in a thunderstorm in the middle of a field on a hill holding a golf club over my head........ Just a thought.

The preamp wiring needs to be wired per the preamp manufacturers instructions. I dont recognize that part of your diagram, cant tell you anything there.

Most of the people I have talked to advise against mixing pots.

If your circuit works as I suspect it is intended, you may want to know the piezo might not respond to the tone control pot. They just dont work the same as a mag pickup. Unless the tone circuit is part of a piezo preamp.

Thats all I got, and its probably well below the 2c worth line.

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Permalink Reply by emlas on February 8, 2012 at 9:24pm

Thank you guys.

Thank you Mark for your guidance and words on electricution! I guess i´ll have to do some more soldering work for the grounding to avoid the hum then. The tone pot dosn´t necessary have to respond with the piezo but of course it would be nice if it did. Concearning the blend pot... I´ts such a nice thingy if it just would work. Why people don´t lik em I dont know yet but i think I´ll try it out for this project and evaluate it.

Once again, thank you for your advice. I´ll now move this question to the electronics forum.

/Emlas