Comment

Comment by Brian on June 3, 2009 at 7:53pm

Also, If you want to isolate the "jack" from the metal body..
I would use a couple of fibre washers (red automotive ones)
between the inside and outside of the body when you mount the jack.
You can get them from supercheap etc. get ones as tight a fit over the thread as possible.
I know that these are used on the magneto on my bike for insulation in a similar use.

Comment by Will Carter on June 3, 2009 at 12:55pm

Hi Brian,

Ok, This is what I do. Wire it up and test it by carefully plugging it in and gently tapping the piezo in the little plastic case, if you can hear it all good.

1 If you place the piezo on the back of the neck inside the box when it is played you will have a tendancy to hear your left hand moving up and down the neck as the pickup is functioning normally. If there is space you could wedge it in under where the bridge is, I make a recess for the whole piezo so that it can be glued flush with the led. This seems to be the best of both worlds as there is no danger of breaking the little disc inside and the plastic I think actually protects the piezo. insulating the piezo with rubber of wood id good to reduce the sound from the piezo. What ever is ok. Mounting the piezo on the lid or body will muffle the sound with contact from your body.
Good luck mate

Comment by Jawbone on June 2, 2009 at 8:47pm

1. yes
2. yes
3. yes
All the assumptions you have listed are fine. The thing is to try things out. Testing stuff is the best excuse to make more cbg's. I'd made about 10-15 before I came up with my preferred setup lol
The thing is that there are no wrong answers or wrong ways of doing things. One tip though, test the electrics before locking down the box.

Comment by Brian Lemin on June 2, 2009 at 8:38pm

Here are series of assumptions and alternatives I am making having looked at many photos and read many posts. I want a simple set up please.

Piezo things. Am I correct in saying is that all I need is a wired piezo connected to a 1/4 inch audio (mono) jack? I say this because I have often seen quite a lot of wires inside the box.

It seems to be recommended that I take the plastic off the wired disk (Pretty well everybody says this so that is what I have done).
then.... either.....

!. Wedge the disk between the soundboard and the fretboard (inside the box)
or
2. Sandwich the piezo between thin wood/mouse mat material etc.
then
3. Glue this "sandwich" somewhere were the vibrations can be well picked up. (Should it be glued or taped or another thing to attach it)

Which of the above may be the best?

The inside position seems to be either:
1. Under or very close to the bridge on the sound board.
2. Random on the sound board.
3. Random on the bottom of the box
4. Any other place you might recommend ?

Which of the above may be the best?

To reduce the complexity of answers that may come this is what I would like to do unless you guys advise me otherwise.

1. Just connect the two piezo wires to the audio jack.
2. Sandwich the piezo disk between two thin pieces of wood
3. Glue (that seems very permanent but seems the best!) To a position under the bridge.

PS Got to testing the Champ and it did not work! I had got the two resistors mixed up. Swapped them to their rightful place and it works.
Still puzzling the earphone jack installation.

Comment by Jawbone on June 2, 2009 at 6:36pm

Hey Guys, Re "pre amp kit" I bought it, wasn't good for much lol now I just use champs. I even have one that I wired to an old speaker (in a box) from the 70's and it sounds great. Re the jacks,I buy mono ones, they only have 2 lugs (jaycar has'em) Re Piezos, I've found it better if you remove them from the plastic. You can insulate them by either wedging them between the neck and the soundboard (I do this) or between two bits of mouse pad material.Re frets, I used to use toothpicks (you'd be surprised) but now I use split pins cut in half and attached with supaglue. Feel free to ask me any ol' thing....Ray

Comment by Brian Lemin on June 2, 2009 at 4:38pm

OK. I have built the Champ! (Weeellll I did have a "bit" of help). I photographed the process.... would it be of value to create a PDF of the process. The issue of Plus and Minus was solved by the fact that the long wire is a Plus. I never thought i would learn things like that after taking up CBGs!

BTW Of course it is not tested yet! Give me a day or so and I hope to have the first CBG up and running. (Fretless and amplified) Acoustic will be next then i hope a resonator. I am just thinking i might as well fret it. Why am I in such a hurry?

I am having trouble wiring up an earphone jack. The jack has three tabs. Of course it switches off the speaker when the jack goes in. Can anyone offer me help like 1 . Which tabs and 2. do I cut into the speaker wire somewhere to connect it up?

My cigar boxes came. Three are OK for bodies the other three will be amp boxes or Ukes or something.

Comment by Brian Lemin on June 2, 2009 at 2:01am

Thanks. I will let you know how i go!

Comment by Brian on June 2, 2009 at 1:38am

Re: the "+" "-" thats mainly the capacitors, the white stripe on the side will tell you what that side leg is ( normally " -") from memory.

Re: the buzzer.... a buzzer and a transducer look the same, thats why its important to get the right one to start with. Although Ive messed with guitar electronics before, up until finding this hobby, Ive never heard of these transducers. So I cant get all scientific about how they work just yet. All thats important is that it should work ;) I think the "pulling it apart" bit is to get better "contact" with the "soundboard" ( read top surface of the guitar) i.e. sound...

Comment by Brian Lemin on June 1, 2009 at 11:02pm

I forgot to mention that there was a "pre amplifier" kit to go with the CHAMP but I did not get it. I presume that is all about greater gain?

Comment by Brian Lemin on June 1, 2009 at 10:57pm

Got Both the CHAMP AMP and the Jaycar Piezo (AB3440) today.
I have managed to "dry fit" all the amp bits. But got stuck finding out what was + and - ive. (The kit has warnings about it) Solder tomorrow all being well after desperate phone calls to all who know about these things! (Son)

Re the Piezo. It calls it a "buzzer" do i have to modify it to make it a "non" buzzer? Is that what all the talk is about taking it apart.

I also went to a back yard shed guitar repairer for fret wire (the music shops did not carry it!) It was an Alladins cave of goodies. I bought the fret wire and he gave me an old neck; a 6 string "Torch Vintage". Whatever that is/was! I figure a few minutes on the belt sander will give me a four string neck..... I am not into 6 strings because of my gammy middle finger on right hand.

Which reminds me. He gave me a "left handed nut" made out of really hard composite stuff (New from China, they sent it to him for an evaluation) I will play with it.

Local guys will be interested that he is near Wyong (Central Coast) Ring before you go as he is not always there. Guitar Hospital. Warren Adams. 0416348595 or 02 43521359

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