#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

More twang and vibration

No fret touching, slight V grooves in nut, no grooves on bridge

Trying to uncover more twang on another build, Can I have too much touching inside? Box lid is tight and solid but I question if the piezo disc covered in glue is too tight against the neck through? Should their be a slight gap between neck and where piezo disc sits? I rounded an area out but may not be deep enough

thanks

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kirk on June 7, 2018 at 7:54am

I don't create a gap, personally. Check out Del Pucket's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU5z9sSAIPk

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on June 10, 2018 at 12:07pm

Hi Brent, It's very hard to pin point a problem without having the instrument on the bench, or even seeing a photo of it.

Vibration sounds either jump out at you when you start looking or can be very subtle and frustrating to locate. It's normally a process of elimination. Pluck a string then think what is moving now, it could be tuners, string contact points, the top, back, tailpiece, bad seated bridge, loose wires in the box. Now pay attention to each area touching and probing to try to stop the noise. If it stops, you found it, if not keep looking.

Twang? I'm afraid that does not conjure up a sound in my mind. It is possible linked to string movement. Are you hearing the twang? as a string sound or something from inside the box, Is it when plugged in or acoustic. If you have the neck "stick' too close or touching the top this will cause problems, as well as dampen top movement, this may cause an unwanted tone as the top is not free to do its job, that's to vibrate.

As far as disc piezo's go they are my pickup of choice for the full size guitars I build and many of my customers request them. I find that they reproduce the sound of an acoustic instrument more faithfully than a stick/strip under-saddle piezo. Having said that they both have their own need for careful placement and installation.

The disc's I place in my guitars are, far more expensive than what we use in our CBG's, so I'm thinking the quality of the piezo [or lack of it] is contributing to the problems I see CBG builders going to great lengths to overcome.

I use three small disc piezo sensor's all placed under the bridge inside the guitar, and a pre amp.

I have had no reports of excessive "body" noise, but feed back can happen at high volumes. But one does not get the "Quacky" sound associated with the strip versions.

Good Luck,Taff

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on June 10, 2018 at 12:57pm

how is your bridge? Someone brought a build to one of our St Louis CBG clubs meetings. It almost sounded like a sitar with the amount of extra twang and overtones it was getting. it was his bridge. The strings were lightly touching the wood as they vibrated. If your bridge is fat try narrowing it on the neck side. See if that helps.