I'm in the planning stages of my next build and was thinking about trying a Piezo Rod for a pickup.
After reading here and else where, it seems like most people using them are locating them under the bridge itself. I was wondering if anyone has had any luck sealing them (encapsulating in silicone or hot glue) in a metal enclosure and locating it in the box ahead of the bridge?
The enclosure would sit down into a hole cut into the box and make solid contact with the thru neck below. I have a small tin metal enclosure that I think would work well for this but not sure if it would be an exercise in futility or not.
Anyone with past experience trying something like this or even opinions on the subject would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Ron
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Its probably more important for the piezo to contact the lid (resonator) than the neck. I'm sure there are countless ways of doing this, but what I do is cut a groove in the top of the bridge about an 1/8th-inch wide and deep enough that only about 1/16th-inch (or thereabouts) remains where the bridge contacts the lid. I just widen the groove a bit on top, insert the rod piezo and stack a saddle (bolt, bone, whatever) on top of the piezo, as long as it's a tight fit, you don't even need to glue it. Just make sure the saddle is making contact with the little bumpy elements on the rod. Like I said, this is just one way to do it, but it works well for me.
As far as mounting inside the box.. those piezo rods need to be pressed pretty tightly against something in order to pick up the vibration, so I wouldn't recommend encapsulating it in silicone or glue. You might try attaching it (clamping, really) between the box top and a strip of wood from the underside, you'll want a tight fit, with the elements pressed evenly against the underside of the box top.
I used this method on my Chateau Real CBG, it worked quite nicely.
Hey, thanks for that info. It makes sense to me and I'm tracking now on how this pickup works or how it best wants to work.
I'm trying to make this function like a magnetic pickup and it sounds like that's not going to happen. Very well anyway ;)
I too will be mounting a rod piezo for my brothers Bday gift. It has 6 of those square things on it, but am I supposed to cut off three of them for the CBG? I plan on sandwiching it between the box and the neck board on the inside of the CB with gorilla glue. Suggestions? kind of confused about the 6 versus 3 thing.
The three raised flats on the rod correspond with the three strings on the guitar. If you were to build a 4 string, I assume that you would cut accordingly just beyond the 4th at the dip.
Don't use gorilla glue Adam!
Thanks, I didn't use gorilla glue. I ended up making a custom bridge with a brass tube that I slid the rod into then made a wooden mount and screwed it into the box. My brother and a friend of his took it to a guitar store in Eugene OR and when they tuned it and plugged it in started to jam.
I just ordered a couple of rod piezos to use with my 6-string build. I notice there is a white dot on the end away from the wire lead. This makes me wonder if there is a proper direction to place the piezo - does it matter if the end with the electrical lead is under the low E string or the high E?
thanks,
ron
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