Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

[ICTGoober]

One of my oldest clients has been asking me about how to get more ambience out of the guitar I built for him in 1993. It's all mahogany, with an ebony board. Two Duncans and a Kahler whammy. He runs a Roland guitar synth rig, too - using a string patch that sounds very dated. I suggested adding a piezo rig that would add a 3rd wire coming off the axe to his amplification (he uses a powered Yamaha PA cabinet). The questions of course - what type and brand of pickup, and where to locate them. It's a pretty busy guitar already. I can install the pickups and wiring inside if needed. I'd like some real world experience here - not references to websites, videos, or threads from elsewhere. I'm sure our fearless mod has some thoughts. What about it Dave?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

I use an RMC system, sent to a volume knob and 3 way switch (piezo, both, magnetic). The RMC Polydrive system can also send the signal to a 13 pin out. With the right processing, the piezo output sound pretty darn close to an acoustic. I send it to compression and reverb, then direct to the PA. It sounds at least as good as undersaddle pickups in most acoustics.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

That is NOT gonna work on this....
https://imgur.com/mcprzZC

 

[Ascension]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

I have a Carvin AE 185 with a LR Baggs in the bridge and a set of Duncan SNS's. Guitar has the Carvin active set up and you can ether run 2 jacks and run the systems independently or run a single jack and blend the systems. I will many times run a little pizeo to get some "air" in my tone through an amp. Guitar can go from face melting shred machine to acoustic to jazz hollow body instantly.

 

[chadd]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

That is NOT gonna work on this....
https://imgur.com/mcprzZC

Good luck with that, none of my usual solutions will work there. Ghost saddles are out, as are transducers like the K&K Pure Mini. Upgrading the synth is likely his best bet there that I can see.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

I am not sure if any piezo company makes replacement saddles for Kahler. But contact Kahler and see. Maybe they use some one for some strange OEM installations. Also, the string patch he uses that sounds dated is the synth itself- but that is easy enough to upgrade. Modern synths use some pretty amazing samples these days.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

Dave, baby - I am NOT making myself clear to you. We are NOT changing the Kahler. Client wants a 3rd piezo pickup system added, not substituted. It will NOT replace or even interact with the Roland or Duncan pickups. Separate output for the piezo, OKAY? No direct sensing of the strings, indirect only.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

If you're looking for more of an acoustic guitar tone maybe you could add a third magnetic pickup in the middle and send the signal to a Fishman Aura pedal?

You could contact Fishman for advice on what pickup to choose.

I can't see a good way to add a piezo to that guitar.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

Piezos are either in the form of replacement saddles, or in a plate under an acoustic bridge. I suppose you can embed an acoustic-type piezo somewhere under the Kahler. But it would need some sort of discreet wiring. It needs to sense pressure from the strings, so it would have to interact with the Kahler & strings in some way. What is this for, and what exactly is more 'ambience'? There is also a processor like the GP-10 that he can connect to the Roland pickup, and that gets a sound really, really close to a piezo- actually, better.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

You HAVE to be old enough to remember Barcus-Berry Dots or FRAP pickups - early piezo pickups. I suppose the modern equivalent is these little round things with the wires coming off them. Also, seems there are pickups designed to go under a LP style stop tailpiece or TOM bridge. I'll explore those, too.

Client doesn't care about discreet anymore, just look at the axe. It's a 6 string experiment, usually covered in blue tape or Play-Do as he follows whatever the latest rabbit hole of the month happens to be. He is continually searching and questioning. It's a PITA, but I do love the guy.

Aceman says he's from space - THIS guy holds the patent, OK?
Skip to minute 6 to see what I'm talking about...
Doing service for this guy is a challenge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3rsFggDx2M&t=24s

When I met Sterling in the mid 70's he dressed like a cowboy and played ZZ Top. In the 80's he was a solid gold replica of Holdsworth. Now he's...… whatever Sterling is.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

My kinda guy!
You can always get a Dean Markley stick-on disc pickup. I use one for a 22 string rosewood lap harp.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

My kinda guy! You can always get a Dean Markley stick-on disc pickup

Sterling really knows his fretboard and his music theory. You would never guess he's into Oscar Peterson....

I have considered that Markley unit, too.

 

[chadd]

Re: Adding a piezo to a semi-hollow

You HAVE to be old enough to remember Barcus-Berry Dots or FRAP pickups - early piezo pickups. I suppose the modern equivalent is these little round things with the wires coming off them. Also, seems there are pickups designed to go under a LP style stop tailpiece or TOM bridge. I'll explore those, too.

That sounds like the K&K unit I mentioned before:
https://www.kksound.com/products/puremini.php
It would be interesting to see if the body generates enough vibration to create sufficient volume without noise from additional gain stages.

Or, if this guy has more money than brains...
https://www.ebay.com/i/124185886043?chn=ps