Piezo pickup ideas for Electric Guitar

[ehdwuld]

So I saw this video of a guy putting a piezo pickup on the springs of his strat
then using the second tone control, which he had divided mid ways , to blend in some of the signal

Creating a reverb from the guitar springs

So I just don't have very many trem equipped guitars here

And I would.like some of that or something like that

I tried just putting one in the bottom of the pickup cavity

And it sounded horrible

Maybe somewhere else

Any ideas?

I have several hollow bodies
Could I put one inside an f hole?

Seems like that would get a lot of handling noise

 

[ICTGoober]

A good reverb sound usually requires longer springs. I can't say about plate reverb.

 

[ehdwuld]

A good reverb sound usually requires longer springs. I can't say about plate reverb.

did you watch the video ?

 

[Mincer]

Honestly, most piezos, even in the most ideal place, don't sound all that great. Usually, you would need a preamp, or a way to separate/blend the signal from the magnetic pickups to go to its own amp. It might be a fun experiment, but unless you are going for a deliberately harsh sound, the results would be less than ideal.

 

[ehdwuld]

Honestly, most piezos, even in the most ideal place, don't sound all that great. Usually, you would need a preamp, or a way to separate/blend the signal from the magnetic pickups to go to its own amp. It might be a fun experiment, but unless you are going for a deliberately harsh sound, the results would be less than ideal.

this was a bit different

a piezo pad on the springs

I have seen where people put foam and such to dampen the spring "reverb" in their trems

this guy was enhancing it

 

[GuitarStv]

So I saw this video of a guy putting a piezo pickup on the springs of his strat
then using the second tone control, which he had divided mid ways , to blend in some of the signal

Creating a reverb from the guitar springs

So I just don't have very many trem equipped guitars here

And I would.like some of that or something like that

I tried just putting one in the bottom of the pickup cavity

And it sounded horrible

Maybe somewhere else

Any ideas?

I have several hollow bodies
Could I put one inside an f hole?

Seems like that would get a lot of handling noise

Piezos pick up vibration, so you want to put it in any location that picks up vibration you want to hear. My guess is that on the bridge or neck somewhere would get you the most 'guitar' kind of sounds (but the neck would have the issue of being in the way while you're playing).

 

[beaubrummels]

Doesn't sound useful. It's just one very idiosyncratic sound. You'd have to be really in love with that sound. A reverb pedal, which has multiple presets, would give you a range of sounds and doesn't require modding the guitar.

 

[Chistopher]

That would be a good tool to teach a beginner to mute their guitar when they aren't actively playing

 

[ICTGoober]

did you watch the video ?

I zipped around and just listened to his playing, because his voice drove me nuts.

 

[ehdwuld]

I zipped around and just listened to his playing, because his voice drove me nuts.

so no

thanks anyway

 

[Mincer]

It is an interesting effect, but I couldn't see myself using a sound like that. I do applaud searching for a way to do...something.

 

[ehdwuld]

I like innovation

I like the spring chime from a tremolo as well

I'm weird like that

On the piezo equipped solid bodies i do have

I like the chorus like effect of blending in a bit

Kinda like a faux 12 string

 

[Mincer]

I have one guitar that has a piezo bridge, and it is interesting when blended with the magnetic pickups. On this guitar, you have to use a stereo cable going to 2 mono ends- you can't have both signals going though one mono cable. It forces you to use 2 different amplification systems, but a regular amp doesn't sound all that great with a piezo input to me.

 

[ehdwuld]

I have one guitar that has a piezo bridge, and it is interesting when blended with the magnetic pickups. On this guitar, you have to use a stereo cable going to 2 mono ends- you can't have both signals going though one mono cable. It forces you to use 2 different amplification systems, but a regular amp doesn't sound all that great with a piezo input to me.

my Dean is set up the same way
with two jacks

but it has a switch where I can combine both signals out the Mag pickup jack

I can run both signals out to the distorted guitar amp if I wish

piezo pickups themselves are not attractive sounding , blended with a a bit neck pickup, though, is lush

 

[Mincer]

Piezo mixed with an impulse response of a well-recorded acoustic doesn't sound too bad.

 

[ehdwuld]

Piezo mixed with an impulse response of a well-recorded acoustic doesn't sound too bad.

I dont even know what that means

 

[Mincer]

I dont even know what that means

Haha, they use impulse responses in many amps these days so you can go direct to a recording device or PA without a mic. It is a small recording using a particular mic and a particular speaker 'capturing' the sound of that mic and speaker and adding it to your rig.

 

[ehdwuld]

Kinda like the mic already built into the body of the acoustic that you blend in with the peizo using the preamp?

 

[Mincer]

Kinda like the mic already built into the body of the acoustic that you blend in with the peizo using the preamp?

Yes, it is a recording of a mic listening to a high-end acoustic. You blend this with a piezo, and you get something closer to an actual acoustic guitar. Normally, you'd use a special pedal called an 'IR Loader' or digital recording software to do this.

 

[ehdwuld]

Ok I think it has sunk in

It mimics the piezo + mic on an acoustic guitar
With a piezo + mic IR
for the solid body piezo

But the IR wouldn't be needed if your preamp already includes one
such as on a traditional acoustic with the mic in the preamp

am i grasping this.. it feels like i may not be

I may be having a strok......