Piezo pickup ideas for Electric Guitar

[Mincer]

This is what AI says:

An acoustic IR (Impulse Response) is an audio file that captures the unique sonic qualities of a specific acoustic guitar and its microphone, environment, or playback system. It functions as a digital blueprint, allowing players to apply the sound of a high-quality, mic'd acoustic guitar to the output of their own pickup. This process corrects the often "quacky" or artificial sound of piezo pickups and creates a more natural, three-dimensional, and harmonically rich tone, making a direct signal sound like it was recorded in a studio or is being played acoustically in the room.​

 

[ehdwuld]

Can you just apply this to magnetic pickup signal?

 

[Artie]

Interesting idea. Both Fishman and Bartolini, (probably others), make onboard mixer/preamps to do just this.

 

[ICTGoober]

I dont even know what that means

In my case it means a 1st gen Yamaha Silent Guitar. They use a piezo pickup under the saddle which you can mix with a recorded/sampled sound of a recorded guitar. Both sound good and are quite usable, but mixed together I get a solid bottom end tone with a sparkling clarity on top. Plus I can crank it up with no feedback, and mix reverb, delay or chorus FX into the signal as it leaves the guitar. My fave is just a hint of slapback to fatten the signal up.

I can even plug it into my Marshall and it yields a great crunchy tone (I didn't expect that at all).

 

[Chistopher]

The way an IR file works mathematically is pretty cool. They sound a short and loud impulse and measure it. Then they record that as a small audio file. Then they convolve that with your guitar signal.

What this means for the creatives, is that if you wanted to, you could record yourself clicking your tongue and upload it to your IR Loader just to see what happens

 

[Mincer]

Can you just apply this to magnetic pickup signal?

You totally can. This is also how all digital modelers 'model' different speaker cabinets.

 

[donaldr]

Can you just apply this to magnetic pickup signal?

Yes, that's what I do for the "one song needing acoustic guitar" with my HX Effects. It sounds almost as good as any acoustic piezo direct to PA.

 

[Securb]

a regular amp doesn't sound all that great with a piezo input to me.

I have three guitars with piezos. My Parker has an early Fishman that sounds alright. Good enough for live work to give the impression of an acoustic guitar. It is most useful when combined with magnetic pickups to enhance clarity, even with high gain. My Iceman has a newer Fishman with the powerchip preamp and sounds amazing. It does a very convincing acoustic guitar sound. The third is my mandocello, which has a useless passive piezo. On its own, the piezo is useless, and harsh-sounding sounding but slightly blended with the magnetic pickup, it adds some unique harshness. However, it will never sound like an acoustic instrument. As you said, they sound better direct to PA, through a keyboard amp, or in my case, amazing through the JC120 (which is a keyboard amp).

 

[ICTGoober]

amazing through the JC120 (which is a keyboard amp).

Adrian Belew is crushed.

 

[Securb]

Adrian Belew is crushed.

Sometimes you have to call balls and strikes

 

[ehdwuld]

I have three guitars with piezos. My Parker has an early Fishman that sounds alright. Good enough for live work to give the impression of an acoustic guitar. It is most useful when combined with magnetic pickups to enhance clarity, even with high gain. My Iceman has a newer Fishman with the powerchip preamp and sounds amazing. It does a very convincing acoustic guitar sound. The third is my mandocello, which has a useless passive piezo. On its own, the piezo is useless, and harsh-sounding sounding but slightly blended with the magnetic pickup, it adds some unique harshness. However, it will never sound like an acoustic instrument. As you said, they sound better direct to PA, through a keyboard amp, or in my case, amazing through the JC120 (which is a keyboard amp).

I like to dial in a bit of piezo with my standard tones

to me
it adds a bit of "extra" jangly bit
brash harsh underneath

like I said
I put a disc under the bridge pickup just stuck to the wood at the bottom of the cavity
and it was horrendous

if my hardtails had springs I would use this guys idea