Piezos on solid body electric guitars

[pete1951]

A friend has just given me a Strat style guitar that he wants to fit some piezos pickups. The ‘normal ‘ method would be a special bridge, fitted with 6 piezo saddles, this then goes to a preamp/mixer so you can have magnetic/piezo or both together. This would be an expensive project.

He has been looking at YouTube and found some examples of people using cheap passive units glued or bolted in various places.

So that what I’m going to do

If anyone has done this before or has any ideas about placement it would be great to hear.

My first thought is to put a bridge type piezo under the bridge saddles ( YouTube sandwiches it between the bridge plate and the trem block) and one between the trem block and the body??
Pete



Position 3 is my current favourite, though 4 and 5 come a close second ( I know the trem can’t be used but by adjusting the spring tension you could change the pressure on 4 and 5)

[Pickers Ditch]

I read sometime last century that Frank Zappa did someting like this to his SG.
If I remember correctly he had a piezo stuck onto the back of the headstock, too.

[pete1951]

Yes, years ago I put an early piezo ( C-Ducer??) strip into the neck of a friends bass, he loved the blended tone ( I can’t remember how it was wired). He went on to play at Live Aid with David Bowie, will look for a video and try to see if it was with the same bass.

Unfortunately he died during the first Covid lockdown.
Pete

Just checked the video, he is playing a Fender bass, not the Aria that I put the pickup in.......

[mitchfit]

pete1951,

have only put a glue-on piezo on an acoustic, but should prove true for an axe. position in relation to bass side and treble side strings can be used to balance/EQ output. multi PUP strands would be more precise?

could be the 90's offerings were weaker than currently issued, but piezo was much too low output to compete with magnetic PUP without turning the later down low on [separate] volume knob. active piezo may change that?

clamped to head stock was on the wrong side of string vibrations to my taste, YMMV.

if i were just checking around, would be tempted to try a strip style, may give some very interesting results if glued on the spring mount plate. [think acoustiverb]

americanvintageguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/60-strat-800.jpg

also, personally think strats sound much better with all five springs installed, pulling floating bridge down firmly into contact with body. a whammy bar fan would likely not agree with that at all.

gotta couple of unused bars in guitar case pockets. says it all for my use.

mitchfit

PS- other viewpoints

forum.seymourduncan.com/forum/the-pickup-lounge/6150829-piezo-disc-components-as-pickups

letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/any-body-here-use-a-piezo-on-a-solid-body-i-have-questions.175303/

[pete1951]

I’ve decided to go for a fairly simple setup. A ‘bar’ piezo under the bridge,just behind the 6 bridge screws. A pair between the trem block and the body, and a pair in the neck pocket.
They will be switched using one side of the 5 position switch,1) neck pocket 2) neck+trem block, 3) trem block 4) trem block + bridge,5) bridge

Then a pot and a 3position mini toggle (on/on/on/) which will let me have just piezos, piezos +magnetic ( this may not work well without an active preamp) and magnetic pickups on their own.

Pocklinton is this weekend so might not start till next week, so any ideas on improvement welcome.

Pete

[twang1]

Hi Pete, I've had a Wilkinson Powerbridge in my Squier (the first ones from '82) since 1997, with a piezo that can be mixed with the pickups normal sound, and it sounds interesting...
I've heard Zappa on record and live with that kind of sound, when touring with his last band.
Frank

[pete1951]

Yes, a ‘Power’ bridge is the way forward but the customer ( an old friend) wants it done on the cheap and I want to see what sounds I can get out of this inexpensive setup.
He’s not a gigging player so this may be just something he does some home recording with...........time will tell
Pete