Piezo vs. magnetic..

[rjgoos]

Anyone ever installed/used piezo pickups for a tapper? What kind of results did you get?

[traktor]

We have been installing GraphTech 'Ghost' piezos with acoustiphonic preamps for about 6-7 months, and have built several instruments using the piezo sound.

(Many people have the impression that the Ghost system is just for MIDI, but if desired it can have a lovely acoustic-sounding voice.)

Unfortunately, I've so far just made them for other folks, and don't have one myself! And so it happens we have no recordings yet.

However, Graph Tech has recordings of a strat and a bass, and this is not too different in sound from installation on a touch-style instrument. You can access those recordings here --

Ghost Download Page (http://graphtech.com/ghost_downloads.php)

and here's the page if you wish to --

Learn more about the GraphTech Ghost system (http://graphtech.com/ghost_info.php)

[sobear2003]

Hi Jay,

I have a RMC peizo on my axe.

I like the acoustic quality and the way that it blends with my EMG.

It is also great for midi and running my VG 88.

This track (forgive me if I have posted this before) is an example of how I blended the RMC with a VG 88.

http://www.tommcmahon.ca/audio/texada.mp3

Tom

[GaryOpenhill]

Originally posted by sobear2003
Hi Jay,

I have a RMC peizo on my axe.

I like the acoustic quality and the way that it blends with my EMG.

It is also great for midi and running my VG 88.

This track (forgive me if I have posted this before) is an example of how I blended the RMC with a VG 88.

http://www.tommcmahon.ca/audio/texada.mp3

Tom

So this is the baliset, tom? Sounds very nice, and a cool tune. I don't know nothing about vg 88 (double negativ, i know). What emg's are u using? On my next megatar i think i must have piezos.

[sobear2003]

Hi Gary,

Thanks.

I am using the EMG 89 (I think).

The VG 88 is Roland's virtual guitar. It is meant to emulate a wide variety of guitars. I use it as a glorified effects box.

Tom

[BigDaddyPoo]

I think I'm going to get some kind of piezos. Either going with the graphtech ghost system or I'm going to buy a couple of Line 6 Variaxes and rip out their guts.

I started working at a big box guitar store a couple of months ago and we sell the variax for $160! That's cheaper than you could buy the bridge for itself. Plus you get all the other parts to bastardize, abuse, tweak, and otherwise reek havok upon/with.

If I go with GraphTech, I'm leaning towards the Wilkinson style saddles. With them you don't have to have a bent base plate. You just screw the saddles down to a flat plate. Simple stuff.

[Bearguitars]

i`ve put headway snake pus with preamp in custom made bridges in my honey comb tap guitars:
for my opinion allways good on the treble strings mixed a bit with a magnetic neck pu, as i used on the thinline model.
and the bass side equipped with an acc pu? i preferred allways the magnetic pu on the earlier honey comb... so have the thinline only an active mag. under the bass strings. - ok, my private taste.

http://www.geocities.com/bearguitars/HoneyComb.html
http://www.geocities.com/bearguitars/HCThinline.html

on my upcoming big mama blonde comes the piezo bridge- and the neck pu with an extra active tone control for a more tailored sound. hope it can be used without a special drivers license.

[BrendaEM]

I've not cared for bridge peizos on anything.

Have you seen Schatten's soundboard transducers?
http://www.schattendesign.com/guitar.htm

[rjgoos]

If you've got four bucks to burn:

http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/electric.gif

http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/electric.htm


These actually do work, and have a higher level of output than I would have guessed.

Well, anyway, it's a rainy day today, so I'm experimenting with them.

[loneguitarist]

... we sell the variax for $160!...

$160?!?

I would buy two of those badboys so fast and build a dual-melody tapper with all kinds of guitar emulation built in!

[lactose]

Hey Bid Daddy,

Can you send me info on the Variaxes ?

I put the Graphtech piezos into a bass. They have that interesting metallic sound. I built a little FET preamp I found online.

Since I go for more of a jazz tone with my tapper, I am not sure piezos would be the best option. But they would probably be fine for the bass strings. The piezos do give me more body noise.

[BigDaddyPoo]

Hehe...It's been a while since I worked at Guitar Center. I just did that while I was a going to school. I'm an engineer now.

Anyway, I think they were selling that model variax at the time for such a low price because it was being discontinued. Your best bet now may be ebay.