Positioning / Mounting Piezo Pickups on Cigar Box Guitars
Conditions Of Test
Cigar Box Guitar CBG.
These tests used a proper impedance-matched active preamp: this one: Sziklai Piezo Preamp, and so the 'tinniness' associated, with using piezo pickups simply directly connected (or using a 'so called' passive-preamp), was not apparent.
The results below are my subjective assessment and all tests used the same pickup, guitar and amplifier on the same day. No 'Piezo Quack' was observed at any time.
I have been testing lots of different ways and places to mount a 1 inch disk piezo in Cigar Box Guitars but this should apply to any accoustic string instrument.
Results - In order of performance:
- Jammed under the bridge with no glue won by a mile, with the highest signal, lowest handling noise & clearest (lowest distortion) result.
- Second was inside, directly under the bridge, using contact adhesive as directed on the packet.
- Second was inside, directly under the bridge, with a big blob of hot melt (as is often advised in forums/groups). it lost treble and general volume.
- Everywhere else had more handling noise and no advantage..
I am now working on a simple way to mount the piezo on the outside, under the bridge, with the wires routed internally.
