We recently posted this Instructable describing how to install a Cortado balanced-out pickup in a banjolele. This pickup runs into a little circuit that balances the signal and matches the impedance to a mixing console -- similar to a preamp or active DI. The instrument plugs…

Zeppelin Design Labs has released the Cortado piezo contact pickup. What makes this pickup unusual is that we run the signal through a buffering / balancing circuit, which matches the high impedance from the piezo to the low impedance required by a recorder or mixing console. The Cortado has a XLR male jack for output. You can plug your CBG straight into a mic cable and direct to front-of-house. This pickup delivers a spectacular signal-to-noise, and a flat response across a wide frequency…

Here's a portion of Hutch's gear, featuring the Percolator 2W tube amp. Following are his comments. Look elsewhere in this blog for a nice audio recording Chuck made with this setup.

“The amp itself is still in its primal unclothed state, however it has been paired up with a variety of speaker/cab combinations including a 4×4, a 2×4, a big cab 1×12 (20x20x16), and several 1×8 variations. Pictured are the 2 cabs I’ve decided to use. The black one started off as a fender frontman.…

Our customer Chuck sent us this recording: He is playing Led Zeppelin's "Rain Song" on his 4-string CBG through some pedals and our Percolator 2 Watt Tube amp. He recorded it with his iPhone.…