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Can anyone give me any suggestions for Piezo placement for an electric washboard?

Posted by Pinkie Stanley on August 2, 2014 at 5:05pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

I have tentatively hot-glued a rod Piezo to the back, where the washboard surface meets the edge piece of the frame, and it doesn't sound too bad. However, I've also got a disc Piezo, and was wondering if that might be a better choice, and where I might best attach it.

Also, if it makes any difference, I use a lot of effects pedals (wah pedal, chorus, envelope filter, delay, etc.)

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Replies

  • Wade August 3, 2014 at 9:33pm

    I used a double piezo encased in hot glue Inside a wooden bridge. Worked out quite well.

  • The Phrygian Kid August 3, 2014 at 4:37pm
    If a start pup definitely won't just snap on I would still be keen on this approach, couple nuts and bolts up one corner or a small plate of steel screwed on should take care of things nicely :)
    • Pinkie Stanley > The Phrygian Kid August 3, 2014 at 8:04pm

      Yeah, I would actually rather use a magnetic pickup, and I have plenty of them lying around the workbench. Had to work today, but I'll rig something up tomorrow and see how it works. This will require that I ground the metal of the washboard as I would the strings on a guitar, right?

      Thanks for the suggestions! :)

  • Randy S. Bretz August 3, 2014 at 12:30pm

    It`s probably galvanized metal, never saw a stainless steel washboard !  When I mounted the mag pickup in my washboard guitar, I left it an 1/8" below the metal part [ galvanize ] and it activated the whole top. Works excellent !!

    http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/amish-harp-sound-check

    • robert jones > Randy S. Bretz August 3, 2014 at 1:22pm

      Columbus Washboard makes stainless steel washboards.

  • The Phrygian Kid August 3, 2014 at 12:04am
    Are you sure?
    Stainless steel def has iron in it, should still work
    • robert jones > The Phrygian Kid August 3, 2014 at 8:39am

      Magnetic attraction of stainless steel depends on the steel and how it was processed.

      A mag pup won't stick to a low magnetic permeability stainless steel.

  • The Phrygian Kid August 2, 2014 at 5:18pm
    Get a $5 strat pup, wire it up and snap it on (the magnet will hold it there, enabling you to shift it around ad-hoc)
    • Pinkie Stanley > The Phrygian Kid August 2, 2014 at 6:11pm

      I really like this idea, but apparently the washboard is stainless steel and a magnet doesn't stick to it. :(

  • Dan Sleep August 2, 2014 at 5:10pm

    I would use some double sided tape, and move it around until you get the sound that you want. The disc piezo is probably going to be more sensitive than the rod piezo, so expect more extraneous noises from it.

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