Hello, I have built a few CBG's. With my very first one I used a paper covered box and used a piezo rod pickup underneath a bolt that I ground a channel. It sounded GREAT. I like the sound to be crunchy and with Drive. However, the next three CBG's I built I used wood boxes which I preferred and used the same pickup system. Unfortunately, it does not sound nearly the same. Lots of reverb and rather hollow. I tried using a piezo disc on my next one and had the same sound. Do any of you have any tips/suggestions. What have others used for pickups and setups? Thanks for any input you could give me.
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Check the size of your piezo disc too! I find 25mm to be weak and 27mm to be good... They also have to be under one corner of the bridge.
What Uncle John said: when you glue it down, make sure you press hard to get the hot melt to spread out and glue the full surface with the glue as thin as possible... Cover the exposed side with hot melt...
As with all thing CBG, no 2 will sound exactly the same, but built nearly identically and wired nearly identically ought to at least sound similar.
I have good luck most of the time with disc piezos. I think the main things are getting a good seal between the piezo and the box - I use hot melt glue - and then coating over the piezo with more glue - sandwiching it. And placement under or near the saddle area is key as well. Good wishes.