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Low Volume From Single Rod Piezo

Posted by Harold Grissom on February 27, 2013 at 4:45pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Just finished my CBG and put a single rod piezo into a hollow steal rod (my bridge) which is mounted on my resonator cone.  The piezo rod is making contact with the rod (bridge) directly under the strings.  Volume is very weak.  Have to cut up the volume on the CBG and amp to get any sound.  The piezo rod was already prefabbed with the volumne control and seems to work.  Only issue is weak volume.  Any suggestions?   Thanks in advance.

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Replies

  • Harold Grissom February 27, 2013 at 10:13pm

    Wow, great to get such a speedy and thorough response.  Thank y'all.    I'll have it fixed soon.

  • Ron "Oily" Sprague February 27, 2013 at 5:24pm
    The rods work best with direct string pressure on them, typically with a saddle transmitting the downward force of the strings across the saddle to the piezo rod. Sounds like you may not have enough string pressure transmitted to the rod. This could be caused by too low of a bridge or too low of a saddle, or not enough string break angle ( the direct result of the first two). Randy Bretz ( and a lot of commercial git builders) puts the piezo rod in a routed channel in a wood bridge, then places a bone (in Randy's case), Tusq, or even plastic, saddle that sits directly atop the piezo rod, into that slot. Your piezo rod inside a hollow steel rod isn't getting enough downward force transmitted to it from the strings. Try using a slotted wood biscuit bridge, with the piezo inside the slot, and a saddle atop that, and I bet your problem will be solved.
  • Clock The Wolf February 27, 2013 at 5:16pm

    A rod piezo has to have pressure on it... string pressure. That is what they are specifically designed for. The original intent was for them to be placed directly under the bridge saddle of an acoustic guitar. It is being squeezed down hard that makes them work. Get rid of the tube.

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