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Noisey tin box

I have recently completed a 3 string using a tin box body. As a pickup I bought an ebay special which is one of those devices used to electrify an acoustic 6 string. It had a clamp to mount across the sound hole this was cut and shut and it is now rivited to the box top. It features a volume and Tone controls in a small pack to fasten to your belt This is screwed inside the box with the control knobs on the outside.The Advert stated it would work with steel or nylon strings.
When I got it I couldn't resist taking the top off to have a look inside. All very conventioal , bar magnet wrapped with a coil of copper wire.
The things works great with the exception that it picks up and amplifies ever touch of the tin box or the neck no problem for finger style but using a slide is just full of bangs every time the slide makes contact.

Any one any ideas how to quieten it down?

Sherb

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Permalink Reply by Randy Webb on January 12, 2010 at 10:18am

Pictures of it would help. Not sure how a Magnetic pickup is presenting that problem? Sometimes Magnetic pickups can be a little microphonic, but not as bad as you describe. (not in my experience anyway)

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Permalink Reply by Jkevn on January 12, 2010 at 10:41am

Did it look like this?

These are actually small microphones, and as such, will amplify any sounds/vibrations that are picked up. Trying to isolate or muffle a mic will affect all sounds...not just the unwanted ones.

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Permalink Reply by Randy Webb on January 12, 2010 at 10:45am

If the pickup is like the one pictured, you can create a criss-cross pattern with rubber bands or small bungees inside the tin can and use them as a shock mount like for a condenser mic.

or you could put a piece of foam inside the tim under the bridge, then find away to affix that pickup without covering the "mic" and create a bit of a buffer.

Im just thinking off the top of my head tho...

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Permalink Reply by Sherb on January 12, 2010 at 11:21am

NO nothing like that it looks like a humbucker but inside is a single magnet wraped in a coil. As far as I can see it is a pickup not a microphone

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Permalink Reply by Randy Webb on January 12, 2010 at 11:27am

is it mounted directly to the tin, or is there a spring tension system to raise/lower it?

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Permalink Reply by RL Mott on January 12, 2010 at 11:35am

The red flag to me is the claim of working with steel or nylon strings . May be a piezo buried in there somewhere .

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Permalink Reply by Randy Webb on January 12, 2010 at 11:40am

That one slipped right by me. RL. He probably has some kind of hybrid.

RL Mott said:

The red flag to me is the claim of working with steel or nylon strings . May be a piezo buried in there somewhere .

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Permalink Reply by Sherb on January 12, 2010 at 12:05pm

yep I couldn't understand the working with nylon strings bit. But internally it seems like a simple pick up. It is mounted rigidly on to the box lid with rivits. I had thought of attempting to isolate it on a layer of foam

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Permalink Reply by RL Mott on January 12, 2010 at 12:16pm

Damn cool build , though , Sherb , one way or the other .

If there's a piezo buried somewhere amongst the mag pickup you may need a magnifying glass to see it or the "extra" wires to it , as is . They don't hafta be big , the old Barcus-Berry
"hotdots" back in the 70's were about 1/8" around .

edit ........ maybe use little o-rings to islolate it at the poprivets ????