I built my first cbg, did a fair job, bit rough but ok for a trial run. couldn't get a piezo to work (only 1 type available here) so lashed out for a DiMarzio pickup, works great, but sounds like an ordinary guitar, what a disaster. any suggestions to save this build, or should i start again & ebay a piezo from a cbg supplier?

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I would grab I ebay piezo and then wire in a two way switch so I could toggle between the two sounds.
Dude, leave it alone! lol
Firstly, the 2 way switch idea... as Tiny sez it aint just a case of wiring a peizo and a 2 way in - the impedence difference means that your magnetic pickup will be loud, but when you flick to the piezo it will be quiet - unless you install a preamp too. Or do as Tiny says and have 2 jacks...
For my money I agree with Fernando - there are no rules. Everyone does it different. I, for example, only ever use magnetic (bass) pickups, I HATE piezos, I have bad dreams about them, I dont like the box noise you get with them, I dont like the sound. But some guys use nothing but, and get them to work great!
I think even with a 'proper' pickup, you still get the CBG sound, especially when playing with a slide. And its fretless. And got a few strings missing - treasure what you have built, and build another with a piezo... bet you keep going back to this one!!
OK, so as I understand it, you turned a cigar box and some wood into something which sounds like an ordinary guitar. That's a huge success! Good job. Fernando is right. Ill bet you have mental blueprints for 15 other guitars...and at least a dozen changes you want to make in this one.

Add another output -- or two, and get to Radio Shack for a homemade peizo pickup, which will NOT sound like a regular guitar. Or get an external pickup and move it around.
thanks for the replies, i never looked at it from that perspective. "hey, I just built a guitar!". as they cost almost $0.00 to make, i reckon i'll just have to make a few different ones for different sounds. next I think i'll make a biscuit tin guitar, or a resonator, or a 4 string, or a ukulele, or......... all of the above

thanks for the insight, Doug
My God of Fire Red special dulcimer has just this wiring and it works just fine....I dunno about matching impedance etc but all I know is it worked for me. Being able to toggle between the two pickups is an excellent way to alternate between guitars without having to put one down and get another.
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Ok, you got my attention Will!
Do you notice any drop in volume wit the piezo, or any other complications? Also, do you know what piezo you used? I was gonna do a single coil / humbucker / piezo thing but the word was it would be problematical... looks like Im gonna have to try it now!!
You clearly had a sound in mind when you built this, but remember, a piezo pickup doesn't sound like a cigar box guitar, it sounds like a piezo pickup in a cigar box guitar. I have built with piezo buzzer pickups, and also electric guitar pickups. I like both sounds. Put the CBG in front of a mic if you want to hear what it sounds like. All pickups have their unique character (mics too, for that matter). I repeat what others have said, there are no rules. To me the fun is in playing what you build and building what you play. If you aren't happy with the results change it or build another. Experiment, have fun and learn as you go!
What about wiring two seperate volume knobs, as well as the switch? My Schecter EA-1 is set up exactly like that. In fact what about using a 3-way switch that would allow you to use either the piezo, the magnetic, or both?

tinyguitars said:
Actually, this won't work. I had planned on doin something similar and asked Ted Crocker and he said something about the impedance being far too mismatchd or something? I dunno, but I got his point, it won't work. You will have to use 2 seperate outputs for the 2 pickups.

Will Carter said:
I would grab I ebay piezo and then wire in a two way switch so I could toggle between the two sounds.

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