I just installed a piezo disk into a guitar. But when I plug it into the amp I get a really high pitch whiney whistling ringing type sound. Especially when I'm playing the high string. And if the gain is turned up even a little, it is really bad.
I stuck it under the box top and adhered it with silicon. Once it set up, I covered the disk with another layer of silicon on top. See below.
I've wired a couple of other guitars the same way, but this is the first time that I stuck the disk to the box and not the neck.
Is there anything I can do to get rid of that noise?
Luckily, I screwed the top down instead of gluing it. So I can get back in and tinker with it.
Replies
Face away from the amp and turn it down a bit?
I've successfully used foam tape. Heck, for my first CBG's that is all I used: sandwiched it in the double stick foam tape, and stuck it to the lid... They'll feedback if I crank the gain, but it's manageable.
Instead of the wood try incasing the piezo in leather with double stick tape. That might calm it down some....or better yet go with a rod piezo bridge set up...no feedback !
That's a commercial git. I refuse to dump hot glue or silicon into this git ;-).
Did you know that Fishman uses a rod that is bare, in other words there`s no protective covering on the rod like the ones I use. I just bought some of those bare rods and some cable piezo to experiment with. The bare rods are a lot touchier then the covered ones.
Slice off a piece of kitchen waste pipe and sit it in position,half fill with hot glue,place the disc on top of that then fill to the top with glue,see photo
I've found that 2 piezo's are better , I used a piece of scrap fretboard drilled 2 30mm x 3mm holes with slots for the wires ,put a small layer of silicon pressed the piezo's into it then covered in silicon and when set fixed them to the back of the neck under the bridge position with the piezo's nearest to the neck , works very well .
Piezos are sensitive creatures - keeping them well away from speakers, especially on distortion channel, is the simplest solution to feedback, though the Marshall ASD 50D has a feedback defeat switch especially for rod and disc piezos (-:
If you can get the disc out again you could try sandwiching it in something else - such as thin pieces of wood, or, as I have successfully used; a strip of an old silicone mousemat wrapped around the disc. Then glue that to the box lid underside.
Jawbone's suggestion is good too as not only will you get a richer and fuller sound, wiring 2 in parallel will limit the output of both discs.