I'm working on a reso project -- pan lid inside box on furring strip supports, no plan for coverplate, yet -- and am wondering about electifying these things with piezos....
I ask, b/c the one reso I've made (a little paint-can lid thing, with the transducer stuck under the can lid, just below the bridge) sounds, quite frankly, pretty terrible played through an amp. The tone is harsh and tends to distort very easily. (Little reso character, tho it does work great as a heavy-metal monster....)
Is there an ideal way to use piezos inside a reso? Or are they just plain old not good for this kind of build?
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Check out my latest pics. I fabricated one out of an aluminum pot lid I got for 69 cents at thrift store. Drilled a bunch of rather ugly holes in it....
Good to know. I like piezos b/c they're cheap and make me feel MacGyver-y. I've been using the encase-them-in-silicone method on my regular builds, so I'm glad to hear it translates.
BTW, I actually have been following your build. It's one of the ones that put the bug up my rear. Have you figured out what to do for a coverplate, yet?
Thanks again for the info.
Mark Werner said:
I just finished a reso built very similar to what you describe (check my page) and I used a piezo on it. I have a mic element I stole out of a thrown-away wireless, but though it was "live" it didn't have enough volume; I fear it would need a pre-amp. The piezo is working very well. I mounted it just ahead of the bridge on the underside of the aluminum resonator, and used the 3-M silicone method. Laid down a fairly thick layer of silicone and set the piezo into that, then when it was dry put an additional layer of silicone over the whole thing.I incorporated a volume control as well.
This is very clean-sounding, not nearly as microphonic as my direct-to-wood builds, and the volume control works very well.
I just finished a reso built very similar to what you describe (check my page) and I used a piezo on it. I have a mic element I stole out of a thrown-away wireless, but though it was "live" it didn't have enough volume; I fear it would need a pre-amp.
The piezo is working very well. I mounted it just ahead of the bridge on the underside of the aluminum resonator, and used the 3-M silicone method. Laid down a fairly thick layer of silicone and set the piezo into that, then when it was dry put an additional layer of silicone over the whole thing.
I incorporated a volume control as well.
This is very clean-sounding, not nearly as microphonic as my direct-to-wood builds, and the volume control works very well.
Replies
Works well.
BTW, I actually have been following your build. It's one of the ones that put the bug up my rear. Have you figured out what to do for a coverplate, yet?
Thanks again for the info.
Mark Werner said:
The piezo is working very well. I mounted it just ahead of the bridge on the underside of the aluminum resonator, and used the 3-M silicone method. Laid down a fairly thick layer of silicone and set the piezo into that, then when it was dry put an additional layer of silicone over the whole thing.
I incorporated a volume control as well.
This is very clean-sounding, not nearly as microphonic as my direct-to-wood builds, and the volume control works very well.
I take it that the piezo approach doesn't get glowing reviews?