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Trimming Piezo Undersaddle pickups?

Posted by Chester Winowiecki on February 20, 2011 at 2:04pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Does anyone have any experience with trimming rod type piezo undersaddle pickups like these (that have the individual raised piezos for each string:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SENSITIVE-PIEZO-GUITAR-SADDLE-PICKUP-USE-EQ-/200540422239?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2eb124005f

I'd like to be able to use one of these and make it shorter to fit 3 or 4 strings.

Thanks!

 

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Replies

  • Mark Bliss February 21, 2011 at 1:08pm

    I have no information on that specific rod style pickup. Some of those are really seperate small piezos on a rod, not a piezo cable. So in theory, you may be able to cut one or more elements off and create a shorter version for fewr strings, But you would have to insure you didnt short out the newly exposed conductor, and insulate it some how. You may have to experiment and please, let us know what you learn.

    Standard piezo cable is one long sensor, it can be bought in bulk, cut to any length for the purpose of building under saddle or pressure sensitive pickup elements of any size.

    Heres an article on that:

    http://www.liutaiomottola.com/PrevPubs/Piezo/CoaxTransducer.htm

  • Chester Winowiecki February 21, 2011 at 8:09am

    Thanks again gents!

    Nice sapele 4 stringer, Mark (junk box instruments)!

    I was going to try using a Dremel cut off wheel for cutting rather than diagonal cutters. Any comments?

  • Mark Lillo February 21, 2011 at 7:51am
    I have cut 19 of them without a problem.
  • Mark February 21, 2011 at 6:13am

    Check out what I did with a cheap Artec "4 and 2" underbridge piezo. I ended up with one pickup suitable for a 4-string and another for something like a D-bow or 2-stringer.

    http://www.airburst.co.uk/junkboxinstruments/banjo/index.htm

  • Chester Winowiecki February 20, 2011 at 2:30pm

    Thanks, wes.

    I wanted to use it in a uke with a traditional bridge and saddle but I see that bezdez also has a shorter uke size piezo and some spiral braid ones that I'm pretty sure you can trim safely.

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