I'm trying to sort out an issue, and I'm at an impasse.
My problem...
I have a rod piezo, under a bone bridge saddle, and it is wired to an 2.5W Artec amp circuit module.
It would normally be used in a cigar box amp, but I'm trying to use it as an active pre-amp.
The rod piezo lead is soldered to the input points, and the speaker output is wired to a 1/4" mono-jack.
The wiring seems simple enough, but the rod piezo is super sensitive.. it's as micro-phonic if not more so than if I was using a piezo disk. It transfers every bit of handling noise and every bump of the box or strings. I've replaced the rod thinking it was defective, but without success. The microphone noise is louder and more distinct than the string resonance when I try to play it. You can hear the rythmic "Clack" of the pick hitting the strings loud and clear.
Is this a fruitless path, or am I overlooking something?
I've never had a rod piezo act like this....
Replies
Have you tried turning the gain down (the blue box with the posidrive centre)?
or add a magnetic pickup instead and a couple of onboard speakers.
Hey Greg,
Here's a thought...I presume you are running the Artec circuit from the guitar to an external practice amp, yes? Perhaps the answer is more simple. Rather than using an external amp, use a simple speaker cabinet. I mean, basically you have half of a combo amp (amplifier with speaker in same cabinet) inside the guitar body, without a speaker. So it makes sense that if you send the signal from the Artec inside the guitar to an external speaker cabinet , and not another amplifier, you may see better results.
Just a thought.
Cheers
It will still do that.
You're not going to get around that issue due to one important fact. That Artec circuit is an amp, not a preamp. And, it's rated at 2.5 watts RMS to boot. It WILL pick up every single bump, knock, ding, scratch, ping, etc.
That's exactly what an amp is designed to do--amplify the input signal.
Now, the solution is simple. Take that amp out and replace it with a preamp circuit. Yes, preamps are sometimes active circuits (like the Artec preamps) but those do not amplify the signal--they power the components to make the sonic flavors happen.
You could also try building a simple circuit instead, if you're handy with a soldering iron and can read schematics and/or layouts.
There are plenty of simple onboard guitar circuits that will work.
Doo a Google search for "onboard guitar circuit" and see uf you find one you like.
What exactly are you looking for, anyway???
I once built a sweet, yet simple onboard OD circuit that fit right in the control cavity of one of my electrics--sounded AWESOME!!!
I'd be glad to help you work this out further, as this type of stuff is my specialty. Just drop me as many messages as you need to--I'll see those quicker.
Cheers
I wasn't exactly "looking" for anything really.... it was more like, I have this... and this... and this... I wonder what will happen "IF"...
I have done a number of builds using the EQ-7545R pre-amp, and I was wanting to try something different. well I found "different". I'm no wiring wizard but I'm willing to experiment and try different things.
Clearly this configuration is not going to work out, so I need to find some other solution. I want it to be a battery powered pre-amp, but I don't have room in the box for a 4 channel EQ pre-amp unless I tear it down and rebuild it inside the box.... I don't really know... but I definitely want it to be unique, and cutting edge...
DanElectro has some really small ones.
You could also build an active tone stack and install it--like the Bandaxall circuit.
Even a simple one-knob job BMP tone stack would work.
I think I found something that interests me....
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Mid-Boost-Circuit-Clapton-Woman-Tone-at...
Would something like this do the job?
The Artec ones are very good and easy to install.
I've put a few different ones in a few electrics.
I just replace the tone pot with it.
The Artec Active EXP is one of my favorites--put one in my Ibanez Destroyer and another in my RG20062.
http://guitarheads.net/products/electronics/electronics.html
If I wired in the Artec Active EXP ahead of the existing Artec Amp in series, would it clean up the microphonic issues?
Ultimately I'm considering building a similar instrument with an in box speaker system. Sort of a Guitar and Amp combined...
You'd need 2 batteries, loose more space and get a TON of extra noise.
The only way to correct your existing problem is as previously stated--remove the Artec amp.
Use it for another project, say--a cigar box amp.
It's not ever going to work properly in a guitar.
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