Do Piezo's and potentiometers have to be grounded? and also, is it possible to have a guitar and a piezo foot drum all using the same input without them being wired directly? ( by which I mean a cable comes from the guitar to the foot drum then to the single input)
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Also, I have two piezos in parallel. I bought two 250k potentiometers and I thinking of using them both as a volume control for each piezo. Will 250k work?
That looks perhaps a little complicated for what I want. I'm thinking perhaps I could make a cigar box bass amp and just connect it to that. Know any good wiring diagrams for that? (the amp)
Answer to # 2.... yes, it's called a mixer.... cheap 2-4 channel ones work good enough for less than $30-50 on CL all the time.... plus if you get a 4 channel, you can run a dynamic mic and use your guitar amp as a all purpose PA/performance rig. Not the best, but will do in the beginning....
the best,
Wichita Sam
alectron said:
Now that my first question has been answered, can anyone help me with the second one?
yes, but only slightly.... if you're looking for treble/bass variation, then you're much better off with either a wound pup or wiring in a preamp before the piezo,,,, which is by the way what acoustic/electrics that use piezos do....
the best,
Wichita Sam
alectron said:
Thanks for the link. Also, you (Wichita Sam) said to wire two piezos in series (I think thats what you meant) like a single wound pup. And you said tone pots work on wound pups. does that mean two piezos in series would respond to a tone pot?
Thanks for the link. Also, you (Wichita Sam) said to wire two piezos in series (I think thats what you meant) like a single wound pup. And you said tone pots work on wound pups. does that mean two piezos in series would respond to a tone pot?
Tone pots on single piezos are pointless.... not enough resistance to make any difference... I've wired 2 piezos in series and tried a tone pot as well as a volume pot. It works but so little that it makes it hardly worth the effort. The only time I use a tone pot on a CBG is when I use a wound pup or a wound pup and a piezo in combination...
If you wire a series piezo pickup just wire it like a single wound pup. www.guitarelectronics.com is a great resource for wiring diagrams....
hope this helps,
the best,
Wichita Sam
alectron said:
I'm gonna have a tone pot too, so do I do the same thing twice?
Well, you're right and wrong... IF you are wring a piezo directly to an output jack, then, no... you don't have to ground the piezo, or the strings, or anything.... and it doesn't matter if the red wire is on the tip or the ring....
But... if you are installing a pot. for volume control, then for the pot to work, the ground side of the piezo (brass disc/black wire usually) must be grounded to the body of the pot...and the third pole of the pot and the "ring" of the output jack..... If you don't ground it you will get sound, but the pot won't adjust the volume level...
BTW, it's best to use a pot with values between 250k and 1meg...
Drawing thanks to Ted Crocker....
the best,
Wichita Sam (one of those old timers...;-)
MichaelS said:
I can answer one question, do piezos need to be grounded. No. Just wire it to the input jack and go. I wire the red wire to the tip of the input, not sure it makes much difference but I was told that when I started so I just wire them all the same. Check out CB Gitty's web site for some wiring diagrams it may help with your other questions. His ad is on the front page.
Replies
Answer to # 2.... yes, it's called a mixer.... cheap 2-4 channel ones work good enough for less than $30-50 on CL all the time.... plus if you get a 4 channel, you can run a dynamic mic and use your guitar amp as a all purpose PA/performance rig. Not the best, but will do in the beginning....
the best,
Wichita Sam
alectron said:
yes, but only slightly.... if you're looking for treble/bass variation, then you're much better off with either a wound pup or wiring in a preamp before the piezo,,,, which is by the way what acoustic/electrics that use piezos do....
the best,
Wichita Sam
alectron said:
Tone pots on single piezos are pointless.... not enough resistance to make any difference... I've wired 2 piezos in series and tried a tone pot as well as a volume pot. It works but so little that it makes it hardly worth the effort. The only time I use a tone pot on a CBG is when I use a wound pup or a wound pup and a piezo in combination...
If you wire a series piezo pickup just wire it like a single wound pup. www.guitarelectronics.com is a great resource for wiring diagrams....
hope this helps,
the best,
Wichita Sam
alectron said:
Michael,
Well, you're right and wrong... IF you are wring a piezo directly to an output jack, then, no... you don't have to ground the piezo, or the strings, or anything.... and it doesn't matter if the red wire is on the tip or the ring....
But... if you are installing a pot. for volume control, then for the pot to work, the ground side of the piezo (brass disc/black wire usually) must be grounded to the body of the pot...and the third pole of the pot and the "ring" of the output jack..... If you don't ground it you will get sound, but the pot won't adjust the volume level...
BTW, it's best to use a pot with values between 250k and 1meg...
Drawing thanks to Ted Crocker....
the best,
Wichita Sam (one of those old timers...;-)
MichaelS said:
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