The last build from my Son Jack’s Bedroom CleanoutAGP #433 - “Glenlivet”1 String Fretless Diddley BowScale:584.2mm/23inches - String:.046NW - Tuned: AThe Whiskey Tube is Thick Cardboard with a Tin Top and Bottom, not sure what type of Timber the Neck is, it was part of two 3m long x 33mm diameter lengths of second hand Curtain Rail, I purchased cheaply many years back, from a Second Hand Junk Shop, the Neck Top and Bottom are Acacia Napkin Rings, again purchased from a 2nd hand Shop, the Neck was given 3 coats of Feast Watson Brush On French Polish.A 35mm Piezo Disc, embedded in a plastic milk bottle top with Hot Glue, is screwed to the Neck inside the Tube, and is hardwired to the output Jack.As I wanted to keep this $11 Build as cheap as possible, the main cost reduction was the addition of a $0.27 Piezo Disc, and as always, from my from past experiences, using one of these things was a bad mistake, because it sounds like shite, so there won’t be a Sound sample of it, until I add a Mag Pickup of some sort, and probably fill the Tube with some sort of foam to deaden the very Tinny sound it currently has.
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"Thanks UJ", the best and probably only success I had with a Piezo Disc, was on my first build AGP #1, and I think I also had some reasonable success on a couple of under saddle Piezo Rod builds, the Piezo Disc on this one, is heavily embedded in Hot Glue in a Plastic Milk Bottle Top, and screwed to the Neck, but hidden inside the Tube, and at first I thought it would deaden the Piezo too much, how wrong I was!, I do like the look of this simple little Diddy Bow, so the cheap-ass attempt will get a little bit dearer with the replacement of Mag Pup, probably be an MGB Flat Wound or Five Dolla Make It Holla Pup, will do a before and after Sound Sample, when I finish cleaning and reorganising my very dirty and disorganised work & storage sheds. :-)
I still have some mixed but often good luck with piezos. They are harder to get good results with on tins. I would have gone with it on the neck and sandwiched in hot melt glue. Love your cheap-ass attempts. I get it.
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"Thanks UJ", the best and probably only success I had with a Piezo Disc, was on my first build AGP #1, and I think I also had some reasonable success on a couple of under saddle Piezo Rod builds, the Piezo Disc on this one, is heavily embedded in Hot Glue in a Plastic Milk Bottle Top, and screwed to the Neck, but hidden inside the Tube, and at first I thought it would deaden the Piezo too much, how wrong I was!, I do like the look of this simple little Diddy Bow, so the cheap-ass attempt will get a little bit dearer with the replacement of Mag Pup, probably be an MGB Flat Wound or Five Dolla Make It Holla Pup, will do a before and after Sound Sample, when I finish cleaning and reorganising my very dirty and disorganised work & storage sheds. :-)
Great and classy (and playable art).
I still have some mixed but often good luck with piezos. They are harder to get good results with on tins. I would have gone with it on the neck and sandwiched in hot melt glue. Love your cheap-ass attempts. I get it.