Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lane Martin on June 17, 2016 at 6:58am

I've got some I pulled out of magnetic window alarms. They're a little bigger than a bottle cap. I'll let you know about the sound once I get one wired in.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lane Martin on June 17, 2016 at 2:40pm

I'll try that. My first two attempts will be on a one-string broom handle in a large almonds tin and a two string cbg. There's an interesting harmonic on the two-string that I'm interested to hear through amplification.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by doggylv . on June 19, 2016 at 5:53am

Wayfinder, I going to have to try that 2 string tuning.....

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JL on June 20, 2016 at 3:34am

A two- stringer is also a great use of the leftover high B (string #2) and high E (string #1) tuned to G-D.  very Mandolin-like sound.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 17, 2016 at 10:40am

Yes. It's been done. Ages ago. You'd have to search back before 2011 on this forum, and the old Yahoo group before that.

Do a Search on "Piezo from smoke detector..."

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. on June 17, 2016 at 6:52pm

Yeah ,if you would lane let me know how everything works out and "Wayfinder" Thank for the heads up on not going with one too small. Makes since and I have always thought you get the best sound out of a piezo by sandwiching it between the neck and lid. Thanks guys for the advice and lane ,Let me know how the window alarms work for you ,again Thanks guys!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lane Martin on June 20, 2016 at 2:07am

One question...putting the piezo between the bridge/lid and neck, do you use hot glue or something, or just rely on the pressure to keep it in place?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. on June 20, 2016 at 11:08am

Yeah Lane ,A lot use a a little glue to keep it in place and I have read several "how to articles" saying the same method with a bit of hot glue for those nights when you get a little carried away jamming ,just to make sure it want be moving around and falling out of place while your jamming. Also a lot of builders put a dab of hot glue over the wires they soldered to the disk ,Just for extra hold & keep it secured so no wires end up coming a part on you ..."added protection" I guess you could say!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. on June 20, 2016 at 11:27am

"wayfinder" before I even started building my first CBG ,a builder that had been building for years told me to "MAKE SURE and sandwich the piezo in between the neck and box lid for the best results.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John on June 19, 2016 at 5:57am

This is pretty cool idea. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on June 19, 2016 at 8:13am

I got to toss a wet blanket on this one folks. What makes a detector work is a small radioactive plate, This plate is safe until you physically touch it. Piezos are cheap enough not to put yourself in harms way. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. on June 21, 2016 at 10:43am

I read this article years ago and have seen othets about taking the round piece of metal inside a smoke detector & wiring it up to a patch cord and jack ,wedge it in between the neck and lid top and I thought what a Great Idea. I got a carbon monoxide detector and its round metal disk is a little bigger than a bottle cap ,by just a little ,so I figure it will be plenty big enough to get a good sound out of ,just haven't tried it w the carbon monoxide detector and Piezoes are fairly cheap ,but I just thought "what a good Idea". There was also a article about cracking open a smoke detector for the same use in Guitar World not to long ago.

• ▶ Reply