#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Piezo disc under fretboard

I looked and haven't found any reference to this, so here goes, Has anyone embedded a disc Piezo under the fretboard? The reason I'm asking because the neck that I'm working on is laminated butcher block red oak and it has a beautiful resonance quality about it. I'm not a big fan of magnetic pick-ups for the simple reason they interfere with the looks of the guitar(my opinion). But I like the sound quality that they produce especially close to the fretboard. I'll have 19 frets on my project, so I thought I'd place the disc under the 12th or 17th. If it the sound I'm looking for happens great if not oh well! Cut the wire and move on! I'm placing a rod type in the bridge and a disc inside by the springs with the third under the fretboard and a switching arrangement. Has it been done? If so how was the sound? Any advice or thoughts?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on May 18, 2019 at 10:57am

The Taylor T5Z has a humbucking pickup embedded in the neckpocket, but they don't offer a lot of info on it.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on May 20, 2019 at 10:07am

Hi Paul, it's posibly has the pickup with the pole pieces under the strings through the fingerboard. I have an old neck here that I'm gonna use. It has six holes in the fingerboard for the poles to sit through. Not a new idea, if the same as I'm thinking.

Taff

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on May 23, 2019 at 7:57pm

It seems that it would have to have a big cavity in the neck or body for a pickup in the pocket. If it was in the neck, I would think that a large cavity in the neck would create a weak area that could break under the string pressure. It makes more sense to me to have it in the body pocket with long poles that go through the neck and fretboard. Would have to be strong magnets used.

Would love to see how they do it. Would love to be able to afford one of those guitars. LOL 3 grand is a bit much.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on May 19, 2019 at 3:47am

Just out of curiosity is t possible to salvage the cut off piece of a rod by carefully soldering wires to it? Has anyone tried?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on May 19, 2019 at 7:42am

Haven't tried.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on May 24, 2019 at 12:38pm

Hey Paul, here is a pic of the neck I was talking about, you can see the holes for the pole screws, on the other side you can see where I have started to modify the neck to fit my next cbg. It will have a pickup in that fingerboard position.

Taff

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on May 25, 2019 at 7:08am

That's awesome Taffy. Looks like it will work great. Not "in the pocket",but behind the pocket inside the box?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on May 25, 2019 at 9:48am

Yep.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on May 25, 2019 at 11:22pm

I'm going with a disc, for two reasons 1- don't have to wonder if it's too much or not enough pressure for a rod. 2-they're cheap enough not to care about. Does "anybody" have an opinion or suggestions where to place it (not where the sun don't shine) under the fretboard?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on May 26, 2019 at 7:52am

I would attach it to the neck near the body and cut a small cavity to protect the crystal.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on May 27, 2019 at 12:55pm

Hi, any piezo works best when sensing the actual vibrating top. It's locality (further from or closer to the bridge) will give a different depth and quality of signal. If it were me I would two things, as you asked.

One, I would mount the piezo in a way that it could be moved if needed. And two, I would also mount another one in the body on the top, this way I would have the choice of either one or both.

Re reusing the cut off part of a strip piezo, why would you? The end would be too damaged, I imagine, to find a good soldering point. I'll try next time but I have my doubts, but I normally just bin them.

Taff