Alberts w/piezos

[paranoid70]

Here are my piezo newbie questions. How does one "Practically" use the piezo while gigging? Do you need two amps, two cables, A/B Switch?????? Do you just simply pull out the cable and insert it into the Piezo plug and plug it back in the normal one when you are done?

Lastly, what would be the advantage of using a piezo vs. a plain old acoustic guitar?

 

[alf cockle]

YoU will find it pretty close to a volume knob on the most popular guitar ever made..can*t mention the name..but its a 5 letter word beginning with S and ending with T..no sweat..I have the AL piezo..no brainer here!

 

[dannymusic]

listen to any newer THE WHO recordings or concert DVD. Pete Townshend is the master of how it should be done. Must be piezo through PA or powered wedge or acoustic amp and guitar as normal.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Here are my piezo newbie questions. How does one "Practically" use the piezo while gigging? Do you need two amps, two cables, A/B Switch?????? Do you just simply pull out the cable and insert it into the Piezo plug and plug it back in the normal one when you are done?

Lastly, what would be the advantage of using a piezo vs. a plain old acoustic guitar?

Good questions - let's see what I can do to help ya!!
Ignoring the mix treble & bass on the piezo pre amp, the piezo on the AL has 2 outputs. You can see the output jacks underneath viz:-

You can't see it from this photo but the left jack output is labeled "Magnetic/Stereo" and the right jack output is labeled "Piezo/mono".

If you are plugged into one amplifier then you would use Piezo/mono output through a normal mono guitar lead. By having the volume knob on the magnetic pickups on and at the same time having the volume knob on the piezo off - the guitar will play like a normal guitar. When you turn the volume knob up on the piezo you will then bring in the piezo. So now you will have the piezo and mag pickups, mixed, both using your mono lead, and playing together through your amp. By turning the mag volume off and having the piezo volume on, you will have just the piezo coming through your amp.

You can however, split the output of the piezo and the output of the mags and run them through separate amps, or maybe DI the piezo through the PA and keep your mags through your guitar amp. There are 2 ways of doing this.
1) Run a lead from each output jack into separate amps.
2) Use a stereo guitar lead from the stereo output jack of the guitar. You will then need to run the stereo lead into a splitter box. The splitter box will then run your piezo into one amp and your mags into another.

I use the splitter box myself as I don't want two leads coming out of the guitar - like this.
The centre is the stereo in and then either side Mono out for the AER and Mono out for the Marshall

My splitter box is a home made affair and splits my signal between my Marshall and my AER acoustic.

Finally using an acoustic guitar instead of a piezo is like chalk and cheese playing wise - feels completely different - but hell ya knew that didn't ya!

But sound wise it is damn good - if it's good enough for Petrucci then it'll do for us mere mortals.

Any more questions - fire away. - I knew Jack sh!t about it 2 years ago when it was as new to me then as it is to you now.

 

[poj]

Between acoustic amp
and
'LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI' preamp+ powered speaker
which one is the better choice?

which powered speaker for $200 budget?

Thanks.

 

[paranoid70]

Thanks Spud, very informative. I have played an Axis with Piezo a few weeks ago and I thought it sounded great. I didn't know you could get that Piezo effect by using the same output jack as the regular one. Thanks.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Between acoustic amp
and
'LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI' preamp+ powered speaker
which one is the better choice?

which powered speaker for $200 budget?

Thanks.

Th German supplier Thomann do some great cheap powered speakers
take a peek here
Active Full-Range Loudspeakers - U.K. International Cyberstore

 

[poj]

Thanks, spud.

 

[dstockden]

Spud.
Any chance of a block diagram or a pic of the insides of your splitter box? i wouldnt mind making one myself, unless its top secret!

 

[Guitarburetor]

What is nearly Top Secret is that Ernie Ball made a splitter box to do exactly what you want to do, and a stereo cable to use with it. We no longer offer it, but you may be lucky enough to find one out there somewhere, possibly they will even become collectible!

If you ALL promise to buy one, maybe we can bring them back??????????

 

[dstockden]

What is nearly Top Secret is that Ernie Ball made a splitter box to do exactly what you want to do, and a stereo cable to use with it. We no longer offer it, but you may be lucky enough to find one out there somewhere, possibly they will even become collectible!

If you ALL promise to buy one, maybe we can bring them back??????????

too late im afraid i just made one! it only took 5 minutes! I was curious to see if spud had put any extra gubbins in there so i could try that out!

 

[fsmith]

What is nearly Top Secret is that Ernie Ball made a splitter box to do exactly what you want to do, and a stereo cable to use with it. We no longer offer it, but you may be lucky enough to find one out there somewhere, possibly they will even become collectible!

If you ALL promise to buy one, maybe we can bring them back??????????

I just bought one from Pete 2 weeks ago. I think he bought a bunch when they were discontinued. He may still have a couple.

 

[Spudmurphy]

too late im afraid i just made one! it only took 5 minutes! I was curious to see if spud had put any extra gubbins in there so i could try that out!

Sorry man, I've been away working and just rushed back home after getting bad news about a really close cousin in St Louis.

I gotta go into the office and later on I'll open up the box of tricks - but there is nothing secret in there.

I'll take photos and post em later.

Gotta rush of now - later.
Spud

 

[glockaxis]

I got one from Pete as well. I might get another just to leave it in its original bag and take it ti the Antiques Road Show in a few years.

 

[Spudmurphy]

OK I just knocked this up

because it wasn't clear from these photos what was happening

I wonder if Strings & Things UK have any?

 

[roburado]

I just bought one from Pete 2 weeks ago. I think he bought a bunch when they were discontinued. He may still have a couple.

I should be getting one from Pete when my BFR ships. Also, kneeoh got one from the EB website not too long ago--within the past month or two.

 

[dstockden]

cheers Spud, , i wired mine super simply (cause im a bit crap at stuff like this!) with only the tips of the monos wired to the tip/ring respectively I works soim not bothered beyound that, i was just curisou to see if you had put any thing magic in the box like resistors or capacitors!
thanks again for posting!

david

 

[Spudmurphy]

The Prince of Darkness as I call him (Beej) is the ex purt - and if he thinks a cap or two will improve it - I'll certainly listen.
Glad yours worked out ok, but of course, it doesn't exist without pics!!

 

[beej]

Naw, for a splitter that's all good. All you're doing is taking a stereo plug and sending the signal to two mono plugs ... no magic there.

If you had a footswitch wired in there to A/B the signals (e.g. off gives you mags, on gives you piezo, etc.) then you could put in some magic to help avoid the "click" sound.

 

[Spudmurphy]

^
phew!!!
cheers POD

Go here BBC - Homes - TV and radio - DIY SOS team
The Prince of Darkness is "Billy Byrne"