If you want a Piezo.....

[Big Mike]

Buy it that way from the factory.

I just yanked the Ghost system out of my Axis SS Rosewood.
Great guitar. I bought it second hand this way, and it always felt like the pickups were active...going through the preamp I learned. A forum brother sent me a schematic for fixing that, but with as much as I hit the little toggle where the guy placed, I thought I'd just yank it and live with the whole (I'll find a small plug or something).

Really sounds much better. Particularly the 3 middle positions of the 5 way. I also think I like the sound of the metal saddles better, but it's hard to tell since so much changed.

A few wires broke off, so some trial and error, and it's back to factory.

Really sounds better.

So my pount...if you want the Piezo. IMO, go for the one from the factory.

 

[robelinda2]

thats what everyone tells me too, dont do it afterwards. A few guys here have done it, Beej ( I think! ) did it on his Morse. i would love a piezo on my Blue Pearl Silo Special, but i was warned against it. so i'll leave it as it is.

interesting how it sounds better without it!!!

 

[augustyn]

good to know...i was interested in an used rosewoodaxis with ghost piezos a few weeks ago. i love the piezo sound in my JP.....

 

[Big Mike]

Might be fine with the mod (maybe it was Beej that sent it to me..) but I find them not practical for me in general.

But like I said, the placement of the toggle drove me nuts.

HEre's a pick with it in there.

See what I mean, very easy to hit it if you're messing with the tone control or volume. The tone control didn't work well with it either. Must be an issue of the preamp. Works as designed now.

I think this is the only guitar I've owned I prefer 100% stock. LOL

 

[technomancer]

Actually it REALLY sounds like this was badly miswired... the only place the ghost system should some into contact with the normal guitar electronics is at the output jack...

 

[Big Mike]

Nope. DO a search, Beej posted something about this. Unlike the LR Baggs, the Preamp still effects teh passives on the Ghost system.

It was wired per spec, I checked.

 

[beej]

Big Mike's right- I have the Ghost system in my Morse and sent him a schematic for a three-way toggle switch to force the pickups to be passive.

Even in the "mag only" position, the signal is routed through the preamp at unity gain. There's no way to mix active (piezo) and passive (mag) signals together so they both have to be active for the blend (both) configuration to work.

I found this introduced hiss in the signal - I found it frustrating with higher gain on my amp. So a put in a toggle for Mag/Piezo/Both but wired it so in the "Mag" position the pickups and output jack are disconnected from the preamp. In that position it's like the old guitar and you can pull the battery, etc. without any effect.

I totally agree with Mike- the best piezos I've played have come from the factory and aren't aftermarket. But in my case there wasn't an option on the Morse ...

Glad you're still loving that guitar, Mike.

 

[Big Mike]

Thanks Beej!

Yeah, I just decided it wasn't worth the hassle of the Piezo so it' outta there.

Love the guitar. Love it more sans annoying little 3 way toggle. LOL