Is the Pezo JP6 the best Piezo equipped guitar?

[Lee274]

So whilst I'm hoping to get my hands on a JP6 Piezo soon I've been chatting to a friend who says he think they are the best Piezo equipped electric on the market ever.

Bold statement to make, but worthy IMO.

What do you guys think? I know you are a bit biast

Lee

 

[cbc83]

It's hard to say, since there aren't that many piezo equipped electrics out there. I played a 1996 Parker Fly Deluxe for 15 years or so that had a Fishman piezo system, and I'd say the piezos on my JP6 and JPXI sounds a bit better, but IMO, the sound of piezos are stupendously dependent on what you send the signal to, and I've changed gear a few times since switching to EBMMs.

Piezos won't sound anything like an acoustic through a standard amplifier (though the blended sounds are cool for cleans), but I'm pretty happy with the sound using an IR made from a Gibson J45 acoustic on my Line6 HX Stomp.

 

[xjbebop]

The Music Man piezo system is one of the better ones I've heard, and it's available on a number of different models, not just the JP / Majesty...

 

[johnnyboogie]

Without having heard all the piezo-equipped guitars on the planter I'd say the EBMM piezo-equiped guitars are EASILY the best.

Check how JP uses the piezo and where he sends the signal to get the optimal quality. Plugging it into a high quality amp won't necessarily give you the best result possible.

 

[Bill S]

So where DOES JP send his piezo signal? Genuinely interested, sounds amazing. And can anyone get an approximation to that via amp sims?

 

[johnnyboogie]

So where DOES JP send his piezo signal? Genuinely interested, sounds amazing. And can anyone get an approximation to that via amp sims?

Straight to the console and then the PA. You cam get a very defent sound via a variety of means but JP gets pretty much the optimal result.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Straight to the console and then the PA. You cam get a very defent sound via a variety of means but JP gets pretty much the optimal result.

In the past he has used the Fishman Aura 16 to help shape the piezo sound.

Granted, this is an older video, but if you go to the 6:00 mark they talk about the signal chain and piezo side.
Rig Rundown - Dream Theater's John Petrucci - YouTube

 

[cbc83]

So where DOES JP send his piezo signal? Genuinely interested, sounds amazing. And can anyone get an approximation to that via amp sims?

I saw a rig rundown from 2019. In that video, he used a TC Electronics BodyRez pedal, but that was it - piezo -> pedal -> board

 

[johnnyboogie]

In the past he has used the Fishman Aura 16 to help shape the piezo sound.

Granted, this is an older video, but if you go to the 6:00 mark they talk about the signal chain and piezo side.
Rig Rundown - Dream Theater's John Petrucci - YouTube

Thank you Pete!! =D

 

[Bill S]

Great information, thanks all.

 

[QuantumFactor]

There are a few older J Custom’s with piezo, but your options are limited. I would still say JP’s stuff are the best options.

 

[Spudmurphy]

I used to have a JP6 with Piezo . I still have an Albert with Piezo.
On both guitars I sent the pickups to my tube amp and my piezo to an AER (linked to the PA).

The piezo on both guitars were very good.

I remember back in 2005 when I first heard the Albert piezo through an AER .... I just had to have one, and as I say, still have the Albert and AER. Awesome!