Piezo Distortion (JP6)

[CudBucket]

Hey guys. Just noticed something about my JP and was wondering if it's just the nature of a Piezo. While playing the Piezo, I noticed that, if take the B string for example, pinch it with 2 fingers on my right hand and sort of pull it and let it slap back to the fret board, it causes distortion through the amp. The magnetics don't do that. And it's more noticeable with more treble.

Basically if you pick or pluck hard it happens. I also notice it more with my Road King than my Carvin Legacy (clean channels).

I guess I'm just wondering if it's relatively easy to drive the Piezo into this type of distortion with very heavy technique. Oh and by distortion, I don't mean gain, I mean a fretting out, white noise kind of thing.

Thanks.

Dave

 

[rakshade]

I had the same kind of 'effect' on the mono output.
Both magnetic and piezo pickups were affected.
This was the 9V battery that was dying.
Maybe this is one of the first symptoms of your battery emptying, and you should consider replacing it?

 

[73h Nils]

I've got the same problem, it just started recently (through both my amps)...I'll switch the battery and see what happens. It just happens with the low E.

 

[CudBucket]

Well it wasn't the battery. I adjusted the mix, bass and treble screws on the back a bit and I think it's OK. I'll play it a bit more. If I continue to think there might be an issue, I'll just call the best CS in the biz.

 

[jappy]

Please let me know how you go, because I have the same problem if I turn the piezo up full and strum hard on the high E string

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Maybe don't beat the **** out of it while using the piezo?

Only JP has "world domination mode"

 

[Plaschkes]

I have the same effect, I usually use the piezo with it's volume pot rolled back a tad and that solves it all.

 

[uvacom]

You're probably just overloading the piezo's preamp - it doesn't have unlimited headroom, y'know.

 

[ivanmihaljevic]

That's why you have the mix control on the piezo preamp. Turn it down a bit and it should work fine!

 

[Zor]

I'll try too cause I've got the same problem with notes I pluck w/ my right hand fingers or maybe review my technique and attack more gently....

 

[ivanmihaljevic]

I'll try too cause I've got the same problem with notes I pluck w/ my right hand fingers or maybe review my technique and attack more gently....

I don't think you should play more gently. I'm a very aggressive player and I have no problems with the piezo. I just turned the mix screw down a bit.

 

[chrisallen]

I have a LOT of experience with the piezo...

its a really really high gain output when compared to the mag pickups. so you're really overdriving the input of your amplifier, not the guitar preamp.

the mix control on the back is used when you run mono cables since you may run the piezo through the same amp as your mag pickups... the bass and treb controls let you squeeze as much treb through your electric amp as it can handle... the mix only works with mono cables... if you use a stereo cable, it assumes the piezo has its own gain control etc and the mix is permanently on its loudest.

so if you're using one cable to your electric, back off the mix knob until it's about even with your loudest electric clean sound. input gain distortion isn't the best thing so get the mix right!

 

[jeffrey]

I have WICKED distortion on my low B with piezo. It sounds like a Big Muff (at any volume).

The other strings are fine, it's just that saddle.

I don't really use it though so I'm not worried about it.

 

[CudBucket]

I have a LOT of experience with the piezo...

its a really really high gain output when compared to the mag pickups. so you're really overdriving the input of your amplifier, not the guitar preamp.

the mix control on the back is used when you run mono cables since you may run the piezo through the same amp as your mag pickups... the bass and treb controls let you squeeze as much treb through your electric amp as it can handle... the mix only works with mono cables... if you use a stereo cable, it assumes the piezo has its own gain control etc and the mix is permanently on its loudest.

so if you're using one cable to your electric, back off the mix knob until it's about even with your loudest electric clean sound. input gain distortion isn't the best thing so get the mix right!

Thanks Chris. That's pretty much what I found yesterday. I checked the EBMM FAQ and there isn't any info like this there. They should take your post and put it in their FAQ.

Thanks guys.

Dave

 

[FastRedPonyCar]

I'm pretty much having this exact same problem. 9V battery swap didn't fix it.

I'm at work so I'll try doing the stereo split output and running the piezo di into my DAW to see if that helps but the thing that chaps me is that it didn't do this when I bought it.

I've changed the pickups in the guitar but didn't mess with the piezo controls at all and it distorts now. I lowered the mix knob on the back of the guitar and at the point at which it no longer distorts, the piezo output is way lower than the magnetic output