Some piezo questions...

[thindave]

As I approach the delivery date of my first EBMM - Albert Lee w/ MM90's & piezo trem - I want to work up a nice, easy to use setup for managing a mag/piezo setup and I was hoping I could grok some knowledge from you folks...

So, to start, I don't have an acoustic amp yet, but I may be picking one up. What cable/splitter/pedal setup should I be looking at? I tried a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. today with a Parker Fly and I really liked the sound...

Also, what does a piezo pickup sound like through an electric amp - would it be relatively decent?

Anything you can add would be a great help for me - thanks!

Dave

 

[bing4sons]

I play my Axis SS piezo through a LR Baggs Para DI into a PA system. It sounds great this way. I use two separate cables, the piezo into a EB junior volume pedal and through the LR Baggs Para DI. The mag. output goes into my pedal board and into my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.

I have a Crate acoustic, which sounds OK with it, but not great. That's probably as much a result of the Crate as the piezo (my 2 older sons have used it for a vocal amp with their rock bands and probably pushed it too hard).

I have not gotten a decent sound out of the piezo with an electric amp.

 

[thindave]

Ok, so that way, you just adjust each volume manually with each pot, right? Would using one of the pedals set to pan make it easier? I see that the petrucci has a switch to easily jump between the two...

 

[bing4sons]

I'm about as unsophisticated as they come, in regards to electronics. I believe that it is possible to pan with the volume pedal, if you're using the stereo volume pedal. However, I use 2 mono pedals with 2 mono cables, one for the acoustic output and one for the magnetic output. I control the volume level of each with the volume pedals. I would only adjust the volume pots between songs. I sing as well and find it too cumbersome to change setting on my guitar in the midst of a song, so I rarely do.

I typically don't have another guitar playing in our group. On many songs that build, I will start off only playing accoustic guitar and then will blend the electric in (most of the time with OD) using the volume pedal with the magnetic output. I usually leave the switch in the middle position, unless I am only going to play electric.

This also works well for me, because many times I may switch to an acoustic guitar and can simply unplug the cord from the piezo output and plug into the acoustic guitar.

As I said, I am sure that many folks here are using much more sophisticated applications than I am.

 

[shred4Him]

Well, I have a Parker Fly. What I have always done is use the stereo cable. Mags go to the amp and piezos go to a direct box which then goes to the board. Then I just use the switch to between the two. I am not familiar with EBMM piezo controls so I can't give any advice there.

As for piezos through an amp...don't. Guitar amps don't have the frequency range required for piezos(no tweeters or any such things). Using an acoutsic amp or running the signal to the P.A. will give you the best piezo sound. Using a regular amp will make your piezos sound like an average clean electric sound.

 

[thindave]

thanks guys, on the fly i tried out yesterday it did have that nice red button to turn the piezo on. The JPM has a switch as well - don't know why the AL doesn't... Would it be possible to wire one up?