The truth about Piezo

[Alter]

Hi all! I'm new to this forum and this is my first message. I want to apologize for my English, because sometimes I can’t express my thoughts clearly enough)))

I’m thinking of purchasing EBMM Silhouette Special with piezo bridge and I’ve got questions about it.

I’ve heard an opinion that if a guitar is equipped with piezo bridge the sound from magnetic pickups is worse because there is a piezocrystal between string and saddle which lowers resonance of wood. Is that true or not???

Piezo system is active and it works from a battery, isn't it? EBMM Silhouette Special is equipped with a silent circuit system which also works from a battery. Is there one battery in the guitar or two?
And is it possible to turn off silent circuit while using piezo pickup?

Thank you very much in advance!!!

 

[D.K.]

Hi, Alter, welcome to this forum! Although i live in Cologne now, I'm originally from Yaroslavl (and sorry for You lossing to us in the ice-hockey playoffs).

Refering to Your questions - I have not had any experience with the silo special, but had a piezo Petrucci. Whie scientifically Your concerns MAY be correct, I deffinitely have heard no difference in sound to the non-piezo model.

Poka!

 

[Marcus2]

Hello,

I cannot speak to the model you inquire about. I do, however, have 2 Petruccis. After comparing them to many other piezo eqipped guitars, I found the EBMM Petrucci models to have the best piezo...they compared very nicely to my acoustic guitar.

Further, I notice no impact on the electric sound.

Since playing the Petrucci, I ocnsider it the "Swiss Army knife" of guitars.

Good luck!

Marc

 

[threeminutesboy]

I have 2 Axis Super Sport

one with Piezo, the other without. The electric sound is the same on both, the Piezo one is even more resonant

 

[mbgreene]

There is only one battery that powers both the silent circuit and piezo.

 

[GuitarHack]

Alter, I have Silo Specials both with and without piezo. There is a slight difference in the sound, I think due to the solid steel saddles on the piezo SS (sound is fatter and more resonant), versus the bent steel saddles on non-piezo (twangier and woodier). Neither is better or worse, they're just different, but they're both definitely Silo Specials.

I also have piezo and non-piezo Axis Super Sports. The saddles are solid steel on both, and there is no noticeable difference in sound to me with them.

The piezo is awesome...aside from the added cost, I see no downside. I have a dedicated acoustic amp, but find the piezo to sound possibly even better through an electric guitar amp that has a good clean sound (Carr Rambler, Mesa Lone Star).

Go for it, you won't regret it!

 

[Spudmurphy]

Hi Alter and welcome to the forum.

Just to chime in here to say that having a piezo will not have a bad effect on your sound of your silo. Having a crystal will have no detrimental (bad) effect at all.

You will not be able to turn the silent circuit off - as long as there is a good battery in the guitar, the silent circuit will be on - and once again will not harm the sound of the silo.

If you were to take the battery out, then the silent circuit would be switched off - you can still use the guitar - of course if this were the case then the piezo would be switched off too.

Any more questions - just ask.

 

[Lou]

That's just nitpicking. You'll kick yourself for not having a piezo.

 

[Alter]

Thank you very much indeed!!! That was a real pleasure to read your messages here!
Now I've got answers to my questions, and you know, you've asolutely resolved all my doubts about having the piezo! Now I already feel that I NEED it

Thank you very much again! You are amazing people!

 

[Spudmurphy]

The big problem is ... ... ...




... ... ... ... when you get your Piezo equipped silo - you will want to get an Acoustic amp ha!

Stick around and enjoy this great forum - I don't recall seeing many Russian members.

 

[Alter]

Ha-ha Yes I've heard about this big problem It's said there's only one way to solve it: go and buy that Acoustic amp otherwise you'll be suffering for the rest of your life

 

[Spudmurphy]

You got it right!

The piezo sounds awesome through an acoustic amp.

If you can , try out an AER - they are awesome!

 

[candid_x]

That's just nitpicking. You'll kick yourself for not having a piezo.

Guess I'm knit-picking too, because that's also been a concern of mine, and I've never kicked myself for having plain old bent steel saddles on my silo specials. Not saying the piezo option isn't a good or even great one, just that's it's not necessarily for everyone.

 

[Sweat]

piezo on EBMM rulle enough said.

 

[GuitarHack]

That's just nitpicking.

Perhaps, but the sound is different, even if only due to the saddles.

You'll kick yourself for not having a piezo.

Yes, he will.

 

[augustyn]

i own some MMs with and soem w/o piezo. i installed a LR baggs into a McInturff (PRS Style) and can tell that the electric sound does NOT suffer from having a piezo.
i run all my guitars through a new processor (fractal audio axe-fx) and through a fullrangesystem.
so i need only one amplifing on stage. fpr piezosound the cabsim is switched off and i toyed around w/EQing and some effects and theres no need for an acoustic on stage anymore.
before i had the axe-fx i used to route the piezosignal directly to the PA through an aphex exciter. also very good solution.

greetings to russia.

you must have even one ball w/piezo!
auge

 

[whitestrat]

I’ve heard an opinion that if a guitar is equipped with piezo bridge the sound from magnetic pickups is worse because there is a piezocrystal between string and saddle which lowers resonance of wood. Is that true or not???

This is unfotunately...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
NOT TRUE! Heheh...

I have 2 20th Silos. One with Piezo, and one without. Personally, I prefer the one without mainly because it's a maple fretboard, and the tones are more focused. And it doesn't look so cluttered. But the RW with piezo I have rocks harder for some reason. It sounded EXACTLY the same when I got it first, with the stock pups, but ever since I changed it, it's an awesome monster now...

It's transformed my JP6 into my backup!!!!

 

[dannymusic]

my ear tells me that a wifes tale. I have a JP and an AL w/p. Almost opposite guitars. Same great result.
A guitar without an EBMM piezo system is a DEALBREAKER (that pretty much eliminates 98% of the other guitars out there)

 

[Alter]

Thanks again to all of you! My intention to get a piezo equipped instrument has become strong as a rock! Now I guess no one will be able to talk me out of it

 

[kbaim]

Smart decision. Any negligible change in magnetic tone (helped by amp tweaking) is more than made up by the usefulness of having the piezo for your clean tones.

Definitely makes your guitar tone stand apart from mag only.