Transducer pickup

Currently I have 2 acoustic guitars and 1 incoming uke. I'm looking to do a performance for the fam and bring out the real sound for the uke. And I hear transducer pickups are one of the only ways I can amp it.

My cousin handed me his old Peavey amp and I didn't just want to set it aside, but wanted to put it in good use. Can anyone reccommend me a good pickup for a great deal? Looking to spend up to $40 for one. I've seen many from Tylor Mt. to Dean Markley but I wouldn't know how they work/durability. I'd love to get some great reviews from personal experience.

another option is to mic your uke. if you have a mic and a mic stand, you're all set. i've tried it through my PA system and it works pretty well.

I just made and installed my own for under $10. All you need is a Piezo disc and a 1/4" jack or any jack. Sounds pretty good.

Guting said:

I just made and installed my own for under $10. All you need is a Piezo disc and a 1/4" jack or any jack. Sounds pretty good.

Click to expand...

How was the labor?

Also, where'd ya get the piezo disc? Was it hard to put together?

Its like Geico, so easy, a caveman could do it.

Parts are at radioshack, piezo buzzer. You gotta break it out of its plastic housing without damaging it, not too hard. Then just solder up.

I drilled a hole in my uke 2 years back cause I made a pickup then as well but never came around to installing it. That had the actual quarter inch jack that most pickups use (the long metal housings).

But since im out of time (playing monday) I just used the external jack and let the wire stick out of the okole a few inches.

I am interested in this! I got a Transducer but if I could make my uke plugin that would be awesome!

try wait I going eat dinner

you turning your uke so that it can be plugged in

I want in

Thanks guting. That's my problem though, is the actual drilling. If it's done right, it'll look good but if not, I just made a dumb hole for no apparent reason. I watched a youtube video of someone making their uke with the drilling and all that good stuff, but it seemed like a lot of labor.

go to a ukulele shop and get them to drill the hole and if not go to a guitar shop and get them to just drill the hole or something :S

just as long as its through the end block, be gentle, like making love for the first time (penetration)


heres the one a made a while back

http://www.4thpeg.com/parlor_room/viewtopic.php?t=2991&highlight=

as you noticed two HUGE discs (massive passive signal) too bad I never got around to installing it.


heres the stuff I used for my ghetto rig. Shouldve took pics while I was doing it.




hanging out.

Looks great. The problem is I'm not even familiar with the cables and whatnot. Afraid I might ruin something or the final product wont sound too good.

I was thinking if I bought the supplies and did the easy stuff, that maybe a music store would do the installing. I'm not too fond of the 1/4" jack, discs, etc.

before you buy it first. inform the music store and ask if they are able to make it possible

I might just do this as well

you could always go external (no drilling, no sticking hands in the soundhole), that should do it for you.

^^ That's actually what I was aiming for, which was my actual question in where/what stores sell these for good prices. I remember Aldrine talking about this in the 'what to get' accessories begginner videos on UU.com

I just actually needed to know what brand to get and where. I was thinking about doing the constructing like you said for under $10. But maybe in the future

Mine is the exact one Aldrine recomended in the what to get video... It was inexpensive. I just got it on ebay...

Oh and thanks for the pics!

well I am in fremont, im sure we can get some sort of external contraption going with the same stuff.

I have installed a Dean Markley pickup in a Pono tenor. It was a pretty easy job since that's the exact pickup Pono used in their ukes anyway (yes, I should have bought one with a pickup to begin with, but didn't think I'd want one at the time). I did have to drill a couple of holes, one under the saddle and one at the tail block, and you need the correct type of drill bits to get the job done.

The Dean Markley pickup itself worked very well. I think it sounds very good. Pono now uses a "Pono" pickup that looks just like the Dean Markley except that it's silver. MGM has stated on another forum that the new Pono pickups are better than the Dean Markley pickups they previously used.

Guting, do you live in Fremont? If so, maybe we can work something out with the pickup. If not then I'm just ognna have to find one of the Dean Markley's or something online. Heck, I dont even use a CC so I might have to find someone who has one.

degracia,

When you say transducer, know that there are different types. You've already seen what's known as an SBT (soundboard transducer). There is also the UST (undersaddle transducer). Pro's and con's to both, but mostly, you'll find the UST's as factory installs (or a combination of, these days).

The SBT is very placement specific. Personally, I only use UST's.

I went from Fishman to L.R. Baggs (who supplies the actual UST wire to D-TAR and Mi-Si, among others). Lots of guys use Fishman Acoustic Matrix, but they seem to quacky for `ukulele. Of course, they just came out with their new Matrix Infinity, which seems very easy from a "plug n play" standpoint, with features similar to the Baggs.

I like L.R. Baggs Element UST much better (and a lot of guys are using this now). They tout plug n play as well, along with an included volume control (which the Matrix now has). Unfortunately, the wires for the battery, volume and pickup are too long (for me) as they come from the factory, so now I custom order the pickups with nothing attached (so I have to custom solder everything - sort of takes away from the plug n play aspect, but with much better and cleaner end result).

Of course, it all comes down to sound, and those that have played with Baggs say it is more natural sounding. However, if you've used Fishman for a while, then switch to Baggs, you may think the Fishman is "louder". Admittedly, they do seem more sensitive, but that's what the volume control is for.

Both have active pre-amps in the endpin jack (hence the battery bag), so they can go straight into a PA system, but, you won't find them for $40.

I believe MGM distributes Markley's, and if I'm not mistaken, they have UST's as well.

I know, a little overkill on the info, but just my $.02.
-Aaron