HELP....Misi pickup install

Rod

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Aloha Everyone!
Hoping to get a little advice. I picked up a Misi active pickup from MGM last week and I'm trying to install it. Currently my Kamaka tenor has a passive Fishman. My question is, what would be the best way to remove the old? The pic's below are from the inside of the ukulele. Also, has anyone else installed one in a Kamaka tenor, any other tips, did you have to use a router on the bridge?

DSC07723.jpg


DSC07715.jpg


Thanks for the help with this install!
 
lol, this may sound silly, but can you imagine having both pickups?

When the Mi-Si runs out of power on stage, you have a passive backup pickup.
Just plug the jack into the other hole :D
 
Ah very cool, just checked out the video, I would really like to install one in my uke but to be honest, it's my only playable uke and the idea scares me.
 
lol, this may sound silly, but can you imagine having both pickups?

When the Mi-Si runs out of power on stage, you have a passive backup pickup.
Just plug the jack into the other hole :D
This may be the best idea. First off, not sure how you get inside there to cut away the glue that's holding the old pu in place. Easiest would be to replace the output jack with a 1/4" stereo jack so you can have both connected but separate channels. Then with a small mixer you could blend the two signals for optimum balance of both. Your new active pu may already have a second input for that purpose. Is your new pu an under saddle or disk like the one currently installed? Not uncommon in guitars to have one of each.
 
Fahrner, the output jack attached to the capacitor element is stereo, which is needed to charge the capacitor (+ and -). I don't think it is possible to attach another pickup. Anyway, it's a 60 second job to charge your MiSi for 8 hours or so. I am sure that if you are going to do a gig, you'd remember to do this.

Just cut off the old one, leave it there and use the output hole you have for the MiSi. Saves you drilling more holes in your uke.

Not sure but that soundboard transducer anyway, does it work properly? It looks like its fixed to a brace as well as the soundboard?
 
I would do what Gaby suggested. Seems simple, and yes, would keep you from drilling your uke more.

I don't mean to deter from the OP, but I ordered a misi and will install it soon. The question I have is that, my Ohana TK-35G has a plastic bridge, and I was wondering if it was a good idea to sand down the length of the bridge, or to just sand down the bottom of the saddle to the height it was at before I placed the wire in the groove. Does anyone have any suggestions?
 
Dane; On the TK-35, the bridge is rosewood. The white part that looks like plastic is the saddle. The saddle is made out of bone. To install an under saddle pu, you will need to remove some material from the bottom of the saddle to compensate for the thickness of the pu.
Gaby, Thanks. Now I understand although sometimes they use a mono connector or jack and a capacitor to block the DC (from the charger) from getting into the audio path.
Rod, sometimes those disk transducers are simply installed with putty. Once you get the old jack free of the hole and fish through the sound hole, you might just give it a tug to see if the old transducer will come loose. Would just be nice to get it out so that the loose wire doesn't rattle around.
 
Dane; On the TK-35, the bridge is rosewood. The white part that looks like plastic is the saddle. The saddle is made out of bone. To install an under saddle pu, you will need to remove some material from the bottom of the saddle to compensate for the thickness of the pu.
Gaby, Thanks. Now I understand although sometimes they use a mono connector or jack and a capacitor to block the DC (from the charger) from getting into the audio path.
Rod, sometimes those disk transducers are simply installed with putty. Once you get the old jack free of the hole and fish through the sound hole, you might just give it a tug to see if the old transducer will come loose. Would just be nice to get it out so that the loose wire doesn't rattle around.

Thanks for the info, but I was referring to the bridge haha. I will have to post an image, maybe it is because it is a TK-35G, G is for gloss finish I always presumed. But unless it was coated with some kind of plastic-like finish as well, it is very much a type of synthetic. It could also be because it is now about a year and a half old I would have to guess, and they could have changed the bridge to a real wood. I will try to get an image soon, you could be right but I'm 99% sure it's plastic ; )

EDIT: I guess it will be pretty easy to tell when I drill the hole for the cable, I'll get some pictures then =)
 
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Hi,

the saddle will definitely be bone unless it has been replaced. It may look like plastic, but when you sand down the bottom to compensate for the saddle height you will know soon enough; bone smells disgusting! To sand it down, just place some sand paper on a flat surface and put the bottom of the saddle on it and move it. You only need to remove about 1mm (the pickup is not that high, just measure it), so you might want to make a mark there so you don't go too far.

You may find the bridge wide enough for the pickup; we had some TK-35EQ made with UK-2000 pickups with undersaddle pickups and they fit without alteration, I'm pretty sure.

It's crucial that the saddle and the saddle slot are smooth and even to get good contact. Be careful not to chip away at your saddle too much!

Good luck!
 
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Thanks for the suggestions!

The current sounboard transducer does work properly. If a good tug does not work on getting it out, I'm just going to cut the wire as short as possible and leave it in there. Drill my hole through the bridge and complete the assembly. I'm guessing I will have to do some sanding down on the length of the bridge, but I hope not!

I hope all goes well.
 
Relief....drilled my hole into the bridge saddle and got everything in place and buttoned up. Plugged into my PA and it seems the A string is not as loud as the G or C. Im thinking the saddle may not be sitting down on the pickup correctly? Any other thoughts, tips?

Thanks!
Rod
 
I wouldn't be the one to ask, but yeah I'd check that it's laying flat under the saddle first, I think someone said before that the tip of the cable is not as good as the rest? So maybe your A string is resting on the tip, and you could just slide it down a little more, just a thought. But I don't know, hopefully mine will arrive soon and I will install, I'll tell you how mine goes when I do it and we'll see if there's anything different/same/whatever.
 
where did you find the video of the pickup install? i found a couple on youtube, but i want to see the one by alderine. i'm really thinking about doing this to my uke. i was planning to buy another uke, but this would be much cheaper!!
 
where did you find the video of the pickup install? i found a couple on youtube, but i want to see the one by alderine. i'm really thinking about doing this to my uke. i was planning to buy another uke, but this would be much cheaper!!

http://ukuleleunderground.com/2009/11/21/uke-minutes-69-how-to-install-an-ukulele-pickup/

EDIT: It looks like the materials you would need would be

1/8 drill bit (or smaller and then drill up to the size of the slot in your bridge)
a 1/2 drill bit (I had thought it was 1/4 but 1/2 looks about right I suppose
a Drill (duh)
maybe a little bit of sand paper (fine grit) to ease the wire onto the bridge nicely
a bit of glue if you decide to put some behind the nut to keep it in place
some thin wire or thread to help with pulling the wire through and the plug
and maybe just a lil bit of tape

again, I'll make a post of mine when I do it, I'll try to make a video if I can
 
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thanks for the info and the link to the video. where did you end up buying your pickup from?
 
I ordered mine from mainlandukes, I think someone linked it on the first page. It was the cheapest. Some sites offered free shipping but including shipping it was the cheapest for me, and I hear they are really nice people so I was going to order from them anyways. I think it's nice to show support.
 
cool. i was actually looking at theirs yesterday. just wondering where else to buy. mainland ukes price was good.
 
Elderly had it with free shipping but it was like $10 more. I'd rather by my uke stuff from a uke store though! haha

EDIT: If you go to the mi-si site, they most likely have a link to sites that you can buy it from.
 
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