Guitar pickup to a ukulele pickup?

Hello all,

I was looking around for a pickup for my ukulele when I realized there already was a pickup already installed on my acoustic/electric guitar. It's the kind with the antenna (is this the right term?) under the saddle and an internal preamp that needs its own cutout. I have several questions...

1. Can this guitar pickup be used in a ukuele?

2. Would the weight of the preamp (and its bulkiness) affect the ukulele or its sound?

3. If the antenna is too long for the saddle groove in my ukulele, would it still work if I trimmed it down? The antenna right now is housed in a plastic casing.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

I doubt you could use it easily. The "antenna" I think is actually the piezo element. Cutting that to fit would ruin it. The effort you are going through, you might as well have it done right.

An alternative that doesn't use a preamp (unless you build one) is to take a piezo element you can buy from Radio Shack, some audio cable, and a 1/4" female jack and make your own pickup. It is extremely easy to do and costs less than $20. Google "DIY piezo pickup" to find some how-tos. A bonus is that you don't necessarily have to make any cuts to your instrument to install one!

~DB