Making Piezo Pickups.

GrumpyOldMan

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Hello all, my first post on here so hope it isn't something that has been asked before, I couldn't find anything anyway.
I am about to build my first Uke from a kit, I am going for the Thomann one as it is cheap and won't be too much of a loss if I make a mess of it. However I want to put a pickup in as I go and have found websites which show how to do it and it doesn't look difficult. They generally use a Piezo Transducer but I have not been able to find the rating. I can get hold of the transducers easily enough but there are two values, a 7khz and a 2.6 khz. Which do I go for?
Also, has anyone on here done this and was it a success?
Cheers,
Ian. Lancaster, UK.
 
I have done this on several instruments without breaking one. It's a cheap and easy pickup. I think that the frequency ratings have more to do with the electronics that make a tone rather than the Piezio disk. Every disk I have ever used has worked exactly the same.

It works spectacularly well. Too well. A peizio pickup amplifies EVERY sound from your uke. Brush up against the sides, and you hear it. You hear every movement along the strings and the neck. I find that filtering is needed. I'm not any kind of an expert about the electronics required, I just fiddle around with various options on the amplifier until I find one that minimizes the extraneous noise, but amplifies my uke.

I suspect that there are other ways to minimize the extra noise. My Pono has a peizio amplifier, but doesn't amplify every noise my uke makes. It may be the type of pick up or placement or adhesive. You'll have to experiment or ask around.

Over all it's a cost effective way of amplifying. My three amplified ukes all use this method, and I recommend it.
 
Thanks. For the price I may just buy a few of each rating. I can get them for about 20pence each so if I buy ten it's only a couple of pounds and I can experiment with them a little 'til I get it right. Good to know it's worth doing though.
Cheers,
Ian.
 
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