Clip On Piezo Guitar Pickup

DaleR

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
388
Reaction score
1
Location
Milwaukee
I got an even cheaper one than that and it works a treat!

Sure, there's feedback at times, but it's a fun little thing to mess about with - I think mine was about £4 delivered!!
 
I got the Cherub WCP-55 for $5.78 from amazon last week. Works very well.
 
And the mic and cord fit into the back of the Piggy! This is a perfect, on the go, little amp system.
 
I use these on the headstocks of friends ukes that don't have pickups. They sound more natural with an active D.I. box, to dial out the tone and match impedence to your amp:

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...ringer-ADI21-active-DI-preamp&highlight=adi21

I've also installed over a hundred piezoelectric pickups locally for well under $10 bucks:

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...for-under-10-bucks/page2&highlight=radioshack

The clip on pickups are great for those that are uncertain about drilling holes. Ric
 
I also use an Emerson headset microphone that similarly well with my Vox Mini3. It has an attached cable, so you don't need to carry around a microphone stand:

http://www.frys.com/product/6460952...4XqBDNE5g__.node2?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

VoxBatteryAmps6.jpg
 
I get a little bit of noise, but really no worse than my uBass has. IT IS A REALLY COOL SOUND TOO!
 
I got a clip on one so that I could rescue a great accurate Korg tuner that I had stopped using since winning a clip on Snark pick up in one of the Seasons.

I never thought of using it as an actual pick up on the headstock. (It won't fit into the sound hole without interfering with the strings. I'll have to try the headstock option out).

As for the other pick-up you linked to... That looks interesting, but I can't buy that from Amazon US because they tell me they are not allowed to ship it to my address here in Catalonia :( - Does it come down quite flush to the soundboard, so there is no interference with the strings when strumming?
 
I had one of these and I have to admit that I thought that it sounded awful. Maybe the suggested active DI box would help a lot but otherwise they were doing nothing for me. I used it for a while with a tuner where it worked out fine.

Anthony
 
You do have to find the sweet spot for your instrument. I initially did not like mine at all, but then played around with positioning and found it made such a big difference.
 
Does it come down quite flush to the soundboard, so there is no interference with the strings when strumming?

Not sure, as it is not in my hands yet. I tried the clip on that I have on the sound hole, with no success. I also tried letting it free hang inside, which was suggested by someone, again with no success. The sweet spot for my ukes is the headstock, pointed downwards, as shown in the pic. Adjustment is very important and it has to be on just right to get the proper effect. The little Pignose just sounds so cool with this setup, just a little distortion when turned up, and pure acoustic when turned down. Works good on my pina too!
 
Interesting... I definitely want to amp my uke without drilling any holes. Does this method of putting it on the headstock pick up background noise? If I was playing on a loud boardwalk would it pick up everyone around me?
 
It works off the vibration, just like a clip on tuner does. That's why it is important to find the exact right spot to make it fully effective.
 
Some people seem to really like them but you still get what you pay for. They are cheap. You don't get a lot of character from the instrument when these clip on pickups are clipped to the headstock. They produce a very percussive sound and that thin cable seemed to pickup a lot of noise. An active DI box would probably help a lot but its still a cheap option, not a quality option.

I'm a fusspot so I use a K&K Sound, Meridian Pro microphone system.

Anthony
 
The one for guitar. I didn't know there was a mandolin specific one. My kit has the battery powered preamp. Important to use with an amp that doesn't supply phantom power to a microphone.
Anthony

I just read the description & the one for mandolin fits a 1.75 to 2.25" body. So, it would fit a soprano uke, but not a concert or baritone uke.
 
Top Bottom