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Double Bass How to make a piezo pickup

#81
I've finally gotten around to using these. They work well but I haven't yet made a "finished" one with the cork shims glued in place because I'm not sure how to best mount them on my bridge. I don't know what the bridge shape is properly called so I'll just post a photo:

bassbridge.gif


I'd like to mount the pickup in the bridge wing so it's easily removable. I guess I could make some cork/wood shims to fit the shape of the wing slot in this bridge... would that be the best thing to do? Or would the best thing be getting a bridge with a simpler shape? I don't need the adjusters so I've been thinking of a new bridge anyway.
 
#82
I've just started experimenting with a different MSI sensor (see pic). It's a variation of the Kynar film vibration transducer with a 1-gram weight attached to it so it acts like an accelerometer. In my intitial tests on an Azola, has a lot of output and very good frequency response. I'm going to make a mount to attach it to the bridge and table of my UB and see how it works there.
 
#83
mje said:
I've just started experimenting with a different MSI sensor (see pic). It's a variation of the Kynar film vibration transducer with a 1-gram weight attached to it so it acts like an accelerometer. In my intitial tests on an Azola, has a lot of output and very good frequency response. I'm going to make a mount to attach it to the bridge and table of my UB and see how it works there.
Click to expand...
How do/will you adhere the element? Will the weight be under pressure? Or loose and flapping?
 
#84
Aleph5 said:
How do/will you adhere the element? Will the weight be under pressure? Or loose and flapping?
Click to expand...

I'm trying a few different systems- one will be to enclose the element in a small wooden box. I'm also thinking about putting it *inside* a purely electric instrument, and built into a bridge for an electric instrument.

It's best used supported at the terminal end, as you want the element to bend in response to acceleration.
 
#86
I've got a few tabs left but they're pretty large - suitable for mounting under a bridge foot but probably not for anything else. PM me if you want one or two - I can sell them for 10 euros each, with mogami cable and postage included. I'm gonna be offline over the weekend but I'd reply Monday.
 
#90
I just mailed two of the plain MSI sensors to dreamer69, who should have them in a week.

A few hints in soldering to them:

1. Use a small soldering iron. I use an 18 watt Antex with a 3/16" tip.

2. Tin the leads first

3. Tin the tabs on the sensor by placing a drop oif solder on the iron, and then touching it very briefly to the tabs.

4. Lay the wires on the tabs on the sensor, place another small drop of solder on the iron, and touch it to the tabs.

Another good idea is to clamp the sensor tabs in a pair of hemostats or some other metal clamp, to act as a heat sink.
 
#97
Radio Shack has a fine lead-free solder I've been using that is actually quite easy to work with. I use my trusty 18 watt Antex and have no problem soldering small parts with it. It's a 96% tin/4%silver mix that melts at 430F, which is not too much higher than the 374 °F melting point of good old 60/40 lead/tin solder. The trick is to use the minimum amount of solder.
 
#98
mje said:
Radio Shack has a fine lead-free solder I've been using that is actually quite easy to work with. I use my trusty 18 watt Antex and have no problem soldering small parts with it. It's a 96% tin/4%silver mix that melts at 430F, which is not too much higher than the 374 °F melting point of good old 60/40 lead/tin solder. The trick is to use the minimum amount of solder.
Click to expand...
good to see this MJE as this is what I use on the RS (having a two year old and a bun in the oven, I didn't want any chances of lead about). Having only used this brand of lead free solder, I didn't get fdeck's caution of it.
 
#99
Maybe solders have improved. In a previous day job, I did a bunch of boards with lead-free solder. The higher melting point was an issue, as it seemed to make de-soldering much more difficult.

However... maybe it's time to try again. For better or worse, I do intend to get into commercial production, so I have to watch the rules.
 
#100
Rework may be harder with the new solders, particualrly if you have a large glob of it there. But the latest solders seem to reasonably easy to work with.

My Antex 18 watt iron has a listed tip temperature of 390F, yet it has no problem dealing with the lead-free RS solder- perhaps it has a melting point significantly lower than the 430F that I thought it had.
 

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