Double Bass How to make a piezo pickup

[dreamer69]

Can I do this pickup with a jack like this??

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[mje]

Can I do this pickup with a jack like this??

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Absolutely. There are some advantages to the plastic barreled jacks- they don't rattle or scratch the wood. But the metal ones have better shielding, which can make a difference in some applications.

 

[Aleph5]

Can I do this pickup with a jack like this??

If the piezo is unbuffered (directly to the jack via cable), just make sure that heavy looking sucker doesn't tug on the cable, or microphonics will bedevil.

 

[babagau]

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

DIY uber alles!

 

[seamonkey]

Another source for Piezos and film.
For an entirely different reason, I just ordered a bunch of benders and assorted piezo film at:
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But I was curious to try the film on the DB in comparison to a Realist.

 

[mje]

... I just ordered a bunch of benders and assorted piezo film at:
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...

Prices there are very high- the MSI kynar film transducers Edmunds sells for $3.50 are only 75 cents at Mouser- 68 cents if you buy 10, and 45 cents if you buy 50!

 

[wilsonn]

I was unable to locate these in Mouser's catalog. Does anyone have a link?
wilsonn

 

[arai]

there is a link to mouser if you go into how to build a piezo on the first post.
does anyone know if you could put one of these on an electric bass

 

[seamonkey]

Just get a pulse pickup here:
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It's all wired and ready to go. Wedge it in the bass wing of the bridge. I use wood shims but others point out pieces of felt would work.

 

[jonnyboy559]

What is the difference between the home-made pickup and the Realist? It seems that this pick-up has the features that the Realist tries to sell, such as the placement under the bridge foot and the copper foil.

 

[seamonkey]

What is the difference between the home-made pickup and the Realist?

Hours .. days ... years of experimentation and locating suppliers.

 

[JoeyNaeger]

I was able to succesfully make one of these pick-ups with the preamp built onto it. I currently have it mounted under the bridge wing and it gets a decent sound. I'd like to try it under the bridge foot though. The element is a lot smaller than the bridge so I was wondering if someone could post a picture of how they had their pick-up mounted under the foot.

 

[Unnatural]

Thank you so much, this thread is awesome! O_O
I'm trying to figure what piezo tab are used on the guide; browsing mouser, digikey and meas-specs website I've found drawings of Invalid Link Removed that are quite similar, except their size: no one seems to be 3/8"x1"... any advice?
Also... are they equally good at bass, medium and treble range?
Thank you again! ^__^

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I've figured out how to make a piezo that sounds great, doesn't buzz or hum, and costs under $5.00. A few people were asking about them, so I've put some details here:
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I know this post is really old, but reported that the link is now broken and would really like to see the design. Can you help them?

 

[Happy Steve]

Try here...

How to make a Piezo Pickup

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Try here...

How to make a Piezo Pickup

These MSI piezo foils need a very high input impedance, up to 22 MegOhms, depending on size and foil thickness. The thinner and smaller the foil/element the higher the impedance needed.
If they are still in business, download their application info and technical data.
And the higher the input impedance, the better you need to shield them to keep electric noise off the signal.

 

[JohnWT]

The link to your page with details of your design doesn't work any longer. Any chance I can find out your thoughts about this because it sounds like you've done a fair bit of experimenting?