string tension for piezo pickup

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Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

string tension for piezo pickup

Oh no, I am actually starting a string thread--disgusting!

Seriously... piezo pickups seem to have a problem picking up the high e string, because of the tension on the bridge. It would seem that you could remedy this by raising the action, thus increasing the break angle, or maybe putting on a higher tension string. My gig guitar suffers from a weak e string, which sucks because it's a pretty important string! Has anyone else dealt with this problem?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 25 2005 13:26:38

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: string tension for piezo pickup (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Miguel de Maria
Seriously... piezo pickups seem to have a problem picking up the high e string, because of the tension on the bridge.

Huh? Umm.. no they don't.

You can get imbalance across the strings - you can get situations where some strings can sound quieter or louder than others - but there is no reason why the 1st should be a particular problem.

If anything, the higher tension of that E will make it come out louder, not quieter. However, there are several things that contribute to the quality of the signal (before it reaches the preamp). These include the comparative density of the strings, how old/new they are, and, crucially, the quality of the contact between the underneath of the saddle and the piezo strip itself. The piezo strip is very sensitive - the underside of the saddle has to be dead flat with a glass-smooth finish on it. Any rough edges disrupt the contact between the saddle and the piezo and can lead to a poor signal being transmitted.

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 25 2005 13:50:04