Graph Tech ghost pickups

[tubenit]

I got on to some U-toob demos of piezo pickups embedded into the bridge saddles.  Some were PRS guitars and Parker and some others. I don't know if PRS or Parker guitars use the graph tech system?

examples:

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Overall, they sounded "OK" and did seem to have some acoustic type dynamics. They sounded sort of like an acoustic guitar run thru an effects pedal board to me. They sure did not sound like a Martin or Taylor or Larivee that I have played.

However, it seemed like a useful sound/tone that is kinda similar (at some level) to an acoustic. If I couldn't see the guitar, I might think it was an acoustic run thru an effects board like a Line 6.

The band I play with does tunes that would benefit from an acoustic guitar tone but I like playing thru my amp EVEN with an acoustic guitar. Problem is acoustic guitars seem to be somewhat prone to feedback with our sound system. As I discovered in practice.

Rather than using an acoustic guitar with a soundhole cover, I am thinking about building another version of a guitar I built maybe 22yrs ago.  I also like the idea of flipping a switch as opposed to changing guitars as we often move from one song right into another one.

On the previous build like this, ............. I built a Tele body that was a little bit thicker.  Maybe 2.25 inches thick. It had f-holes on both sides. It had a wooden bridge with a piezo pickup and a single inexpensive strat style humbucking pickup. It had a mahoganey neck with rosewood fretboard and an angled 3 by 3 headstock like on an acoustic. I liked the guitar & wished I had not sold it.

This body had a 3" solid middle with the wings being hollow. The top and back were around 3/16" thickness and the sides about a 1/2".  The piezo worked even with the solid middle which kind of surprised me.

The guitar had a very very  nice tone but was sort of a one trick pony because I ran the piezo and magnetic pickup simultaneously.

So now I am considering doing this again but I am debating between a strat bridge with graph tech ghost pickups ........ OR another wooden bridge with a piezo.  They would be mixed with another single pickup.  I would install a switch to go from piezo to magnetic or both.

Any thoughts or information that one could offer would be appreciated?

Thanks, Tubenit

[bluesbear]

I've never heard a piezo I liked. A Strat in the 1-2 position sounds more like an acoustic to me. That's how I handle it. The Vox Tonelab LE does a great acoustic simulation... if only they just made a simulator pedal and you didn't have to put up with that whole pedal board thingie.
Dave

[G._Hoffman]

I've tried a bunch of different ones, and I actually like the Ghost pickups a lot, but I'm not at all fond of their preamps.  I like the Bartolini Piezo preamp a lot more, and it can run on 18V, which keeps the highs from getting distorted, which makes them not sound so much like a duck (quack quack).

I don't think they sound at all acoustic, myself, BUT I do think they can be used to add an interesting and useful additional sound.  Also, when you are dealing with a large band situation, you don't always WANT a real acoustic sound.  Most of the time you are just looking for a kind of percussive, thin sound that will cut through a big band and make the audience get the impression of an acoustic guitar.  Not, sound wise, these things can kind of do it.  The problem is, most of the audience is listening with their eyes, so if they don't SEE and acoustic, they won't HEAR an acoustic, so it all kind of defeats the purpose.  (Remember, these days many of them have never actually heard an acoustic guitar in person, or if they did they weren't paying any attention to it.)


Gabriel

[tubenit]

I've been using a Tele with strat-type pickups in the 2 & 4 positions to get a more percussive tone for the "acoustic" parts.

I do NOT care for acoustic guitars with piezo pickups direct into a PA. I have heard some thru amps I liked pretty well.

Gabriel, I was hoping you would weigh in on this & I value your input and experience. THANKS!  I will look into the Bartolini preamp. If I build this guitar, I probably won't start for a few months so I have enough time to research and plan it out well.

Most of the time you are just looking for a kind of percussive, thin sound that will cut through a big band and make the audience get the impression of an acoustic guitar.

I agree with that & that is closer to what I am shooting for.

Thanks,  Jeff/Tubenit

[simonallaway]

I've played Taylor acoustics that have a microphone magically suspended a couple of inches below the sound hole opening. You get to mix that signal with the piezo saddle, and this is a good compromise. But you have to be careful of feedback, of course.

Pure piezo sounds a bit better with a compressor to clip off the quacky transients, but that does add cost.

[G._Hoffman]

I've played Taylor acoustics that have a microphone magically suspended a couple of inches below the sound hole opening. You get to mix that signal with the piezo saddle, and this is a good compromise. But you have to be careful of feedback, of course.

Pure piezo sounds a bit better with a compressor to clip off the quacky transients, but that does add cost.

I categorically hate microphones inside guitars.  They always lead to feedback problems, and they almost never sound good (not surprising, really - I mean, when was the last time you listened to your guitar with your head through the soundhole?)

My favorite systems tend to include both a piezo and a magnetic pickup - as long as the magnetic is a Sunrise.  The two pickups complement each other nicely, and you get the added complexity that is all any multi-source pickup ever brings.  They still don't sound like YOUR guitar, but they sound more like an acoustic guitar.  The problem is, those systems are expensive, and you can never really tell how they sound to the audience, so you need to have a sound guy you can trust!


Gabriel

[shortfuse]

These guys are close to my house and I frequent their shop a lot.  Lots of big time players send their stuff here.  But they build their own version of a piezo in the EA model guitar that sounds great.  Bill Doug and Bills kid really know their stuff.
Here's the link http://www.guitarfactory.us/ check it out.

[tubenit]

Ironically, I got a Musician's Friend sales brochure in and there was a Fender
Acoustasonic Tele there.

The Tele I built years ago was pretty similar to this except I had f holes on both sides. It had a p.u. at the neck and a piezo under a rosewood bridge. The headstock was typical acoustic 3 x 3  instead of the inline 6.  I think I had maple top over mahoganey sides (solid in middle)  and the neck was mahoganey with rosewood fretboard.

My kids still lived at home, so that was maybe around 20 yrs ago that I built it.

It sounded kind of like what I hear in this demo:

I was surprised to see Fender doing the same type of idea.

Tubenit

[bigsbybender]

A few years ago I saw Alex Lifeson with "Rush" in concert using a tele with the Piezo saddles for acoustic parts. It didn't sound too bad, it was pretty convincing actually. I'm sure he had some acoustic simulator effect in there too. That way he could jump between acoustic and electric parts since he's by himself on guitar in that band. 

My thought is if you play more electric than acoustic, it's a good option. If it's the other way around, I'd stick to a decent wooden box.


j.