New Thread Piezo

jamrcat

jamrcat

New Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2022
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43
This is not a debate about piezo's. I've used them in electrics for 20+ years. I am installing a Graphtech Acousti-phonic pre amp on my CE24. I found a video where some put one on a CE24, but didn't show the wiring. A second video only showed one with passive wiring. I am looking for wiring for the acousti-phonic with the Seymour Duncan TS-1 Triple Shot pick up rings. I am not planning on drilling any holes with the exception of the bridge and cavity from the trem compartment to the electronics. I have not been able to find any wiring examples for a PRS. I would appreciate any helpful thoughts!

​

 
Thanks for responding, checked that all out with no help. Was hoping someone with experience could help me integrate the TS-1 Triple Shot, rather than drilling hole's and using the mini switch and adding a volume pot for the piezo. I know it has been done, but those who have done it never responded. Hoping someone would help here!
 
Looks like you would need to plan for real estate for the preamp board and battery. I'm certain you won't have the space to put those in without modifying the body. You could consider an LR Baggs X Bridge system which only requires a summing board and TRS jack, although you'll need to route the transducer wires either underneath your bridge pickup cover or elsewhere. Your SD triple shots will only interact with your pickups, so no changes needed there. Good luck.
 
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Thank you! The acousti-phonic will be here in a day or two, I plan on sharing my experience, not planning on routing so I may have to go passive like you suggested. At least I'll be able to show someone in my situation as to what's works. Taken me sometime to get this far as not much info out there for PRS.
Jazzedout said:
If the link works, this is what I've done to a Custom 24:
Post in thread 'Adding Piezo to my Custom 22' https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/adding-piezo-to-my-custom-22.50349/post-684687

As for the wiring, I think I used what I found in Graphtec's site, but I also removed the tone pot if the PRS to make room for the piezo volume
Click to expand...
The link worked, thanks a bunch! This gave me a few ideas, looks like I'll be able to do this as planned! :p
 
Jazzedout said:
If the link works, this is what I've done to a Custom 24:
Post in thread 'Adding Piezo to my Custom 22' https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/adding-piezo-to-my-custom-22.50349/post-684687

As for the wiring, I think I used what I found in Graphtec's site, but I also removed the tone pot if the PRS to make room for the piezo volume
Click to expand...
The link works! That's almost exactly what I did for my Cu24 (before piezo was ever offered by PRS in solid body. I sold the guitar some years ago. It was a 2002 Cu24 in Black cherry. Used Graphtech ghost piezo a friend who has a machine shop drilled six holes instead of your one hole for each ghost saddle. Now I used a duel concentric volume pot, small center for piezo volume and outside lager ring for mag pups volume. I did have a 3-way mini toggle added like HBII/piezo to choose: mag only/mag and piezo blend/piezo only. Output jack was one female jack stereo ready. Wish I still had photos
 
That's exactly what I'm planning with the exception of putting that triple shot pickup ring for a toggle for the piezo!
 
Received all the parts. I have made a change to my plans after receiving the Acousti-phonic kit. Instead of using the triple shot pick up ring, I am using the switches that came with the new kit. The pre-amp kit I received is a PK-0240-00. Apparently I ordered the kit with the extra piezo mid dark push pull and the mini toggle. I ordered an extra mini toggle DPDT to replace my original 3 way pick up selector. I will end up with: Master volume, tone/mag with push pull coil split, piezo volume with push pull mid dark tone, mini toggle to select piezo on/off/blend and a mini toggle for the mag pick up 3 way select. I will place the mini toggle switches between the Master volume and the tone knob. Finshed all the drilling and and installed the piezo saddles. Now I just have to finish wiring and put everything back together!
 
Waiting on the mini toggle switch to arrive, but I thought I would post this link to show how I drilled the bridge and holes for the toggle switches. I did not angle the toggle holes like a custom 24 08, because it would require possible routing and a new cavity plate. Keeping them straight between the volume and tone knobs looked fine to me. It also allows me to add a 3rd switch between the tone and mid dark tone pot later if I want to add more functionality in the future. Here's a link to my work so far!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/idQowXFPgTZJQFuN6
 
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jamrcat said:
Waiting on the mini toggle switch to arrive, but I thought I would post this link to show how I drilled the bridge and holes for the toggle switches. I did not angle the toggle holes like a custom 24 08, because it would require possible routing and a new cavity plate. Keeping them straight between the volume and tone knobs looked fine to me. It also allows me to add a 3rd switch between the tone and mid dark tone pot later if I want to add more functionality in the future. Here's a link to my work so far!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/idQowXFPgTZJQFuN6
Click to expand...
Looking good so far! Funny how I look back in retrospect I like the two holes on the tremolo bridge plate. I actually had six holes drilled for each saddle instead.. SMH one hole for each three saddle group makes total sense, should’ve thought of that. Nice job on drilling the holes for mini toggles.

Thanks for keeping us updated!! Cooool project.
 
Thanks Andrew! I'm so glad you and others shared as well! Soldering today, fortunately the Acousti-phonic kit is mostly plug ins. Soldering is not my forte. I've been married over 50 years, and my wife helps me out in that area! :)
 
jamrcat said:
Thanks Andrew! I'm so glad you and others shared as well! Soldering today, fortunately the Acousti-phonic kit is mostly plug ins. Soldering is not my forte. I've been married over 50 years, and my wife helps me out in that area! :)
Click to expand...
I was in electronics most of my life. I was great with soldering until my eyesight went downhill. Lol. Now I got to use desk magnifying glass things and stuff to see lol.
 
I wish I'd seen this earlier. Maybe 15 years ago I installed a GHOST piezo into a CE24 that I bought specifically to do this. I drilled two holes in the bridge to run the wires and drilled a hole in the guitar for the 3 way mini-toggle. I don't use a volume for the piezo on the guitar. I set the trim on the preamp to match the output of the mag pickups when running full bore. The three way of the Triple Shot should work the same as a regular three way, just wire it to the triple shot instead of a 3 way.

I have since installed Fishman Fluence pickups on it and run the pickups and the piezo off the same 9 volt. The Fishman uses both knobs as push/pulls so I couldn't use a piezo volume anyway. It all fits.

It's the green one.
J44kuZK.jpg
 
Oops, I missed the part where you decided not to use the Triple Shot. That's actually a good choice since it's a pain in the ass changing the Triple Shot as opposed to a mini-toggle.
 
Fired up the CE24 with the new set up. Sounds awesome, everything works. I love the set up and will be posting more links, so far everything has worked as planned! Those are beautiful specimens Dillznik, I'm sure they sound as good as they look!
 
dilznik said:
I wish I'd seen this earlier. Maybe 15 years ago I installed a GHOST piezo into a CE24 that I bought specifically to do this. I drilled two holes in the bridge to run the wires and drilled a hole in the guitar for the 3 way mini-toggle. I don't use a volume for the piezo on the guitar. I set the trim on the preamp to match the output of the mag pickups when running full bore. The three way of the Triple Shot should work the same as a regular three way, just wire it to the triple shot instead of a 3 way.

I have since installed Fishman Fluence pickups on it and run the pickups and the piezo off the same 9 volt. The Fishman uses both knobs as push/pulls so I couldn't use a piezo volume anyway. It all fits.

It's the green one.
J44kuZK.jpg
Click to expand...
I know we’re talking Piezo and I don’t want to hijack the thread but the red guitar to the left and what did you do with the switching there? I’m curious, I see too mini-toggles and a volume.
 
jamrcat said:
Fired up the CE24 with the new set up. Sounds awesome, everything works. I love the set up and will be posting more links, so far everything has worked as planned! Those are beautiful specimens Dillznik, I'm sure they sound as good as they look!
Click to expand...
Looking forward to links!
 
Finally finished this project. This was a major learning curve/project for me, had to buy a few tools to do it right! I think it is an easier conversion than what I experienced, but because of my own inexperience it was a bit harder. Main stress points was drilling holes and soldering the little toggle switches. I have large hands and I had to call on my wife to help a few times. If I had to do it over again, I would just try the passive route first. I'm glad I have the full install with the acousti-phonic kit, including the mid/dark push pull volume and two mini toggles, but after playing it a few days, I'm not sure I'll use all of it that often. Here's a few pics I'll link below. I coupled this with a few IR's on my Quad Cortex, and I'm ecstatic with the acoustic tone I get.
photos.app.goo.gl

Piezo conversion

11 new items added to shared album
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl
 
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