Piezo bridge on my SE?

[kevphol]

Would like any recommendations or comments on this. I am interested in putting a piezo bridge on my SE below. I've been looking at the LR Baggs bridges and would like to use either the vintage trem or even the fixed bridge, but not sure which will fit best. I know I would have to mount the fixed bridge with new screw holes, but not sure if there is room to mount it over the trem rout. Also not sure if the vintage trem screw holes will match up with the existing PRS screw holes. Any voice of experience would be appreciated before I fork out money on one of these without knowing if it will work!

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Mike C. to the white courtesy phone.

 

[CHARISMAFIRE]

Graphtech ghost piezo system. I have had it on my custom 24 with the stoptail for like 8 years or so. I know they DO sell the system to fit the trem also. Just google the matter. There is also a youtube video of a PRS trem with it installed, and a slick switching sheme too. I don't know what the saddles for the stoptail look like now, but when I had it installed the posts needed to be countersunk into the body so the action could be right. The trem kit never had that problem. I must say that although it is a good system, the new PRS/LRBaggs stuff sounds fuller, and more natural. Myself and many others, including Alex Lifeson and John Petucci use a Aura spectrum pedal along with the graphtech piezo to make it sound less quacky. The Aura wasn't designed for use with solid body piezo equiped gtrs, but it sure helps nonetheless.

 

[andy474x]

Graphtech ghost piezo system. I have had it on my custom 24 with the stoptail for like 8 years or so. I know they DO sell the system to fit the trem also. Just google the matter. There is also a youtube video of a PRS trem with it installed, and a slick switching sheme too. I don't know what the saddles for the stoptail look like now, but when I had it installed the posts needed to be countersunk into the body so the action could be right. The trem kit never had that problem. I must say that although it is a good system, the new PRS/LRBaggs stuff sounds fuller, and more natural. Myself and many others, including Alex Lifeson and John Petucci use a Aura spectrum pedal along with the graphtech piezo to make it sound less quacky. The Aura wasn't designed for use with solid body piezo equiped gtrs, but it sure helps nonetheless.

Great thread, I've been contepllating exactly this lately. I wasn't aware of an aftermarket piezo that would fit the PRS stoptail, can you expand on what you did on you Custom 24?

 

[CHARISMAFIRE]

I think its a tone pros AVT2 replacement stoptail for a PRS that can be ordered with the Ghost saddles pre-installed in it. These saddles when I got mine ( they may have changed them since ) were taller, and made the action way too high. To compensate, the studs were countersunk into the body and the entire tail is lower to the body, actually touching the finish on the treble side. To feed the wires to the electronics cavity, a tiny hole had to be drilled beneath the stoptail, and on an angle to the electronics cavity. This is a delicate operation that if ineptly attempted without the proper tools and skill could do very un-nice things to the finish. I had the custom shop of Ed Roman Gtrs in Vegas do this work properly for me. I like the sound of the PRS/LRBaggs piezo better, and am conteplating getting an estimate from the PTC to redo the work, and replace the system. The Graphtech is good, but the Baggs is better. An enormous amount of routing for the new jackplate would be needed, but IF they will do it, I think I likely will git-r-done. If I wasn't so sentimentally attached to the gtr, I simply sell it and get a new P24. Who knows, IF the PTC won't do it, or if the cost is outrageous, then perhaps I will.

 

[themike]

Mike C. to the white courtesy phone.

Haha, Aftermarket Piezo Department, how may I help you?

No seriously though, I had the Graphtech system istalled on my Custom 22 and I love it. If you're interested in it feel free to PM me and pick my brain. I know Hans also has one on his Mushok too

 

[kevphol]

Thanks for the feedback guys! Since I'm looking to do this on my SE I'm not wanting to sink too much money into it. Would be different for a US model. Probably going to go for the LR Baggs vintage trem model and see what happens. Will post up progress.

 

[CHARISMAFIRE]

There is so much technology out there, and more will come I'm sure. With virtual gtr modeling and all, before we are old, any signal a gtr produces will be able to be transformed into any instrument you would like with convincing realism. I have already heard metal coming from a nylon string, and nylon tones from an electric. This technology exists, and is becoming more musical, and less of a novelty everyday. I heard a gtr synth patch that sounded like a gtr accompanied by violins mixed with wind chimes! The notes sounded like angels wings with pixie dust falling from them. As "old school" as I am, I am still a musical purist. Meaning, " music is a hearing artform", and no matter what is used to produce the sound is cool because what hits the ear is the music and what its all about. To me, musicianship is all about the composition and arranging, and not as much about the methods employed to achieve it. In short, the end product is what counts, not the means to the end. First law of music: "What ever sounds good IS good"......Period.