PRS Hollowbody II Piezo - Gain Adjustment Advice

[Birmingham Mark]

I have a 2007 PRS Hollowbody II with the LR Baggs piezo system (not the SE model, this is a USA guitar). I'm looking for feedback from other owners of this model or guitar techs regarding the output volume when using the mag pickups vs. the piezo only. Note that I'm using the mix/mag output jack. The controls are master volume, tone and mag/piezo blend along with a 3-way mag pickup selector, and a mini toggle for mag only, mag/piezo, and piezo only. I find the output is noticeably lower when I select the piezo only vs mag pickup only output. In blend mode as I increase the piezo in the mix the volume drops off a bit as expected since the piezo gain is lower than the mag pickups. I do understand that there are gain adjustment pots for each piezo transducer inside the body which are accessible when the battery is removed. PRS says the transducer gain pot settings are preset from the factory.

Before I touch anything I am looking for input from anyone who has experience with this model:
1. Is it typical that the piezo volume is lower than the mag pickups using the mix/mag output jack?
2. Is there a recommended process for adjusting the piezo gain pots?
3. Can too much piezo gain be an issue for the LR Baggs preamp leading to distortion or other side effects?
4. Should I be less concerned with this and just play the guitar?

I appreciate constructive feedback. Also this is my first post in the forum.

 

[Mark Ray]

I have a 2012 P22, which has the downsized version of the piezo electronics. I have adjusted the output volume on it using the tiny "mini volume adjuster" inside the guitar. It took some trial and error, but what works for me is having the trim pot at about 85%. I do run it through an LR Baggs Para, and then to the PA. The Para has a wide range of adjustments that make the acoustic sounds MUCH better than running straight into the PA.

 

[JasonE]

I have 4 PRS guitars with the piezo system in them. Two are hollow bodies and the other two are solid bodies. I have never noticed a big volume difference between the magnetic and piezo pickups. Are your magnetic pickups really close to the strings?

I should also state that I typically run my piezo signal through a Fishman Aura or an Acoustic Fly Rig which both have volumes on them. I run that signal straight to the mixer. I have flipped between the pickups when using just the combined jack and haven't noticed a big difference in them doing that either. However, I was not doing it to hear a difference. I suppose it is possible that if I did it now, I may notice one after participating in this thread..

 

[ViperDoc]

Always run your piezo out to a dedicated acoustic amp. Your world will change. Decent Fishman options can be had for low money. Put a volume pedal in front, run your guitar piezo all the way up and you can swell it to taste while playing.

 

[goat-n-gitter]

I also always route the piezo output of my P22 and CU24 piezo through processing to the PA, but the few times I've used the mix output, I've not noticed a volume drop for the piezo. Try the trimpot(s), as long as you are careful you won't hurt anything. Also, as JasonE mentioned, if your magnetic pickups are raised very close to the strings that may well throw the balance off.