Installation Tips For Acoustic Guitar Transducers
Acoustic guitars can easily grab the attention of onlookers especially if they are well taken care and if they produce vibrant sound. However, as the strings of an acoustic guitar can only displace a small amount of air, it is not capable of producing loud sound. Even though this guitar type is not equipped with an external amplification, there is a good means to heighten its volume and performance. In order to amplify your acoustic guitar you have to place a transducer pickup in it, and written below are some tips to help you install your transducer.
Transducer pick up is a tool commonly used to amplify an instrument. Accordingly, it is also the pickup type used by most manufacturers of acoustic electric guitars. It is also called a piezo pickup as it is made from piezo-electrical materials. It is capable of sensing guitar vibrations and then converts them into electric voltage that is then interpreted as a sound by the amplifier.
You must take into consideration that there are some kinds of transducers that would require guitar users to drill a hole on the bodies of their acoustic guitars where the wires and plug jacks would be inserted. The installation of these transducers are more appropriately done by professional guitar handlers. But, there are also some types of transducers that can be installed just by mounting them under the bridge-saddles of guitars without any invasive procedures, even you can do such installation. Before proceeding with the installation, secure the following items first: surface mount type transducer that has wire and plug jack, guitar cord, vinyl tape and guitar amplifier.
To start, lay your solid wood acoustic guitar on a padded surface. Then, switch on the amplifier, but be sure to turn down its volume. The amplifier will serve as your monitoring tool in identifying the right position for your transducer; if you can clearly hear the sound in your amplifier this means that you found the right position for your transducer. Now, connect your transducer to the amplifier by plugging it. If your transducer has a long wire with standard sized plug jack, you can directly plug the jack to the amplifier; however, if your pickup has a short wire with standard sized plug jack, connect the plug jack and the amplifier with a guitar cord.
The next step is to slowly turn the volume of your amplifier while you finger tap your transducer. If you can hear the tapping sound through your amplifier, this volume would be sufficient for you to properly monitor the right position for your pickup. The next thing to do is to strum your guitar while you place your transducer in different positions. More often than not, transducers are placed under the bridge of acoustic guitars, but in some cases, guitar players determine the position of their pick ups by listening to the clarity of sound produced by such tool over the amplifier.
Once you’ve determined the right location for your transducer, use the self-adhesive foam to stick it there. Make sure to run your transducer at the back of your guitar so that the wires won’t interrupt the strumming area, or you can simply wrap the wire at your instrument’s end pin and use the vinyl tape to secure its position. You can now play your homemade amplified acoustic guitar. With the help of these simple steps, it is now possible to achieve an acoustic guitar that functions like acoustic electric guitars.
