Best Piezo bridge system?

firepaulmusic

I want to have acoustic sounds on my favourite solid body. Just wondering if there is any advice on which is the best system?

meltedbuzzbox

None of them. They all sound a bit pony

Just use a pedal FX and save yourself the trouble

Wonky

I've actually found that the answer to the piezo issue sounding wank is using acoustic IR's.  I use a Line 6 Helix and various acoustic guitar IR's and the difference is amazing.  The way Piezo pickups tend to sound artificial is removed by the IR with the added bonus that you can sound like practically any acoustic imaginable.  Big outlay though if you don't have something that lets you use IR's, but bloody worth it IMO.  Impulse Responses all the way

ICBM

meltedbuzzbox said:

None of them. They all sound a bit pony

Just use a pedal FX and save yourself the trouble

This. Boss AC-3 or something similar.

They sound pretty rubbish in isolation... but so do piezo pickups on solid guitars. If you use it in a mix with the simulated acoustic output going to a PA or an acoustic amp it's much better.

Piezo systems all have inherent fitting/powering issues in guitars too, which you avoid by using a pedal.

firepaulmusic

ICBM said:

meltedbuzzbox said:

None of them. They all sound a bit pony

Just use a pedal FX and save yourself the trouble

This. Boss AC-3 or something similar.

They sound pretty rubbish in isolation... but so do piezo pickups on solid guitars. If you use it in a mix with the simulated acoustic output going to a PA or an acoustic amp it's much better.

Piezo systems all have inherent fitting/powering issues in guitars too, which you avoid by using a pedal.

Thanks, sounds like an easier option. 

DefaultM

If you like the sound of a sub £150 electro acoustic then any of them will thrill you.

Roland

Wonky said:

I've actually found that the answer to the piezo issue sounding wank is using acoustic IR's.  

This. Also solves the problem of micing an acoustic on a loud stage

Wonky

Roland said:

Wonky said:

I've actually found that the answer to the piezo issue sounding wank is using acoustic IR's.  

This. Also solves the problem of micing an acoustic on a loud stage

For me the IR solution with a Piezo is so good I've even recorded with it.  In the mix you'd honestly need ears like a dog to tell the difference.  It's the only good piezo sound I've ever heard

John_P

I’ve got the graphtech ghost system in a PRS and it sounds ok in a mix but for the last couple of years I’ve just used acoustic IR’s in the ax8 and it’s fine. 
If your effects box lets you use IRs then I’d go that route.  

firepaulmusic

John_P said:

I’ve got the graphtech ghost system in a PRS and it sounds ok in a mix but for the last couple of years I’ve just used acoustic IR’s in the ax8 and it’s fine. 
If your effects box lets you use IRs then I’d go that route.  

So acoustic IRs with magnetic pickups?

John_P

firepaulmusic said:

John_P said:

I’ve got the graphtech ghost system in a PRS and it sounds ok in a mix but for the last couple of years I’ve just used acoustic IR’s in the ax8 and it’s fine. 
If your effects box lets you use IRs then I’d go that route.  

So acoustic IRs with magnetic pickups?

Yes.      It works better with a piezo but I’ve had very useable results in a band mix with a regular electric.   

maltingsaudio

FWIW had both Baggs and FishMan piezo Bridges on solid guitars and both as good as each other, both sound better with heavier string gauges ie 12’s instead of the 10’s and definitely depends on what amp you feed the results into. An acoustic into a JTM45 is going to sound pants so a piezo equipped solid body is going to sound pants. Acoustic into acoustic amp sounds good so piezo equipped solid into acoustic amp will sound closer

ps FishMan plus power chip easier to fit to your guitar than the Baggs plus preamp, don’t bother fitting a piezo bridge without the extra preamp bits

firepaulmusic

maltingsaudio said:

FWIW had both Baggs and FishMan piezo Bridges on solid guitars and both as good as each other, both sound better with heavier string gauges ie 12’s instead of the 10’s and definitely depends on what amp you feed the results into. An acoustic into a JTM45 is going to sound pants so a piezo equipped solid body is going to sound pants. Acoustic into acoustic amp sounds good so piezo equipped solid into acoustic amp will sound closer

ps FishMan plus power chip easier to fit to your guitar than the Baggs plus preamp, don’t bother fitting a piezo bridge without the extra preamp bits

That’s exactly what I’ve done, fitted a Fishman bridge to my Strat and it sounds harsh, not useable at all. What else do I need to make it a decent install?

ICBM

What are you running it through?

maltingsaudio

@firepaulmusic have you installed the powerchip?

victorludorum

Don't Fishman do a series of Aura emulation pedals?

ICBM

victorludorum said:

Don't Fishman do a series of Aura emulation pedals?

Yes, but I wouldn't necessarily expect them to sound good with a piezo bridge on a solid-body - they're not actually 'acoustic guitar modelling', they're *acoustic mic modelling*. I know that sounds odd, but they're actually intended to give a perfect amplified sound when you're starting with the guitar being modelled, they're not meant to make a different guitar sound like the one being modelled... if that makes sense.

I had one of the top-spec ones, and even after understanding that I found it very hit and miss - it was incredibly fussy to set up, and even though it *could* sound great, it could just as easily sound "off" in an irritating way. So I didn't trust it for live use where you're at the mercy of an unknown PA and soundman to get something dialled in just right. I now have a Boss AD-8, which isn't as great but also not as bad!

victorludorum

I think you're going to need the preamp, as @maltingsaudio says. Mine sounds good with a bit of eq, but mine has the built in Fishman preamp. On its own its obviously a piezo type sound, but when run in stereo or in a mix it sounds fine.

maltingsaudio

Just realised @firepaulmusic where are you in Somerset I’m in Shepton your welcome to come and try my strat if you want

firepaulmusic

ICBM said:

What are you running it through?

It'll be direct to PA and monitored through a Redsound active cab.

firepaulmusic

maltingsaudio said:

@firepaulmusic have you installed the powerchip?

No, just the bridge...