Guitars with both Magnetic hex and Piezo hex PU's ?

Started by Gaustu, February 23, 2014, 05:54:34 PM

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Gaustu

I am wondering if I am not alone with this idea. This may seem crazy for some reasons of course, but.

Does anybody build guitar with two different hex pickups, I mean magnetic hex and piezo hex side by side?
I would plan to try this not right now but the idea is very challenging for me.
This would be ideal to have a completely internal setup of both hex boards.

The final concept may vary like this:

1) to have one 13 pin output with internal electronic selection choice. or
2) to have 2 separate 13 pin outputs or
3) to have one integral DisplayPort-like connector output to carry both 6+6 strings for a next split board with two 13 pin connectors. or
4) one 13 pin out for one hex and second wireless for other hex.

This may be beneficial in a sense of both different hex advantage properties we know, for different purposes simultaneously.

I am curious if somebody have build something like this guitar already.

Parker PDF85 modified: Sustainiac, SD TB-4, Piezo Hexpander 13 pin out.
GR-55 mod with 13 din thru, 6 analog outputs D-Sub => Presonus FS Mobile  8 analog inputs.
NI Reactor matchHEX Guitar Framer Ensemble custom.

Elantric

#1
QuoteDoes anybody build guitar with two different hex pickups, I mean magnetic hex and piezo hex side by side?

Nothing off the shelf I'm aware of - But Richard McClish of RMC understands that issue and was the first I Know  to propose such an instrument back in 2000

Here is an old interview with Richard McClish, founder of RMC Pickups worth reading for all:
http://web.archive.org/web/20050426004413/http://www.vg-8.com/Members/rmc

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8187.msg58112#msg58112

QuoteGK-2 and RMC Pickup Comparison and Output Characteristics

The GK-2 produces a signal having a great deal of high frequencies and very little bass. That is to be expected from a magnetic pickup so near the bridge there isn't much fundamental frequency left in the sound, so there's got to be a bassy EQ curve to compensate & put things back to normal. Evidence of this can be heard when driving the VG-8 with piezo pickups while the VG-8 is in the GK-2 driver mode: the sounds are dark and puffy.

In my opinion, the piezos shine at acoustic instrument emulation, synth tones and new sounds while the GK-2 is good with vintage electric guitar tones. However if you add reverb and chorus, the differences between the two drivers become much less apparent. Piezos have a smoother sustain than magnetic pickups for overdrive sounds. The GK device is hum sensitive and this may be objectionable in certain performance environments, especially when using overdrive & similar high-gain patches.

Up to now, guitarists have debated whether to use one or the other. But there may come a time when players will try uing both simultaneously and blend them like we blend the acoustic guitar tones with the electric ones to produce just the right feel, and tweak that blend from song to song. Of course, this also means that we will need to be able to adjust the piezo to GK ratio in the driver menu, to maintain the proper overall tonal balance of the unit.

Such an application would use what I'll call a "Poly-Blender". If it became popular enough, it could be miniaturized to fit inside the instrument. I rigged up something similar (a relatively large rack-mounted black box) a few years ago when I was perfoming analysis of various pitch-to-MIDI converters.



Here is a list of production 13 pin guitars
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=19.0


We do have a few members who modified their guitars with multiple divided pickups
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=359.300

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8394.0




Quoteto have one integral DisplayPort-like connector
Suggest read these threads

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=4634.0
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6083.msg61764#msg61764

gumtown

I can't see any benefit in it myself,
"cost vs conveniance".
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

Gaustu

I really can't see any benefit in the setup like on picture above with two magnetic.
But piezo for midi tracking is different.
Parker PDF85 modified: Sustainiac, SD TB-4, Piezo Hexpander 13 pin out.
GR-55 mod with 13 din thru, 6 analog outputs D-Sub => Presonus FS Mobile  8 analog inputs.
NI Reactor matchHEX Guitar Framer Ensemble custom.

alexmcginness

I have a GK-3 on my Godin LGXT. The piezo saddles are prone to failure as I found out one night on a ship in the middle of the North Sea. Luckilly I had a GK on it as well and was able to play that night. Its good to have a backup. Also, I found that the acoustic sounds play better with a piezo and the electric sounds play better with the GK.
VG-88V2, GR-50, GR-55, 4 X VG-99s,2 X FC-300,  2 X GP-10 AXON AX 100 MKII, FISHMAN TRIPLE PLAY,MIDX-10, MIDX-20, AVID 11 RACK, BEHRINGER FCB 1010, LIVID GUITAR WING, ROLAND US-20, 3 X GUYATONE TO-2. MARSHALL BLUESBREAKER, SERBIAN ELIMINATOR AMP. GR-33.

Gaustu

Quote from: alexmcginness on February 24, 2014, 03:58:16 AM
... Also, I found that the acoustic sounds play better with a piezo and the electric sounds play better with the GK.

that's what I agree with too.

Parker PDF85 modified: Sustainiac, SD TB-4, Piezo Hexpander 13 pin out.
GR-55 mod with 13 din thru, 6 analog outputs D-Sub => Presonus FS Mobile  8 analog inputs.
NI Reactor matchHEX Guitar Framer Ensemble custom.

Elantric

Quote. Also, I found that the acoustic sounds play better with a piezo and the electric sounds play better with the GK.

that's what I agree with too.

Same here too -

I share that  opinion too

Elantric

#7
Quote
Does anybody build guitar with two different hex pickups, I mean magnetic hex and piezo hex side by side?

TSC/Proix  (Osaka, Japan) builds custom GK 13 guitars has built such a guitar but it employs TWO GK13 Output jacks  - one for Magnetic GK PU, another for the Piezo PU







Recent additions to the Proix GK Guitar line here


http://www.proix.com/products/guitar/



Translation

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