Headless Research JCustom Bridge... with piezo pickup?

Started by ploveday, July 25, 2016, 09:47:27 PM

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ploveday

Has anyone come across one of these before?

I recently bought one of this bridges for a project completely unrelated to VG... and was surprised to find it *seems* to have something that looks like a piezo pickup in it.

I can't find any other pictures of this bridge with the pickup, nor can I find any mention of it anywhere.

There is only one wire going to each saddle from the PCB, which I suppose means it relies on ground from the saddle?  The saddles themselves are not grounded, however they would be grounded by strings ordinarily... which would mean the pickups would only work if their string was there. Doesn't seem terribly reliable to me, but I suppose it means breaking a string would remove that piezo from the circuit FWIW.   I'm not sure if I find this more clever or dodgey. :)

Anyway, just thought I'd ask here and see if anyone has any idea about this, before experimenting... I think this bridge may be destined for a VG guitar after all...

Thanks,
- Peter

stratrat

It looks like LR Baggs piezo saddles. Yes they rely on a ground from the saddle (which is a weak point in my experience).

Elantric

#2
QuoteIt looks like LR Baggs piezo saddles. Yes they rely on a ground from the saddle (which is a weak point in my experience).

True , Since the bridge plate is Electrical String Ground , this design relies on the piezo Saddle's physical mechanical downward pressure when strung up with strings to make the common Ground connection.  It's flawed because the Black Chrome plating is a poor electrical  conductor , and anytime humidity increases or your palms get wet mid gig , the ground electrical connection to the saddles fail. That's when you get the classic piezo "dead string" scenario.

I hate Black Chrome hardware because due to it's high electrical impedance you end up chasing noise problems due to the weak ground connection. The Black Chrome plating must be removed where the bridge ground wire gets sandwiched between bridge plate and the guitar body.

Anyone can test with any Black Chrome bridge  vs a Nickel Plated bridge with an ohm meter
Put the ohm meter on the 0-100 ohms scale and measure surface DC resistance on the bridge
The Nickel plated bridge will show "0" ohms (= a good electrical conductor)
The Black Chrome bridge will show a reading above 3Meg ohms! (= a poor electrical conductor)

Black Chrome is always  a bad choice for the most important electrical connection on an electric guitar: the bridge Ground and piezo pickup ground

But guitar players prefer appearance over function

Even Peavey engineers don't understand the pitfalls of Black Chrome bridges

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=16061.msg116305#msg116305
Fresh from factory Peavey AT-200 guitar with no string ground and intermittent piezo saddles "thanks" to the Black Chrome bridge.

admin


admin

https://www.ebay.com/i/153737606433






Brand New JCustom Piezo Fixed Bridge For Headless Guitar.

Everything you need to add acoustic access to your carvin holdsworth or any other headless with JCustom fixed bridge route. This is an acoustic setup. You can possibly modify the system for 13-pin Roland ghost hexaphonic systems, but this would be at your own risk and would take some knowledge of the systems.

mooncaine

There's a fellow named Alejandro Cobb who made and tried to sell a piezo-saddled TransTrem, but it seemed to garner disappointingly little interest (especially considering that his work seems high quality and based on quality original pieces). I am not sure, but I believe he reversed the piezo mod and sold the bridge without.

Still, if you're looking for someone to convert a bridge, Cobb might be a good choice. I've admired the photos of his work that he's shared on Facebook, and often wished he was in my home town. Looks like he's attentive to detail, function and beauty.

admin

Quote from: mooncaine on December 30, 2019, 04:54:44 PM
There's a fellow named Alejandro Cobb who made and tried to sell a piezo-saddled TransTrem, but it seemed to garner disappointingly little interest (especially considering that his work seems high quality and based on quality original pieces). I am not sure, but I believe he reversed the piezo mod and sold the bridge without.

Still, if you're looking for someone to convert a bridge, Cobb might be a good choice. I've admired the photos of his work that he's shared on Facebook, and often wished he was in my home town. Looks like he's attentive to detail, function and beauty.

URL Links? My search only shows  a Baseball player on the Baltimore Orioles

mooncaine


Headless68

I didn't know they did a piezo version - I use some J Custom hardware already on my headless

there has been a rumour for quite a while that J Custom will release a TransTrem remake too

Regarding Cobb's work, Im also in that Steinberger FB group, his work is really good but as its true one off stuff (if it goes wrong or needs a part) I think that + price point puts people off

HAMERMAN409

IIRC Alejandro's trem is piezo but only one channel since he uses the large piezo that would normally be found in a Steinberger Synapse.

For the J Custom bridge it's possible that the inside of the saddles are unpainted where the Piezo inserts go and that the sides of the saddles have some bare metal. If you did that and had some bare metal on the inner sides of the bridge it could all work since the saddles are all under compression by a set screw (so that you don't lose your intonation settings when you remove all of the strings). 

kimyo

Quote from: ploveday on July 25, 2016, 09:47:27 PMAnyway, just thought I'd ask here and see if anyone has any idea about this, before experimenting... I think this bridge may be destined for a VG guitar after all...
i installed a j-custom bridge with jon bondy's piezo pickups and a graphtech hexpander on my hohner steinberger clone and am much happier than with any prior gk-2/3 arrangement.

false triggers have been significantly reduced. 

perhaps some of that is due to switching to a fixed bridge instead of the stock tremolo.  i have also been using heavier gauge strings.

this is jon bondy's website:
http://www.jonbondy.com/Guitar.htm
http://www.jonbondy.com/Piezo.htm



mooncaine

Kimyo, that's great to hear. Fellow headless fan here. I wish I could have gotten a hardtail Bondy bridge back in the day. Your guitar must be sweeeeet.

kimyo

i was just watching the autana nylonrac video and there's a bit where he writes something like 'it feels alive in my hands'.

i often feel that way when playing my guitar, especially with the gr-55 acoustic patches. 

i also like that it stays in tune. 

edgarfreedom

Piezos in a TransTrem that still allow roller saddles to be used is becoming a holy grail-like pursuit for me.  For now, I enjoy my unfortunately necessarily fixed-TransTrem and the RMC Acoustic Gold I had custom pods made to drive a VG8:

VGtable

Quote from: admin on December 30, 2019, 03:01:54 PM
https://www.ebay.com/i/153737606433






Brand New JCustom Piezo Fixed Bridge For Headless Guitar.

Everything you need to add acoustic access to your carvin holdsworth or any other headless with JCustom fixed bridge route. This is an acoustic setup. You can possibly modify the system for 13-pin Roland ghost hexaphonic systems, but this would be at your own risk and would take some knowledge of the systems.


Hi!

Despite listed only a few months ago, it seems that auction vanished from eBay.
By chance, do you recall who the seller was?
I just could find Headless Research on eBay, but he's not listing this kind of FX bridge, only a new version (now saddles are regular, stepped, similar to those on former Hohner R-trem)...

I own two of these FX bridges, having these same, original saddles with insert pads, so would be strongly interested in this specific piezo upgrade...

Thanks, cheers,
JPB

kimyo

i'm not sure but i think the headless research ebay account is run by 'headless usa':
http://headlessusa.com/

they don't have piezo bridges listed at their site although they do have other j-custom products. 

headless usa is local to me and i am a satisfied customer.  best way to contact them is by phone:
Call the HEADLESS HOTLINE: (203) 395-8013


admin

Quote from: VGtable on May 17, 2020, 12:12:11 PM
Hi!

Despite listed only a few months ago, it seems that auction vanished from eBay.
By chance, do you recall who the seller was?
I just could find Headless Research on eBay, but he's not listing this kind of FX bridge, only a new version (now saddles are regular, stepped, similar to those on former Hohner R-trem)...

I own two of these FX bridges, having these same, original saddles with insert pads, so would be strongly interested in this specific piezo upgrade...

Thanks, cheers,
JPB

Just search google shopping

Link
https://www.google.com/search?q=JCustom+Piezo+Fixed+Bridge+For+Headless+Guitar&client=ms-android-om-lge&prmd=sivn&sxsrf=ALeKk019RbMaKg3ulyI4Kj053dinAgk_XQ:1589748743688&source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjO7pjJ47vpAhUUo54KHdJ-DmcQ_AUoAXoECA0QAQ&biw=360&bih=560

Page down

https://www.ebay.com/i/333151535602?chn=ps

VGtable

Quote from: admin on May 17, 2020, 01:53:56 PM
Just search google shopping

Link
https://www.google.com/search?q=JCustom+Piezo+Fixed+Bridge+For+Headless+Guitar&client=ms-android-om-lge&prmd=sivn&sxsrf=ALeKk019RbMaKg3ulyI4Kj053dinAgk_XQ:1589748743688&source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjO7pjJ47vpAhUUo54KHdJ-DmcQ_AUoAXoECA0QAQ&biw=360&bih=560

Page down

https://www.ebay.com/i/333151535602?chn=ps

Thanks to you both for the quick reply!

Through that Google search yet another eBay item # did show up, but using the same photos above, sold by a NY (White Plains) seller, neither related to Headless USA nor Headless Research (Korea, original seller/manufacturer).
Perhaps gonna ask him, anyway...

Regarding the other link it's just for the new version of the FX bridge (massive, stepped saddles) as I described above.
Also, this eBay shop (green-axe) is the one belonging to Headless USA, while those piezo loaded bridges with preamp, may well have been set like that in Korea, much probably at Headless Research (who does have an eBay account under their own name).

I did contact the latest through their eBay shop but they did not reply, yet...
Let's see. It could be a couple prototypes or pre-production units, but having printed PCBs, it looks like a finished product, on the other hand...

Thanks again, all the best,
JPB

edgarfreedom

I've had a hex piezo solution done successfully for my TransTrem instruments--not roller saddles whose base press on piezos like the Irish solution Alejandro Cobb more recently had done, but custom TransTrem black anodized aluminium slotted for piezos.  elliot.freedman@gmail.com