Hello, been a while since I’ve posted.
I’m wondering if anyone has ever used a piezo pickup on their shamisen? I’m looking at getting one for mine as I’d like to play around with some pedals I have at home (Wah Wah, reverb, loop, etc).
I know Kyle has one available on the store but at 82 USD that’s kinda rich for my blood with the CAD exchange rate. So I’d like to look locally. If anyone has any brands or suggestions to look into, I’ll take them!
Bachi on!
it appears to be a soundboard Acoustic pickup, that’s been modified for the Shamisen Skin with a regular TRS Jack, so while its a great idea if you want a Sound board piezo, another solution would be to find a way to mount sound board transducers onto the wood itself, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
If you want to play with pedals, either buy from the bachido store, or make a Koma, with a graphite saddle, and put a regular guitar piezo inside, or mod an existing Koma to hold a piezo, if you don’t plan on using an acoustic preamp pedal then you could look for an ordinary transducer from a well known acoustic guitar pickup maker, it should still play well with other pedals.
One thing I don’t recommend, unless you’re willing to do an excessive amount of modification, an Microphone pickup, I’m making mine from scratch.
there are few transducer piezo pickups, compared to under saddle piezo, that play well with preamps, unless either the preamp or transducer are compensated in the circuitry. Most companies don’t recommend it and few people had success, except with the preamp in the actual acoustic amp box.
In short your options are:
-transducer, pedals and amp only.
-“special” transducer that can work with preamps(few and rare, at least 75 USD or more, Shamisen-Katoh has an entire system, but I don’t think the sell the system separately, maybe LR Baggs, etc).
-under saddle piezo(if you plan on using a power jack/end pin preamp, or at preamp really)
-Microphone pickup(requires mounting inside the shamisen, some minor drilling, etc, but can also run with any onboard or signal chain preamp. Most acoustic sound, next to a transducer or blended system).
Note: preamps require batteries, 9v or recharable.
Mr. Ference, I used the exact same pickup on my nagauta… Maybe you should talk to you girlfriend about it?
Mr. Ference, I used the exact same pickup on my nagauta… Maybe you should talk to you girlfriend about it?
It didn’t work properly if I recall?
it appears to be a soundboard Acoustic pickup, that’s been modified for the Shamisen Skin with a regular TRS Jack, so while its a great idea if you want a Sound board piezo, another solution would be to find a way to mount sound board transducers onto the wood itself, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
If you want to play with pedals, either buy from the bachido store, or make a Koma, with a graphite saddle, and put a regular guitar piezo inside, or mod an existing Koma to hold a piezo, if you don’t plan on using an acoustic preamp pedal then you could look for an ordinary transducer from a well known acoustic guitar pickup maker, it should still play well with other pedals.
One thing I don’t recommend, unless you’re willing to do an excessive amount of modification, an Microphone pickup, I’m making mine from scratch.
there are few transducer piezo pickups, compared to under saddle piezo, that play well with preamps, unless either the preamp or transducer are compensated in the circuitry. Most companies don’t recommend it and few people had success, except with the preamp in the actual acoustic amp box.
In short your options are:
-transducer, pedals and amp only.-“special” transducer that can work with preamps(few and rare, at least 75 USD or more, Shamisen-Katoh has an entire system, but I don’t think the sell the system separately, maybe LR Baggs, etc).
-under saddle piezo(if you plan on using a power jack/end pin preamp, or at preamp really)
-Microphone pickup(requires mounting inside the shamisen, some minor drilling, etc, but can also run with any onboard or signal chain preamp. Most acoustic sound, next to a transducer or blended system).
Note: preamps require batteries, 9v or recharable.
Okay this gives me some good options. I think I’ll find myself a saddle pickup. I might end up building my own pre-amp if it doesn’t play well.
Much obliged!
That would be my list of recommendations. I’m building my 1st Shamisen from scratch so I can go with microphone and maybe a saddle pickup, but for an existing shamisen, I would as you mentioned, go with a saddle pickup and preamp.
EDIT: mend buying a spare Koma, just in case.
I recommend buying business moms though, just in case.
What’s that?
I’m also going to be building a shamisen over the winter, I’ll install a pickup inside when I do.
Sorry my autocorrect kicked in, I made my edited version. I’ll just have to make sure to reply on my laptop instead of my phone.
How did you install it inside the dau? Did you skin the top first then install the pickup after? Do you have pics you can share of your install?