Using guitar transducer for bouzouki

**Lab** · Jun-02-2007, 3:45pm

I am in the process of building a Bouzouki. I want to use it with my sound system....If I use a guitar under the bridge transducer and make the Bouzouki bridge wider to accept the transducer...Will it work?

?

? Lab....If not what are the alternatives.

**gypsy1** · Jun-02-2007, 4:45pm

EMG-B is an active magnetic soundhole pickup designed for Bouzouki and other 4 course instruments. EMG is the largest manufacturer of this style in the world with a great following in Europe. They are used frequently on the Greek Bouzouki. I have installed them in Irish Bouzoukis, Mandolins etc. with positive results.

**steve V. johnson** · Jun-02-2007, 10:50pm

Yes, the under-saddle transducer for a guitar will work, as long as your saddle slot in the bridge is similar to that of a guitar, wide enough for the transducer. Alternatively, you could cut down the transducer strip to fit the width that you want. I say this because I infer from your post that you'd otherwise made the saddle slot in the bridge narrower than that on a guitar.

Having said that, I can tell you that I absolutely hate the sound of under-saddle transducers. They pick up the attack transient of the plucking (picking) of the strings much more strongly than the fundamental tone and the overtones, resulting in what guitarists call "quack". The strong transient often overdrives the next stage(s) of the signal chain and it's very difficult to even that out. I've had about a zillion players with these things thru my recording studios and, while many of them have worked hard to get the things working ok for performance, when they want to use them for recordings they are invariably disappointed in the results, which are seldom like the instrument itself into a microphone.

Like gypsy1, I'd like to suggest an alternative.... I like "soundboard transducers" which are mylar film strips that attach to a pickup element and are attached to the bridge plate inside the instrument. Beside avoiding having to drill a hole in the bridge, these pick up the mechanical energy from the top and the bridge thru the plate, and also pick up the internal resonances.

I use the ones from Pick-Up The World, David Enke's company (http://www.pick-uptheworld.com), on my bouzouki (made by Phil Crump) and my guitars, and I feel that the PUTWs deliver a very, very natural sound, just like my instruments, only louder.
PUTW offers a number of different models. I prefer the #27, which is a single passive strip that wires to an endpin jack. These pickups do best with the output sent to a good preamp.

If you're building an instrument with f-holes in the top, you can put the PUTW onto the bridge plate before mounting the top. My instruments have round soundholes, so I was able (with the help of my wife, who has smaller hands) to place the pickup on the bridge plate thru the soundhole.

Good luck with your bouzouki building project! Whatever amplification solution you find, I hope you'll post some pix and soundclips of the zouk when it's finished!

All the best,

stv

**Lab** · Jun-03-2007, 12:46am

Thanks Steve...Sounds like good advice....I've done some surfing the net also and I am starting to see some disadvantages of using the under the saddle transducer. Also I have a Tackamine guitar that has the under the saddle and I'm not really pleased with the plugged in sound. The alternative looks good. I will be more than happy to post the boukouki pic when completed....Lab

**mandroid** · Jun-03-2007, 11:12am

Of course the Schertler Dyn G/M, would work as well, c-dyn for installation inside, on soundboard,
and 'bluestick' is another product line is made for under saddle flat top guitar type bridges, also microphonic,
with soundhole edge controls sized for guitar soundholes [of course adaptable to a build up from scratch Zouk]

www.schertlerusa.com info@schertlerusa.com

swiss mfg. site: www.schertler.com , info@schertler.com