Before any knickers get twisted I must point out, this is not for sessions.
I have been asked to do a parade thing and am looking for a CHEAP solution to make my mandolin louder. Sound quality for once is not an issue.
Has anyone tried a stick on piezo, do they need preamp, any ideas for a small portable (belt clip) amp. Any help would be appreciated
I also play banjo before you start down that road but I'm not lugging that around.
Thanks in advance
borrow a mandolin banjo. They're truly horrible but very loud. Processional work is about the only thing they might be good for and of course you wouldn't need an amp.
Well, one solution is to use a "Tone Guard" on the back of the mandolin to get it away from your body. I have one on my older Flatiron Performer and really like it:
Thanks for the input so far, I should also point out that I play melody not rhythm.
What I've seen of tone guards is that there is some improvement for those that hug their mandolin, not so much otherwise.
Mando-banjos are (unfortunately?) rare down here in Cornwall.
Any info on the electric path?
Piezos need a preamp ( more cost ). The stick-on contact mikes need less pre-amp, and aren't usually expensive. I've recently seen one that was built inside an Altoids tin listed on ebay. Plug it into a Roland Micro-Cube or similar mini buskers battery-powered amp, replacing the poxy handle with a guitar-strap ( £2 from Sue Ryder shops ) and you're on your way. IMNSHO.
But a banjo-mandolin is the best option. Or a tenor banjo.
Shadow bouzouki pickup; £35 or £37 for humbucker. I got a Seymour Duncan soundhole pickup for my 'zouk ( it's only a big mandolin, after all ) on ebay for not a lot, had to modify the wooden ends of the pickup mount to fit it in the slight smaller 'zouk soundhole than the guitars it's designed for; not a great problem.
You pays your money and you takes your choice.
I think I have cobbled together a solution using a clip-on tuner lead plugged into my nobels streetman. Cumbersome and I'm not sure how durable it is but it is certainly cheap.
When gigging I use the Headway system for my OM and open mic for banjo so I am unwilling to spend too much on something that won't be used very often.
Thanks for the input so far, any further ideas will be of interest.
Outdoor gigs where accidents could happen, including water? Get a resonator mando, can't easily hurt them. You'll probably find a used Johnson or the like even in Cornwall.
If you want the real CHEAP solution and you can use a soldering iron - build your own. Search on Google for 'homemade piezo pickup' and lots of links (and You Tube)are available and for the kind of use you are proposing a pickup can be built for a few pounds.
I have used these for years in some quite loud bands and work as good if not better than the commercial ones costing much much more. I generally wire a capacitor across the unit to roll off some of the high frequencies and encapsulate the lot in epoxy. They will generally work straight into an amp without a pre amp although a graphic pedal such as a boss GE 7 will give a lot of useful tone control and act as a pre amp. Simples - the bits can all be purchased in your local Maplin store in the UK . . .
Stick on bugs mandolin
Stick on bugs mandolin
Before any knickers get twisted I must point out, this is not for sessions.
I have been asked to do a parade thing and am looking for a CHEAP solution to make my mandolin louder. Sound quality for once is not an issue.
Has anyone tried a stick on piezo, do they need preamp, any ideas for a small portable (belt clip) amp. Any help would be appreciated
I also play banjo before you start down that road but I'm not lugging that around.
Thanks in advance
# Posted on October 25th 2011 by len
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
borrow a mandolin banjo. They're truly horrible but very loud. Processional work is about the only thing they might be good for and of course you wouldn't need an amp.
# Posted on October 25th 2011 by millionyears_bc
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
Well, one solution is to use a "Tone Guard" on the back of the mandolin to get it away from your body. I have one on my older Flatiron Performer and really like it:
http://www.buffalobrosguitars.com/images/toneguard/index.html
# Posted on October 25th 2011 by Michael Eskin
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
does that tone gaurd really make much difference? i can't imagine the mandolin becoming signifigantly louder?
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by palethinboy
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
Thanks for the input so far, I should also point out that I play melody not rhythm.
What I've seen of tone guards is that there is some improvement for those that hug their mandolin, not so much otherwise.
Mando-banjos are (unfortunately?) rare down here in Cornwall.
Any info on the electric path?
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by len
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
Piezos need a preamp ( more cost ). The stick-on contact mikes need less pre-amp, and aren't usually expensive. I've recently seen one that was built inside an Altoids tin listed on ebay. Plug it into a Roland Micro-Cube or similar mini buskers battery-powered amp, replacing the poxy handle with a guitar-strap ( £2 from Sue Ryder shops ) and you're on your way. IMNSHO.
But a banjo-mandolin is the best option. Or a tenor banjo.
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
How about Magnetic pickups - they give relatively high output without preamp.
http://www.stringmail.co.uk/pickups_fretted.htm
"SHADOW BOUZOUKI Pickups
Single Coil or Humbucker Models Available
Single Screw Fixing to bottom of Fingerboard"
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by harmonic miner
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
Shadow bouzouki pickup; £35 or £37 for humbucker. I got a Seymour Duncan soundhole pickup for my 'zouk ( it's only a big mandolin, after all ) on ebay for not a lot, had to modify the wooden ends of the pickup mount to fit it in the slight smaller 'zouk soundhole than the guitars it's designed for; not a great problem.
You pays your money and you takes your choice.
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
I think I have cobbled together a solution using a clip-on tuner lead plugged into my nobels streetman. Cumbersome and I'm not sure how durable it is but it is certainly cheap.
When gigging I use the Headway system for my OM and open mic for banjo so I am unwilling to spend too much on something that won't be used very often.
Thanks for the input so far, any further ideas will be of interest.
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by len
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
Outdoor gigs where accidents could happen, including water? Get a resonator mando, can't easily hurt them. You'll probably find a used Johnson or the like even in Cornwall.
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by oldstrings
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
Stick-on McIntyre piezo pickup and Roland Cube ST battery powered amp should do the trick...
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Michael Eskin
Re: Stick on bugs mandolin
If you want the real CHEAP solution and you can use a soldering iron - build your own. Search on Google for 'homemade piezo pickup' and lots of links (and You Tube)are available and for the kind of use you are proposing a pickup can be built for a few pounds.
I have used these for years in some quite loud bands and work as good if not better than the commercial ones costing much much more. I generally wire a capacitor across the unit to roll off some of the high frequencies and encapsulate the lot in epoxy. They will generally work straight into an amp without a pre amp although a graphic pedal such as a boss GE 7 will give a lot of useful tone control and act as a pre amp. Simples - the bits can all be purchased in your local Maplin store in the UK . . .
# Posted on November 4th 2011 by Fergus MacGregor