Why has my Martin X1-DE piezo pickup gone bad?

[Ralph124C41]

I bought this guitar about three years ago and I bought it primarily for its unplugged sound ... which I think is remarkably good. It did have the stock Fishman under-the-saddle pickup and a simple two-control system and it worked. I took it to a couple of open mics and I played it just a bit at home and everything seemed to work fine.

Until tonight. I just tried it ... and it sounded dreadful. The low E is thunderously loud ... I mean booming and just unbearable. The A string is also a little loud, too, but nothing like the E. The other strings seem to be quite muted but it may be because of the E's dominance.

What happened? The controls and input seem to be fine and I didn't do anything to the guitar. So is there anything I can do? I will take it to my luthier buddy but I don't know how much experience he has with repairing pickups. He can install a pickup but I'm guessing installing and repairing are two vastly different jobs.

Is there anything I can do or try to make things easier for my luthier buddy? He may suggest putting in a new system but I really don't want to face that expense.

The thing is I need a guitar for some open mics. The only other guitar I have with a built-in tuner is my beater Esteban American Legacy which has its own problems but its pickup seems to work OK. I do have a Fishman Neo soundhole pickup which I could use I guess but it is a passive unit with no controls.

So thoughts? Suggestions?

[Mandobart]

When you say you haven't done anything - does that also mean you haven't changed strings?

Have you tried simple basic troubleshooting to rule out the cable, amp, pickup/preamp battery, etc.? The symptoms you describe sound like dead/dying battery. How long since you changed it?

It's not a bad idea to have a spare removable soundhole pickup for when your installed pickup succumbs to gremlins/Murphy.

Doesn't the host at your open mic have instrument mics as well as vocal?

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

When you say you haven't done anything - does that also mean you haven't changed strings?

Have you tried simple basic troubleshooting to rule out the cable, amp, pickup/preamp battery, etc.? The symptoms you describe sound like dead/dying battery. How long since you changed it?

It's not a bad idea to have a spare removable soundhole pickup for when your installed pickup succumbs to gremlins/Murphy.

Doesn't the host at your open mic have instrument mics as well as vocal?

I've changed strings. I don't remember if I changed strings between the last time I played the guitar amplified or not. The cable is fine as are the amp and the 9-volt battery as I put in a new one that tests fine.

I don't know if there are instrument mics at the open mics I've gone to. I've never seen one being used however as far as I can recall. The open mics have a very minimalist approach. People don't bring any effects either that I can see. Just an acoustic-electric guitar which you plug in and the sound "technician" pushes one button and gives you a thumbs up and you're playing. The last time I played the monitor either wasn't on or not directed at me so I couldn't hear anything I was playing or singing.

[Mandobart]

Since the UST is under the saddle and the saddle position/angle/loading can change when you change strings...

What about the battery?

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Since the UST is under the saddle and the saddle position/angle/loading can change when you change strings...

What about the battery?

The battery was being used in another device without a problem with full function. However I will go out later today and buy a new sealed one. I could also put on a new set of strings but these don't seem all that old. I don't remember what strings I put on it but I think they were probably some Martins.

[Ralph124C41]

Actually I think the last time the strings were changed was when I had my luthier buddy put in a new nut with the string slots changed to that of an 1 11/16-inch nut width. I just wasn't comfortable with the regular string spacing of the 1.75-inch nut width.

I had him put on some kind of GHS phosphor-bronze 13-56s strings. I don't remember changing strings since then and I really can't recall if I plugged the guitar in since my luthier worked on it.

Is there something he could have accidentally done to cause this problem? I still have the original nut.

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

Actually I think the last time the strings were changed was when I had my luthier buddy put in a new nut with the string slots changed to that of an 1 11/16-inch nut width. I just wasn't comfortable with the regular string spacing of the 1.75-inch nut width.

Is there something he could have accidentally done to cause this problem? I still have the original nut.

If he changed the nut, he may have had the sadddle out to work on it? If the saddle is out, the transducer (braided wire thing) can actually fall out through the saddle slot. I suggest you change strings and look under the saddle to make sure the UST is in position. Sometimes the UST plugs into the pre amp or the pre amp plugs into the tailpin jack so check for those connections.

Funny, the acoustic open mics I go to, only have mics and the sound guy looks put out if he has to plug someone guitar into the board.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Fathand

If he changed the nut, he may have had the sadddle out to work on it? If the saddle is out, the transducer (braided wire thing) can actually fall out through the saddle slot. I suggest you change strings and look under the saddle to make sure the UST is in position. Sometimes the UST plugs into the pre amp or the pre amp plugs into the tailpin jack so check for those connections.

Funny, the acoustic open mics I go to, only have mics and the sound guy looks put out if he has to plug someone guitar into the board.

I will try to check when I change strings but I doubt he did anything with the saddle. I also don't have one of those mirror devices so I don't know how well I will be able to see the interior.

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

I will try to check when I change strings but I doubt he did anything with the saddle. I also don't have one of those mirror devices so I don't know how well I will be able to see the interior.

I sometimes take pictures inside with my cellphone. I have a "say cheese" setting so I don't have to touch the phone and jiggle it. Then remove phone and can zoom in on the pic.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Fathand

I sometimes take pictures inside with my cellphone. I have a "say cheese" setting so I don't have to touch the phone and jiggle it. Then remove phone and can zoom in on the pic.

I tried that on my phone and what a NIGHTMARE! It took me 30 minutes to try to turn it off. Never again!!!

But I found a free app that lets me do a countdown and that should work and I will try it ... but I don't know what I'm looking for really.

Ok I took a very fuzzy picture and it just showed the six pegs and a the wire going from the piezo.

So the wire lead didn't fall out but there may be something wrong with the strip itself or it may no longer be contacting correctly.

I don't know. I hate anything high tech (or even low tech). As I wrote, I didn't buy the X1-DE because it had a pickup.

[Ralph124C41]

Success, I guess.

What I did was to loosen the guitar strings and take the strings out of the pin slots and then reattach them, a little bit on each string in consecutive windings. I then tested it and everything seems fine now. Somehow when I tuned the high E string up to pitch it broke. I don't have any spares in either the gauge (13) or the brand so I used some 10 year old bulk set of 14-gauges I bought from Musician's Friend . I think I intended to put them on one of my electrics as I also have some 10s.

The 14 gauge felt too tight when I was trying to get it up to standard E so I just tuned the whole guitar down to D. I do notice a slight loss of volume on the transplanted high E string and I wonder if it could be because of the age, the composition of the string or its gauge. I've always read that "plain guitar strings are all the same" but I don't know if that may be true. The composition may be a little bit different ... or it could be beause it is at leat 10 years old (maybe 12.)

But the low E now is not the loud beast it was. I still wonder how this imbalance occurred. I will point it out ... nicely ... to my luthier buddy.

Or maybe I won't.

[Mandobart]

When you say "14 gauge" do you mean you're using a .014" diameter plain steel string for the high E? That's a heavy string. .013" is medium, .012" is light.

I use 13's on my dread, archtop and resonator. I use 12's on my OM and 000. I don't use 14's on anything.

[Ralph124C41]

Yes, .014. It's all I had available at the moment unless I wanted to "borrow" from another set.

[phavriluk]

I think this thread needs to move to one of the forums dealing with electronics.