Want advice on installing pickup in Kamaka HP-1

[ukeclass]

So I’ve installed and adjusted a few pickups before so I’m decently knowledgeable in installing and troubleshooting them. I’ve successfully installed 2, and troubleshooted 1 other.

I’ve never installed a pickup in a tie knot bridge, like on the HP-1. Because the saddle slot is not very deep, will I need to deepen the slot slightly with a file, so that way the saddle can sit exactly down, and flush and not at an angle this way \ towards the nut due to not having enough bridge to hold it vertically down in place? I’ve only installed in tie block bridges before, so any advice is helpful.

For a test run to make sure the pickup was functioning correctly, I slid the piezo in the slot, put the saddle on top, and tuned up (the whole pickup is still on the exterior, no holes drilled) to make sure signal was being received. When plugged into my monitor, it’s not receiving much signal and is weak (perhaps due to the \ angle as talked about above)?

 

[Bill Sheehan]

Hi Ukeclass, is your pickup of the "active" variety, or is it passive?

 

[ukeclass]

Active!

 

[Bill Sheehan]

Good morning, Ukeclass, just wanted to check back in with you on your Kamaka issue.

Now, this is the pineapple soprano, correct?

In view of your concerns regarding saddle tilt and possible inconsistent piezo contact, have you considered the possibility that a disc-style passive pickup (which would adhere to the underside of the soundboard) might be a good option for this uke? I know it can be kind of a bummer when you've been working diligently with something, and then somebody comes along and suggests something completely different. But for a soprano uke, I personally have had very good results with the JJB Electronics single-disc passive pickup.

They have two different models-- one of them is a very simple installation, where you affix the disc inside the uke and then install the jack on the lower side bout of the uke via a hole to be drilled at that location. It looks neat and tidy when completed.

The other option that JJB offers is more in the category of the classic "endpin jack" approach. I've done one of those, and it turned out great, although considerably more time-consuming than the first option. It's also a bit more expensive, although both options are very reasonably priced.

If you were to go with something along the lines mentioned above, you'd probably want to grab a free-standing preamp unit to tame and shape that otherwise harsh passive piezo signal before it hits your amp or p.a. system. I can tell you that I resisted the idea of getting a pre-amp for many years, for no other reason than I felt it would be too much of a hassle. I was very wrong, and I realized that when I got a Behringer ADI-21. It's very inexpensive, runs on either wall power or a 9V battery, and really transforms that signal into something smooth and pleasing. I use mine all the time now, and I wouldn't be without it. In addition to a Level control to get you the volume you need, it has high, low, and mid knobs, and also allows you to dial out frequencies that may be causing boominess or feedback. Now, to be sure, I can use my JJB pickup straight into an amp (with no preamp), but running first into the ADI-21 and then into the amp makes a huge difference!

So, I'll just kind of toss that all out there for what it may be worth! I hope that whichever route you may choose, that it'll work out well!

 

[bilbo56]

I have no experience with different pickups, but I use this on 3 of my acoustic ukuleles.

CLING ON PICKUP | ULTRA QUICK MAGNETIC ATTACHMENT

BIG SOUND IN A SMALL PACKAGE: Acoustic Pickup with ULTRA-QUICK magnetic attachment. No instrument modification required! For Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo, Dulcimer and more..

www.clingon.co

I just bought extra magnets. A spare magnet makes removing them simple. I velcro the wire/jack to my strap.

 

[ukeclass]

Air air pickup

Good morning, Ukeclass, just wanted to check back in with you on your Kamaka issue.

Now, this is the pineapple soprano, correct?

In view of your concerns regarding saddle tilt and possible inconsistent piezo contact, have you considered the possibility that a disc-style passive pickup (which would adhere to the underside of the soundboard) might be a good option for this uke? I know it can be kind of a bummer when you've been working diligently with something, and then somebody comes along and suggests something completely different. But for a soprano uke, I personally have had very good results with the JJB Electronics single-disc passive pickup.

They have two different models-- one of them is a very simple installation, where you affix the disc inside the uke and then install the jack on the lower side bout of the uke via a hole to be drilled at that location. It looks neat and tidy when completed.

The other option that JJB offers is more in the category of the classic "endpin jack" approach. I've done one of those, and it turned out great, although considerably more time-consuming than the first option. It's also a bit more expensive, although both options are very reasonably priced.

If you were to go with something along the lines mentioned above, you'd probably want to grab a free-standing preamp unit to tame and shape that otherwise harsh passive piezo signal before it hits your amp or p.a. system. I can tell you that I resisted the idea of getting a pre-amp for many years, for no other reason than I felt it would be too much of a hassle. I was very wrong, and I realized that when I got a Behringer ADI-21. It's very inexpensive, runs on either wall power or a 9V battery, and really transforms that signal into something smooth and pleasing. I use mine all the time now, and I wouldn't be without it. In addition to a Level control to get you the volume you need, it has high, low, and mid knobs, and also allows you to dial out frequencies that may be causing boominess or feedback. Now, to be sure, I can use my JJB pickup straight into an amp (with no preamp), but running first into the ADI-21 and then into the amp makes a huge difference!

So, I'll just kind of toss that all out there for what it may be worth! I hope that whichever route you may choose, that it'll work out well!

Well, I kind of figured out what was happening. Yes, HP-1. I was in the process of repairing a defective pickup, and trying to salvage it, but unfortunately it was just too far gone. Was hoping to avoid spending another $200 on another one, but that'll be the case in the future.