Guitar Dictionary Category
Electric Guitar, Effects & Amplification
What Is a Piezo Pickup?
A piezo pickup is a transducer that produces an electrical signal when a piezoelectric material is compressed, bent or vibrated. On guitars and related instruments, the element is commonly installed under a saddle, inside a bridge or against a vibrating surface.
Unlike a magnetic pickup, a piezo system does not require steel or nickel strings. It can be used with nylon-string guitars, ukuleles, violins, mandolins, resonator guitars and many other acoustic instruments.
Common Piezo Locations
- Under-saddle: a strip or cable beneath the acoustic-guitar saddle.
- Bridge-mounted: an element built into or attached to a bridge.
- Contact pickup: a disc or sensor attached to the soundboard or body.
- Piezo bridge on electric guitar: individual or shared elements built into the saddles or bridge.
Mechanical Contact and String Balance
An under-saddle pickup depends on even pressure between the strings, saddle and transducer. A poorly fitted saddle or uneven slot can make one string much louder or quieter than the others.
This is a mechanical setup problem as much as an electronic one. Sanding a saddle or installing an under-saddle element incorrectly can affect action and intonation, so professional installation is often appropriate.
Impedance and Preamps
Many passive piezo pickups have very high source impedance. Connecting them to an input that is too low can reduce bass, change dynamics and produce an unnaturally thin or hard response.
An active onboard preamp, acoustic preamp pedal or suitable direct box can buffer the signal and provide impedance matching, level control and equalization.
Piezo vs Magnetic Pickup
A magnetic pickup senses string movement within a magnetic field. A piezo system senses physical vibration or pressure. A hybrid instrument can use both and blend them for different attack and body characteristics.
Controlling the Sound
Begin with flat EQ and a compatible high-impedance input. Reduce excessive low-frequency body resonance before boosting treble. If the system includes a phase switch or notch filter, use those controls to manage feedback at performance volume.
Why Piezo Pickups Matter
Piezo pickups make many acoustic and non-magnetic-string instruments practical to amplify. Their performance depends on installation, mechanical pressure and electrical loading as much as on the sensing element itself.
Kalymi Tip
Start by confirming that every string has a balanced output. Equalization cannot fully repair an under-saddle element that is receiving uneven pressure.
Use an acoustic preamp or input designed for piezo sources before deciding that the pickup sounds too thin. Impedance matching can change the result substantially.
In a layered arrangement, blend or alternate piezo and magnetic signals only after each works well alone. Two weak signals do not automatically create one natural sound.
Related Terms
Learn More
- Guitar Learning Path
- Top 12 Tips for Resonator and Lap Steel Guitar
- Fishman AG-Series Under-Saddle Pickups
- Fishman Acoustic Matrix Installation Guide
- Fishman Electric Piezo Bridge Systems
- Fishman Acoustic Pickup Systems
Reviewed by
Brent C. Robitaille,
music educator and founder of
Kalymi Music.