A K&K Pickup on a Ukulele Story

[Tod Gilding]

Jeremy, A lot of manufactures even recommend placing the disks temporarily with blue tack until the optimum postion is found, not sure about K&K, but I see no reason why not.

[Allen]

I place mine just in front of the bridge plate John.

First reason was that I use a couple of 1mm brads through the saddle slot to help locate the bridge when glueing on and I didn't want to inadvertently drill through one of the pads. The other was that I saw that they recommended placing them just a bit in front of the saddle as compared to on a guitar.

[John Maddison]

Thanks for chiming in on this post, Allen.

I also use brad pins when gluing bridges so I took extra caution to exactly locate the pads on the bridge patch prior to drilling, given the Maccaferri pads are 3/4" diameter. I do recall the image you threw up in your Gallery post that showed the installation of the pads. Can you give me some feedback on volume and response when you plugged it into an amplifier, and what kind of amp did you use to test?

Regards and thanks again ...

[John Maddison]

... I've placed my sensors directly beneath the saddle, but between the 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings. Will see how I go with this. So the tape is completely acoustically transparent, but the gel works better? Hmmm ... I just wanted them to be easier to move if it became required in this case, being the first installation in a uke. My comment about removing them to glue instead, or not, is based on whether the risk of damage during removal - even with tape, outweighs the benefits to be gained by glue.
Jeremy.

Hi Jeremy ... Re: experimenting with various placements, there is a good pictorial step-by-step of how to fix transducers using double-sided tape, and subsequently remove them intact (though tricky to do inside a ukulele), on the K&K Sound website ... click here. I'll be interested to hear of your experiences with placing pads under the bridge between 4th/3rd and 2nd/1st strings, compared with pads fixed below the outside (G & A) strings.

Cheers & thanks

[Allen]

The K&K's went into the Bass that went off to N.Z.

Out of my little Kustom amp the volume was a bit subdued and I thought that it could have used a preamp. But there certainly was a signal. Not like what you are describing at all.

I've just strung up another Bass but have some set up to do on it before I plug it in. Will have that sorted out over the weekend and will report back.

[Allen]

New Bass is all set up and no problems at all with the K&K twin spot internals John. Really good signal. I built this one just a bit lighter than the last now that I have a better feel for the tension on these strings, So I'd say that I'm getting better response from the amp on this instrument.

You could get away without a preamp, but I still think that using one would be a good idea.

[Bob Connor]

I agree about the pre-amp Allen.

K&K's tend to be a bit honky without one. (Too much 400Hz-1Khz)

The pre-amp makes them sound way smoother.

Regards

[Clancy]

On a spruce topped instrument, wouldn't attatching the pads directly to the soundboard with CA risk a stain appearing on the outside?
Perhaps another reason for using the supplied tape.

[Allen]

I think that would be unlikely Craig. CA will wick up the end grain quick smart and stain, but on the face it doesn't do squat. It's used regularly for inlay of rosettes as long as the end grain in the channels has been sealed with shellac, lacquer or hide glue.