RG2027X Magnetic & Piezo at the Same Time

[Tsorovan]

So...I'm not a proud 7-string owner yet, but as a 7-string is the only way to go for me (yeah, I'm bewitched ) I'm planning on buying a 2027 some time in the future. I'm slightly worried about the fact that you can't have dual output at the same time, especially since I'm in love with how the Parker Fly/NiteFly/whatnot works. Someone mentioned Dave Weiner's custom 2027, and on his page it said Ibanez couldn't do it, due to "impedance problems." Hrm. So, would it require a preamp or something? I remember on the old board, someone did something similar to his CST.

I'm planning on spending a couple of hundred bucks to get my old Aria Pro II in shape (the neck actually rocks once I've sanded it down a tad I'm sure); a Tone Zone and a L.R. Baggs *piezo bridge would do the trick (I'll try find a Warmoth baritone neck though...could prove to be a very interesting result . So that will hopefully tidy things over whilst waiting until I can afford a 2027 beast

[jemsite]

Kevan got it done. Click here for details

[ryan]

I still don't understand why everyone thinks having both outputs on at the same time is such a necessary thing.

I bought this guitar so I could play acoustic intros and middle sections in heavy songs without having to play a thin-sounding clean electric or drag an acoustic/electric on stage with it's own stand and all that...

I think Ibanez made the right choice here. *If I couldn't instantly switch back and forth between the two sounds, the piezo option wouldn't be viable.

I also feel the stock jack configuration is ideal - I can use one cable at band practice (which adds a bit of extra work, since I have to switch amp channels at the same time I engage the piezo) and for live gigs I can run a wireless to the board out of the piezo-only jack allowing instant switching from distortion to acoustic.

Altering this setup to allow simultaneous output would not be beneficial to me at all.

[Tsorovan]

Woo...cheers! I guess I have to dig a bit deeper in those ol' posts to find these great morsels

Now the 2027 just got a wee bit better!

Ryan:

Have you ever heard a band called Pain of Salvation? The writer/lead guitarist/singer/lyricist Daniel Gildenlöw has a Parker NiteFly. His sound is unbelievably good. He plays with the mags through a bunch of rack effects and a rocktron fx and stuff, and plugs the piezos directly into the mixer with a plate reverb. And damn, that got me hooked. So, after playing a bit with a Parker, I really was in love...the soundscapes you can achieve is like...MAN!

You're saying you want to play acoustic intros and middle section in heavy songs...well, I don't see the concept of piezos to be strictly an acoustic guitar "emulator" so to speak...imagine you play those intros and middle sections with a clean channel on the mags with some reverb and a tiny wee bit of chorus or whatnot, and have a super clean, full-of-treble superimposed crystal clear piezo thingy going on at the same time...I'd be in heaven for sure

(Mixing distorsion and crystal clear piezos rock too...especially in solos and arpeggios you want to have really accentuated. At least IMO )

[jemsite]

I think having more "options" is good and for those that feel the urge go for the wiring change. I personally lean toward Ryan's stance on usage. I don't own a piezo guitar but if i did it would not be to play it simultaneously with the humbuckers. It would be to have two guitars in one selectable by a simple switch, which is how these guitars come from Ibanez. Either way enjoy... glen

[jeffrey]

I'm really considering a 2027 too. I can understand wanting both outputs at the same time but I don't know how useful it would be.

[bob oakman]

I would think that having both outputs on would facilitate a foot switch option to choose between the pickups. That would be a good thing I guess. I always seem to fumble with switches on a guitar. I dive for a switch between strums and end up ripping the E string off or something.

Sadly, I don’t (yet) own such a guitar, but if I did, I think I would be happy with more options.

[jeffrey]

What would be neat is two outputs that go into a volume pedal type deal that would let you balance between the two outs.

[jay ratkowski]

You could have the 2 outputs meet at an ABY box, and from the "out" on the ABY, go to a single volume pedal... I don't know if that's the goal you're trying to achieve or not... but it'd take away from having to switch outputs with your hands... AHHH... laziness!

[bob oakman]

Jeffrey, YES! I have been thinking about a “balance” pedal for years. Having the ability to fade between rigs would be so awesome. *Maybe someone out there makes one. *I don’t know. A/B switches are just so clunky sounding.

It’s one of those things that I think about a lot, but forget when I’m browsing the store.

[jeffrey]

Ya know Bob, that wouldn't be very hard to make I don't think.

Hrm.. I'ma dig a little on the subject.

[tomizm]

The mesa V-Twin rackmount has that BLEND option on it for just this purpose....Clean and Dirty. * I had one for a while and couldn't find a decent sound to save my life. *I had to mix almost no dirt with the clean sound, rather than a really filthy sound with crystal clear *quack* behind it. *I wasn't impressed at all and sold the friggin' thing.

[jeffrey]

Well.. I'd personally have to think that mixing amp channels and mixing pickups are totally apples and oranges.

The same, yet very very different.

[Kevan]

Quote: from jemsite on 2:25 pm on Dec. 15, 2000
"Kevan got it done."

Not quite, Glen. *Kevan *DID* it. *After many hours with both L.R. Baggs techs and Ibanez techs, and two nice burns on my index finger from the soldering iron, I figured it out and got it done. *Why the L.A. Custom Shop couldn't do Weiner's like I did my CST is still a stumper. *I understand the impedance issue (mag. vol.=500K; piezo vol.=100K), but my design uses the wiring from the (built-in) preamp- NOT the individual pots.

You need to come over sometime and try out the "both at once" setup. *It sounds amazing. *Most of that is courtesy of the amp- I can turn off the piezo channel, and leave the bulletproof gain on or vice versa, or use the foot controller to go between the two. *I can also have a third channel run the "sum" signal. *(I love my Cruise amp. *LOL) *I can do that using two cords. *With my wireless (mono), I have to do the switching on the guitar. *With some practice, I'll have it down to a science.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by Kevan

Quote: from jemsite on 2:25 pm on Dec. 15, 2000
"Kevan got it done."

Not quite, Glen. Kevan *DID* it. After many hours with both L.R. Baggs techs and Ibanez techs, and two nice burns on my index finger from the soldering iron, I figured it out and got it done. Why the L.A. Custom Shop couldn't do Weiner's like I did my CST is still a stumper. I understand the impedance issue (mag. vol.=500K; piezo vol.=100K), but my design uses the wiring from the (built-in) preamp- NOT the individual pots.

You need to come over sometime and try out the "both at once" setup. It sounds amazing. Most of that is courtesy of the amp- I can turn off the piezo channel, and leave the bulletproof gain on or vice versa, or use the foot controller to go between the two. I can also have a third channel run the "sum" signal. (I love my Cruise amp. LOL) I can do that using two cords. With my wireless (mono), I have to do the switching on the guitar. With some practice, I'll have it down to a science.

Hi group, hi Kevan, --thanks for sharing this mod--, sorry for being pretty late on this topic, but the next few days I'll buy an (obviously used) RG2027 and I know that from stock, on these 7-strings the piezos can't be used simultaneously in combination with the regular magnetic PUs. I already found Kevans wiring scheme but I do have some questions. Someone who did a mod (but not the KJG mod) said he had significant phase cancellations in combined mode (mag. PUs & piezos) and there also were 2 volume levels, 1 consisting of strings 1, 3, 5, 7 and the other of 2, 4, 6. Meaning there's no benefit of doing this (unprofessional) mod. I'm not talking of the KJG mod which seems to work flawlessly. The guy who did this 'lo-pro' mod said he changed the piezo volume pot into the piezo mix pot.

I just wanted to make sure the KJG mod doesn't have side effects like phase cancellations. Of the KJG mod links I found only one worked - the wiring scheme. Maybe the other links have been redirected/removed? Do you prefer keeping the 2 separate outputs A and B or would some of you prefer having a stereo out?

Thanks for your help and replies.----Arky