Airline pocket bass piezo pickup - help.....

[EFK]

Don't know how many of you may be familiar with the piezo pickups used in old Airline/Supro pocket bass guitars, but let me fill you in: they suck. Sorry if I'm being blasphemous but if there is something about them that is somehow appreciated, well, I don't appreciate it. Apparently, it's just some kind of piezo pickup stuck inside the rosewood bridge assembly, and there is no boost or buffer or anything like that. So, you can alternate between this fantastic, big, round single coil neck pickup, or (drum roll please) the sound of an unplugged guitar coming through a tin can. That's how it sounds to me. Hardly any output at all.

What I would like to know is if there is some kind of ready-made booster or buffer or something like that which will run off a 9 volt battery that I can wire into the thing so that the piezo pickup can actually get in the neighborhood of the neck pickup output. I don't want some elaborate preamp, or something with add-on knobs, or equalizing etc. I just want something that I can stick inside the guitar that will boost the piezo signal to a "normal" level. These have about a zillion holes drilled in the back with a plastic cover, so there is plenty of room in there to stick something along with a battery inside that doesn't involve drilling holes for knobs in the guitar.

Any ideas? David Schwab, as resident bass guru, lord of all things sub-82 hz and generally knowledgeable guy, I'm looking at you.....

[EFK]

Wondering if something like this would be useful:

Bartolini Buffer Knob for Piezo Bass Pickup | Musician's Friend

I'd just "max out" the knob whatever it does and stick that inside the thing.

[David Schwab]

It's not a piezo pickup. It's a regular magnetic pickup. The bridge has rod magnets that pass through two coils when it vibrates. There's a thread on them here somewhere. I posted a link to photos.

I suppose you could take that signal from the pickup and run it though a preamp. I think it was supposed to add to the other pickup rather than being used alone. Or maybe it needs to be fixed.

[David Schwab]

Here's some photos of the pickup:

Daily Guitar Repair: What I believe is a 1965 Supro Martinique, with a pickup problem

[EFK]

Hmmmmmm. That does look exactly like it, right down to the 2 rod magnets. I haven't pulled the bridge up, though, as it seems to be glued or otherwise solidly affixed to the body. I'll have to take a reading off it and see what the dc resistance turns out to be. It makes sound, just not a lot. So let's reevaluate this - lets assume it works, as it ought, just very quiet, and being a magnetic pickup instead of a piezo pickup: is there some kind of simple boost w/ a 9 volt I could stick inside to give it a kick in the pants?

Maybe I should just wire up a boost pedal circuit on a little fiberboard and insert it between the pickup and the pot?

Thanks for taking the time to reply David. I appreciate it. I'm not a bass player, but I did find this pocket bass in a holiday inn express. Weird little bass. I had to find some monster heavy strings just to get the tension up on it with that ridiculous 25" or so scale.

[Mike Sulzer]

Maybe I should just wire up a boost pedal circuit on a little fiberboard and insert it between the pickup and the pot?

Yes, you can make your own preamp, or you could look at some of the on line places that sell things for musicians. Many sell tiny preamp cards that you can put anywhere.