Chocklit_Thunda wrote:
So the crystals are all connected in series? if that's the case I can keep the standard wiring and just remove them from the plastic strip casing. How would i glue them though? with a hard glue like an epoxy or superglue?
Wired in parallel. You could epoxy them if you can figure out how to attach the wires - you can't easily solder directly to the element as it is ceramic, not metallic.
In a UST the elements are placed between two conductors, something like this:
-------------- - Conductor
□ □ □ □ □ □ - Piezo elements
-------------- - Conductor
The insulation keeps everything held together and the downward pressure from the strings ensures contact between crystals and conductors.
So you need to split off each element like this:
---
□
---
You can't just do the simple thing and put them under the saddles, because the downward pressure from the string is all on the top surface of the bridge in a TOM. You can't use single strips of conductor either because each saddle is separate and intonatable. While you can use the bridge itself for the negative/earth connection, the positive has to be isolated from the bridge. Oh... and the top of the saddle has to be isolated from the positive (preferably earthed too) so it doesn't make the strings live.
So you need something like this:
--- Top of saddle
--- Insulator
--- conductor
□
--- - Bottom of saddle
...then after all that, you still have to figure out how to stop the top of the saddle from sliding sideways.
Fun, eh? ?
