PiezoBarrel instructions

PiezoBarrel Pickup Manual

Connecting your PiezoBarrel pickup

Your PiezoBarrel pickup may come with a small packet containing brass parts and screws along with a small
screwdriver. The brass threaded parts are so you can fit your pickup to other instruments. The brass screw
is to block the mounting hole so the instrument can be played when you do not need the pickup. The small
screwdriver is to adjust the volume of the pickup if required. The volume control screw can be turned anti-
clockwise to reduce the volume. Do not force the screw, if it does not turn then it is already at the maximum
or minimum position. The volume control screw turns only 270 degrees and stops at each end of its range.
When set to its lowest level, the pickup will produce no sound as the volume will be zero.

PiezoBarrel Pickups have a standard 6mm metric thread (M6x1.0) on the bottom that screws into a brass
thread in the supplied mouthpiece or clarinet barrel. The pickup should be mounted in a position where
moisture will not flow into the pickup (at the top of the instrument preferably, but on the side is also OK). A
silver stainless steel or brass screw is supplied to block the hole in the mouthpiece, clarinet barrel or neck
after the pickup has been removed to allow the instrument to be played when the pickup is not being used.

PiezoBarrel pickups are supplied with a black shielded cable

that has a mono 3.5mm (1/8 inch) plug on one end and a
6.35mm (1/4 inch). The 3.5mm plug fits into the 3.5mm
socket in the pickup. The 6.35mm plug can be plugged into
sound equipment such as a guitar amplifier, mixer (line in,
instrument in or unbalanced in), guitar effect pedal input
socket. The PiezoBarrel output is quite high (similar to a guitar
rather than a microphone) and you may want to turn the
output level on the down (turn the adjusting screw anti-
clockwise) before connecting to microphone inputs to avoid
distortion. Note that when the output is turned fully
anticlockwise the output will be zero and there will be no output from the pickup – this is not a fault. To
hear the pickup, turn the output level up by turning the screw clockwise.

Before connecting the pickup to sound equipment you should turn volume controls down to zero on the
sound equipment (not the pickup). For effect pedals, the pedal should be turned on after the pickup has
been attached (this is often achieved by disconnecting the output lead on the pedal).

PiezoBarrel pickups do not require a preamplifier except if you wish to use earphones or headphones. The
output of the pickup is preset to full output level by default and this works for most equipment but the
volume can be set to a lower level if desired. The volume may need to be adjusted with the supplied
screwdriver to a low level for equipment that has no level control and is designed for microphone input
levels as the signal will be clipped resulting in distortion.

The pickup should be removed from the instrument, dried and stored when not in use.

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PiezoBarrel instructions

PiezoBarrel general fitting instructions

Note, these instructions are suggestions and other methods can be used. PiezoBarrel pickups can be used
with a variety of instruments but unfortunately these instructions are limited to only the most common
instruments. To assist in fitting the PiezoBarrel pickups to different, a number of brass fittings are available.
These fittings are often supplied with each pickup sold, but the type of fitting may vary. For example,
clarinet pickups are usually sold with a spare fitting for a clarinet barrel and perhaps a fitting for a saxophone
neck whereas pickups sold with a trumpet mouthpiece are supplied with spare fittings for soldering onto a
trumpet mouthpiece or other brass instrument. For some instruments, it may not be necessary to use a
fitting at all. The pickup attaches with a standard M6 x 1.0 metric thread. In some cases, a hole can be
drilled and tapped into the instrument directly.

See below for a picture of the different types of fittings available and some examples of use.

Type A For gluing into an 8mm hole drilled into a clarinet barrel but can be used for other instruments.
Type B For embedding in a mouthpiece. Often the mouthpiece material is not thick enough to embed
to the full depth, so the fitting has a narrow knurled section at the bottom for embedding in
the mouthpiece.
Type C For embedding in a clarinet barrel. This is the type preinstalled in the supplied barrels.
Type D (discontinued) was for brass mouthpiece, or sax or bass clarinet neck. This is replaced by Type
E.
Type E This has a 12mm diameter transverse cutaway for mounting on a trumpet mouthpiece stem.
This can also be used on a bassoon Bocal or a sax neck but may need to be filed to fit larger
diameter parts. In some cases, a 16mm or 20mm diameter cutaway may be provided as an
alternative to facilitate fitting to a saxophone neck.
Type X Brass knurled blocking screw to close the hole so the instrument can be played without a
pickup. These are available only in small quantity as they have to be individually hand made.
Type Y Stainless steel blocking screw to close the hole so the instrument can be played without a
pickup.

Fitting the pickup to a clarinet is easily accomplished by either buying a barrel with a brass fitting pre-
installed or installing a fitting into an existing barrel. For saxophone, the fitting can be embedded in the
mouthpiece or soldered onto the sax neck. For trumpet and most brass instruments, a fitting is usually
soldered onto the mouthpiece stem above the receiver. In all cases, the pickup requires a hole drilled
through into the instrument bore as it works on air pressure, not vibrations transmitted through the
instrument body. The fittings X or Y are used to block this hole while the pickup is not being used.

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PiezoBarrel instructions

Step by step guide for Sax or Bass Clarinet Mouthpiece

Step 1
Firstly, you will need to drill a flat bottomed hole in the
sax mouthpiece (or clarinet barrel). The best way to do
this is with a Drill Press and a Counterbore (a 3/8 inch
counterbore is ideal but larger will leave more of a gap
outside the insert to fill with glue). The counterbore is
the tool used to make concealed screws in furniture.

The counterbore has a pilot drill down the middle held

in place with a grub screw. The pilot drill should be
moved up so only the very tip of the drill pokes out so the hole doesn't go all the way through (if you can't
do this, then just ensure the hole doesn't go right through the mouthpiece and into the other side of the
bore).

The drilling should be done with a drill press to ensure the

hole is accurately cut perpendicular, and central to the
bore. Check the position to ensure that the ligature will still
fit after the insert has been fitted and the hole in the bore
will be far enough forward to not be blocked by the
saxophone neck cork. For bass clarinet, you will only need
to ensure the ligature will still fit.

Step 2
The bottom of the brass insert is coated with glue (I use
jewellery glue but the type doesn't matter) and glued to the
bottom of the hole. This is just to hold the brass in place
while the rest of the glue is applied.

Note that the counterbore hole is larger than the brass

insert. This gap is to allow the glue or resin to be injected
around the brass insert to hold it firmly and make an
airtight seal.

Step 3
A glue is poured or injected around the brass insert and
allowed to dry. The glue can be a two part resin such as
Araldite epoxy resin or any glue that will set to make a solid
joint. I use a two part plastic casting resin but a variety of
different products can be used.

As a suggestion, you can buy a cheap plastic syringe and a

blunt needle from a chemist store and use this to inject the
glue without making a mess.

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PiezoBarrel instructions

Step 4
After the glue has dried or set, the next step is to
make a hole into the bore to allow the sound to get
to the pickup. I usually make the size of the hole
quite small (2.5mm or 1/8 inch). The hole can be
larger, up to the size of the inside of the thread
(5.5mm) but a large hole is not necessary as the
pickup only has a 2.5mm entry hole.

Step 5
The pickup can then be fitted by screwing in the
pickup and checking to make sure it stops before the
bottom of the pickup butts against the bottom of the
bore. The O ring is designed to make an airtight seal
with the pickup. If there is a gap between the O ring
and the brass thread you may get air leaks. Spare O
rings, and sometimes different size O rings are
supplied (when available) so you can use more than
one or a thicker O ring to get a good seal.

Step 6
The ligature generally needs to be a metal ligature as
these are designed with a hole in the top to suit a pickup.

Note: It is also possible to install the pickup on the side of

the mouthpiece. The main reason to install on the top is
so that moisture will drain more easily from the pickup
and will not run into the pickup.

In any situation where the pickup will be exposed to

moisture, it is preferable for the pickup to be upright (ie.
The hole at the bottom) so that moisture will not
accumulate inside the pickup.

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PiezoBarrel instructions

Instructions for Clarinet Barrel

To fit the pickup to a clarinet barrel there are several choices.

 You can drill a 5mm hole in the barrel and cut a thread using a M6 tap. For a plastic barrel you can
simplify this by drilling a 5.5mm hole and using a M6 bolt and spanner to make a thread.
OR
 You can use a brass insert that is designed for embedding and follow the same process as outlined
for the bass clarinet or sax mouthpiece. Use fitting Type B (or C if supplied) (see page 2). Fitting B is
designed for the sax or bass clarinet mouthpiece where the outer wall is thin and the top of the
fitting needs to protrude but this fitting can also be used in a clarinet barrel where it can be fitted
into a deeper hole than is possible in a mouthpiece.

OR

 You can drill an 8mm hole in the barrel and glue a brass insert into the hole. You might want to use
a long bolt to use as a handle. Use fitting Type A (see page 2 for fitting types).

Instructions for Brass Instruments

For brass instruments such as trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone or tuba, a brass fitting supplied with the pickup
can be soldered onto the mouthpiece stem above the receiver. NOTE: All soldering should only be carried
out by someone with experience with gas soldering/welding and an understanding of the fire risk, the safety
requirements for securing the area, and also the use of personal protection items such as gloves, tongs,
safety glasses and suitable clothing to avoid injury.

First, the brass fitting should be heated with a soldering iron and the bottom surface tinned with solder prior
to attaching to the mouthpiece.

The Type E fittings provided are designed to fit around the stem of the trumpet mouthpiece to provide a
good solder connection. The position of the fitting must be chosen first, to ensure that the adapter is above
where the mouthpiece fits into the receiver or lead pipe. The pickup should be as far away from the
mouthpiece cup as possible without preventing the mouthpiece stem going fully into the receiver.

To attach the brass fitting to the mouthpiece you will need to secure the mouthpiece so you can work on it
without it moving. The mouthpiece will also need to be heated to approximately 300 - 350 degrees C
depending on the solder, so it will need to be clamped in some material that can withstand this heat.

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PiezoBarrel instructions

To get a good solder joint, the mouthpiece needs to be heated until hot enough to melt the solder. Solder
should be applied to a small area large enough to encompass where the fitting will be attached. Once the
solder has formed a smooth blob on the area and has adhered to the mouthpiece stem, you should carefully
(and quickly) wipe the solder off with a clean damp cotton cloth. A little more solder should be carefully
applied to wet the area and the fitting placed on the mouthpiece stem and kept hot until a good solder joint
has been formed. Heat can them be withdrawn and the fitting and mouthpiece allowed to cool.

The last step is to drill a hole into the mouthpiece to allow the sound from the instrument into the pickup.
Without this, the output of the pickup will be very low and of poor quality and mechanical noise will drown
out the sound. PiezoBarrel wind pickups work by sound pressure produced by the standing wave inside the
instrument – not like a contact mic.

After cooling, the fitting should be checked for leaks. Finally, a 2mm or 2.5mm hole drilled through to the
bore of the mouthpiece.

The brass (or stainless steel) thumbscrew supplied is used to block the hole when the pickup is not attached.
This allows the instrument to play when the pickup is not needed. Note that the fitting placement will
depend on how far the stem of the mouthpiece fits into the lead pipe or receiver and the shape of the
mouthpiece. It is advised to mark the desired position of the brass attachment with mouthpiece attached to
the instrument to ensure the attachment will not prevent the mouthpiece from fitting the instrument
correctly.

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PiezoBarrel instructions

Instructions for Bassoon

The PiezoBarrel pickup may be attached to a Bassoon by soldering a brass Type E fitting to the Bassoon Bocal
(or Crook).

NOTE: All soldering should only be carried out by someone with experience with gas soldering/welding and
an understanding of the fire risk, the safety requirements for securing the area, and also the use of personal
protection items such as gloves, tongs, safety glasses and suitable clothing to avoid injury.

After the attachment is soldered on and checked for leaks, a 2mm hole is drilled through into the Bocal bore.
A fitting (Type E) is currently available for soldering onto a round tube like the bocal.

If you require further information, please contact PiezoBarrel via eMail or Facebook messenger.

Further information and after sales service

Thank you for purchasing a PiezoBarrel pickup. If you require support, you can contact PiezoBarrel direct via
the contact information on the web site at http://piezobarrel.com or by messaging us on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/PiezoBarrel

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