Luthiers Opinion Request Re: Distortion from Under Saddle Transducer

[innercity]

I have a D03-r. A luthier installed an LR Baggs Element Active pickup. The hole was drilled through the bridge and also one of the soundboard braces. The pickup transducer wire was routed through the hole in the soundboard brace. Also the pickup wire clips were fastened to the inside of the soundboard. There was a lot of vibration/distortion coming from the pickup. Pictures available of the work if you need them. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. 

[dgrose]

The pickup transducer wire was routed through the hole in the soundboard brace. Also the pickup wire clips were fastened to the inside of the soundboard.

Whenever I've installed an "under the saddle" transducer, I secured the wire to the side of the guitar before it goes to the output jack or wired it directly to the output... but that's not to say it's the best or only method.

dg

[tadol]

I have a D03-r. A luthier installed an LR Baggs Element Active pickup. The hole was drilled through the bridge and also one of the soundboard braces. The pickup transducer wire was routed through the hole in the soundboard brace. Also the pickup wire clips were fastened to the inside of the soundboard. There was a lot of vibration/distortion coming from the pickup. Pictures available of the work if you need them. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

You may want to ask the LR Baggs support folk about it - I don't think you should need to drill through a brace, but what you are asking about isn't clear to me -

Tad

[unclrob]

There is no reason to drill thru a brace and though I'm not a luthier I do do pickup installs all the time BUT I would NEVER EVER drill thru a brace.Please find someone else to do any other work you want to have done.

[innercity]

You may want to ask the LR Baggs support folk about it - I don't think you should need to drill through a brace, but what you are asking about isn't clear to me -

Tad

Thanks for your reply. I have been in contact with L.R.Baggs, in their opinion the install was performed incorrectly. Their instructions for installing the Element Active under Saddle Transducer clearly states 1. to avoid drilling into a soundboard brace 2. to clip the transducer wire to the bridge plate 3. any remaining clips to be installed to the sides or back of the instrument 4. and to avoid transducer wire from touching the soundboard braces or soundboard. Manual- http://www.lrbaggs.com/Manuals/element_active_manual.pdf reference 4. pickup installation 8.3 and figure 5.

To clarify my question: will running the transducer wire through the soundboard brace or wire clips mounted to the soundboard cause distortion/vibration.

The L.R. Baggs representative feels this was the source of my Vibration/Distortion as the soundboard and braces naturally vibrate as they are the "guitars speaker"

I am looking for additional opinions and/or more relative information. Thank you all very much for your support and happy pickin.

[tadol]

If the manufacturers rep thinks it is, I think you have the answer -

To confirm, I'd have it reinstalled properly, and see if the problems go away - And I'd talk to unclrob or Jim Holler about what they think could/should be done about the drilled brace - Maybe glue a bit of dowel in the hole?

Good luck -  Tad

[unclrob]

Do get someone to check your brace's as the one that was drilled threw my now be loose or even cracked.This will cause the top to vibrate wrong cause the pickup to sound distorted.You should play the guitar unplugged and listen very closely for any distortion acoustically.

[Zohn]

Now there's a thought!!! - "drilled" braces in stead of scalloped.  
I'm horrified at the very thought of drilling through a brace - even like one finds on some guitars for accommodating the truss rod wrench.
I sincerely hope you get you problem sorted out, the advice you got so far from this thread seem the way/s to go. I find the LR Baggs USTs are some of the best in the business.

[rockstar_not]

What!  Drilling through a brace!

Many ways to route the UST wire to the end-pin jack and secure without drilling.  I believe my Fishman UST installed by Larrivee was routed over to the top side of the axe and supported there with a little wire-ty anchor with sticky-back tape.

I would use one of these on the side :  http://www.electricalwireties.com/page/839550

Smaller blocks are available - I've seen them down to 1/4" wide if I recall correctly.

[innercity]

Thank you all very much for your support. Any additional opinions/relevant information would be greatly appreciated. Happy Pickin'

[innercity]

The professionals at Larrivee and LR Baggs have responded to this issue. According to their master Luthier the location of the hole should not affect the  tone or the structural integrity of the instrument. They have recommended having the hole filled with a small piece of dowel and glue. Then to have the new hole drilled through the bridge on a 90 degree angle (the mistake was cutting on a 45 degree angle) to miss the brace. Lr Baggs recommended not to clip the wires to the soundboard. They recommend clipping the transducer wire first to the bridge plate with a 1 to 2 inch service loop and the  remaining wires to the back or sides of the instrument. My luthier made an honest mistake drilling into the brace and his choice of wire routing. LR Baggs is sending a new pickup and I will have my luthier make it right. These things happen and I'm willing to accept this as a lesson and my instrument should be fine once these repairs are completed. Thank you to LR Baggs and Larrivee customer support. And thank you all for your support as well. Your opinions are greatly appreciated. I will post back the results when I get the instrument back. Cheers, Inner