Do piezo pickups need preamp?

If you are using a piezoelectric pickup or a passive electric violin, or an active violin with a high impedance output, you do need a preamp to connect to a sound board. Piezo pickups produce a high impedance (Hi-Z) output, while most amps and audio mixers are designed to accept a low impedance (Lo-Z) input.

Do passive pickups need a preamp?

Certain pickups (like our Pure Pickup) are advertised as passive systems, meaning that they’re designed to sound good even without a preamp. The advantage of a passive pickup is that it’s low maintenance and a good passive pickup should produce warm, full, and round tone.

Why do piezo pickups sound bad?

piezo systems suffer from installation problems that result in less-than-ideal sound. The downside of undersaddle pickups is that they tend to have a very strong, spiky transient attack, which can make the guitar sound harsh or unappealing, especially when played with a heavy right hand.

Can you use the same amp for acoustic and electric?

If you’re using a simple acoustic guitar, a pickup or additional mic is needed. All in all, the short answer to your question is yes, you can plug your acoustic/electric guitar into an amp. In fact, you can even plug it into electric guitar amps. But, as you may have guessed, the sound won’t be the same.

Can you run an acoustic guitar through an electric amp?

You cannot plug an acoustic guitar into any kind of amp because it lacks the electronics. All in all, the short answer to your question is yes, you can plug your acoustic/electric guitar into an amp. In fact, you can even plug it into electric guitar amps. But, as you may have guessed, the sound won’t be the same.

Can I mix active and passive pickups?

With completely separate signals coming from the active and passive circuitry, you can do anything you like with each one. Of course, one thing you could do is simply plug each pickup into a different amplifier.