done by a professional qualified guitar craftsman or technician.
Some installations require a high knowledge about woodwork-
ing and guitar structure.
B-BAND LTD, B-BAND, INC. AND B-BAND GmBH WILL NOT
BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAmAGES, PERSONAL INJU-
RIES OR LIABILITIES RESULTING FROm INSTALLATIONS,
ImPROPERLY DONE INSTALLATIONS OR mISUSE OF PROD-
UCT.
Read all of these instructions closely before starting installa-
tion.
B-Band pickups (UST and AST) work with all B-Band A-series
preamps.
After installation the UST pickup can have very high output,
enough to overdrive the B-Band preamp input, causing distor-
tion. The UST will lower in output, under pressure of the saddle,
in 1 to 3 days.
Do not cut, pull, crimp or bend at a sharp angle any B-Band
transducers.
B-Band UST and AST CANNOT be shortened or altered in any
way. This will cause audible hum and void the warranty.
Long-time exposure of UST or AST to high temperatures (over
50 °C / 120 °F) may reduce the output level permanently.
B-Band pickups will only work with B-Band preamps. B-Band
preamps will work with most any external audio preamps, mix-
ers, and instrument amplifiers.
Before installation make sure instrument is in good working
condition.
Do not mount battery holder to preamp.
Even with the battery secure in the holder or the battery box
lid closed, the battery could get loose when transported. We
strongly recommend removing the battery before transporting
the instrument in heavy conditions, for example, with freight
companies or airlines, to avoid possible damage to the instru-
ment.
When doing any drilling, sawing, cutting or routing at the guitar,
be sure to secure the guitar so it will not move when doing
such work.
2. OVERVIEW OF B-BAND UST AND AST TRANSDUCERS
Both the B-Band UST (Under-Saddle Transducer) and AST
(Acoustic Soundboard Transducer) pickups use the same-pat-
ented transducer technology.
They are very flexible, but you should never pull or bend them
at a sharp angle.
B-Band pickups themselves do not require electrical power, as
they are permanently charged electrets. Because of the very
high output impedance (typical for condenser microphones) B-
Band UST and AST always require a B-Band preamp.
Standard piezo preamps will not work properly with B-Band
pickups. They will produce low output and poor bass response.
The active portion of the B-Band UST pickup is 80 mm (3.15”)
from the end of the transducer at the opposite side of the con-
nector. The active portion of the 1470 AST is the 14 x 70 mm
(.55” x 2.75”) area that attaches to the guitar. The rest of the
UST and the “lead” wire of the AST are not active. However, for
best performance always keep the inactive portion of either UST
or AST pickup from touching each other, or touching or rubbing
on the inside of the guitar, or touching the battery or output jack
wires. These can produce unwanted handling noise.
