Handmade Pickups For Acoustic Instruments
CV Clip-On Violin Pickup Instructions
Before You Start, A W ord About Am plification:
The CV is a passive pickup and as such has a very high im pedance of approxim ately 1 m ega ohm . This
pickup will generally work properly when plugged into any norm al electric guitar am p but will not work
properly plugged directly into a PA system and m ay not work properly plugged straight into som e acoustic
am ps without using an acoustic pream p in between. For best results, and to allow the use of this pickup
with all am ps and PA system s, the use of an acoustic pream p, such as our Mini Pre, is suggested.
The design of the CV allows the pickup to easily be m oved from one violin to another without dam age
to the violin or the pickup. Please read these instructions through com pletely prior to use.
Notes
The CV is intended for use on violins. It was not
designed to be used on violas due to the thicker nature
of a viola bridge. The m axim um thickness of a bridge
that the CV will accom m odate (as m easured at the
bottom arc) is 5.1m m (0.200")
The pickup sensor should be attached to the bass
side of a bridge with the logo facing towards the tail
piece. For use on left handed violins the sensor would be
attached to the bass side of the bridge with the logo
facing towards the neck.
This distinction m ade between right handed and left
handed instrum ents is because the “U” shaped slot
within the pickup body is not sym m etrical. The slot is
wider at the bottom and it tapers towards the top of the
sensor to allow it to better fit the taper of a bridge.
Pickup Attachm ent
The CV will slide onto a violin bridge and be held in
place by the spring action of the pickup body. It is
im portant to hold and support the bridge when the
pickup is being pushed into place as the spring action of
the pickup body has som e stiffness to it and m ay m ove
the bridge.
Be sure to hold and support the bridge when
rem oving the pickup as well.
Pickup Placem ent
Norm al placem ent for the pickup sensor is on the
bass side of the bridge with the bottom edge of the
pickup as even with the bottom arc of the bridge as it
can com fortably be fitted.
A sm all gap of between 1/16" to 1/8" (1.5 to 3 m m )
should be left between the bass end of the bridge and
the inside “U” of the pickup body. Leaving this sm all gap
will benefit the sound quality and output level of the
pickup.
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