Don- I'm glad you got the mounting solved to your satisfaction. Give us a call we'd like to discuss it. We are dealing with placements on so many instruments that mounting is always a main concern, and there is no cure for every situation. We routinely have calls from folks wanting to mount pickups on unusual instruments, (including typewriters and ping-pong tables). We spend a lot of time addressing these questions by phone and e-mail. Frequently, people order on-line and we don't know what instrument the pickup is going to be used for. Sometimes they call, and we find that they have purchased the wrong pickup, or that it needs to be customized in some way, (lead length, output jack etc). We view this trial and error problem solving as Research and Development which will make things easier for everyone in the long run.

I don't think that any other pickup company will go to the lengths that Pick-up the World will to customize a pickup to your instrument. We want very happy customers.

A couple of suggestions regarding the rattling sound you hear occasionally. First, make sure the brass piece is firmly secured. If the output wire is twisted, it may pull on the brass piece, causing it to pull off or partially off. Make sure the output wire is twisted in a manner which pushes the brass piece down, rather than pulling it up. Usually, the brass stays down, but if it is a problem, give us a call.

Also, make sure the output wire is not rubbing against any banjo parts. The wire has a certain "pickup" property of it's own, and vibrating against braces, etc, can cause the rattles you describe.

Your EQ problems are interesting. Pre-amps designed by ordinary piezo pickup companies tend to be colored in an attempt to compensate for the "quack" inherent in their pickups. I think this is where your problem lies. Most folks with Pick-up the World pickups don't have to use any EQ, they just run it flat, for the best natural tone. We can definitely help you solve this. Please, give us a call. Thanks, BlueJay