L.R. Baggs X-Bridge and CntrlX

This is a review of the L.R. Baggs X Bridge for U.S. Strat I don't have, nor did I want the CntrlX thing, just because the idea of putting a battery in my guitar just doesn't appeal to me in the slightest bit.

Nicely built U.S. Stratocaster style bridge with a piezo pickup built into each saddle. Output goes to a single coaxial lead not unlike what you'd expect to see coming off a old Gibson humbucker.

I bought this to upgrade the bridge in a home brew Strat slapped together from various parts.. Warmoth birdseye maple neck.. strat body.. seymour duncan lil '59 in the bridge, texas special in the middle, and a pickup out of a G&L s500 in the neck position.

This bridge is supposed to be a drop in replacement for U.S. Stratocasters.. I had to plug my existing bridge post holes and re-drill, but that isn't a big deal if you have some dowel rod, some carpenters glue, and a cordless drill.

The included instructions direct you to replace the center tone knob on your strat with the provided pot, which then becomes the LR Baggs volume control and makes the 'second' tone knob now the sole tone knob on the strat.. which will control only your 'regular' pickups.. it has no control over the LR Baggs bridge pickup.

If you wire it up like they recommend, you end up with a stereo out jack.. one 'side' is your regular pickups, the other 'side' becomes your LR Baggs output.. you're then expected to get some kind of splitter and run into either two different channels in an amp, or one into your amp, the other into your PA.

That seemed like total stupidity to me.. especially since I use a wireless! What was I going to do? Strap TWO wireless transmitters to my guitar strap? No thanks.

I ended up just putting a mini toggle switch in the pickguard between the 5 way switch and the pots. That way with a flick of a switch I can quickly go from my 'regular' pickups to the LR Baggs. Nice and simple.

I got it all wired up, put on a fresh set of strings and plugged it in straight to my amp. Didn't sound bad at all. Sounded like your typical 'dry' piezo output.

Next I plugged it into my regular gigging rig, which is a Line 6 POD XT Live run into an old Marshall 2x12 Valvestate amp, switched to one of the default 'acoustic' patches, and man.. it sounds terrific.

So if you run it straight into an amp.. it's really kind of so-so.. run it thru some effects to EQ and get it a little 'wet' and you got something!

Like most old guys who've played in cover bands for 20+ years.. it's always nice to find something that makes your gigging life a bit easier, and lets you be more versatile. The L.R. Baggs X Bridge delivers the goods by the truckload.

No more having to reach for an acoustic guitar between tunes, and having to worry about onboard EQ batteries dying, or feedback issues. Now with a quick flip of a mini toggle switch and a stomp on the POD XT Live I can go from kick your teeth out rock & roll to a very convincing acoustic guitar sound.

If that weren't convincing enough.. consider you can buy these things brand new from Musicians Friend for under $120!!

Sounds just as good as any acoustic guitar i've ever heard plugged in.. and why wouldn't it? It's using the same kind of piezo pickup.

This is a review of the CntrlX and not the X-Bridge because I installed the CntrlX in my Parker Fly Deluxe as a solution to a disaster that took place with the Fishman preamp that was originally there.
The Fly has a Sustainiac system and the original ribbon wiring and Fishman preamp have been removed, so there's a DiMarzio Fly pickup at the bridge, the Sustainiac Pickup at the neck, and Parker's own Piezo bridge saddles that take the place of the XBridge.

Maniac Music shipped the wrong wiring instructions with the Sustainiac and the first time I fired the guitar up after installation, the Fishman preamp immediately went dead and stayed that way. After weeks of emails to Maniac Music (who by the way refuses to take any responsibility despite sending me the wrong wiring instructions), Fishman and Parker, the only available replacement for the Fishman was with all the pots, switches, and new ribbon cable for well over $400. Ed Roman in Vegas bought out Parker's entire supply of preamps and is apparently selling them for $200 each, so I was stuck with either going to Roman or finding a less costly alternative and a whole lot of rewiring, which I chose to do rather than spend $200 for a preamp I could have repaired myself for a song compared to that cost if either Parker or Fishman would give me the parts codes to do so, but neither would. I was seriously stuck, and the CntrlX has bailed me out of it in spades.

I have another Parker Fly Deluxe with the original Fisman preamp in it to compare the sound quality with this Parker with the CntrlX and have found the CntrlX to be every bit as good, or better, than the original Fishman preamp, while being much easier to mix magnetic and Piezo signals with because of its mixing pot. L.R. Baggs uses a very simple, elegant design I much prefer the Fishman as well, as it uses only two low-noise high quality transistors whose part code is easily read (one has been color-marked and that usually indicates that it was hand-picked for its superior performance from a lot of the transistors of the same part number) in "Class A" circuitry to do the job, whereas Fishman uses integrated circuits employing dozens of transistors at minimum. I'll take the Baggs method over Fishman's anytime. The less that can go wrong in ANY such circuit, the better.
L.R. Baggs is what I would describe as "old school quality" - the kind you'll see from custom builders in the 70s and 80s who often built similar design preamps into very expensive hand-made guitars. I've had several unbelievably small, low battery drain, clean sounding preamps from that era that were each built around ONE hand-picked transistor. Anyone who tells you that you have to have high-tech integrated circuits and a complex system to get very clean, low-noise sound is just plain wrong, and LR Baggs's circuits prove it very, very well. All you really need is a talented circuit designer who knows how to pick their parts well because they believe in elegant circuit design and are willing to go for it with no compromises.

If it was stolen, I wouldn't hesitate a second to replace it with the same unit - this preamp rocks, and mind you, it's being used with Parker's original Piezo bridge saddles as the acoustic signal source, and not the XBridge, so that goes a long way towards showing how versatile this small very well designed board is. The pre-wiring of the selector switch and output jack also helped tremendously, and L.R. Baggs has shown here that a little more homework for the sake of the customer pays off big-time for customer faith and satisfaction. I'll definitely be back when the need arises. My understanding is that this preamp is also built in the USA and from the way it looks, by hand, which makes me even happier to own it. Ask makers of other brands where theirs are made and how, including the one I've mentioned already, and then ask them why theirs cost as much or more. I may even take out the Fishman in my other original Parker Fly Deluxe and replace it with another CntrlX - that's how good this thing is, AND the battery lasts much longer than with the original Fishman as well.

This is a passive piezo pickup. It has VERY high impedance, and according to the manual:
"For best low end response, the X-Bridge should be plugged into amplifiers, effects or D.I.s that have a one megohm or higher input impedance."

I have this in my shitty squire strat right now. It will eventually go in my homemade guitar. It is currently the only pickup in my strat.

It sounds amazing! Though, if you are expecting it to sound like an acoustic guitar, you will be disappointed. However, it does sound quite good, and it sounds great for music you would play on an acoustic. Tone is balanced. It sounds much better than I was expecting it to.

I play metal and classical. With distortion it sounds better than the shit single coils that come with the squire but still awful, and it feeds back like a motherfucker. It sounds perfect for classical.

I use it with different eqs and with a little reverb, and it sound great.

I would buy it again if it was stolen.

I've been playing for a couple of years and have shit gear.

Some other people complained that the bass was weak and that you have to pick lightly to get a good sound. I found that this was true with my Roland micro cube, and I was very disappointed at first. I couldn't play any of my fast classical lines, because all the notes that were pick with any strength at all would sound very bad. Then I read the manual were it talked about the amplifiers, effects or D.I. needing to have a high input impedance. I also managed to get a good sound out of the Mcube by turning the gain and tone below he halfway mark.

Pickup features: Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: American Strat Plus
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None, replaces bridge itself.
Other pickups on guitar: Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot (A+)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Simple classical
Reason for pickup change: This bridge replacement provides Piezo output in addition to the three magnetic pickups. X-Bridge is for certain types of Strats based on how bridge is screwed to the body, etc. Call L.R. Baggs first.

Perceived output level: Volume is about the same as magnetic, very clear. Play lightly.
Tone: Balanced mids and treble, light on bass. Sounds better than expected.
Sonic evaluation: I chose to run stero out so I can run piezo line separate from magnetic line; therefore, I use an acoustic amp for the piezo and tube electric amps for magnetic. This is the best solution for the best sound. An onboard mixer has its benefits but I rjected this idea because an electric needs a tube-elexctric amp, and a piezo stinks through a tube amp. Blended they can sound good, but it is a novelty and is not the long-term solution.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Do you think that an Ovation sounds like an acoustic? Same deal.

Comments: The lack of bass can be solved by EQ on the acoustic amp or mixer. The sound is very much like an Ovation piezo. Beautiful acoustic sounding chords on a Strat. Warning: you must play very lightly. I never use a pick anyway but we are talking light touch. This is good because a light brush with the index finger and presto huge ringing acoustic chords. L.R. Baggs is very helpful, call them. This is not an amateur installation, and it only fits certain models. The rep at L.R. Baggs was unusually honest and everything he promised was true, a pleasant surprise. If this doesn't sound good enough then you probably need use at a minimum a $300 mic on a $1000 acoustic. This sounds good enough that I won't buy another acoustic/electric. Doesn't replace true acoustic sound through a microphone through a proper output channel.
Because it is on a Strat it is possible to use this like an active pickup and one can get huge clear tones. I love a Strat magnetic tone, but some people like active pickups. If you play lightly, you can bend and play blues with the piezo and the tone is crystal clear and fat and sustaining. The only negative to any of this is the lack of bass. If you are playing through the magnetic pickups at the same time then there is enough bass, especially if you use the neck pickup. It is only when playing piezo alone with EQ that there is an issue, and then only if you are playing solo.
I played an Ibanez Satch model with the piezo mixed with the magnetics through an acoustic amp and through a tube amp. This sounds better than that system. I have a Mexican Strat with Fralin Steel Pole pickups. I would be willing to drill whatever holes are necessary if this system will fit. Eventually, I'll call L.R. Baggs and ask if this can be done. The American Strat Plus has a good natural unplugged tone, and it does not have a maple neck. I am not sure that any of this matters because the piezo sounds pretty much like an Ovation with a sound hole and spruce-top.

Pickup features: Passive Piezo
Impedence or other specs: Dunno, It's a Piezo

Model of guitar or bass: 97 Fender Roadhouse Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: N. A.
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Texas Specials
Artists using this pickup: Unknown
You musical style(s): Classic Country and Classic Rock
Reason for pickup change: I found switching guitars between songs while on stage was
not condusive to a smooth flowing show. I am not lazy but it is nice to not have to switch.

Perceived output level: equal to the magnetic pickups give or take a few dbs
Tone: Leans towards trebly, but when preamped with fishman 3 band eq. and ran through main board, you can ad tons of bottom end and mids. To quote a previous poster here, Not quite as good as the Taylor/Takimines but in the context of a band, it is superb.
Sonic evaluation: I wired the X-bridge intentionally to use out board preamp which is a fishman 3 band. 9' 1/4" stereo cable to the floor, radio shack splitters. Magnetic signal goes to my Peavy Classic 30 via FX. Piezo signal runs through preamp then through 20' 1/4" cable to the board. (Yes no direct box and it works wonderfully). Board is a 32 channel Berringer, Power amp is Crown CE400, Over all FX alesis midverb, Compressor, Speakers are Peavey SP4X. Killer accoustic tone. Like I said what ever it gives up to the taylors/taks can be compensated and it will not feedback at very loud levels. I have two dislikes: Little E string level is not to par with the rest but this may be due to the small diameter of the string. I use a wound G string which helps the accoustic sound by leaps and bounds but that string will fret out and not let you full step bend.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Southern Rock, Country , I give it an A for this style. Would suck for metal, would suck for Hip Hop but HH kinda sucks anyway :)

Comments: Will not be without an X bridge guitar long as I play shows/stage.
Playing 30 of my 40 years of age. Martin accoustic, Takamine EN 10c, Silvertone mod 1484, Peavey classic 30, 75 Tele, To many damn fiddles.
I wish the little E pickup was a bit better but that could be the guitar. I am satisfied with it for stage sound/tone, but frankly have you ever seen a good guitar payer that wasnt in search of a better tone?
Room for improvement but if you preamp/eq it you will not be disapointed you got it. BTW I sometimes play blending both magnetic signal and accoustic to the dance floor. It is Killer.

Pickup features: active preamp and tremelo bridge for Stratocaster
Impedence or other specs: very high impedance, piezo style

Model of guitar or bass: Strat built from American Fender parts I had lying around
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio Virtual Vintage in standard strat configuration
Artists using this pickup: Don't know of any
You musical style(s): everything from James Taylor to ZZ Top, Stan Getz to The Eagles, lots of different styles
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to see if I could really simulate an acoustic/electric tone from a Strat and not have to change guitars all night...I state "acoustic/electric" because I didn't really think I was gonna get anywhere near a true acoustic tone from this experiment, but I haven't been using a real acoustic guitar onstage for years as our volume level has increased to where it's not practical to even try. Not that we play that loud, just that I don't think you can get enough bottom end on the acoustic without feedback at stage level, consistently, night after night, (and we played 265 days last year) room after room. I've been drawn to the ever increasing selection of mostly-solidbody acoustic/electrics such as original Telecoustics (not the plasticasters) and Ovation Vipers and Gibson Chet Atkins models. So I thought maybe I'd try this...

Perceived output level: Has a trim pot to set the level where you want it in relation to your magnetic pups. I set it pretty much even so I can switch between the X-Bridge and the VV's without having to worry about volume jumps.
Tone: Tone, well let's see...THIS THING IS UNBELIEVABLE!!! Much better than I had hoped for. sounds like a good ac/el except on the bottom, which needs a little manipulation, but then that's easy to do if you're running into a good amplification system. (more on that later) Also, very good balance between strings, something I have had trouble with in the past on ac/el guitars. It also came from the factory with nearly spot-on intonation, which blew my mind. it's great to play "acoustic" all the way up the neck and be in tune with myself and the bass player!
Sonic evaluation: I run straight to the PA through a Boss GX-700 (yeah, I know it's several generations old, but it sounds great and I've got all this time tied up in crafting my sounds and having the sequencer that runs the drum machine change all my presets). my duo has no onstage amplification and our monitors are just plugged into our FOH speakers so we get the exact mix coming back at us. works great for us...Anyway, I have several settings for acoustic sounds, and with a little EQ tweaking, I am truly impressed with this pickup. It resonds beautifully to changes in EQ and Compression, wihch I feel are two important building blocks of getting a believable acoustic sound in a band context.(which is different than a real acoustic sound like in your living room or whatever). With about a week of knob turning behind me, I have what I consider to be as good a tone as I have ever had, better than most I've had, and extremely consistent as well. I'm sure those who plug into an electric amp would not think it sounded good, but then amplification and processing are essential parts of good ac/el tone just as they are in electric tone. And piezo pickups have their specific needs which are completely different from those of magnetic pickups. Suffice to say this pickup works like they say it does. No, it doesn't sound like my Taylor,(didn't really think it would, I'm not stupid) but in the band context I can get better tone from the X-Bridge, and get it as loud as I need it, with no feedback. And did I mention no guitar changes all night??? For those of you who are in the same situation, you really should think about trying one of these. I'm putting another one in my backup Strat this week.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: We play all knids of stuff, like I said before. For all my acoustic needs, JT, Buffett, Eagles, Fogleberg, Jackson Browne, ETC., this system is truly righteous.

Comments: to sum up, I've been a working musician all my life, and have never had to take a "straight" job. I have 30 years in the business, and have owned most all brands of equipment. Our PA is made up of Mackie, Crown, Rane, Lexicon, and DBX stuff, and Yorkville Elite speakers and subs. my only complaint is I wish I had bought this system sooner than I did...and for those of you thinking about trying one of these, remember to amplify and process it properly before judging the sound. You will be rewarded with great acoustic tone from your strat...

Pickup features: Active Piezo Pickup
Impedence or other specs: High Impedance but Cntrl-X controls that

Model of guitar or bass: Warmoth Custom Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None, addition to 3 magnetic pickups
Other pickups on guitar: All AGI Lace (Transensor Humb. - Neck, Lace Gold - Middle, D-150 Humb. - Bridge)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Alternative, Rock N Roll, Church
Reason for pickup change: Versatility. I finally made my dream guitar and using it on stage I wanted the ability to switch to a BELIEVABLE acoustic without the hassle of grabbing another guitar. I also liked what I had read about having a distorted magnetics signal with a clean acoustic signal through another amp.

Perceived output level: Higher than magnetics noticably but compared to an actual piezo acoustic pickup this is much quieter (right in the middle of the two)
Tone: Good balance quite clean too. But anybody using a piezo pickup should have a preamp or some eq ability to work with.
Sonic evaluation: I've found this to be very good for all situations. I've used it at church to vary from my Seagull Acoustic 12 String, and this is very very close to sounding exactly like an acoustic. This runs through a proper PA system and is very believable. Playing in a more intimate bar setting I use the stereo feature to run through a Fender Acoustasonic Jr for the acoustic signal and through a Fender Princeton Chorus for the magnetics with many a pedal in between. In both situations it fits my needs. I mean if you need to entertain people in a dorm room with an acoustic, you'll need an acoustic but for anything bigger this will do the job, definitely worth the cost

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play it all, rock, gospel, alternative, heavy anything. This is good for what you need, you probably are not going to use this for metal but that's because people use ELECTRIC guitars for that. Bar setting is perfect for this thing.

Comments: I would definitely buy it again, but heed their warning, DO NOT LIFT THE SADDLES, I broke one of the small wires that way trying to fix a saddle screw, but it was replaced by the store no problem. Very clean look to it, people can't tell I have it till I tell them or plug it in and blow them away. The Cntrl-X IS A MUST, gives you the option to do everything (stereo, mono, mix, control the TRIM AND PHASE) and you can choose to play electric, acoustic or both with just one switch. I love my guitar even more than I ever did, definitely worth the money.

Pickup features: Acoustic bridge for Strat.
Impedence or other specs: Piezo = very high

Model of guitar or bass: Warmoth Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: New Guitar
Other pickups on guitar: single coils
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock cover band
Reason for pickup change: This is 500% better then the acoustic simulator I was using.

Perceived output level: I touch hotter then a blues wound strat neck PU
Tone: Nice ringing acoustic tone into 1 meg ohm input on Boss GT-6
Sonic evaluation: I run a Boss GT-6 into the FOH PA/stage monitors. The guitar is passive. For this pickup I use no preamp model, very little EQ, just a touch of chorus or reverb.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This thing is excellent for the acoustic parts of typical rock songs in a live setting.

Comments: The only thing that would make me happier is if it sounded just like my Martin HD-28. Maybe more EQ will do the trick. Maybe it is good enough just the way it is.

Pickup features: Piezo pickups embedded in replacement bridge assembly
Impedence or other specs: Very High Impedence - like any piezo system (see notes at bottom)

Model of guitar or bass: Soundworks Custom Telecaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Preinstalled in custom guitar as bridge assembly
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan 59 (Neck), Duncan Custom (Bridge)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Pop, Jazz/Funk
Reason for pickup change: Had been using a piezo bridge system in my Strat (Graphtech FAAS system) so definately wanted a similar system in this guitar when I was having it built.

Perceived output level: Output is slightly louder than the Graphtech system in my strat.
Tone: Bright sound, very clean and lots of sparkle. Not huge in bottom end though.
Sonic evaluation: This pickup system and preamp was fitted at build time into my Soundworks Custom Tele. The signal is split in stereo with the magnetic pickups down one channel and the piezo down the other channel. The magnetic pickups run to my amp (Kitty Hawk rack system) or to a Boss GT3 for smaller gigs. The piezo system runs to a Fishman Platinum preamp and then into the desk.
I use the extra preamp as I wanted more control over the sound than what I was getting off the desk - I just felt the shelving points for the EQ on the desk weren't really suiting the guitar.
Anyway, the sound is fantastic. To be fair, I feel that the Graphtech system is a better system 'out of the box' as far as overall sound goes - a much fuller sound without the need for much EQ. However, the LR Baggs system has so much natural sparkle to it and with a bit of EQ sounds superb. Sonically each system has a different sound but both sound great in their own right so it's a matter of personal taste as to which one is best - I'm actually happy with both systems.
The system does a good job for acoustic guitar sounds - it's not the same as a good kick-ass Maton/Martin/Takamine etc but it's actually better than some thinline acoustics that I've owned over the years (Fender/Kramer/Yamaha). It's also a good sound in it's own right and works well blended with other clean sounds. Blended with overdrive sounds from the magnetic pickups it's superb - to be able to play 'strummed' acoustic sound and bring in a wash of distortion behind it (or the other way around) works brilliantly and leaves people scratching their heads as to where the other guitar is coming from. Gives you a tremendous amount of flexibility off the one guitar. If you need the sound of a great acoustic guitar, then it's probably not a good bet, but if you need something that can do a good imitation or if you only use an acoustic guitar for a small number of songs during gigs then it's a very good investment.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly funk/rock and jazz and it works well for all.

Comments: This is a seriously good system and quite possibly one of the best investments in musical gear I've ever made. I'll probably have the system retrofitted in my other guitar (Ibanez Artist) as I'm getting so used to having it. I would probably go with this system again rather than the Graphtech, although it's a close call.
Two things I've got to mention for the benefit of anyone considering one of these systems is that a) you must either get a preamp (external or internal) with the system or use an Active DI, and b) don't expect it to sound good running into a guitar amp. The reason for this is that the piezo pickups have an extremely high impendance, so going straight into a desk will probably sound weak and thin and no amount of EQ or gain at the desk will fix this. A preamp or Active DI will take care of the impendance matching issues. As far as guitar amps go, they just aren't designed to sound good with this sort of pickup - it's that simple. Use a good acoustic guitar amp or run it straight to the PA to really reproduce the sound properly.

Pickup features: Piezo/Acoustic pickup for Strat
Impedence or other specs: Passive, Hardtail version

Model of guitar or bass: American Standard Strat - Hardtail
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None - replaced the bridge, itself
Other pickups on guitar: regular Am. Stnd. Strat pickups
Artists using this pickup: Me...
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, Gospel, Fusion...
Reason for pickup change: To make my Strat more versatile, by adding a piezo/acoustic sound

Perceived output level: Like the output of the Baggs LB6 piezo pickup in my acoustic guitar. A bit louder than the regular Strat pickups.
Tone: The same basic sound as the LB6 pickup in my acoustic guitar, but w/ a bit less bass and more highs (No doubt due to the lighter strings and the fact that it's on a solid body guitar rather than a vibrating top).
Sonic evaluation: It doesn't sound like a magnetic pickup. It sounds like a piezo/acoustic pickup. The signal from the X-Bridge must be treated like an acoustic guitar signal. Don't just plug it into a guitar amp. It needs an acoustic amp or an acoustic direct box. For comparison, I recorded both the X-Bridge and the Baggs LB6 in my acoustic guitar - direct to CDR using my Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. They both have the same basic acoustic sound, but the X-Bridge tone had less bass & more highs than the LB6, so they needed to be EQ'd differently. The lighter strings on my Strat (9's), besides giving a thinner tone, also don't really take the heavy-handed strumming I sometimes use on my acoustic guitar, so I had to adjust my 'acoustic' technique to the extra-light string gauge. The X-Bridge gives me a very acoustic-like sound from my Strat. Chords, melody lines, harmonics, etc., all sounded like they were being played on an acoustic guitar w/ a piezo bridge pickup. One other nice thing about the X-Bridge: since it comes w/ it's own volume pot (that replaces the middle tone pot on the Strat), you can blend the acoustic signal w/ the regular Strat pups, right from the guitar.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Just about anything you'd use a regular acoustic/electric guitar for.

Comments: With the X-Bridge you'll have 2 very different kinds of sounds from your guitar that need to be processed independently. The output jack in the Strat is changed to a TRS "Stereo" jack so that the 2 signals can leave the Strat on one TRS cable. The other end of the cable will be either a "Y" cable with the X-Bridge signal on one side and the magnetic pickups on the other side, or it can end in another TRS plug if your equipment can then seperate the 2 signals. The X-Bridge signal is on the ring of the TRS plug, so if you plug in a regular guitar cable, you'll still get the normal sound of your Strat as if the X-Bridge wasn't even there. Bottom Line: The X-Bridge did complicate my set-up, and I had to buy extra equipment (with more to come) in order to take full advantage of the piezo signal. But my reward is a much more versatile Strat that can sound like a Strat, or a piezo/acoustic, or a combination of both. I'm very happy with the results. And, YES, I would do it again.