Where can I get piezoelectric elements - for electric guitar pickup

[kato]

Anyone have a line on where I can get piezo elements to build a guitar bridge pickup for electric?

Here's an example of what I'd like to build:
StewMac sells these. picture below...

I'm sure $99 is not at all unreasonable. But I'll bet I could attach them to my own bridge (not compatible with the above system anyway) for less if only I could find the parts.  Any ideas?  Am I crazy?

 

[Butterylicious]

Mouser sell Piezo buzzers for about a buck each.  In the past, I've hacked off their plastic shells and had great success using them as pickups for ..... springs and thangs.  The leads coming off og them are delicate, but for a dollar... I was willing to work with it.

 

[kato]

Hey Butterylicious, I'll give that a try.

I've been reading up a bit since I posted and discovered those black saddles are made of some kind of synthetic material (Boron PolyTrinate to be specific) rather than metal to reduce the ringing resonance with metal saddles. Assuming that's not just marketing hype, I'll expect the product to sound better.

But for a few bucks, heck I'll experiment with taking off the plastic shells from the things mouser sells, and see what happens.

 

[Mbira]

Those same buzzers sans plastic enclosure can be had for about $.10 each...now I have to remember from where.  There is a big electronics store in Denver where I got them last.  I buy them like 50 at a time so it has been a while.

 

[kato]

Cool, thanks Mbira. If you remember what the place is called, let me know.
Otherwise, Mouser has these buzzers pretty cheap:

43¢

 

[Mbira]

It's nice to get ones without the plastic.  As Richard mentioned, the leads are flimsy.  I replace them.

I'll ask a friend that orders them more frequently from that place, but it may well be that $.45 is the proce these days.

 

[jackies]

These are rather small -12mm, I used larger buzzers (20-30mm?) making pickups for double bass, mandolin, violin. For violin I just cut out a small rectangular piece, that takes a few tries because piezo ceramic cracks easily. I didn't like it on guitar though, sounds too "plywoody". But its a matter of taste I guess...

 

[offramp]

The place in Denver is called Fistell's. I was just in there yesterday. 
1001 Bannock Street

There's also a great, massive electronics and old tech junk place in Colorado Springs called OEM.