A disk surface asperities tester including a glidehead member having a piezoelectric sensor fabricated directly on the glidehead member. The piezoelectric sensors are useful in applications utilizing 70%, 50%, 30%, or smaller glideheads. The invention discloses a method for manufacturing sensors utilizing microchip fabrication techniques to form the piezoelectric sensors directly on glidehead surfaces, including standard Al2O3.TiC glideheads. The fabricated piezoelectric sensors are used in combination with signal processors to detect and analyze asperities in a disk drive surface.