Guild GAD 25 Pickup/Volume Question

[Aspirito]

Greetings,

Was wondering if anyone had any info/ideas/suggestions concerning the GAD 25 and what the best Soundhole pickup for it may be. I've got an LR Baggs M1 Passive and I'm running it through the new Vox AGA70 acoustic amp and I'm having the hardest time getting this thing to ring out with some volume. I know the amp is capable of more power cause I've run a few tests on it with other guitars/pickups. I even purchased the Baggs Para Acoustic Pre Amp and I was completely dissatisfied with the Tone I got, really thin and processed; and I did hours of research on it in terms of different Settings to try. Also tried an active Fishman Rare Earth and the amp buzz I was getting was over the top. The luthier around the corner from me wants to install a K&K mini and I've read great things about that too, but permanent installs make me nervous. I've emailed Vox and LR Baggs, to no avail. I'm at the end of my rope! Help! Please! Looking into the Shenandoah Acoustic Amp, but I just bought the Vox, so want to know if I can make it work. And if I've posted this in the wrong forum, my apologies. If you could point me to the right one I'd appreciate it. Thanks for your time! Hope to hear from someone.

Best,
Anthony S.

 

[12stringer]

Hi Anthony
I can only suggest you raise the pole pieces higher (closer to the strings)...that could be the problem. Other than that I don't know. I have the K&K minis on mine and they sound great to me, even without a preamp. Yours being a magnetic pickup, may have to be eq'd to warm up the sound a bit...take some mids out as well helps make a guitar sound more acoustic...may have to roll off some of the hi end too depending on the amplifier. Make sure your input gain on the pre amp is set correctly...not too loud to distort and not so low that there is no volume to the sound.
Hope this helps. :wink:

 

[Aspirito]

Hey Randy,

Thanks for droppin a line, I appreciate it. Yea, I've adjusted the poles infinitely! Right now they're about as high as I can get them, still with decent tone and almost touching the damm strings! But I'll take your suggestions and put them to use and see what happens. I think I'm gonna just stop the insanity and get the K&K Installed. Seems to the be the best solution so far. Thanks again!

Best,
Anthony

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

Take a deep breath... :lol:

Most amps are going to assume that the player is going to be using a preamp or pedal before the amp...at least the ones designed for electric guitar players and the PA type 2 channel systems...and will be designed accordingly...of course, you would need a compatible preamp/pedal.

Haven't checked the specs on the acoustic amps. Imagine they vary from model to model, built in preamps or not. Gain settings or not. Whether the vocal mic channel is preamped and the guitar channel not...

There is a world of difference between a Magnetic Pickup and an Under Saddle Transducer.

The mag pu, even voiced for acoustic...i.e. balanced for the difference between the plain steel and the wound brass/bronze strings...IS NOT going to sound like an UST or a Mic...or an acoustic, only LOUD.

It sounds like you are trying to amplify your ACOUSTIC sound...loudly. :wink: The age/old 'I'm gonna play my acoustic with my rock band and it's jolly well not going to feed back... 8)

You've tried both passive with an offboard preamp/eq box, and active mag pu's. The first you don't like the sound and volume. The second had apparent compatibility issues.

You say that you tried other guitars/pu's thru the amp. You don't say what those pu's were: mag pu's or UST's. passive or active, preamped or not.

That leaves a number of possibilities:

1) Your ears simply won't be happy with any mag pu sound at any volume...in which case switching to a UST or UST/Mic combo would probably make you happier...a new DTAR active combo that is going to be available that is going to be installed on the U.S. Guilds, threaded somewhere else on LTG recently, that is designed to be used at higher volumes with less quack, that might be suitable for your needs. Someone else here might remember which thread just in case the search fu is not cooperating. Edit, Just found a reference: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22484&p=245283&hilit=DTAR#p245283

The k & k also gets high ratings here. Haven't tried it. Just how loud you want to be will be the deciding factor.

2) There's an incompatibility issue between mag pu's in general and that acoustic amp.

3) There's a possible defect in the Baggs M1, the cable, the plug, etc...you could take your guitar, amp, Baggs into the store you bought it and try another Baggs pu thru the your amp. Your guitar and pu thru another amp same model...well, you get the picture...

4) The amp could also have a problem...anything from the input jack to the programming to whatever.

5) Have you tried the guitar thru the 'assumed to be preamped' mic channel on the amp?

6) Try your guitar, pu, preamp thru the other amp you're thinking about.

Before you decide to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I've used the para/acoustic DI box...it works rather well with USTs and Mics...it does rather process mag pu's...I've used it with a strat anyway...ooh, shouldn't have said that here... :lol: ...oh, heck, owned by same company :wink: You might wish you still had it when you solve the pu/ust/mic/amp situation with your guitar...you still will probably need a preamp of some sort.

Now, the guys with the real BRAINS, like capnjuan, hang out in the Tech Shop threads...you might want to post a cross reference there linking to this thread and ask for their help. Sometimes mixing apples with oranges just doesn't work. :wink:

Good luck.

 

[fronobulax]

Take a deep breath... :lol:

Very useful post - and I did not even ask the question. Thank you.

You might also try playing through a headphone amp and see whether you can get the sound you want, period. That might help you determine whether you need to look at the PU and pre-amp (or pedals) or the amplifier.

 

[Aspirito]

First let me say thanks to the responses to my post; truly educational and informative. Nice to know that there's people like you guys who take the time out of your busy lives to offer up your expertise! I will give everything that was suggested a shot and post what I come up with in the next few weeks. Thanks again!

Best,
Anthony S.

 

[DennisMiller]

I have a cheap little Duncan Woody that I change back and forth between my acoustics. For around $40, it's given me back the most transparent acoustic tone of any sound hole pickups I've tried. I'm thinking of electrifying my GAD25 and figured this week to talk to the folks at Guitar Center and another local store about what they think might be a reasonable permanent installation, something like a Martin UST or a K&K Western Mini.

 

[Jeff]

Greetings,

. I've got an LR Baggs M1 Passive and I'm running it through the new Vox AGA70 acoustic amp and I'm having the hardest time .........tried an active Fishman Rare Earth and the amp buzz I was getting was over the top. .....

Best,
Anthony S.

Was the fishman you tried a Humbucker??? Salesman at the shop where I bought my Fishman took care to steer me to the humbucker & he was right on. I'm happy with active Fishman Humbucker in my F20.

Most everybody here that uses them speaks highly of the K&K.

 

[Aspirito]

No actually, the Fishman was the Rare Earth active PU. I'll give the Humbucker a try and see how it sounds. Thanks.

 

[evenkeel]

Very good comments. I'll only add a few more. Adding a D.I. box or pre-amp to your exisitng set up should give you the added oomph you're looking for. Also gives you E.Q. options.

If you opt for a K&K mini/western and want to play at louder volume levels you may need a preamp anyway. I have K&K's in my D-35, the martin and the Gibson in my sig. While many use these passive pickups straight into and amp or P.A. I prefer adding a pre-amp. I've recently switched from the belt clip K&K pre-amp to an internal K&K system that has a phase switch as well as a thumb wheel volume control. I'm very pleased with this system. Finally if you decide the keep it simple, K&K western/mini passive system is for you, get a soundhole feedback buster. Seven or eight bucks and it will hold the squeel down at loud volume levels.