Ngd 1999 x-150
- Thread starter Neal
- Start date
rampside
Senior Member
I don't recall the artist's name, but a very well known, respected and wise guitarist put it all in perspective for me with the simple statement that went some thing like this, " Great Tone does not come from the equipment, but rather from, just the Hands and the Heart of the musician".
So, would it be more appropriate to look at it as, chasing a sound to go with one's tone?
eaceful:
So, would it be more appropriate to look at it as, chasing a sound to go with one's tone?
eaceful:
Last edited:
mavuser
Enlightened Member
congrats on the new guitar! i'd like to add there's nothing wrong with those pickups. Chris had great advice on lowering the pickup height. rolling off the volume knob just a touch may help a bit too, and also depending on the amp and style (volume) of playing, you may want to try a smaller string gauge. It is not identical to the classic HB-1 so in online comparisons to that pickup, opinions and experiences will vary. I belive the type of amp and speakers has a much bigger influence in the tone than any pickup, so tweaking those things, together with the pickup, would certainly make a difference. I know several players that can take that guitar and remove any doubt from your mind whatsoever that it might not sound good, in about 30 seconds...congrats and enjoy!
Zelja
Senior Member
Congratulations on the guitar Neal, she certainly looks like a fine specimen.
With regards to the pickup, play her a bit, mess with amp settings etc, to see that you can get what you want out of her. If for instance you think she sounds a bit muddy, there are things you can do with a resistor & capacitor or 1 or 2 resistors (this is especially pertinent if the humbucker has a 4 wire conductor so the individual coils can be worked on) than can reduce boominess and/or provide a bit more clarity. Would cost you a few bucks in parts to experiment with & a bit of time. If you feel you want to go down this path then PM me for more info.
With regards to the pickup, play her a bit, mess with amp settings etc, to see that you can get what you want out of her. If for instance you think she sounds a bit muddy, there are things you can do with a resistor & capacitor or 1 or 2 resistors (this is especially pertinent if the humbucker has a 4 wire conductor so the individual coils can be worked on) than can reduce boominess and/or provide a bit more clarity. Would cost you a few bucks in parts to experiment with & a bit of time. If you feel you want to go down this path then PM me for more info.
JohnW63
Enlightened Member
Neal,
Less than a Newark Street model, eh ? Awesome find ! I doubt my area pawn shops would have such a thing hanging on their walls. I generally am not walking in the neighborhoods with pawn shops, so, I could be wrong !
Less than a Newark Street model, eh ? Awesome find ! I doubt my area pawn shops would have such a thing hanging on their walls. I generally am not walking in the neighborhoods with pawn shops, so, I could be wrong !
Neal
Senior Member
It's a "nice" pawnshop, John, sitting smack dab in the middle of some of the priciest commercial real estate in downtown Charlottesville. It's been there for years, as the downtown has come back.
Neal
Neal
Los Angeles
Senior Member
Congratulations, Neal!
This is an absolutely perfect "transition" guitar from acoustic to electric.
The pickup thing is a really deep rabbit hole and I would recommend you wait at least a few months before you do anything. The critical thing to do with the pickup is to adjust the pole pieces so that each string is "balanced" with the others. When playing with a wound "g", people rarely balance the b and g strings. If the pole pieces are not set up right, you'll get a forceful, cringe inducing sound from the unwound strings. This makes a lot of people say "these pickups aren't any good." Which of course is ridiculous.
I recommend that you pick up an acoustic and play each string with the same amount of force. Get that sound and feel in your head. Then switch to the archtop plugged in and use the same motion/feel. Are the low strings too loud? The high strings?
The usual suspect is the B string being way too loud, but all of them could need adjustment.
Once the pickup is set to the right height, AND the pole pieces are set up to provide a nice balanced tone, THEN you can give the pickup a fair chance.
This is an absolutely perfect "transition" guitar from acoustic to electric.
The pickup thing is a really deep rabbit hole and I would recommend you wait at least a few months before you do anything. The critical thing to do with the pickup is to adjust the pole pieces so that each string is "balanced" with the others. When playing with a wound "g", people rarely balance the b and g strings. If the pole pieces are not set up right, you'll get a forceful, cringe inducing sound from the unwound strings. This makes a lot of people say "these pickups aren't any good." Which of course is ridiculous.
I recommend that you pick up an acoustic and play each string with the same amount of force. Get that sound and feel in your head. Then switch to the archtop plugged in and use the same motion/feel. Are the low strings too loud? The high strings?
The usual suspect is the B string being way too loud, but all of them could need adjustment.
Once the pickup is set to the right height, AND the pole pieces are set up to provide a nice balanced tone, THEN you can give the pickup a fair chance.
Neal
Senior Member
Thanks, guys. I intend to settle in with the existing pickup and get to know the guitar for a while. First, new strings. Let's see where that takes things.
It all seems so much simpler to me with acoustic amplification: Add a K&K Pure Mini, plug into a clean acoustic amp, and done! But of course, there are a lot of opinions about the best way to amplify an acoustic guitar also...
But I am definitely in the simpler is better camp. And I totally agree with mavuser that the most important factor is the player's touch, which I will need to develop. Which is kind of the point of stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying a new approach.
Neal
It all seems so much simpler to me with acoustic amplification: Add a K&K Pure Mini, plug into a clean acoustic amp, and done! But of course, there are a lot of opinions about the best way to amplify an acoustic guitar also...
But I am definitely in the simpler is better camp. And I totally agree with mavuser that the most important factor is the player's touch, which I will need to develop. Which is kind of the point of stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying a new approach.
Neal
jcwu
Senior Member
Maybe you should start a thread asking about which strings are best? We don't seem to get too many of those around here....
I used to think amplifying an acoustic guitar was simple. Then I found AGF, and spent about a year reading up on all the different opinions and options. The K&K seems to be a crowd favorite, but then you get into talking about preamps, and oh boy! That's like an exploding thread right there, with very heated opinions all around.
Neal
Senior Member
So, the flat-wound Chromes are on, and wow! Exactly the tone I was looking for out of this pretty thing. Warm, woody, mellow.
Sounds nice and clean through my Ultrasound AG-30 acoustic amp, so no need for any immediate investment there. Still might need a touch of reverb, though.
Neal
Sounds nice and clean through my Ultrasound AG-30 acoustic amp, so no need for any immediate investment there. Still might need a touch of reverb, though.
Neal
JohnW63
Enlightened Member
I purchased a set of flat wound chromes for my NS X-175, but I'm still playing it with the strings it came with. I may have to change them, after your remarks.