Active PUP you guys like for a big sounding dread?

Westerly Wood

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I do not want a lot showing in sound hole, and I like easy access when changing batteries out.
thoughts?

thanks!
 

gibsonjunkie

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The D-TAR multisource that came in the New Hartford Guilds is great. I have them in most of my acoustics - all of my Guilds as well as my J-200. Battery pack is internal, but it is unobtrusive and sounds great!
 

Westerly Wood

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The D-TAR multisource that came in the New Hartford Guilds is great. I have them in most of my acoustics - all of my Guilds as well as my J-200. Battery pack is internal, but it is unobtrusive and sounds great!

thanks!
 
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I like the DTAR in my F50. But I also like the K&K mini in my others. And K&K does make an active system. However, I really like the passive K&K pure mini, with volume control, into the K&K pure pre amp! Sound hole volume control but no batteries in the guitar. And the preamp is small enough to fit on your belt or on your strap. ( I have Velcro on mine, secured to the top of my amp).
 

txbumper57

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Another vote for the DTAR from me. The batteries aren't too much of a pain. Just loosen the strings and the battery pack is attached with velcro to the neck block. Reach in, Pull out the pack, Change the 2 AA batteries, put the pack back on the velcro, and tighten up the strings.

Something you may consider as an alternative is the Barbera Passive Acoustic Steel string pickup. It is not an undersaddle unit, the saddle itself is the actual pickup with individual transducers for each string. Guid used them with a LR Baggs preamp on the Later Doyle Dykes Guitars out of New Hartford and from what I understand they sound Awesome with very little feedback issues. I remember Dapmdave here on the forum really liked the way they sounded in his guitars. Here is the link to the Barbera pickup website with all the info and videos of their pickups in action. I think their base price for the steel string acoustic pickup is around $300.

http://www.barberatransducers.com/index.html

TX
 

chazmo

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The D-TAR multisource that came in the New Hartford Guilds is great. I have them in most of my acoustics - all of my Guilds as well as my J-200. Battery pack is internal, but it is unobtrusive and sounds great!
Big thumbs up here. Best sounding system I've heard by a wide margin.

Only thing is that if you're installing this yourself, Wood, you'll have to drill a a small hole under the saddle to run the UST wire to the circuit board which goes on the bass side of the soundhole. Small price to pay for the best possible sound short of a microphone.
 

Westerly Wood

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Only thing is that if you're installing this yourself, Wood, you'll have to drill a a small hole under the saddle to run the UST wire to the circuit board which goes on the bass side of the soundhole. Small price to pay for the best possible sound short of a microphone.

LOL. You guys know I do not do own work on my guitars, outside of changing strings. Oh wait, there was that time I took the pg off the BR, that was rather humorous.
 

txbumper57

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Big thumbs up here. Best sounding system I've heard by a wide margin.

Only thing is that if you're installing this yourself, Wood, you'll have to drill a a small hole under the saddle to run the UST wire to the circuit board which goes on the bass side of the soundhole. Small price to pay for the best possible sound short of a microphone.

If you are doing it yourself you are also going to have to Drill the endpin hole to a Larger Diameter for the installation of the endpin Input jack/preamp. The hole in the saddle slot for the UST is the easy one as long as you have a steady hand. The endpin hole is more difficult and is most often done with a Step Bit to avoid the drill "Grabbing" the wood and blowing out the hole. If you do decide to do this on your own make sure you use some sort of Masking Tape around the endpin hole prior to drilling to try to eliminate any finish cracking or chipping in that area. Most of the time you can find a good shop to do the install for you to avoid any issues you may encounter.

TX
 

docfishr

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The LR Baggs Lyric is my choice for my Guilds onstage. It is an internal condenser mike with an endpin pre that Baggs has engineered to reproduce the guitar's natural sound without unwanted feedback or boomy noises. You still have the battery issue but only a small volume wheel in the sound hole. There is also an adjustment for "presence" (tone) that you set with a little tool (included). Set it where it sounds good to you and leave it. The Lyric is an easy installation if you have a step drill for the half inch end pin hole. It requires no drilling thru the saddle. The components stick on and there are youtube vids showing where to place them. Just make sure to wipe the surfaces with a microfiber cloth to remove any dust and things will hold nicely. Next best sound to an external mic.
 

adorshki

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Thanks everyone!
Not done yet.
Way back in '02 I was going to give myself a birthday present by finally installing a pickup in the D25.
Then, at the counter in Guitar Showcase, it hit me: I didn't want to have to mess around with reaming out the endpin hole myself, and I wasn't willing let it languish in a shop for however long it took them to get around to it. (It was my only playable guitar at the time).
So while I was wandering around the store mulling over my options I stumbled across this blinged out shallow body cutaway a/e with a "Last of the Westerlys" sign on it.
I tried it on and I could barely even play it (size/depth) but I knew I had to have it.
It was all I could do to tell myself to let it sit there for another 2 days and if it was still there it was a sign from God.
I still get a Honeymoon Moment everytime I open up the case of my F65ce.
If you're not careful the same thing could happen to you in spite of the SC.
 

Westerly Wood

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Not done yet.
Way back in '02 I was going to give myself a birthday present by finally installing a pickup in the D25.
Then, at the counter in Guitar Showcase, it hit me: I didn't want to have to mess around with reaming out the endpin hole myself, and I wasn't willing let it languish in a shop for however long it took them to get around to it. (It was my only playable guitar at the time).
So while I was wandering around the store mulling over my options I stumbled across this blinged out shallow body cutaway a/e with a "Last of the Westerlys" sign on it.
I tried it on and I could barely even play it (size/depth) but I knew I had to have it.
It was all I could do to tell myself to let it sit there for another 2 days and if it was still there it was a sign from God.
I still get a Honeymoon Moment everytime I open up the case of my F65ce.
If you're not careful the same thing could happen to you in spite of the SC.

I think these are out of my price range now but I will tuck it away in my brain for my 55th birthday 😀 Are they good for heavy strumming as that is the player I am these days. Maybe some texturing but mostly a strummer. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
 

adorshki

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I think these are out of my price range now but I will tuck it away in my brain for my 55th birthday 😀 Are they good for heavy strumming as that is the player I am these days. Maybe some texturing but mostly a strummer. ot that there is anything wrong with that.
No, actually the Dreadnoughts are better for that, but primarily because they're strung with lights instead of extra lights, but that's one of the reasons I had to learn a lighter touch to play it.
Also be aware it's got a 1-5/8" nut which is too narrow for a lot of folks.
If you're thinking "new", I'd wait to see how CMG does with D40's/D50's.
I don't expect 'em to come up with something like the F65Ce for a while if ever.
Closest might be an F40 w/ cutaway or an F30, has a slightly smaller outline.
 

nrand

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I apply my signal into two parts with my guitars. I use the K&K minis on pretty much everything, except the Cole Clark with a stock onboard unit, then to a Redeye preamp on my board. [actually two in my case.]
This is not quite what you asked for but there are some advantages:

1. The K&Ks on their own are not very expensive and sound fantastic through the Redeye [the Acoustic Guitar form has been discussing this for quite a few years now.]
2. No batteries in the guitar
3. The Redeye can by powered by phantom power from my desk - or they will accept 9v batteries if one chooses.
4. When I change/upgrade my guitars, I get to keep the preamp, keeping costs down.

I tend to preset my levels before a show, then apply boost from the Redeye or compression to give me the flexibility of sound I need.
 
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