Acoustic guitar pickups

[boone]

Well, my first post was about my d-66. Now my second wil be begging for someone
to tell me how I can use this guitar in the bar. I use the guild to practice all the time.
Certainly a more balanced tone than the taylor I use to play out with, but it has no
electronics. I tried a dean markley pickup but it sounded like dirt. I am very hesitant
about adding a pick up, cutting it up don't sound quite like the right thing to do.
Is there any technique or equipment I can try to help maintain tone, eq adjust, and
volume control.
Maybe I need a new guitar.
Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned about vintage value and change the original strings. that
may improve tone quality.

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned about vintage value and change the original strings. that
may improve tone quality.

1985 vintage strings :shock:

That IS a joke :?:

Graham, this one is all yours :mrgreen:

 

[john_kidder]

Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned about vintage value and change the original strings. that may improve tone quality.

No, I don't think you should do that. The vintage ('84, you say?) strings are the only thing of value. But I'll pay you full pop for the strings, with inflation lets's say $25, and at the same time take that deadweight old guitar off your hands. Let me know if I can help out. Immediate Paypal if desired

John Pearse medium gauge bronze strings will shake up that guitar, and remind it why it was built.

 

[JerryR]

Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned about vintage value and change the original strings. that
may improve tone quality.

1985 vintage strings :shock:

That IS a joke :?:

Graham, this one is all yours :mrgreen:

Mine are 'vintage' after a month, and need changing. Generally if you whack hell out of it and bawl out your songs you'll still be heard in a noisy bar, but I'v got a martin Gold+ by Fishman pickup if all else fails :mrgreen:

 

[boone]

Just kidding, sorry I didn't put a smilie to indicate my sarcasm.
I actually use martin 80/20's for normal playing/practice, they
don't sound as good, but hold up a little longer. As far as gigging,
I'am still up in the air. I have been using D'addario phosphorous
bronze latetly, they are real bright and seem to have a real
good balance, if that makes any sense. But I am always willing
to try other suggestions. I am a slave to inexpensive strings, so
I always try to keep the amount that I spend on strings less than
the amount that I actually get for playing the gig.

Wait, I should probably put a smilie, but I don't know which one.

 

[JerryR]

Just kidding, sorry I didn't put a smilie to indicate my sarcasm.
I actually use martin 80/20's for normal playing/practice, they
don't sound as good, but hold up a little longer. As far as gigging,
I'am still up in the air. I have been using D'addario phosphorous
bronze latetly, they are real bright and seem to have a real
good balance, if that makes any sense. But I am always willing
to try other suggestions. I am a slave to inexpensive strings, so
I always try to keep the amount that I spend on strings less than
the amount that I actually get for playing the gig.

Wait, I should probably put a smilie, but I don't know which one.

You get paid for doing a gig :shock: I'd have to pay to do one :roll:

 

[sfIII]

I will not claim to be a pickup expert. But I have pickups on a number of my Guilds, and my new F47R with the DTAR pickup sounds the best (most acoustic) to me. I am comparing this setup to a Fishman (blended under saddle and mic), and several under saddle pickups). There was a discussion about pickups a few years back.. and if I remember correctly DBS recommended an internal microphone. If I was putting a mic in a guitar I'd try one of those DPA small mics that the stealth tapers use. It would require a preamp and phantom power but that could be anywhere. Hope this helps but I'm afraid one must use their own ears to choose. Perhaps you should go to a Guitar store and try out a few different setups.

Howard

 

[dklsplace]

I'm going to throw this thread in here. Some decent acoustic pickup discussion, though still on going. Just got a call from my rep the other day saying the 3 acoustic pickups I have on back order (1 Lace, 2 Bartolini) are at least 4 weeks out yet.

 

[Metalman]

Well, my first post was about my d-66. Now my second wil be begging for someone
to tell me how I can use this guitar in the bar. I use the guild to practice all the time.
Certainly a more balanced tone than the taylor I use to play out with, but it has no
electronics. I tried a dean markley pickup but it sounded like dirt. I am very hesitant
about adding a pick up, cutting it up don't sound quite like the right thing to do.
Is there any technique or equipment I can try to help maintain tone, eq adjust, and
volume control.
Maybe I need a new guitar.
Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned about vintage value and change the original strings. that
may improve tone quality.

Boone,
I have spent the last 25 years researching the best pickup to use on an acoustic guitar, and after trying all of them (really!), I have settled on the Fishman Rare Earth Blend. It combines a magnetic pickup, which by itself doesn't sound very good, with a boom microphone inside the guitar. The unit goes in without any modifications to your instrument, and sounds the best out of all that is out there. Cost is about $300. Not cheap.
It can plug right into an amp, or PA, but the down side is there is no volume control. It does have a balance control, so you can balance between the mic and the pickup. I leave it right in the middle.
And it does sound good right out of the box, but to enchance it, I use a Fishman Pro EQ Platinum. That goes for about $170.

Hope this helps!

Metalman

 

[huitzlopochtli]

I, being a poor college student, own the entry level single-coil Dean Markley (no need to get a more expensive Dean Markley...if you want to shell out the cash, just go ahead and get an iBeam). Without equalization, it sounds iffy. When you run it through a mixer, turn treble down a tad, increase gain, and add a hair of reverb, it sounds much much better. Have you tried that?

 

[Metalman]

I, being a poor college student, own the entry level single-coil Dean Markley (no need to get a more expensive Dean Markley...if you want to shell out the cash, just go ahead and get an iBeam). Without equalization, it sounds iffy. When you run it through a mixer, turn treble down a tad, increase gain, and add a hair of reverb, it sounds much much better. Have you tried that?

Actually, the combination of the two would make a nice setup. That is what most pros are going for: a two point source system. A magnetic pickup, like I said, sounds pretty dull. But when you add an I-Beam, a mic, or an under-saddle transducer, it gets pretty nice.

If you are stuck with only a magnetic pickup, try sliding that sucker to the other side of the sound hole, towards the bridge of the guitar. It will act like a middle pickup on a Strat, and get some more midrange, more highs, than the standard neck pickup sound. I tried it with my Fishman Rare Earth. It looks funky, but sounds better.
And it hides the boom mic further under the sound board. Helps in combatting feedback.

Metlaman

 

[kentukblue]

Good words of wisdom. I have a Fishman Blender on my DV52 and it is beautiful plugged into the Genz Benz 100. My only knocks on it are the weight, the fact that you have to cut a hole in the side and I seem to get more feedback problems when I blend over to the internal mic. Im sure in the studio the internal mic is great but i wondering if its a good gigging setup.

 

[huitzlopochtli]

Actually, the combination of the two would make a nice setup. That is what most pros are going for: a two point source system. A magnetic pickup, like I said, sounds pretty dull. But when you add an I-Beam, a mic, or an under-saddle transducer, it gets pretty nice.

If you are stuck with only a magnetic pickup, try sliding that sucker to the other side of the sound hole, towards the bridge of the guitar. It will act like a middle pickup on a Strat, and get some more midrange, more highs, than the standard neck pickup sound. I tried it with my Fishman Rare Earth. It looks funky, but sounds better.
And it hides the boom mic further under the sound board. Helps in combatting feedback.

Metlaman

I'll try that...it should definitely capture more of the 'janglyness' of my f112. When I run my guitar through the mixer and then the PA, it tends to mellow out the sound more so that rather than hearing individual strums of chords, you hear a wall of nice sound. Of course, that's only if you are strumming...picking sounds very much the same.

 

[Metalman]

Good words of wisdom. I have a Fishman Blender on my DV52 and it is beautiful plugged into the Genz Benz 100. My only knocks on it are the weight, the fact that you have to cut a hole in the side and I seem to get more feedback problems when I blend over to the internal mic. Im sure in the studio the internal mic is great but i wondering if its a good gigging setup.

What kind of hole do you have to cut in the side of your guitar? The Rare Earth Blend does not come with a side mount preamp, (such as the one I am thinking that you have), but the preamp is located in the magnetic pickup itself.
And yes, you will get feedback with the mic in a live situation. It is a give and take. Like I said, I leave it in the middle section, with equal sound from the mic and pickup and "hope for the best". The Pro E.Q Platinum helps dial out some of that feedback, but in a real loud situation, I end up dialing more towards the magnetic pickup.

Some effects like a chorus, compressor, and a little reverb helps to sweeten that sound a bit. Also, if I am to go with the pickup alone, or mostly, then I shape my e.q. a bit and notch out some mids. Makes it sound a little like a Strat. It's a good compromise.

 

[kentukblue]

sorry for not being more specific.....Fishman Prefix Blender Plus. It has the side eq...you can really tweak on it and it sounds better than most any other ive played.

 

[Metalman]

sorry for not being more specific.....Fishman Prefix Blender Plus. It has the side eq...you can really tweak on it and it sounds better than most any other ive played.

Okay, I get it. Yes, those are really nice preamps to have. Providing the guitar comes with it built in. I had one on my Corona-built F-47RCE. It failed on me sometime down the road, so I replaced the whole system with a LR Baggs I-Beam, with the side E.Q. pramp. It fit right in, and replaced the old Fishman unit. The size is the same between the two. A direct replacement, they call it.

Most people would not recommend cutting a hole in the side of a really good guitar to install one of those side E.Q. preamps. You are not only cutting into the guitar physically, but also the future value of the guitar as a resale item.

 

[fungusyoung]

I'm a big fan of passive pick ups paired with a LR Bagg Para D/I box to handle the EQ. The Para D/I is awesome as long as you don't need "on board" electronics.

My favorite pup so far is the K&K Pure Western, which is in my Martin 000-15. Sounds fantastic, so pure and natural. I just ordered a LR Baggs M1 (passive) soundhole pick up with the Guild D15 I'm getting from Elderly. Really looking forward to checking out the M1 since I've heard so many good things about 'em. I may play around with that on my 12 string too.

Some people don't like the Fishman Naturals (which is basically the same as Martin Thinline Gold Plus), but I've had very good luck with both of those also... have a Fishman in the DV52 and a Martin in my D25.

 

[sitka_spruce]

Maybe I'm a little late and maybe electromagnetics isn't your thing, but the new, almost invisible Lace pickup I hear is a great alternative to piezos and built in condensers. I believe it's called The Blade and is of the TranSensor technology, which in electrics sound very acoustic indeed.

Edit: here they are http://www.lacemusic.com/acoustic_picku ... ickups.php