Another successful K&K install!!! Woo hoo! But...

[kydave]

... I noticed something this time. I used the direction and the jig to install a Pure Western Mini in my newish Guild D-50. The install went great and I plugged it into the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe sitting handily nearby - it is very balanced which gives me comfort about the placement.

However, I noticed something following the directions that I didn't with previous installs from talking with K&K - the direction of the wire leads off the contacts. When I put the first set into my Blueridge quite a while ago, I'm not even sure what the directions looked like. But now, with the little jig and step by step directions, the wires trail off the contacts NOT toward the endpin jack, but toward the soundhole. When I put my first K&K in it just seemed natural to point the wires toward the endpin where they'd ultimately be heading.

Has this struck anyone as odd, or did everyone else RTFM the first time they installed a set?


Kentucky Dave's Martins: 00-28H (2006 Custom); SP000-16R (1999 Special Edition);
0000-28H (1999); D-28 (1971)
myspace.davetrabue and beargrasscreek
Piraticus 13:7

 

[chazmo]

Hi Dave,

I just peeked at my F-512, where my luthier installed the K&K PWM for me a while back. I think the leads are toward the soundhole.

One thing I can think of, regarding the directions to do it that way, is that if you're using an onboard preamp (K&K makes one, I think they call it he "ultra" system), that mounts at the soundhole, and the battery can go there too (or on the neck block). So, in those cases, you'd be running the wires toward the soundhole anyway. I have this system on one of my Ibanez axes, and same thing with the leads.

 

[kydave]

This pickup was passive and came from the factory already soldered to the endpin jack, so it was obviously going there. That especially made me wonder, plus the instructions make no mention of that possibility.

I emailed the great folks at K&K and will pass on what they tell me.

 

[chazmo]

Cool. It's the same pickup system for both the active and passive systems, I think, Dave. Keep me posted.

 

[6L6]

Waiting with interest!

6

 

[kydave]

As some folks have mentioned on other threads elsewhere, the idea is to keep the wires from potentially interferring with or being impacted by the string ball ends. Made sense and K&K confirmed it today in an email to me.

I finally recalled that my original K&K was missing the instructions when I got it, which is why the pics looked unfamiliar.

 

[fungusyoung]

Hi kydave, have you ever seen this before?

http://www.frettech.com/kk/index.html

I don't do the installs myself, but Rob has done a bunch of them for me.

 

[kydave]

Fung,
Someone else pointed me to that one on another forum and I'd seen it before. His idea of making the jig to glue all at once is a good one.
Thanks,
Dave

 

[bedell]

I dont like the K&K . I regret putting it in. No preamp = very weak sound.

 

[kydave]

I dont like the K&K . I regret putting it in. No preamp = very weak sound.

Bedell,
No offense, but you or your installer person did something wrong if you have a weak sound. While I'd never dispute your right not to like something, I'm sure something is causing your dislike other than the pickup itself, unless it is faulty.

First, what is your signal chain? Cable straight from guitar to amp? What amp?

Now, to the install...

Did you use the superglue install on a Pure Western Mini?

If you used the Pure Western Standard, it is outdated and has lower output. Nobody should bother with that instead of the Mini.

If you used tape instead of superglue, it is not the optimal install and will seriously lessen the volume & tone output. It is not the recommended install and you should not do it that way.

If you used a combination of the two above you will really have a crappy install and, of course you wouldn't be impressed.

However, if you installed it correctly and still have a weak signal, then the unit must be defective.

I've had them in 3 guitars now. Side by side with one of my Martins, which has a Fishman with a PowerJack pre-amp, the K&K is just as hot without any preamp.

 

[bighouse]

+1 on kydave's comments, bedell.

K&K's are known for their hot signal. I would check the installation and redo it if needed - use the glue, not the tape.

That said, I've removed the K&K from my Lowden and am using a Seymour Duncan magmic. Far fewer (read: none) feedback problems with the magmic and to my ear a more transparent sound.

Bill

 

[bedell]

Guys, It was over a year ago so I will try and recall. I had the K&K MINI Pure Western installed. The luthier that installed it is a veteran in the field and knew what he was doing, trust me. He glued the pickup according to my request. If I recall, there were two types of K&K pickup options with the mini. One without a preamp and one with a preamp. I got the one without the preamp.

Everey time I go to a open mic I have to ask them to turn up the gain.

 

[bedell]

Guys, let me qualify. It sounds good when I play through my Fender Acoustasonic amp. However, I have never been satisfied with going through the mixing board at open mics. It may just be teh sound guy is not adjusting the levels correctly.

Mark

 

[kydave]

Mark,

Sometime when you can, take a mirror photo looking at the bridgeplate install. I'd like to see it. A year ago K&K hadn't taken off to the extent is has now and even experienced luthiers were less familiar with them.

It surprises me about the open mic thing, in that as I mentioned, the output on mine is comparable to another guitar with a preamp (fixed volume PowerJack). But also, open mic guys can be notoriously stingy with the monitor gain. :wink:

 

[solenoid lopez]

The experience Ive had with my K and K's at gigs has been if I'm plugging into the same DI box that other acoustic guitarists have been using the sound guy has to turn me down as my guitar input is way hotter.

 

[Steelpickin']

Sometimes its almost too much ...... LOL :lol:

This is why I dont post much anymore! lol!

 

[krysh]

I am thinking of a pure western install into my cr-01, too, since the undersaddle fishman agp-125 still sounds a little bit too "quacky" for my tase. it seems - since the crossroads is a thinline, that I could manage to do so.
are there any comparative audiofile available (guitar without and with pure western mini and/or other ust) somewhere?

 

[fungusyoung]

Guys, let me qualify. It sounds good when I play through my Fender Acoustasonic amp. However, I have never been satisfied with going through the mixing board at open mics. It may just be teh sound guy is not adjusting the levels correctly.

Mark

Wow, I've had the exact opposite experience. I've played open mics at 5 or 6 different places with K&K PWM pick ups (in at least 3 different guitars), and have never had that problem. In fact, I usually get a lot of compliments about the tone, and I've never even used a D/I in those situations... just plug straight into the board. And, the boards have varied quite a bit depending on the venue!

 

[drive-south]

I too am less than thrilled with the K%K mini Pure Western pickup I installed in a Gibson Advanced Jumbo. I find it produces a very boxy sound that requires a lot of EQ (mid cut) to get it to sound decent. It also cannot be driven loud without feeding back. Mine has no preamp in the guitar, but I sprung another $150 for the K&K XLR preamp. Besides increasing the gain, it really has made no differance in my level of satisfaction. Mine was installed by a tech that has installed dozens of K&Ks. It is glued in with no tape.

I really wish I had kept this AJ as an acoustic guitar with no pickup.

I also own several guitars (Guilds and Gibsons) with Fishman Matrix. While the Matrix is not a perfect system I get much better results with these pickups and can drive them quite loud if needed without feedback.

I'm still searching for the perfect pickups. It's really difficult (if not impossible) to demo lots of pickups to determine which sounds best.

drive-south

 

[6L6]

As an alternative to the other pups out there, Ted Randazzo Jr is making his own pups and from what I've heard in a couple of different guitars they are outstanding.

The link below shows Teddy playing his 1946 Gibson with one of his pups installed (filmed at Cameron's Pub in Half Moon Bay, CA). I think you'll agree his pups offer a VERY natural acoustic sound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwe0lL23utw&feature=related