Quote:
Originally Posted by jonfields45
I think in the minds of the AGF that if you can hold your nose and use a UST, that there is something better about the Matrix, compared to the Element, for its impact on the acoustic tone of the guitar. I would contend both are made from polymer piezo materials and neither is hard like bone or Tusq or even Micarta, and how can they really be any different in this regard. Apparently Gibson and McPherson feel the same as I do. I'm am also slightly prejudiced towards the Matrix over the Element, but I've never had both installed in the same model guitar for a reasonable test. All that said all my guitars have (Mi-Si) Elements :~).
The Matrix is a custom build up of polymer piezo material in a thin rectangular form where one conductor is the base the piezo material is mounted on and the other is the shield that it is wrapped in. That thin shield material is fragile.
The Element is standard coax with likely the same piezo polymer insulator. In un-flattened form it is normally embedded in asphalt so that street lights can know if there is a car waiting and should change state. It is tough stuff. The outer shield/conductor is that good old braided wire that you find in all coaxial cables. Baggs' flattens a bit of it out for the UST part (as does most others). Highlander leaves it round and you have to shape the saddle bottom. I prefer the Element because it is bullet proof (as you might expect for something cars drive over). You can ignore that 45 degree drill instruction and they still work fine (I'm not recommending that). It is a very practical design!
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Excellent information, as usual, John. I'm generally predisposed to use SBTs in lieu of USTs because of the interface between the saddle and the slot. That said, I suspect a lot of that prejudice is unfair. I also suspect that some of the reported acoustic degradation from the LR Baggs systems is related to the weight of the preamp components taped to the underside of the soundboard. So, you've solved that with the MiSi preamps. As we discussed in the other thread, I'll be testing MiSi and SBTs in three new guitars.
Regarding the Matrix UST, I would love to hear a controlled test of before and after the installation. The fragile shielding foil is certainly a good reason to opt for the very robust LR Baggs braided material.
So, did you notice a difference in acoustic performance after installing the USTs?
Cheers,
David