View Single Post
  #13  
Old 10-05-2013, 05:54 AM
OldGuitarNewbie OldGuitarNewbie is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 184
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by royd View Post
true.

Taylors have an SBT as part of the system in the full ES (it also has a magnetic pickup under the fingerboard), the Cole Clark system has a sort of SBT mixed with a UST, and a few of the higher end Gibsons come with the Trance system which is an SBT. I don't know of any other factory guitars that come with an SBT.

On higher end guitars, they sometimes mix something else with a UST, often an internal microphone or an artificial microphone via digital modeling in the case of Aura equipped guitars.

Because the UST style pickups are so plentiful, many folk have come to associate their sound with what an amplified acoustic is supposed to sound like. Each company that makes USTs has its own sound so you may find you prefer one over the others. Baggs, Fishman, B-Band, Highlander, Pickup the World. Are the most common manufacturers in the US. As for SBT's K&K are most popular. Other manufacturers are JJB, McIntyre, Dazzo, and Trance. There are two other ways to amplify an acoustic - microphones (internal to the guitar or external) and magnetic pickups. Each style has its own strengths and weaknesses. Many folk mix two styles to get the best of both. My guitars have a magnetic pickup and an SBT.

Finally, I would say that virtually all acoustic pickups sound better with a preamp. They do come in a variety of forms - internal which may require a hole in the side and offer lots of control or many which offer no controls at all or only a volume at the soundhole, or external which also run from simple to extremely complex.

When you purchase a guitar with an OEM pickup system, you are allowing them to decide what is best for you. Sometimes they're right, and sometimes not. I almost always add an aftermarket system to my guitars.

Have fun.
This wasn't directed to me, but contains much good info for me. Thanks to you and also Steve; you're been a quickie course in Acoustic Guitar Pickups. <g> Perhaps lesson two will be Active vs Passive Pickups - Which is best for You?

I believe the SBT style is what I'd want, so I'm keeping K&K's offerings near the top of my list. A previous Taylor or two (I buy/sell/trade a LOT) used the Taylor ES system, and it sounded fine.....but so do my Tak and Martin for the very limited use I make of them. So I'm not so much wed to one system over the other. But I DO like the clean looks of the Fishman in my new Eastern...keep in mind 've never played it plugged in.

I would probably have a dealer install whatever I get, and I understand that installation will require the 1/4 inch "plug" installed somewhere...most AE's seem to have them at the bottom of the guitar, which is fine with me.

I believe my uke's with pickups have been UST; like the Pono I have now. It uses Pono's passive pickup, which is one instrument that sounds as good as, if not better, amplified. It lacks the volume/tone controls of course, but the amp seems to give me enough adjustment, even if not as convenient as having controls on the instrument. For that reason I'd like my guitar pickups to be "active" which I think mine are since they have volume and tone controls on the instrument, right?

Of course, we haven't even started a decision on uke/guitar "acoustic guitar" amplifiers! Talk about opening a can of worms........but I do have questions on those and I might open a new thread so I can continue to educate myself.

Thanks again y'all.

PS - I spend about half the year in Pensacola Florida at an RV park. My wife and I, and several thousand other folk are rejoicing this morning.....looks like Ms Karen has decided to NOT become a hurricane, and she will be simply "depressed".
__________________
Eastman AC 220
Taylor GS Mini - SOLD
Eastman AC412 (K&K Pure Mini)
Eastman E10-OM AE - SOLD
Eastman AC 122 CE - SOLD
Eastman AC 420 CESB - SOLD
Taylor 320 (LR Baggs Lyric) - SOLD
Pono ATDC-Ce (tenor ukulele) gCEA
Oscar Schmidt OU53 (baritone ukulele) - SOLD
Gold Tone model "BUT" (tenor banjo ukulele) gCEA
Reply With Quote