[alohachris]

Aloha cybershot,

Don't Call Taylor! I have never liked ANY version of Taylor's ES Systems. They cannot compare to Dual-Source Systems you can put together yourself at all. Taylor makes really decent guitars & lousy pickups. Mic makers don't make speakers. Speaker company's don't make mixers - at least successfully. A guitar maker like Taylor should stick with what they do best - guitars - not electronics. The ES System has been problematic on a large scale from day one.

Plus the ES-systems make you put holes in the side of your guitar. ES systems are also proprietary & do NOT allow you to experiment or add other brands or types of products down the road.

The only way to keep an acoustic guitar sounding natural through live amplification is to add a mic to the mix. To do that, you need the right controls. You can put together much better than the ES System provides.

Therefore, Dual-Source Systems are THE WAY TO GO.

If you're gigging solo regularly, a dual-source system is absolutely necessary, IMO. Mainly for the room control. I've been using (even building) these systems for 47 years. I would never play out with a single pickup.

If you're playing at home, just use a quality mic. Or if you're after a single pickup, the K&K is the most versatile & most "natural" sounding I have used. It works very well with any other source. Not so with Taylor ES systems.

Of course, you need a blending preamp or quality mixer with great EQ that allows you to EQ the two sources separately, then blend, pan & sum.

I have K&K P/U - AKG 416 internal mic combo's in my three gigging guitars. THE BLENDING CONTROLS I USE are on my Pendulum SPS-1 blending preamp with fully onboard parametric EQ.

Once I started using the SPS-1, I eliminated all feedback in every live situation and could truly control & maximize my live amplified sound at every gig.

Quality Alternatives: The DPA 4061 is another great internal mic to mix w/ a pickup. Grace offers some great blending preamps as well. Soundcraft & A&H offer the best control among small mixers.

K&K, PUTW, Trance, & Dazzo all make very good SBT pickups that sound great with mic's. If you like natural acoustic sound, I suggest you stay away from only using single pickups alone, especially UST's & soundhole pickups - the least natural of all. Add a mic! Avoid the ES - anyway iteration of it.

Good Luck, cyber!

alohachris