Martin Aura vs Taylor es and Tak cool tube

[rmyAddison]

Herb,

I agree, the concept is the same, but the goal is different.

So what is wrong with calling one goal imaging (making the guitar sound like it's recording through a high end mike), and one goal modeling (making a guitar sound like different guitars)?

If anything it helps differentiate what a Aura pedal does from a Moma Bear. They do have different "purposes". If I want to get a natural amplified sound I buy an Aura, if I want to get a 12 string sound out of my 6 string or make a dread sound like an classical I buy a Moma Bear.

We're saying the same thing, I just think the labels "imaging" and "modeling" help separate the "purposes". Take care.

[Mauvais Beal]

I like the Tak system and use several of their guitars regularly.

As to the question of do you get a Tak and dump the Taylors, go take your Taylor and sit down and do the AB yourself. I own 5 Taks and no Taylors so you know what my answer will be so I won't give you one. You need to do that your self in the AB test.
Enjoy it!

[Herb Hunter]

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

Herb,

I agree, the concept is the same, but the goal is different.

So what is wrong with calling one goal imaging (making the guitar sound like it's recording through a high end mike), and one goal modeling (making a guitar sound like different guitars)?

If anything it helps differentiate what a Aura pedal does from a Moma Bear. They do have different "purposes". If I want to get a natural amplified sound I buy an Aura, if I want to get a 12 string sound out of my 6 string or make a dread sound like an classical I buy a Moma Bear.

We're saying the same thing, I just think the labels "imaging" and "modeling" help separate the "purposes". Take care.

I hope I'm not coming off as argumentative but I see the goal of both units as being the same: eliminate or minimize the harsh, unnatural quality of piezoelectric pickups. (If I'm not mistaken, none of the Mama Bear's 16 settings correspond to a 12-string guitar.)

This is from D-TAR's web site:

For years, acoustic guitars have relied on pickups for amplification. One problem: Even the best acoustic guitars deliver an oversimplification of true acoustic tone complexity when amplified. Using something called AGE™ technology, Mama Bear takes your guitar into the digital realm, neutralizes the pickup, and then restores the natural body resonance. The result: now the finest acoustic guitars can sound like, well… themselves. Only louder.

D-TARS' Rick Turner posts here from time to time. Maybe he'll post to this thread.

[steve nm]

I know a guy that has a Tak with the Cool Tube and i Love the sound he gets out of it and the Benz Shenandoah amp. Its one of the warmest plugged in tones ive ever heard.
Steve

[$ongWriter]

Originally Posted by Mauvais Beal

I like the Tak system and use several of their guitars regularly.

As to the question of do you get a Tak and dump the Taylors, go take your Taylor and sit down and do the AB yourself. I own 5 Taks and no Taylors so you know what my answer will be so I won't give you one. You need to do that your self in the AB test.
Enjoy it!

I live near Nashville and I still see alot of the older Taks around and they sound great plugged. I don't see that many new ones. I love my ES system on my Taylors. If you're doing a 3 song set between 15 other writers and all you get for a soundcheck is 10 seconds (if that)..then it's hard to beat. I also have one of the 1st Aura pedals. If I have a 2 hour show then I like to use it...it takes awhile to get the correct sound and it requires a power cord but once it's dialed in it sounds great!!....
(I'd still love to have and older Tak tho!!!!)
The only thing I don't like about the Tak's is their acoustic sound. I've played cheap ones and very expensive ones and they sound "cardboardish" to me....even the new "bluegrass" model...I wanted to like it and when I played it I was very disapointed.....once again...just my opinion....

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by vti814ce

Why?

Sammy

I'll tell you: better string definition, better preamps, it cuts better through mixes and they are better made for the live musician who doesn't use mics. I admit I haven't played plugged Martins. They are great (of course) unplugged, but they don't impress me while plugged in. I've played Taylors, particularly the 314 and the 615. Very nice guitars, specially the 615 and I liked their plugged sounds, but you can't do much with them.

I use a Takamine EAN10C with CT4B preamp, which is a very simple preamp, with none of the gadgets Taks preamps usually have, but it's a VERY versatile preamp, totally clean and my sound engineer LOVES it. In fact, he loves Taylors and he says my preamp EQ setting makes the Tak sound like a 514. And that's not the setting I use the most.

I've owned Ovation guitars for several years. Right now, I use a Standard Balladeer 1861. A super shallow model with OP24 preamp. Yeah, it's not the latest preamp, but since when I had an Elite, I just love that preamp. I do strumming, fingerpicking and flatpicking, so the preamp has to handle all these playing styles. I particularly love the pre-shape button. I press it (the V-shaped EQ sound) for the strumming parts to make it sound more "woody-like" and depress it (flat EQ) for solo parts, fingerpicking, jazz-influenced tunes or worldbeat music. The neck is a just a little bit fatter than most O's I've played, which is a blessing for my stocky fingers.

[Glennwillow]

I enjoy this discussion, as I have others on this subject. I've never had a chance to play the TAK Cool Tube, but would like to. I have the original (more expensive) Fishman Aura preamp which I use with my 2002 Taylor 514CE. (My Taylor is pre-ES, it uses an older Fishman Prefix system.) The Fishman Prefix system, to my ears, has that tell-tale "Piezo Quack," a sound I dislike. Going through my Aura system it sounds MUCH, MUCH more like a real guitar with actual steel strings (instead of plastic, which is how the Prefix system sounds to me).

So for me, the Aura system has been a breath of fresh air. If the TAK Cool Tube has something new to offer, I'll look forward to trying it one of these days.

I have tried the Taylor ES system in stores and think it sounds OK (certainly way better than the older piezo systems), but I like my Aura system with my older Taylor well enough that I haven't considered sending it back to Taylor to have the ES system put into it.

The K&K system gets very good comments on this forum, though I realize it's not being discussed here.

Thanks, Glenn

[$ongWriter]

I've tried all three. I have one of the first Aura stomp boxes. My Martin sounds great thru it. It's very versitile. The web-site takes some getting used to but if you invest a couple hours in it fooling with different guitar/mic combo's and different blends of pickup to aura then it is great. The only drawback is it needs a power cord. At alot of my songwriter gigs I just sing three songs and you're normally pressed for time. For that I love the ES. The only drawback is sometimes I can't get it loud enough so I always carry my lr baggs Pari di. Just yesterday I had some time to kill and I tried out 7 Cooltube Taks' ranging from 1400 to 2500 dollars. The pickup was ok but the guitars sounded horrible acoustically!!. only one of them had a decent sound. When they released the bluegrass model I wanted one but the necks feel like a log....to me the taks are really hit and miss...i've heard some of the older ones that sounded great amplified...I think some people such as the Eagles use them because they are not "boomy" sounding...that can cause trouble in big stadiums!!!!...don't mean to offend any tak players but that's my honest opinion and it's fresh because it happened less than 24 hours ago....and I would love to have a tak from the mid 80's...the one with the 3 slide preamp...they're hard to find..

[wgnorman]

Owning a Tak Cool Tube and Taylor ES and Taylor NS - I would say they all sound excellent. Not a apples to apples comparison of my nylon Tak Cool Tube to Taylor steel ES, however, Cool Tube does allow you to add a richness to the sound by the amount of "tube" you add - definitely sounds great on my TC135SC - yet, I find the Taylor ES gives great response and flexibility also - my Taylor NS32 does not have quite the same range of adjust-ability , but I have no issue with its sound either.

I play all through Fender SFX II and Crate Gunnison - frequently with a mic in front of Gunnison hooked to SFX II

Acoustics, especially nylon, IMHO, sound really great through the amps. Rarely play unplugged

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by rolleiguy54

My local long time Martin dealer just picked up Taylor and Takanami . For grins he ab'ed the three guitars, with their best pick up systems, through the new Fishman Solo amp. He is a long time player and knows his stuff. Claims the Tak, with cool tube, was hands down the best sounding of the three. Tak was the least expensive to boot. Maybe that is why so many stage musicians play them. Time to sell my Taylors?

Not necessarily. I'm not a fan of Taylors, though I played really good ones by their standards, but because their pickups are not better than Taks' or Fishman or L.R. Baggs, you don't need to sell them. If you feel comfortable with your guitars and your audience don't mind, there shouldn't be much of a problem. However, if you really want to change (or upgrade) your sound plugged in, then grab a Tak or an Ovation. If you want a Tak, go two ways: a spruce top with a Cool Tube or a cedar top with a CT-4BII (the Natural series). The CT-4BII is really great; it doesn't have the effects or some of the features other Takamine preamps have. Its simplicity, great sound and noiseless operation will give you the sound you need without the battery-eating effect.