Dazzo piezo and Tonedexter for Baritone

[Hasbro]

I've gone 180 degrees looking at my pickup options for a custom baritone build. The guitar will be strung "B to B".

I had wanted a black angel dual source from dimarzio, feeding the piezo into a tonedexter.... but after getting into the details, and remembering how much I prefer simplicity, here is my landing spot:
A pair of dazzo #70 pickups going passive straight into tonedexter.

I liked the idea of the UltraTonic since it seems to be designed for pairing with the Tone Dexter to some degree, but after looking at the dip switches etc.. I just don't want something else to tinker with in the setup.

Is this a good choice? Should I pick a different bass output for the dazzo since this will be a lower register baritone? I'm thinking the Sun preamp gets imbetween the tonedexter in an unnecessary way so leaving that out of what i'm reading is the typical dazzo setup on AGF.

I only care about this for feeding into a portable Bose S1pro (no recording considerations)

[jseth]

You may be quite pleased by the Dazzo straight into the Bose, by passing the Tone Dexter... IF you are really interested in keeping things simple!

I'd call Teddy Randazzo and talk about which number pickup might work the best for that guitar, BEFORE I bought one!

[aschroeder]

I have great luck with my passive Schatten HFN pickup into the Tonedexter II and then to my Bose L1 Compact. The Dazzo should work well with the Tonedexter since it is a similar soundboard trasducer (just not passive like mine). I have a guitar with a K&K (similar to the UltraTonic) and I have much more luck with the Schatten through the Tonedexter. The K&K has too much low end and honky midrange for me. Although the UltraTonic is supposed to cure some of those issues.

The Schatten has plenty of high end (too much in fact) and the Tonedexter warms it up and adds more low end. I have the Schatten in four guitars and they all sound like they are mic'd when I run them through the Tonedexter. Based on recordings I've heard of the Dazzo it is articulate with balanced string output and should work well with the Tonedexer.

I would not go straight into the Bose without another preamp even if you don't use the Tonedexter. In my opinion all pickups need additional EQ with a preamp to sound best.

My setup is simple: Guitar > ST-300 Turbo Tuner > Tonedexter > Bose L1 Compact. And it sounds amazing. I handle all of the EQ and IR setting in the Tonedexter and don't need any additional pedals. The only other thing I add to my chain is a TC Helicon Play Acoustic just to add harmony to some of my vocals.

[conecaster]

Originally Posted by Hasbro

I've gone 180 degrees looking at my pickup options for a custom baritone build. The guitar will be strung "B to B".

I had wanted a black angel dual source from dimarzio, feeding the piezo into a tonedexter.... but after getting into the details, and remembering how much I prefer simplicity, here is my landing spot:
A pair of dazzo #70 pickups going passive straight into tonedexter.

I liked the idea of the UltraTonic since it seems to be designed for pairing with the Tone Dexter to some degree, but after looking at the dip switches etc.. I just don't want something else to tinker with in the setup.

Is this a good choice? Should I pick a different bass output for the dazzo since this will be a lower register baritone? I'm thinking the Sun preamp gets imbetween the tonedexter in an unnecessary way so leaving that out of what i'm reading is the typical dazzo setup on AGF.

I only care about this for feeding into a portable Bose S1pro (no recording considerations)

I did 3 baritone installations for Metheny last fall for his solo tour.

Recently he sent me this from his yet to be released solo CD he did on just one of the 3 I did for him.



You can hear one pre released track here.

https://youtu.be/x3h02irifqs?si=gH2GxPQ3rypS_Br4

We customized thq Hz of each string to the tuning.

[Hasbro]

wow, sounds great.

[Hasbro]

Thanks so much

Originally Posted by aschroeder

I have great luck with my passive Schatten HFN pickup into the Tonedexter II and then to my Bose L1 Compact. The Dazzo should work well with the Tonedexter since it is a similar soundboard trasducer (just not passive like mine). I have a guitar with a K&K (similar to the UltraTonic) and I have much more luck with the Schatten through the Tonedexter. The K&K has too much low end and honky midrange for me. Although the UltraTonic is supposed to cure some of those issues.

The Schatten has plenty of high end (too much in fact) and the Tonedexter warms it up and adds more low end. I have the Schatten in four guitars and they all sound like they are mic'd when I run them through the Tonedexter. Based on recordings I've heard of the Dazzo it is articulate with balanced string output and should work well with the Tonedexer.

I would not go straight into the Bose without another preamp even if you don't use the Tonedexter. In my opinion all pickups need additional EQ with a preamp to sound best.

My setup is simple: Guitar > ST-300 Turbo Tuner > Tonedexter > Bose L1 Compact. And it sounds amazing. I handle all of the EQ and IR setting in the Tonedexter and don't need any additional pedals. The only other thing I add to my chain is a TC Helicon Play Acoustic just to add harmony to some of my vocals.

[Hasbro]

good suggestion, Teddy suggested a 50, not 70! Do you think that is taking off too much bass?

Originally Posted by jseth

You may be quite pleased by the Dazzo straight into the Bose, by passing the Tone Dexter... IF you are really interested in keeping things simple!

I'd call Teddy Randazzo and talk about which number pickup might work the best for that guitar, BEFORE I bought one!

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by Hasbro

I've gone 180 degrees looking at my pickup options for a custom baritone build. The guitar will be strung "B to B".
....
here is my landing spot:
A pair of dazzo #70 pickups going passive straight into tonedexter.

Is this a good choice? Should I pick a different bass output for the dazzo since this will be a lower register baritone? I'm thinking the Sun preamp gets imbetween the tonedexter in an unnecessary way so leaving that out of what i'm reading is the typical dazzo setup on AGF.

I only care about this for feeding into a portable Bose S1pro (no recording considerations)

Teddy makes good pickups. But all piezoelectric SBT's function on the same basic principle. There really aren't specific ones for certain frquencies.

I've used the same passive JJB SBT's on everything from fiddles to ukes to all mandolin family instruments including mandocello, banjos, upright basses and a dozen guitars.

They work fine in every application.

IMO the shorter and most direct signal chain with the minimum number of components is the most reliable, simple and sounds best. On each of these instruments I go from the instrument output jack to a cable to the HI Z input on my Carvin AG300. Adjust volume, effects and EQ on the amp.

[gwlee7]

Not knocking the TD 2 at all but this is Dazzo into Sunnaudio DI 2 Prestine and then on to the PA. Recorded in the audience on my IPhone using a Shure MV88. It sounds like this everywhere I go regardless of the PA the venue uses.

[JWJ915]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

Not knocking the TD 2 at all but this is Dazzo into Sunnaudio DI 2 Prestine and then on to the PA. Recorded in the audience on my IPhone using a Shure MV88. It sounds like this everywhere I go regardless of the PA the venue uses.

I’d like to hear your recording but your link doesn’t work.

[gwlee7]

Originally Posted by JWJ915

I’d like to hear your recording but your link doesn’t work.

Hmmm. It’s set to public. Do you not see the video at all?

Here’s the whole link without me trying to embed it:


https://youtu.be/pyFJpJdlsoc?si=z5Z5MK2bwwNHRur8

[Mobilemike]

Originally Posted by JWJ915

I’d like to hear your recording but your link doesn’t work.

Originally Posted by gwlee7

Hmmm. It’s set to public. Do you not see the video at all?

Here’s the whole link without me trying to embed it:


https://youtu.be/pyFJpJdlsoc?si=z5Z5MK2bwwNHRur8

Embedded video shows up just fine for me.

[jseth]

Well, I don't think that "less bass-y" is going to be a problem with a baritone instrument; that is kind of the whole point to them, right?

I would trust Teddy's suggestion. I have 70's in both my 6 and 12 strings acoustic guitars and they sound lovely without any tweaking... but in live application I would always prefer to at least start with a good sound, and work from there.

Amazingly, my 12 strings does NOT sound overly bright - which is the ear mark of the instrument, in my opinion. All that jangle from the thinner strings... Very easy to add a bit more high end, as opposed to trying to boost bass frequencies without wreaking havoc on the overall signal.

One really nice aspect of the Dazzos is that the low end is EXTREMELY usable - very smooth and even, not "peaky" at all...

Again, I'd go with Teddy's recommendation. A great feature of the Dazzos is that they were designed to facilitate removing them without damage, unlike the K&K. It's not easy to remove the Dazzos, but it is doable.

[conecaster]

<<Teddy makes good pickups. But all piezoelectric SBT's function on the same basic principle. There really aren't specific ones for certain frquencies.>>

Because each string is individually EQd for Hz in our Go Acoustic system. It is not a problem to customize the input Hz of each string for Baritone applications. The recording above demonstrates a baritone that has the compensation adjusted for hz of each string.

[tadol]

I have a simple EIR/sitka baritone from Santa Cruz (27”) and I put one of James Mays UltraTonic pickups in it. Then, after getting the switches on it set to minimize any feedback (in my case, eliminate it) I can plug straight into my Schertler amp, and it sounds fantastic. I would recommend the UltraTonic on any guitar, but especially a baritone. The Tonedexter might add more - I have yet to really test it out - and I’ve also realized that the switch settings that work so well with my Schertler don’t work as well plugged into the Deluxe Reverb. But that’s OK, ‘cause the DR doesn’t sound all that good with any acoustic guitar -