#16
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+ 1 on the Anthem, I like it best out of all the aftermarket pickup systems I've tried and own. I have a K&K Trinity in a Martin that sounds nice in the living room, but is less than ideal for the stage. I have an Aura Onboard system in my Taylor, which can sound OK but I miss the ambience and top/body sensitivity you get from a mic or SBT, and the system just feels stiff in terms of its response to dynamics.
That all being said, I agree with Guitaniac that the Anthem is not exactly plug and play and can benefit from some corrective EQ. At least that's the case for the Martin I have with an Anthem in it. I would love to see the Baggs folks take another look at the tone coming from the Element pickup part of the Anthem in particular. The DTAR Wavelength uses the same pickup material but sounds noticeably better than the Element on it's own. In my opinion, if you want the best plug and play sound -- i.e. guaranteed to sound great running straight into nearly any PA/amp -- the Maton AP5 Pro is the answer. Unfortunately, you pretty much have to buy a Maton guitar to get it. I ended up getting one of the Maton 808's a couple years ago and I use it pretty much for all gigs. It's far and away my favorite system. |
#17
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Recently had an Anthem SL installed in a Waterloo guitar. It's the most acoustic sounding pickup I've tried in this lifetime (and I've tried a few) and it's simple and easy to use with or without an external preamp. You get plenty of volume without feedback. What's not to like?
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#18
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So not so "plug'n'play"
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#19
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Quote:
From Doug Young demos it sounds much better than the anthem. |
#20
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The M is but the stereo is definitely a pro unit.
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#21
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For my own preferences, I have found over time (through a lot of trial and error!) that I like dual-source systems where one of the sources is an actual mic. That is why I ended up keeping the Trinity and Anthem (even if it's not truly dual-source), and why I especially love the Maton AP5 Pro system. I should have added that the DTAR Multisource is worth a look too. The overall tone is quite good with the 18-volt preamp for the Wavelength pickup and the sound hole condenser mic. Unfortunately, the main circuitboard for the Multisource is located right inside the sound hole, so I found the whole thing to be a little fragile for playing out a lot. I will also say that IMO you have to be a little careful in drawing conclusions from the demos on Doug Young's site. For sure, Doug has done us all a wonderful service by providing this incredibly helpful information to compare the different systems out there. It's just that listening to the demos at home on your computer is a completely different experience from actually playing the system live through a PA/amp in a room (and possibly with other musicians in the mix). Some of the qualities you might like listening to the demos may not translate well in a live performance environment. |
#22
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I think the downside of looking into pickup choices is that you really need to try them in order to know if they will work for you. Recommendations are great but at the end of the day, it's up to your particular guitar and playing style. The Anthem for example could easily be put into the "plug and play" category. You literally pug it in, do a bit of blending (if you have the full version) and you can go from there. For me however, I found that the Anthem needed quite a bit of eq to sound good so that kind of hurt its overall ease of use. I have however played Anthem equipped guitars that were pretty much plug and play so it all depends.
The only exceptions to this rule have been with some guitars that come with pickups already installed or, aftermarket pickups that are not recommended much here. Takamine guitars for example are really plug and play. They are about the easiest pickup system to make sound good. I haven't tried the Maton and Cole Clark guitars but considering they use the same pickup system, I would expect similar results. As for aftermarket pickups, I don't like them but UST systems were always fairly "plug and play". I used the Matrix for years and although I would at times play with eq, the sound that I would get would be consistent. It wasn't natural but it was consistent. Sound hole pickups are probably the same in that regard. I think the more natural/complicated the system gets, the more you have to start factoring in your style, venue choices as well as the actual guitar. |
#23
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I guess that the anthem is the cheapest "dual source". While the amulet m can end up being a much better dual source if you chose to upgrade later. The tone knob seems to remove the need of a preamp/di eq. Any idea which one could be better for small guitars? L-00 and 00 12 fret Also... Which one is easier to remove to install in another guitar? Last edited by Vindellama; 09-22-2017 at 12:18 PM. |
#24
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The Anthem requires a hole through the top/saddle for the UST, the saddle needs to be sanded down and then you need to stick on the tru-mic, controls and do the endpin jack. Not insanely hard but more work than the Amulet. I would personally recommend the Amulet but not because it's better with small guitars, but because I just like it more. The Anthem to me just doesn't have the most pleasing tone. Others will disagree but the tru-mic has this tonality to it that I just couldn't dial out. I even hear it when I am listening to professional artists who run the Anthem through insanely expensive PA systems. The Amulet feels more like it's a part of the guitar and less like a pickup. I am still trying to get mine to where I love it but I think the tone controls that I ordered will really help. I am considering also trying to reinstall the transducers with a clamp that covers the whole pickup so that I know the pressure is even. |
#25
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I seem to recall him saying it works better in solo performing vs playing with a full band. Have you had any feedback issues with the PUTW unit? Finally, if I may ask, what guitar(s) are you running it in? I am considering dropping one into an Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500M, a round-shouldered spruce over hog dread. This is an amazing cannon of a guitar. I've hated pickups for forty years and am very serious about accurate reproduction of wooden tone. I have a Baggs Anthem and a Trance Amulet in my two best guitars, both sound pretty good, but not perfect. thanks so much, scott memmer |
#26
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Just my $.02..
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2022 Brook Lyn Custom, 2014 Martin 000-18, 2022 Ibanez GB10, several homebrew Teles, Evans RE200 amp, Quilter 101R and various speaker cabinets, Very understanding wife of 48 years |
#27
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Sorry, did I miss something? When did the OP say he wanted an electric guitar? I thought this was about acoustic pickups and which ones are the best for "plug and play"?
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#28
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I just had a Fishman Ellipse installed in my new-to-me '14 Martin 000-18. Its pretty much plug & play - there are just 4 mic image's to choose from and then you blend in the image as needed. Contrary to Skips opinion, it does not sound like crap - very far from it - the Fishman Aura in any of it's configurations is a very organic mic'd acoustic guitar sound to FOH. I had a full Anthem in a Martin D-15 and it too was very, very true to a mic'd guitar sound to FOH but like any good on-board pickup system, does not make you nail your feet to the floor in front of a mic. Skip, we'll stay off your lawn ;-)
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#29
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AeroUSA: The Fishman Aura Plus, Taylor ES2, and ToneDexter are all good choices in compiling a good-sounding signal chain. The Fishman Ellipse Aura is also an excellent system and is essentially an IR tone enhancer, as is the ToneDexter. You should and will be able to get a really good amplified tone out of your guitar with the Fishman Aura Ellipse so enjoy it and concentrate more on looking at the pretty girls in your audience and relating to the crowd.
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Martin HD-28 Sunburst/Trance M-VT Phantom Martin D-18/UltraTonic Adamas I 2087GT-8 Ovation Custom Legend LX Guild F-212XL STD Huss & Dalton TD-R Taylor 717e Taylor 618e Taylor 614ce Larrivee D-50M/HiFi Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass Special/HiFi Larrivee D-40R Sunburst Larrivee C-03R TE/Trance M-VT Phantom RainSong BI-DR1000N2 Emerald X20 Yamaha FGX5 Republic Duolian/Schatten NR-2 |
#30
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Plug into 2 channels (instead of 1) and play, no?
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