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  #31  
Old 11-20-2014, 02:47 AM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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Originally Posted by Petty1818 View Post
Threads like this IMO serve no real purpose and become fairly humorous after a while. There is no "best" pickup out there. If there was then everyone would be using it!
About time someone saw the ridiculousness of this post!
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  #32  
Old 11-20-2014, 04:14 AM
emmsone emmsone is offline
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Originally Posted by teleboli View Post
Let's assume money is no object. Which pickup would you recommend?
Well a quick google search tells me that the best rated pickup in 2014 is the Ford F150. But personally, and with money no object, I've found the Nissan Titan with some exhaust mods and some additional Nismo performance parts in the engine bay to be the best acoustic sounding pickup, and I'm pretty sure it would sound amazing through any amp you may be using.
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  #33  
Old 11-20-2014, 09:43 AM
J Patrick J Patrick is offline
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...its not a ridiculous thread...almost any pickup can sound good and serve the purposes and desires of an individual....but...i've mixed them all and for live performances nothing beats a Trance Audio Amulet system...of course if you're not playing through a quality sound system its moot...
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  #34  
Old 11-20-2014, 10:08 AM
jcmccorm jcmccorm is offline
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Originally Posted by emmsone View Post
Well a quick google search tells me that the best rated pickup in 2014 is the Ford F150. But personally, and with money no object, I've found the Nissan Titan with some exhaust mods and some additional Nismo performance parts in the engine bay to be the best acoustic sounding pickup, and I'm pretty sure it would sound amazing through any amp you may be using.
That reminds me of my favorite banjo joke.

What's the best pickup to put on a banjo?

Ford F150.

Cary
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  #35  
Old 11-20-2014, 10:10 AM
DESERTRAT1 DESERTRAT1 is offline
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I agree that there is no best. About all I can say is that "in my experience" this is the best acoustic pickup/preamp system I've played. But then I haven't played them all so what do I know?

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  #36  
Old 11-20-2014, 10:43 AM
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Originally Posted by lukybob2 View Post
I have now put JJB pickups in my guitars that I want to amplify. They are basically the same as the K&K pickups but cost less.
Hi lukybob...

Actually the output is substantially less than that of the K&K Pure mini, and the sensors are several mm larger on the JJB than the K&K Pure mini (K&K=12.5mm; JJB=15mm). On a small bridge plate that makes a difference as well.

I had the opportunity of having a JBB equipped OM in my living room for a week to compare with my 4 K&K Pure Mini equipped guitars.

The tone of the non-preamplified JJB was muddier, as well as weaker. And when driven hard enough to match the volume of the K&K, it exhibited a strident edge.

Since my amplified guitar represents me and my music when I play in public, the pickup is not the area I'm trying to save $35 on.




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  #37  
Old 11-20-2014, 10:53 AM
Gib Son Gib Son is offline
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Best is subjective, favorite isn't. After trying many, my favorite combination is K and K mini with a Sunrise. I can take Sunrise out when playing non-amplified, as they are rather heavy. I keep buying and trying different pickups and keep coming back to the Sunrise. Jim Kaufman is a good guy...I have tried JJB's and thoroughly agree with Larry..

Last edited by Gib Son; 11-20-2014 at 12:09 PM.
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  #38  
Old 11-20-2014, 01:38 PM
lukybob2 lukybob2 is offline
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An issue with the K&K vs. JJB is how they are installed. I imagine they are not all installed exactly the same, in terms of position on the bridge plate. I have not played a K&K equipped guitar, but read (on this forum) that the discs are actually from the same builder.
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  #39  
Old 11-20-2014, 02:51 PM
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Originally Posted by lukybob2 View Post
An issue with the K&K vs. JJB is how they are installed. I imagine they are not all installed exactly the same, in terms of position on the bridge plate. I have not played a K&K equipped guitar, but read (on this forum) that the discs are actually from the same builder.
Hi lukybob...

Installation would of course be key, and all mine and the JJB I tested were luthier/tech installed according to manufacturer instructions.

I don't not know that they are manufactured by the same company - and have never seen that supported. They are certainly different sizes.

And the JJB site does not support that. In fact, they claim that theirs are unique to all others (on the "About" page of their site).

Quote:
Originally Posted by JJB
This process is highly refined and
…each transducer is hand tuned using this unique method. Absolutely nobody else in the business does this.
Then they go on to claim that they are made of the same materials as everyone else, and that everyone else is just charging more money because of overhead, and to feed their inflated egos…(JJB's words not mine).

I'll just stick with what has performed extraordinarily well in my instruments for over a decade now.



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  #40  
Old 11-20-2014, 04:55 PM
Villamarzia Villamarzia is offline
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Originally Posted by ljguitar View Post
Hi lukybob...

Installation would of course be key, and all mine and the JJB I tested were luthier/tech installed according to manufacturer instructions.

I don't not know that they are manufactured by the same company - and have never seen that supported. They are certainly different sizes.

And the JJB site does not support that. In fact, they claim that theirs are unique to all others (on the "About" page of their site).



Then they go on to claim that they are made of the same materials as everyone else, and that everyone else is just charging more money because of overhead, and to feed their inflated egos…(JJB's words not mine).

I'll just stick with what has performed extraordinarily well in my instruments for over a decade now.



Totally support what Larry posted. In fact, the owner of JJB replied to one question I had and he openly stated that his transducers are less hot than K&K. So, it is not just a matter of installation. I tried both several times on the very same guitars and ended up with K&K on all of them. But it is a personal choice; some people prefer JJB and it might depend on the guitar and/or the signal path downwards...
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  #41  
Old 11-22-2014, 05:10 PM
teleboli teleboli is offline
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Just to update things and maybe give some better perspective. I just bought a Bose L1 Compact. So maybe I should rephrase to ' the pickup that will give the best results with a Bose L1 Compact and a Martin CEO7.

I hate the thoughts of taking anything 'away' from the CEO7 just to mic it, but it's necessary .
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  #42  
Old 11-23-2014, 07:21 AM
gibbyguy gibbyguy is offline
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Originally Posted by teleboli View Post
Just to update things and maybe give some better perspective. I just bought a Bose L1 Compact. So maybe I should rephrase to ' the pickup that will give the best results with a Bose L1 Compact and a Martin CEO7.

I hate the thoughts of taking anything 'away' from the CEO7 just to mic it, but it's necessary .
Part of me wants to enter the big K&K - JJB debate, but i have to say they are both great pickups. I have a K&K in My Kronbauer Mini Jumbo and a JJB330 in my Hoffman. These are both my highest end guitars I currently own. I literally interchange both guitars back and forth in my Loudbox Artist without tweaking any controls. Are there differences? Yes but often they are very subtle differences. The price between these pickups is negligible. JJB330 $50 , K&K $90.

Seriously you can't go wrong with either brand. Many people play these bridgeplate transducers through their Bose L1 amps with great reproduction of the guitar sound. I would say that these pickups are the best sounding to my ears in terms of reproducing your guitar.

Just have a K&K or JJB330 installed and the rest is history.
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  #43  
Old 11-23-2014, 11:58 AM
chitz chitz is offline
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Originally Posted by gibbyguy View Post
Part of me wants to enter the big K&K - JJB debate, but i have to say they are both great pickups. I have a K&K in My Kronbauer Mini Jumbo and a JJB330 in my Hoffman. These are both my highest end guitars I currently own. I literally interchange both guitars back and forth in my Loudbox Artist without tweaking any controls. Are there differences? Yes but often they are very subtle differences. The price between these pickups is negligible. JJB330 $50 , K&K $90.

Seriously you can't go wrong with either brand. Many people play these bridgeplate transducers through their Bose L1 amps with great reproduction of the guitar sound. I would say that these pickups are the best sounding to my ears in terms of reproducing your guitar.

Just have a K&K or JJB330 installed and the rest is history.
Ed
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  #44  
Old 11-23-2014, 04:10 PM
jseth jseth is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by teleboli View Post
Just to update things and maybe give some better perspective. I just bought a Bose L1 Compact. So maybe I should rephrase to ' the pickup that will give the best results with a Bose L1 Compact and a Martin CEO7.

I hate the thoughts of taking anything 'away' from the CEO7 just to mic it, but it's necessary .
Well, it would have been an easier question to answer had you given us all that information... but still, essentially an "unanswerable" question, since WE are not YOU...

I'd love to tell you that your guitar would sound wonderful with a K&K straight into your Bose, but I don't think you'll be happy with a K&K until you run it through a preamp (I use the K&K PURE XLR, the bigger unit w/ phantom power option) and then into your Bose...

That's what I do with my Goodall Grand Concert; I didn't want to put anything into it that would change the sound or tone one whit, and did not want a battery inside that guitar, so I went with a K&K PW Mini. I have a Bose L1 Model I Classic system, even use one of the Bose T1 Tone Generator/ Mixer units with it. I was not happy with the sound of the K&K through the T1, even though it is extremely flexible...

Once I ran it through the XLR, the guitar sounded MUCH better! I still feel that the sound would be more "natural" with a microphone along with the K&K, just turned down low for some string noise and "breath", both aspects of the sound of an acoustic guitar that the K&K does NOT provide...

Now, IF you are going to be performing A LOT, you might want to consider the L.R. Baggs Anthem system; it does require a battery internally, and it will affect your guitar's unplugged sound, at least slightly. The bonus is that the Anthem sounds wonderful through the Bose system! Very dynamic, very much like an acoustic guitar, only louder... AND you won't need an addiotional preamp...

By the way, thanks for posting again, as I really thought you were just "jerking our chains" about this subject!
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  #45  
Old 11-23-2014, 05:47 PM
teleboli teleboli is offline
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I would have mentioned the Bose Compact in the original post but I bought one unexpectedly two days after the post. I'd been debating between the BoseL1 Compact and the Fishman Soloamp.

Just happened to be walking through a mall with a Bose store and darned if they didn't have one set up with a mic AND it was on sale. 60 day return for full refund as well BTW. Really couldn't say no.

At that point I knew at least for now it was going to be the Martin CEO7 and the Bose. I suppose what I was thinking was, which pickup/'pickup system would reproduce the sound of the Adi/hog Martin's characteristics through the character of the Bose.

Any issues arose from my lack of knowledge regarding acoustic pickups only. Apologies if it was perceived otherwise.

I will be gigging a lot and really do want/need the detailed responses. Thanks again
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