Thoughts On The LR Baggs HiFi's Tone

[SpruceTop]

I've now installed two of the new LR Baggs HiFi Acoustic-Electric Pickup Systems in two guitars: a Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass Special and a Larrivee D-50. Both guitars have the same basic construction but the D-40R Blue Grass Special has a Sitka Spruce top and Indian Rosewood back and sides with a satin finish and the Larrivee D-50 has a Moon Spruce top and Mahogany back and sides with a gloss finish. Both guitars came with factory-installed D'Addario Light-Guage Phosphor Bronze strings.

Overall, I like the tone of the LR Baggs HiFi but something I hear when wearing headphones is some distortion when playing more aggressively on both guitars. This distortion isn't as noticeable when playing through an amp or PA speaker and the amplified tone sounds darn good. I'm beginning to think that LR Baggs has included a "saturation" feature in the HiFi's preamp which is similar to what is in their LR Baggs Acoustic Session DI pedal and Element Session VTC. I can guarantee you for certain that if the HiFi's transducers were to be fed into a Trance Dual Mono M endpin preamp you wouldn't hear any distortion whatsoever no matter how aggressively you hit the strings with a flat pick. So, given my thoughts, I still really dig the LR Baggs HiFi Pickup Preamp System. Have any players out there delved into the LR Baggs HiFi Pickup/Preamp System's tone as I have? I would love to hear your thoughts on the LR Baggs HiFi and I'm sure potential buyers of the system would too.

[Br1ck]

I think Aaron Short said it best. Buy from an easy return retailer and send it back if you don't like it. I'm going with what I've liked six times before.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

I think Aaron Short said it best. Buy from an easy return retailer and send it back if you don't like it. I'm going with what I've liked six times before.

Brick, to channel Lightnin' Hopkins: Lawd 'Av Moicy! It's nice to read comments that have Teeth and I thank you for it!

As for my own thread-starting comment, I think the new LR Baggs HiFi ain't bad, it's just not the best system out there. For passive systems, I'll go with your six-time and soon-to-be seven-time enthusiasm over Dazzo systems. If folks feel lucky today--All You Punks Out There--with their installation skills, then the James May Engineering UltraTonic 3.2 is also an excellent passive system choice. My personal favorite active system, given its excellent Smooth, and Real HiFi Tone, is the Trance Amulet Dual Mono M Systems. Frankly, who in their right mind would install a Trance Amulet M system for $279 to $379 in their $4000 to $20,000 guitar when they could install a K&K Pure Mini for $130 and EQ the living "h" out of it to get a good amplified tone with a costly outboard preamp? Answer: Many!

[Groberts]

The Hifi works great for my Live gigging. It sounds excellent. Here is a recording from my gig last night.

[Marty C]

Originally Posted by Groberts

The Hifi works great for my Live gigging. It sounds excellent. Here is a recording from my gig last night.

That sounds fantastic. Well, your skill makes a HUGE difference in how it sounds. What are you using for application/preamp?

Never mind. Saw it on you other post.

Anyway, nice playing and sounds really good.

[Peter Z]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

I'm beginning to think that LR Baggs has included a "saturation" feature in the HiFi's preamp which is similar to what is in their LR Baggs Acoustic Session DI pedal and Element Session VTC. I can guarantee you for certain that if the HiFi's transducers were to be fed into a Trance Dual Mono M endpin preamp you wouldn't hear any distortion whatsoever no matter how aggressively you hit the strings with a flat pick.

That’s a very interesting thought. I also hear some ‘crunch’ in the HIFI but thought it was the pickup itself, because it has some similarities to my passive Schatten HFNs. It can easily be the preamp. Nevertheless I like the crunch of the HIFI a bit.
Would love to hear the HIFI with a Trance pre.

[Peter Z]

Originally Posted by Groberts

The Hifi works great for my Live gigging. It sounds excellent. Here is a recording from my gig last night.

GREAT sound. I mean that’s just a single source SBT.

[Groberts]

Originally Posted by Peter Z

GREAT sound. I mean that’s just a single source SBT.

Thanks Peter. Yeah, for a single source PU, it is very musical to me. Nothing is perfect and neither is the HiFi, but it amplified a very high end guitar without intruding on its natural inherent acoustic tone. That is awesome.

[SalFromChatham]

Gary. You are a pro.

I’d buy that pickup simply on your say so. Nice recording.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Peter Z

That’s a very interesting though. I also hear some ‘crunch’ in the HIFI but thought it was the pickup itself, because it has some similarities to my passive Schatten HFNs. It can easily be the preamp. Nevertheless I like the crunch of the HIFI a bit.
Would love to hear the HIFI with a Trance pre.

Hi Peter, I'm basing my hunch on a saturation effect possibly being resident in the LR Baggs HiFi as I have an LR Baggs Acoustic Session DI that when playing other guitars through it with the Saturation knob/effect engaged sounds similar to the HiFi's tone when playing more aggressively. I hear this saturation effect as sounding rounded and not harsh. The HiFi sounds pretty good but I'd just as soon have a clean signal to amplify. Both my LR Baggs HiFi installations sound the same so I'm guessing three things may be going on:

1) As you've mentioned, maybe the HiFi's transducers are creating the "crunch," or saturation as I've mentioned;

or

2) The LR Baggs HiFi's preamp just isn't up to handling strong signals without adding distortion;

or

3) The LR Baggs HiFi has a built-in "saturation" effect that comes on the harder the guitar is played. I hear this saturation effect as sounding rounded and not harsh.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Groberts

The Hifi works great for my Live gigging. It sounds excellent. Here is a recording from my gig last night.

Gary, your entire rig sounds great and I wish I could play like you!

[RogerPease]

Lovely, Gary. My wife heard it from across the room and called it “heartbreaking”.
Heartbreakingly beautiful, of course. Is that an original piece?

The guitar sounds great, too. You don’t have that Collings in your sig. :-)

Cheers, _RP

[jricc]

Originally Posted by Groberts

The Hifi works great for my Live gigging. It sounds excellent. Here is a recording from my gig last night.

That sounds great Gary! Real nice playing as well.
Playing through your Bose S1, Fishman Artist or something else?

Sprucetop, didn't mean to hijack your thread...but I have enjoyed your demos and think you have the HiFi dialed in on your Larrivee.

[Peter Z]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Hi Peter, I'm basing my hunch on a saturation effect possibly being resident in the LR Baggs HiFi as I have an LR Baggs Acoustic Session DI that when playing other guitars through it with the Saturation knob/effect engaged sounds similar to the HiFi's tone when playing more aggressively. I hear this saturation effect as sounding rounded and not harsh. The HiFi sounds pretty good but I'd just as soon have a clean signal to amplify. Both my LR Baggs HiFi installations sound the same so I'm guessing three things may be going on:

1) As you've mentioned, maybe the HiFi's transducers are creating the "crunch," or saturation as I've mentioned;

or

2) The LR Baggs HiFi's preamp just isn't up to handling strong signals without adding distortion;

or

3) The LR Baggs HiFi has a built-in "saturation" effect that comes on the harder the guitar is played. I hear this saturation effect as sounding rounded and not harsh.

Hi Sprucetop, exactly what I hear. While the distortion is not completely natural, it does sound nicely. A little bit what a Fender Deluxe does.

[Br1ck]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Brick, to channel Lightnin' Hopkins: Lawd 'Av Moicy! It's nice to read comments that have Teeth and I thank you for it!

As for my own thread-starting comment, I think the new LR Baggs HiFi ain't bad, it's just not the best system out there. For passive systems, I'll go with your six-time and soon-to-be seven-time enthusiasm over Dazzo systems. If folks feel lucky today--All You Punks Out There--with their installation skills, then the James May Engineering UltraTonic 3.2 is also an excellent passive system choice. My personal favorite active system, given its excellent Smooth, and Real HiFi Tone, is the Trance Amulet Dual Mono M Systems. Frankly, who in their right mind would install a Trance Amulet M system for $279 to $379 in their $4000 to $20,000 guitar when they could install a K&K Pure Mini for $130 and EQ the living "h" out of it to get a good amplified tone with a costly outboard preamp? Answer: Many!

Thanks, Spruce Top. Your comment on K&Ks in $4000+ guitar is spot on. Some people just want to hear sound when they plug in. It mystifies me, but they aren't out hurting babies either. This was a primary reason I had SunnAudio build me their blender in a box for a local open mic. I was tired of hearing K&Ks with no pre plugged into the mixer. Now we give them no choice. The SunnAudio makes anything sound better, and now the Collings guitars don't sound harsh. I always thought players were the only ones obsessing over their tone, but I've come to realize 75% don't really care. The players that do buy gear for themselves because they want to sound good. We all know a casual audience won't care. Until you pay $50 to see someone, then it starts to matter.