k&k question

bobbyg67 · #1 11-30-2015, 08:57 PM

have a k&k mini in a 2003 hd-28. the k&k was in it when i bought it used 3 years ago. just purchased a new 000 18
and had a k&k mini installed. the 000 18 has a much stronger bass response than the hd 28 plugged into the same system and settings.

i actually have to cut back on the bass when playing the 000 18. i would think the hd would have a more prominent
bass but thats not the case. my question is, could it just be the placement of the k&k in the guitars that make the difference
or has there been a change in the k&k over the years/

kydave · #2 11-30-2015, 09:37 PM

Placement could do it.

But if one was installed properly with superglue and the other install wimped out and used tape...

Get a mirror inside and take some photos and post 'em!

I'm curious. I've installed a bunch of them & I'd like to see the insides of both of these guitars.

Karel · #3 12-01-2015, 01:43 AM

I have installed K&K minis in many guitars and they all respond a little differently. That is why I use a pre-amp to tweak the EQ. Signal wise you don't need a pre-amp with the passive K&K's, but with a good one in between your guitar and the amp these pick-ups are imho the best you can find.

pieterh · #4 12-01-2015, 02:21 AM

Placement is everything I think as well as the quality of the bond. Our Pure Mini equipped guitars sound quite different: the Guild D35 is quite well balanced whereas the Furch OM23SF has a quite pronounced low mid which needs to be scooped with eq. One of the sensors was not attached securely and has since been re-glued with a slight improvement in overall tonal balance.

Correct me if I'm wrong but seeing as the Pure Mini is picking up top vibrations via the bridge plate I would imagine that the guitar's body size is less of a factor than it would be for say a Baggs Lyric, which is a microphone. Of course it all works together so some top vibration will be a result of body resonance.

Mbroady · #5 12-01-2015, 05:09 AM

I have had K&K pick-ups in all my guitars for years. Recently put one In a Martin D-18. Despite the fact that it is a loud and bass heavy guitar I need to crank the Pre and boost the bass. Pick up looks like it is placed properly and is glued well. Still sounds good but was surprised in the Need to tweek the low end and adjust the output.

earri · #6 12-01-2015, 07:50 AM

Yea, I have 3 guitar with K&K minis installed; each one producing slightly different tone to the next. I use a baggs session to smooth them out, prior to that an K&K XLR, and have even used a Boss C-3 to condition the input. I know Red-eye gets a whole lot of praise too for DI.

Long Jon · #7 12-01-2015, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mbroady

I have had K&K pick-ups in all my guitars for years. Recently put one In a Martin D-18. Despite the fact that it is a loud and bass heavy guitar I need to crank the Pre and boost the bass. Pick up looks like it is placed properly and is glued well. Still sounds good but was surprised in the Need to tweek the low end and adjust the output.

Food for paranoia: How do you know you haven't got a "dud" K&K ?

I wonder with K&Ks if say just one of the sensors was down, or possibly not quite as good as it should be, would we ever know without swapping the whole p/u for another ?

OR, would we just compensate with the eq and not be any the wiser ? We'd just assume that all guitars reacted differently, but how can we tell if all K&Ks are created equal ?

jonfields45 · #8 12-01-2015, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Long Jon

Food for paranoia: How do you know you haven't got a "dud" K&K...how can we tell if all K&Ks are created equal

Before installation, I always hook up the K&K (or JJB) pickup to my bench amp and tap test each sensor looking for identical sound. I am not sure this is a ideal test and it is very hard for me to imagine how something as simple as a piezo disk could fail besides a bad solder joint, but so far so good given the dozen+ I've installed. Using high viscosity cyanoacrylate glue fairly generously, no installation I've done sounded like it needed EQ to my ear.

Long Jon · #9 12-01-2015, 08:30 AM

I have got K&Ks in two guitars and they both work great. Loads of output, evenly balanced.

I was just scaremongering ,,, sorry ,,,, speculating ...

ljguitar · #10 12-01-2015, 08:57 AM

Hi bobby-g…
I have K&K dual source rigs in 4 guitars - a Dreadnought, Mini-jumbo and two OM guitars. Each one exhibits different balance, but so do the guitars.

I'm assuming the K&K's output will depend on the energy delivered to the sensor under the bridge plate via the bridge, and K&K's may respond a bit differently than the top of the guitar.

Of the 4 rigs, when I kill the mic, one of my OM has the most bass of the four, and it's the fanned fret which has an extended bass string, which in real life also produces stronger bass in it's acoustic balance.