What is your best guitar/pickup/amp combination?

[Toby Walker]

I must have used dozens of combinations over the last 40 years but the absolute, hands down, best would be these:

2002 Huss and Dalton custom OM-18
K&K mini pickup
Schertler Jam 150, 3 channel amp.

2002 Huss and Dalton Jumbo MC
Fishman Matrix pickup
Schertler Jam 150, 3 channel amp.

In my opinion, H&D produces some of the finest acoustic guitars on the market today. While the K&K and Fishman pickups bring out their best qualities, all would be for nought if it weren't for that Schertler amplifier. I've never found an amp that can truly reproduce every nuance of an acoustic instrument like this one. Even when I plug my National Tri-cone (which has a Highlander pickup) in, you'd swear you were hearing that steel guitar unplugged with a mic in front of it.

I simply use the amp as a 3 channel mixer/pre-amp. Once I tweak the EQ and volume levels of the channels I simply send the signal via an XLR cable out to whatever PA happens to be in the house, telling the soundperson to start out with all the controls set to flat.

My sound checks usually never run more than 5 minutes... 8 tops.

[6L6]

All of my acoustics are equipped with K&K Pure Mini pups.

I like to play them as follows:

Guitar > BOSS DM-2 Analog Delay > BOSS CH-1 Super Chorus > Amp.

My acoustic amps are as follows:

* Fishman Loudbox Mini
* Fishman Loudbox Performer
* 2006 Fender Acoustasonic Jr DSP

The Fishmans sound best in the guitar tone department. But the Fender has the most incredible vocal channel I've ever heard.

[aknow]

Breedlove focus SE w/ l r bags anthem w Gibson SFX amp

[drplayer]

• K&K Pure Mini pick-up
• Henriksen "The Bud" amp
• So far, Martin 000-28EC

[Csteyer]

2009 Huss and Dalton MJC / K&K Trinity thru a AER compact 60.

Great balanced sound, actually like the tone of the Huss amplified better then unamplified!

I don't see alot of folks using the MJC but Toby likes it too!

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by Csteyer

2009 Huss and Dalton MJC / K&K Trinity thru a AER compact 60.

Great balanced sound, actually like the tone of the Huss amplified better then unamplified!

I don't see alot of folks using the MJC but Toby likes it too!

Those AER amps are also superb. My friend Frank Vignola plays one and it was great hearing it up close.

[tgaume]

I've settled in on my 1997 Martin D-1 with a K & K pure mini and my early 80's Trace Acoustic amp. All I really need for very small venues, and use it as a monitor when a PA is needed.

IMG_20160227_135301.jpg

[Pitar]

Guitar - Yamaha classical with factory onboards > Nady MGT-16 wireless system > Fishman SA220 Channel One.

Voice - Shure SM58 > SA220 Channel Two.

-----------------

When I played steel string -

Goodall RCJC with K&K PWM and Pure Preamp (onboard) > same as above.

Not as impressed with this rig as I am with the above Yamaha set up. The K&K I found to be imbalanced per factory installation instructions. Had I known more at the time I'd have split the wiring harness to give each Piezo bug plenty of slack and placed each one where the frequencies were best represented. Stuck on the bridge plate is not the ideal location but it does give K&K marketing power as a DIY product. Plenty of EQ at the amp was needed to bring balance to the K&K problem. That said, every guitar is different and the K&K may not be inherently limited for others.

[Rmz76]

My favorite setup is to put a Sure SM57 about 4-5 inches from the sound hole. When I'm practicing at home this is what I use.

For open mics my favorite guitar is my BG140 using this setup
2005 Blueridge BG140
LR Baggs Anthem -> PA or FIshman Loudbox
Sometimes I will use the blend control on the Anthem and set the UST to max then feed it into the Fishman Aura Spectrum DI using the SM57-J45 model)

Playing with a full band
2001 Gibson J-45 (WM)
Fishman Matrix Infinity -> Fishman Aura Spectrum DI set to the Neumann U87- J45 model -> PA or Fishman Loudbox
Planet Waves sound hole cover/plunger

[ljguitar]

Hi Toby

Don't know it's best since all of my guitars are identically equipped. But it's my best guitar and my first choice to play almost always.

1993 Olson Dreadnought (EIR/Cedar)-->K&K Pure Mini+internal mic-->Raven PMB I or II/DTAR Solstice preamp/blender-->UltraSound AG-50 (DS-4)

Second favorite is same rig through my UltraSound AG-15M (two input channels with three way tone plus presence control).

I pull my cart on stage and am setup, plugged in and sound check is done in under 8 minutes.

[Carruth]

K&K Pure Mini through a AER60 with a lead that has the preamp built in. Wonderful.

[MaurysMusic]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

I must have used dozens of combinations over the last 40 years but the absolute, hands down, best would be these:

2002 Huss and Dalton custom OM-18
K&K mini pickup
Schertler Jam 150, 3 channel amp.

2002 Huss and Dalton Jumbo MC
Fishman Matrix pickup
Schertler Jam 150, 3 channel amp.

In my opinion, H&D produces some of the finest acoustic guitars on the market today. While the K&K and Fishman pickups bring out their best qualities, all would be for nought if it weren't for that Schertler amplifier. I've never found an amp that can truly reproduce every nuance of an acoustic instrument like this one. Even when I plug my National Tri-cone (which has a Highlander pickup) in, you'd swear you were hearing that steel guitar unplugged with a mic in front of it.

I simply use the amp as a 3 channel mixer/pre-amp. Once I tweak the EQ and volume levels of the channels I simply send the signal via an XLR cable out to whatever PA happens to be in the house, telling the soundperson to start out with all the controls set to flat.

My sound checks usually never run more than 5 minutes... 8 tops.

Hi Toby.

1998 Martin OM-28V
Trance Audio Amulet M pickup
Bose L1 with 1 or 2 Subs

[Toby Walker]

I see the K&K mini seems to be pretty popular here, which makes sense seeing as how outstanding that product is.

[zabdart]

My guitars by themselves. NO pickup, NO amps, NO distortion. If they don't sound good that way, I don't want them.

[noledog]

Toby,

My beloved and well worn MIJ Takamine KC70 (Tak Palathetic PU/CT4BII Preamp) > Audio Tehnica wireless > MXR Carbon Copy > two Fishman Loudbox Performers daisy chained...SM 57a beta Mic for vox going also thru the LBP's. This vid I'm only using one LBP, but still enjoy this simple setup...two just adds more glory! LOL






eric