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  #1  
Old 11-03-2017, 07:05 AM
dsokolov dsokolov is offline
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Default Journey OF660, Tonewood AMP and Lace humbacker

Sometime ago I bought TWA (Tonewood amp) for my Journey OF660. With offset soundhole it was the easiest task to install the device. And the result was cool. However the body of this instrument is really thin and sensitive, so fighting feedback was a real challenge. TWA added some nice subtle effects but adding a heavy box was affecting volume negatively.

Long story short, I installed Lace ultra slim humbacker on OF660 and the result was shocking. No feedback at all, loud and powerful effects and even muddy bluesy tone on overdrive setting. TWA adds significant amount of volume with humbacker.

Magnetic pickup on OF660 sounds really great and installation is non invasive and simple.
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  #2  
Old 11-03-2017, 09:30 AM
Res Ipsa Res Ipsa is offline
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Sounds like a great mod.

I was thinking of adding the same Lace pickup to my OF660 and playing through a guitar amp.

Never thought to use my TWA in place of the guitar amp.

So your Lace sound is all coming from the soundhole, acoustically, right?
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  #3  
Old 11-05-2017, 03:08 AM
dsokolov dsokolov is offline
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You are right. Tonewood amp pushes sound from lace ridht through body.

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  #4  
Old 11-05-2017, 05:24 AM
121 121 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dsokolov View Post
You are right. Tonewood amp pushes sound from lace ridht through body.

What strings are you using on your OF660 with Lace sensor pickup ?
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  #5  
Old 11-05-2017, 06:13 AM
Song Song is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dsokolov View Post
so fighting feedback was a real challenge.
the result was shocking.
No feedback at all, loud
significant amount of volume with humbacker.

Magnetic pickup on OF660 sounds really great and installation is non invasive and simple.
Thanks for the tip! I didn't know about these.
For all of the reasons you listed above I really like mag P/Us.
Will be ordering soon. http://www.lacemusic.com/USA_Acoustic.php
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  #6  
Old 11-05-2017, 06:41 AM
kramster kramster is offline
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i looked into the Lace a few years ago.. never got one.. For years I used a Lawrence sound hole pickup which is almost as thin... i did put it under the strings up close to the neck not over he sound hole a few guitars but was just too close to the strings on all but one... back in my experimenting days...you know wenst I was a wee younger...20's.
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  #7  
Old 11-05-2017, 09:23 AM
dsokolov dsokolov is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 121 View Post
What strings are you using on your OF660 with Lace sensor pickup ?
In fact idea about Lace came from the fact that i liked nickel strings on OF660. Particularly my choice is Thomastic Bebop 13.
With my current setup i use DR Zebra 10. Double wound bronze/nickel for acoustics with magnetic pu.
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  #8  
Old 11-05-2017, 01:19 PM
Res Ipsa Res Ipsa is offline
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Yup you was wee younger. Methinks you still is. Power to ya Mark.

Problem here is my arm is just too stout to reach very far into the OF660 soundhole, so seating the TWA’s X-brace will be most challenging. My wife can reach in there easily ... but she hates being supervised. So Plan A is my luthier, for sure.

Do you think the Lace jack is solid enough to be mounted through the lower bout? Might I be better off splicing the pickup to the existing jack, maybe adding a knob for blend control of the two pickups?

The Lace ultra-thin humbucker/ToneWood Amp/nickel strings looks like a great combo mod. I’m a big fan of the TWA on my Shorty. The OF660 is saying “me too”, and it has the perfect soundboard for the Lace.
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  #9  
Old 11-05-2017, 02:41 PM
dsokolov dsokolov is offline
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I did test setup myself and liked result, then i took it to luthier. He installed stereo jack on the of660 and combined in it Lace and stock piezo.
When the regular mono cable is plugged in the guitar, it takes signal from lace, but wth Y splitter stereo to dual mono, signal from piezo pu also can be retrieved. So there are no additional holes or buttons and instrument can be reversed to stock setting.
With TWA on of660 it can be installed right behind the soundhole so there is no need to reach deep inside. I am still in the search of sweet spot to position twa.
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  #10  
Old 11-05-2017, 04:02 PM
Res Ipsa Res Ipsa is offline
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Very clever installation, thank you for explaining it.
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  #11  
Old 12-29-2017, 12:02 PM
@daviday87 @daviday87 is offline
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Default Sound Demo Comparison

Quote:
Originally Posted by dsokolov View Post
Sometime ago I bought TWA (Tonewood amp) for my Journey OF660. With offset soundhole it was the easiest task to install the device. And the result was cool. However the body of this instrument is really thin and sensitive, so fighting feedback was a real challenge. TWA added some nice subtle effects but adding a heavy box was affecting volume negatively.

Long story short, I installed Lace ultra slim humbacker on OF660 and the result was shocking. No feedback at all, loud and powerful effects and even muddy bluesy tone on overdrive setting. TWA adds significant amount of volume with humbacker.

Magnetic pickup on OF660 sounds really great and installation is non invasive and simple.
@Dsokolov: cool! I have an OF660 also and am worried about the feedback & volume issues of the TWA/OF660 combo...Any chance you could link a video demo of how loud the volume can get? If not, can you give an idea of how powerful the difference in volume is, please? Cheers!
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  #12  
Old 12-29-2017, 04:29 PM
kramster kramster is offline
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I forgot all about the TWA...just watched a video about said critter with a local guitar player here named Pete Pancrazi... he's been playin around Phoenix for years ...cool... once we were both booked at the same outdoor mall for the same time, my gig was a steady 2 year keyboard thing... he had other players so I just hang out and let them have at it and he did a Christmas and jazz type thing. He knows all "those" chords.... what I am trying to say ... I better get my 660 out and have at it some as this thread is about that too.
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CA: Early OX and Cargo
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Some wood things by Epi, Harmony, Takamine, Good Time, PRS, Slick, Gypsy Music, keyboards, wind controllers.. etc
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  #13  
Old 01-02-2018, 08:49 AM
Fixedgear60 Fixedgear60 is offline
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Always thought the lace wound be great mounted to a thin bodied guitar like the Emerald X5 OS . Never got around to trying it and wound up selling the x5. Would be fun project if I ever come across a used x5.
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  #14  
Old 01-15-2018, 06:03 AM
dsokolov dsokolov is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by @daviday87 View Post
@Dsokolov: Any chance you could link a video demo of how loud the volume can get? If not, can you give an idea of how powerful the difference in volume is, please?
Daviday87, I think it would be hard to notice increase in volume with microphone etc. My observation is the following:
1. With stock piezo pu and TWA there is no bump in volume. Also global gain settings in TWA should be at 10%. Feedback kicks in easily. Notch filters do not really help as feedback occurs at different frequencies. However the effects are subtle and very pleasant.
2. With Lace situation is different. No feedback at all, even with notch filters off. Increasing global master gain above 15 kicks in clipping as the lace output is way high, but still no feedback. You can achieve pretty noticeable increase in volume, but then the tone becomes not really pleasant. So my setting is global gain 10%, effects gain 15 and volume 10-15 (out of 25).
3. With Lace You have to reduce pre-delay to 0 otherwise reverb is louder than string sound.
Generally I think that it is impossible to amplify the attack sound of the guitar as with picked string guitar body is already works at maximum capacity. And TWA does not add anything to attack sound volume. (maybe attaching it to other resonator box may increase volume). But with TWA sustain sound has some volume boost. To an extent it is similar to compressor effect.
Bottom line - with stock P/U fighting feedback is a challenge, but tone is always very pleasant with no impact on volume. With Lace issue is finding right balance between volume and tone.
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  #15  
Old 01-15-2018, 06:58 AM
kramster kramster is offline
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Just wondering out loud... does it make a difference if Lace is upside down ?
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YUP....
Emerald: X-20, Center hole X-10 (Maple) and X-7 (redwood), Spalted Chen Chen X 10 level 3,
CA: Early OX and Cargo
McPherson: Early Kevin Michael Proto
Some wood things by Epi, Harmony, Takamine, Good Time, PRS, Slick, Gypsy Music, keyboards, wind controllers.. etc
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