#16
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Piezo pickups sound nothing like acoustic guitars. I think because so many people use them to perform everyone gets used to acoustic guitars sounding that way and think that's how an acoustic guitar sounds.
I think of them as the last resort pickup system. Can't hear the acoustic guitar? OK need to amplify it. Can't use a mic due to feedback? OK guess we need a piezo I never understood why anyone would want to add a piezo pickup to an electric. guitar. I am super sensitive to the nasally quack of even the best piezo pickups blecch
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Fazool "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter" 000-15 / GC7 / GA3-12 / SB2-C / SB2-Cp / AVC-11MHx / AC-240 |
#17
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Quote:
It's not that chasing a perfect amplified acoustic tone is not a worthy choice, it just isn't the concern of most performing guitarists.
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jf45ir Free DIY Acoustic Guitar IR Generator .wav file, 30 seconds, pickup left, mic right, open position strumming best...send to direct email below I'll send you 100/0, 75/25, 50/50 & 0/100 IR/Bypass IRs IR Demo, read the description too: https://youtu.be/SELEE4yugjE My duo's website and my email... [email protected] Jon Fields Last edited by jonfields45; 03-03-2018 at 04:54 PM. |
#18
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Quote:
I also run a Roland GR-55, and I use the piezo saddles instead of the GK unit because it seems to respond slightly faster to most MIDI patches. I use the GraphTech saddles, in both a standard vintage trem, and Floyd Rose, and the piezo sounds are not bad at all. Plus it's like playing 5 instruments, since I have the sound of the piezo, my electric pickups, the Roland modeled guitar sound, and two channels of MIDI. Great way to fill up space, since it's just me, bass, singer, and drums. May be hard to believe but some people actually go out and play covers. And many of the places I've been to are not too conducive to having an acoustic guitar hanging around, especially if it's only for a handful of songs. And I've never, ever, had anyone in an audience tell me they didn't like the sound of the piezos in my guitar! For an acoustic setting, I bring an acoustic guitar an have it mic'd. |
#19
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I believe the most convincing and flexible "acoustic" sounds from a solid-body electric come from adding modeling. The Line6 Variax can make several fairly consistent acoustic sounds via it's piezo and it's very easy to use. The Roland MIDI G55 system has a good enough sitar patch that I no longer use my Coral sitar copy.
Both Roland and Line 6's system allow for altered tunings too. I think Joni Mitchell may have ended up with a similar class of system to handle her on-stage multiple tuning needs. So, yes they are useful, particularly when multiple sounds are desired and hauling extra gear isn't practical. I'm not a touring musician, but I use these things to "fake" unusual "world music" instruments.
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----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... |
#20
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Followup
Since I last posted I had several emails with Music Man about this. The guitar is designed to work with any amp, and there’s no known limitations in that regard. Since the bridge was poorly setup, that’s the main clue that the original owner tampered with it. Second, the control pots on the backside misaligned with the holes in the protective plastic plate is another clue. If the battery was weak, and all of the old cables in the store were shot, then the salesman didn’t do “due dilligence” and fix that, other than have their tech adjust the bridge saddles that were off. Perhaps if they offered me a better price to have the instrument sent back to the MFG, I’d of considered buying, but this particular store I’ve had bad experiences with in the past. So I’m not cutting the store any break here Sad to see a perfectly good guitar be reduced to this state. Thanks for all the responses here. Just noticed a few I didn’t see. May give a few Variax guitars a try also. Never played one before.
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#21
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I had that same guitar a while back it was a really good guitar but I have to agree with you on the overall balance.
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#22
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I saw Pat Metheny on a trio tour 6 or 7 years ago. He was using a piezo in his hollow-body jazz box to layer on an 'acoustic-like' tone. It was a gorgeous sound.
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-Gordon 1978 Larrivee L-26 cutaway 1988 Larrivee L-28 cutaway 2006 Larrivee L03-R 2009 Larrivee LV03-R 2016 Irvin SJ cutaway 2020 Irvin SJ cutaway (build thread) K+K, Dazzo, Schatten/ToneDexter Notable Journey website Facebook page Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art. - Leonardo Da Vinci |
#23
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One of the best I ever played was an American made Ovation VXT. Les Paul type body. Two Seymour Duncan pickups plus piezo bridge which ran through special circuitry which has a brand name I can't remember, some sort of imaging. Fantastically realistic acoustic sounds fully blendable. Mono or stereo. A really underated guitar. Brilliant thing and very cheap as they never got popular. It knocked spots off my Parker Fly.
Nick |
#24
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Just remembered it's a Fishman powerbridge going through the Aurora processing.
Lots of info on net and youtube. Nick |
#25
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I have a nice Peerless archtop with a floating neck pickup. Is there any way to add a piezo onto the face of the guitar between the bridge and the Armstrong pickup at the neck? This would be surface mounted but obviously it has to pick up the string vibration.
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Martin D-28 '67 Cole Clark Fat Lady 2 Taylor Doyle Dykes Custom Alvarez Fender Strat '69 Gibson 1942 Banner LG-2 Vintage Sunburst Gibson SJ-200 Taylor Myrtlewood 12 string Emerald X20 Godin Montreal w/piezo |
#26
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I have a 700 Variax electric with a custom LR Baggs tremolo bridge. The guitar has no active pickups. It was fun playing it for a few years, having lots of options for guitar sounds, and open tunings with the twist of a dial. One of the constant issues on the Variax forums was regarding "piezo quack", but most users were pleased with the versatility.
When I bought my Taylor, I switched back to acoustic guitar, and the Variax has been stored away. I have other electrics to play, that don't depend on digital technology. Thanks to this thread, I checked Reverb, and there is a market for the guitar, so I'm going to sell it.
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1950 Martin 00-18 RainSong Concert Hybrid Orchestra Model 12 Fret Eastman E20OOSS. Strandberg Boden Original 6 Eastman T185MX G&L ASAT Classic USA Butterscotch Blonde Rickenbacher Lap Steel Voyage-Air VAD-2 Martin SW00-DB Machiche 1968 Guild F-112 Taylor 322e 12 Fret V Class |
#27
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Monarchy Majesty
Combining some coupons with one of GC's sales was too good to resist, especially with three of those Petrucci guitars in the store. Took home the purple one
The neat thing I did not realize is that it has a switchable mono/stereo jack. Sounds amazing running the Piezo into my acoustic amp and the magnetics into the electric guitar amp. The guitar plays fantastic, doubt I could find a better guitar for myself. No noise coming out of the guitar either, except when I run two amps I suspect there's a bit of interference going on, but the noise coming out of the amps is not too bad. The piezo produces an acoustic - like tone that really shines when running it through an acoustic guitar amp.
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#28
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Congrats on your new guitar! Music Man makes a nice product. Should sound huge through a PA!
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#29
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Nice. The JP15 7 string is kind of on my list.
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#30
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Going Piezo
My Godin LGXSA has individual piezo's and I love it . It's got a separated out for the piezo and the hexophonic
out besides the split coil mag PU's out . I get a really great tone with the piezos into my Carvin X-60 60 watt tube amp . But If you want all that is capable of a great sounding acoustic you have to have a P.A. or a FRFR guitar amp period , there's no other way to get the optimal sound with any guitar amp whether it's tube or SS . I played my LGXSA piezo out through my T.C. Helicon Voice Live 3 X's 5 BodyRez presets and it sounds really great on each one . EZ : HR
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It started for me with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in 54 on a Blues Harp and progressed , then life .....some death ....Evolving as I went like a small rock in a stream rounding out as I went with the flow as I go through the white waters and waterfalls of life . Life has always been interesting to me |