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Old 05-29-2013, 04:58 PM
kmgiants kmgiants is offline
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Default Anthem - from audience & stage (long)

A review, of sorts, for the Baggs Anthem. (Warning: this is long.)

Last month, I attended a songwriter expo and one of the events I was in the audience for was a songwriters-in-the-round show. There were 4 performers. The first person did their tune and it sounded fine, natural. Nothing that made me particularly notice the guitar, or even pay attention at how they were being mic'd or anything. I just listened to his great song. Then the next performer started playing and I immediately thought "yuck. That guitar sounds like doo-doo." Typical artificial-sounding UST + quack. Then the next person went - she was on a Taylor. It sounded like a Taylor does (to me) - just OK, pretty solid, but not great or extremely natural. Then the last person went and his guitar didn't really sound very good either. Back to the first guy. He starts playing and I realize that it really sounds great - specifically because there's nothing particularly negative about the sound - it just sounds like a mic'd acoustic guitar. Then I notice the little white plastic plate edging the soundhole and realize he's not being mic'd at all - he's using an Anthem! It sounded like an acoustic guitar just being played in a room -- except this was a 2,000 seat room. Very impressive.

After using a Baggs M1 for a few years in the context of a loud rock band, I wanted a change, since I'm focusing on solo stuff these days. The M1 was good for the loud context, but never sounded very good to me on its own. I pulled the trigger on the Anthem a few months ago - long before the songwriter event above. But I hadn't gigged with it until a couple weeks ago.

This is in a Martin OM-21 and I use it with a Baggs Para DI. I dialed in as good of a sound as I could at home into a PA speaker in advance. But you never really know how it'll sound at the club. The gig was at a bar, and I was playing solo. Their monitors were kind of scrapey or harsh sounding, but there wasn't the slightest hint of feedback, and I got used to them pretty quickly and played my set. I have played dozens of gigs using this guitar when I had the M1 installed and never ever had a single compliment. But after this gig w/ the Anthem, first the sound guy, then someone from a band playing later that night, and then another attendee - all strangers to me - all complimented the guitar. It was funny because one of them said "That's a really gorgeous Martin you have there" as if they were commenting on the way it looks. But it's really a rather plain-jane looking axe, and I believe it was all about the sound being so natural.

Unfortunately, the Anthem plus Para DI is a significant investment - $300 for the pickup. Looks like Para DI's are around $170 these days, then probably $125-150 for pickup install. So at least $500. Ouch. But.... I had the DI already, and the difference in sound -- now that I can actually vouch for it as both an audience member and as a performer -- seems to be worth it.

These are both solo situations though, and depending on what context you're playing in, and your tastes, of course, this may not apply to you or the sound you're going for. (YMMV, etc.) But I'm sold. And since the Anthem allows you to dial out the mic completely if you need to, I think I'll be OK (re: feedback) if I need to play in a more cranked up situation.

Just wanted to share that, and see if others have had as positive of experiences with their Anthem.
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Old 05-29-2013, 05:25 PM
Carbonius Carbonius is offline
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Thank you very much for that post. It was not too long, it was as long is it needed to be. I like getting all the details that I can. I have been thinking about putting an Anthem in. Nice to hear the A, B, C, D comparison of the different systems.
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Old 05-29-2013, 08:01 PM
jseth jseth is offline
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glad you are happy with your Anthem! I'm guessing, from your post, that you have the "Full" version...

I have the SL in both my 6 and 12 string Mark Angus acoustics, my main "stage" guitars, and I've had very good results from them. I play through a Bose L1 Model I Classic, and they sound lovely through the "flat" preset with a bit of a low end tweak...

I have received many compliments about the sound of my guitars through the Bose; since having the Anthem in them, I have received even more! I play solo, guitar and voice, and thus far have been quite pleased with the Anthem system...
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