Pickup recomendation

davidguevara80 · #1 02-09-2018, 08:18 AM

Hello Guys,

I have been experimenting with my tone. In one side I have The Lyric System/Venue/Session for a totally clean acoustic sound and I love it. On the other side I have the M80 Thru SP compressor/OCD Overdrive/Strymon el Capistan/Strymon Blue Sky/Orange CR15c/SM57.

I am not quite happy with the results of the M80 for that application (I'll probably sell it) since it supposed to give you a "natural" tone but I need a non-natural tone, something that works better with effects like overdrive.

Any advice on pickups will be appreciated.

Thanks!

This is mu pedal board:

Gordon Currie · #2 02-09-2018, 10:27 AM

Piezo signals drive effects very well in my experience. A SBT or UST (I prefer SBT since it does not affect a setup like a UST).

However, you should be able to drive your effects with a magnetic pickup. Maybe the M80 has a 'sound' designed in that isn't working for you and your effects. (The one I have on my own radar is the DiMarzio Black Angel.)

A magnetic pickup should closely resemble the signal coming from an electric guitar, which is the target for at least 90% of all effects pedals.

davidguevara80 · #3 02-09-2018, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon Currie

Piezo signals drive effects very well in my experience. A SBT or UST (I prefer SBT since it does not affect a setup like a UST).

However, you should be able to drive your effects with a magnetic pickup. Maybe the M80 has a 'sound' designed in that isn't working for you and your effects. (The one I have on my own radar is the DiMarzio Black Angel.)

A magnetic pickup should closely resemble the signal coming from an electric guitar, which is the target for at least 90% of all effects pedals.

Thanks for the advice on the DiMarzio. I really don't like how Undersaddle pickups affect the tone of my guitar, that's why I replaced the Anthem for the Lyric.

Gordon Currie · #4 02-09-2018, 10:49 AM

Agree on the UST completely. I had a UST on my oldest guitar that sounded great, but after 2 decades it failed. I had it removed and a new saddle made. All the mojo went out of the guitar and I am still struggling to get it back (on my third saddle). I will never have a UST again.

However, an SBT is a different animal. If you ever swap it out there is no impact to the tone of the guitar. And I like how piezo quack is significantly reduced.

davidguevara80 · #5 02-09-2018, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon Currie

Agree on the UST completely. I had a UST on my oldest guitar that sounded great, but after 2 decades it failed. I had it removed and a new saddle made. All the mojo went out of the guitar and I am still struggling to get it back (on my third saddle). I will never have a UST again.

However, an SBT is a different animal. If you ever swap it out there is no impact to the tone of the guitar. And I like how piezo quack is significantly reduced.

An SBT seems to be a nice option because you don't see the pickup on the sound hole.

Johnny.guitar · #6 02-09-2018, 11:49 AM

If your using overdrive the m80 is a pretty good choice.
Better than any SBT or UST I would think.
Are you blending the M80 with something else?
Only thing I would suggest is to try a Sparkle Drive instead of the OCD. I have both and the Sparkle seems to work really well with the blend knob. However is is not the same as the tone of a solid body electric, it's it's own thing.
Only other thing would be to try and retrofit a P90 somehow. But then you might as well play an electric at that point.

davidguevara80 · #7 02-09-2018, 11:56 AM

Thanks for the advice! Im using the M80 by itself i just sold the OCD and will replace it with the Stellar drive which also have a clean knob. The OCD is great with my electric but not that great with the M80.

James May · #8 02-09-2018, 12:23 PM

I use the DiMarzio Angel DP230 for this very purpose: getting an electric sound on an acoustic guitar, using distortion and effects pedals to enhance. It works quite well for me. I should add that at the end of that signal chain is a SansAmp simulator which helps a lot in pulling off this trick.

63telemaster · #9 02-11-2018, 08:22 AM

If you haven't done so already, try the M80 in passive mode as the output will be a better match for your pedals. As well as increased output, active mode has eq applied in the preamp so will sound different to passive mode....again probably not doing you any favours.

Ed-in-Ohio · #10 02-11-2018, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James May

I use the DiMarzio Angel DP230 for this very purpose: getting an electric sound on an acoustic guitar, using distortion and effects pedals to enhance. It works quite well for me. ...snip...

Another vote for the passive DiMarzio Angel DP230. An unexpected bonus with the Angel is that, with your clean acoustic sound rig, I am sure you will be able to also get exceptional acoustic tone out of the Angel as well. It's a great all-around pickup.

Another pickup worth considering is the DTar Wavelength VT. Though I know you don't generally like UST pickups, I'd say the Wavelength is a different animal thanks to the increased headroom provided by its 18v preamp. I'd say it is worth a try also.

AndyC · #11 02-11-2018, 08:51 AM

If you're going to consider a DiMarzio soundhole pickup to supplement other pickups, you are far better off investing in the Black Angel - it has a phase switch which gives greater flexibility in a multi pickup system.

davidguevara80 · #12 02-11-2018, 05:44 PM

Thanks for all the recommendations. I put the M80 on passive mode and made some adjustments on my amp and really like the results. I will definitely give a Black angel a try.

rschultz · #13 02-13-2018, 02:50 PM

I have the M80 and love it by itself. When combined with a compressor to even out the levels it has a great tone both fingerpicking and strumming. But because it's not a pure hum bucker, it doesn't surprise me that it doesn't work so great with OD pedals.

I also have the Black Angel, a pure hum bucker that I sometimes pair with a SBT (k&k). I really like this combination. I also have paired an Anthem SL with the K&K, also nice in a different way.

Don't give up and sell the M80, though the BA might work better through your OCD.

One thing you could do is pair your Lyric with the BA... PM me if you needs some technical information on this. You can also pair the Lyric with the M80 (but only in passive mode).

davidguevara80 · #14 02-13-2018, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rschultz

I have the M80 and love it by itself. When combined with a compressor to even out the levels it has a great tone both fingerpicking and strumming. But because it's not a pure hum bucker, it doesn't surprise me that it doesn't work so great with OD pedals.

I also have the Black Angel, a pure hum bucker that I sometimes pair with a SBT (k&k). I really like this combination. I also have paired an Anthem SL with the K&K, also nice in a different way.

Don't give up and sell the M80, though the BA might work better through your OCD.

One thing you could do is pair your Lyric with the BA... PM me if you needs some technical information on this. You can also pair the Lyric with the M80 (but only in passive mode).

Thanks for the info. It looks like I need a pickup that doesn't capture the body too much because when I put distortion or overdrive the M80 captures the little noises inside of my guitar (like cables buzzing) and maximize them creating an unpleasant sound. By the way, I sold the OCD and bought a DMB Stellar drive and WOW! it sounds killer, I liked a lot. Planning to add a JHS Angry Charlie in the future and I have a Strymon brigadier on the way. This is how my pedalboard looks so far:

63telemaster · #15 02-13-2018, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidguevara80

Thanks for the info. It looks like I need a pickup that doesn't capture the body too much because when I put distortion or overdrive the M80 captures the little noises inside of my guitar (like cables buzzing) and maximize them creating an unpleasant sound.

You could always mount the M80 with pads between the pickup and each side of the guitar top. This is actually recommended by Baggs if you need to minimise the top sensing part of the M80 and is very effective.