Your favorite acoustic pickup?

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by MaurysMusic

Until a few years ago he was, but he's switched to the Trance fairly recently.

I just checked some 2015/16 videos of Neil and his acoustic sounds better than ever. He FRAP pickups always had a nice tone but the Amulet seems to have brought his live sound to the next level. I know for a while he was even using Taylor guitars with UST systems so it's nice that he went back to the Amulet. I think the Taylor guitars were just for very loud stages.

[Hank Linderman]

I did have a Trance system on a beautiful little Collings, the stereo version with the external preamp. The guitar itself was not the right guitar for me as it had an acoustic tone that irritated my particular ear - a bright sound that was in just the wrong place for me. I sold it to a friend and he loves it. When Trance came out with the mono version I was tempted and I may try one in the future, but I have never been totally thrilled with any of the top mounted sensors for my playing. Best...H

[Hank Linderman]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Hank, from what I understand from those who have posted their personal experience with seeing Jackson Browne in concert, he uses a foot-operated switching system to go from one to another of his several guitars and it has a rack-mounted component but he doesn't use a rack full of gear to process the output from his Trance systems. Maybe someone will post a verification of this for us?

Yeah, who knows what's in the rack? I think the switching was for selecting settings on a programmable eq set to dial in each guitar. He only used one cable when I saw him. He might also have a rack compressor and a tuner - these are guesses as I couldn't see the rack.

Best...H

[MaurysMusic]

Originally Posted by Hank Linderman

Yeah, who knows what's in the rack? I think the switching was for selecting settings on a programmable eq set to dial in each guitar. He only used one cable when I saw him. He might also have a rack compressor and a tuner - these are guesses as I couldn't see the rack.

Best...H

I chatted with Gary at Trance Audio about this a few years ago. The story (from Jackson's tech) was that JB's rack does in fact contain a Klark Teknik (sp?) programmable EQ that he uses for volume levels. Of course, that rack could have been modified 960 times since this story hit my ears.

[Bluewyatt]

The Barbera Soloist is what I prefer. I run it into a Countryman Type 85 Direct Box and straight out to any amp and/or board. Great for both nylon or steel string guitars.

[slimey]

Om has a Trance amulet M
https://youtu.be/Wm2eLkVWsfo

Through Di into PA.

[royd]

dual source - a Sunrise magnetic (or Dimarzio Angel) and a good soundboard transducer (I have an earlier generation McIntyre) out to a Dtar Solstice.

The Sunrise has a slower, warm attack that sounds very acoujstic to me. It is highly resistant to feedback as well.

The McIntyre adds the artifacts - body noise, slaps, wood sounds, plus a faster harder attack that favors the trebles

Together I get a nice, nearly complete and huge picture of the sound of my Lowden.

If I had to go with a single source, I would choose the magnetic first because of that warm, slower attack. The fast harsh attack of either a UST or most SBT's just doesn't sound "acoustic" to me. Granted, the trebles of a magnetic sound a bit artificial but any pickup system involves compromises and that is something I'd rather live with than the harsh attack.

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by Bluewyatt

The Barbera Soloist is what I prefer. I run it into a Countryman Type 85 Direct Box and straight out to any amp and/or board. Great for both nylon or steel string guitars.

Did you have to add a shim?

[Wuchak]

JJB Prestige 330 which is like the K&K Pure Mini. No piezo squawk, no batteries to worry about, no unnecessary controls. Plugged into the Fishman SA220 or Loudbox Artist, the only two amps I have tried with it, a couple of tweaks of the knobs and it sounded just like my OM28v only louder. Running the knobs flat and using the K&K Pure Preamp results in the same and should let me plug in anywhere and have a great sound.

I have other guitars with other systems, some with barn door controls, some with in sound hole controls. I end up messing with the controls more than playing. Might as well get out the electric. If I were a performing artist the controls onboard would probably be nice but for home use I really like the simplicity of the under the bridge style passives.