While we all know a condenser mic would be optimal, it's not always applicable for working musicians like myself that are mobile when we perform and need the versatility and dynamic range of a good system like an MIJ Tak as I posted earlier in this thread.

Here is my MIJ Tak EF261 with CT4BII preamp, (I like both CT4BII & Cooltube & I interchange them both), plugged straight into a Loudbox Mini, that's it > plug n play...this was a tribute to Jerry at Pacific Guitar Sales, an AGF Sponsor who wrote the song and sent it to me to cover, so I did on the new guitar he sold me back then which I still use and love. Please excuse my strep throat I had when I did this. But you can hear the natural, non-piezo tone of Tak's palathetic pickup. (btw...this guitar has excellent craftsmanship and a sweet timbre unplugged too) This was recorded with just my Canon camera's mic.

When you go to Nashville or Austin, you see a lot of amplified
Guilds or Takamines. These can be found used for a song, if you sing.

Not sure I agree broadly. A lot of people think models of Takamine etc. that are specifically targeted to plug and play sound at least good plugged in, but very few would want them purely for unplugged tone.

Some very nice and much more expensive Martins etc. with factory electronics sound great unplugged but passable at best plugged in. The newer factory Fishman VT Aura systems have mixed reviews for plug and play and are not only used in D-18s etc but also higher end models (and perhaps do not sound as good purely plug and play compared to less expensive Martin PA models that are specifically targeted to plug and play but have older and/or more obtrusive technology).

If someone already has a guitar they love unplugged it's relatively easy to make that sound good by adding or replacing the pickup and to a larger extent a DI as has been mentioned. It does seem like this may make sense for OP since OP already has multiple guitars without electronics (unless they're all high end that he doesn't want to take out) as adding a pickup and DI is still under the $1k budget. But Taks are one common example of guitars that sound good plugged in but are generally not well regarded for unplugged tone.

Every time you see "K&K mini", read "Prestige 330."

It is nearly identical and costs only $50 plus $40 or so to install, or you can install it yourself.

With either one of this under bridge plate transducers, you get a very warm, natural sound with minimally invasive hardware.

My Martin dread sounds great with the 330 and no pre-amp at all. A pre-amp always helps, but is absolutely not essential.

Used Alvarez-Yairi WY1 can easily be had for <$1k used and sound very good plugged in if that's the goal and don't mind the barndoor electronics. Although I'm basing that on the older models with System 600T~ electronics. I would hope the more recent ones with Fishman or LR Baggs electronics are least as good, though that's not always the case and seems like some may now be made in China rather than the well regard Yairi factory in China (maybe Musician's Friend has this wrong?)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...lectric-guitar


"This collaboration turned out to be a remarkable success and our Alvarez-Yairi guitars are still handmade in the Yairi factory today, in the small town of Kani, Japan." http://alvarezguitars.com/about/history/

Lots of good suggestions in this thread. Another guitar to consider is a used Martin OMCPA 1+. It has the Fishman Aura system in it and they can be had used for under two grand.


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Give mic modelling a try. Some may argue that it's 'cheating'. Some may even argue about the 'accuracy' of the reproduction. But one thing is clear. The resultant sound is appreciably better than the unprocessed piezo output.

The beauty of this system is you can take your sound with you from gig to gig, or studio to studio.

The Ovation V.I.P system has already been mentioned, Yamaha have a system, and the Fishman Aura alternative, the Zoom A3, can be had for cheap money AND it has effects.

Ovation dropped the VIP system in favor of the OP pro studio. Perhaps they felt that the compressor/ Aural exciter feature was more useful?

Ovation images can be downloaded to the Fishman.

You traded-in an Adamas? That's naughty...VERY naughty.

Yes, I was naughty! It was a 2008 Adamas 2080 NWT with VIP-5 that I had personally taken to New Hartford, Connecticut, for some neck work. Met some great folks there, Kim and John! I've definitely got to get another Adamas into my life!

Look at my signature and you'll see an excellent-condition 2007 Ovation VXT Hybrid Electric/Acoustic that I just got yesterday as part of a trade-in deal I made for it plus a new Deering Sierra 5-String Banjo. I'm about to start playing the Ovation VXT Hybrid (Seymour Duncan '59 Humbuckers with Fishman Power Bridge and VIP Preamp with Aura Images) for the first time, right now! The Ovation VXT is U.S.A.-made and the same high-quality as the Hamer Studio U.S.A.-made I had a few years ago.

Has anyone mentioned the other piece to this equation, that of the amplifier? You can have an incredible guitar and pickup but if you're plugging it into what passes off as acoustic amplifiers these days, you just may be wasting your time.

I would highly recommend looking into the products from these two companies:
Schertler and AER.

Let me add the Line 6 L2t to acoustic-guitar-amplifier/Active PA Speaker recommendations.

Taylor
Takimine
Ovation

They sound pretty darned good plugged in.

It's kinda funny that Ovation more or less sorted out acoustic guitar amplification. Then - their parent company bought Takimine... And they sorted out acoustic amplification for all wood guitars.. That basically turned the guitar world on its side. Takimine went from a nobody to the largest selling acoustic guitar maker quick.... And then along came Taylor.

Seriously, though. By now - even cheapies do pretty well plugged in. My buddy bought a $150 guitar at SAMs Club... It had pickups and everything. That's his main gigging guitar.

And Ovation's pickup/preamp systems sound better than ever. Back in 1981 or so, I bought one of the first Takamine acoustic-electrics, a dreadnought, and thought its Palathetic pickup sounded similar to the Ovation pickup. In fact, UST systems tend to make every acoustic-electric with them onboard, sound "Ovationy."

What many folks don't know about the Takamine Palathetic Pickup is that it doesn't directly hook-up string vibration with the guitar's top. The bottom of the bridge-saddle slot is routed through the top and the pickup is bolted to the bottom of the top with the saddle sitting directly on top of the six piezo crystals in the pickup's body. Thus, the string vibrations had to go indirectly from the strings to the guitar's top. I've owned several Takamine's with CoolTUBE preamps and TLD Line Driver preamps and always thought the Palathetic system sounded pretty good but not any better than Ovation's OCP-1 pickup.

Some interesting points W, however, respectfully I'm not in that generally regarded group...MIJ Takamines sound very nice unplugged imo and their scalloped bracing, HHG construction, dovetail joints, etc contribute to their unique timbre imo. The five that I've had all have a sweetness akin to that kind of Hummingbird sweetness, not loud, yet a round, warm presence up and down the fretboard with popping harmonics & nice sustain.

I use the same model ETN70c (along with two others) that Justin Davis of Striking Matches is using here with his partner Sarah Zimmerman in this unplugged/condenser mic'd vid.
Imo I think MIJ Pro Taks do a good job in having an instrument that they excells plugged in and still maintains a lovely unplugged tone.





Jerry here at Pacific Guitar Sales had the dread version of this guitar which I owned and is a beast of tone...I sold it to my buddy and fellow pro musician who sometimes sits in with me, I miss it sometimes. Btw he has had 5 or six of these over his road career.

Under a grand!

https://www.pacificguitarsales.com/p...d-cw-with-case

My Gibby "American Eagle" has excellent electronics from LR Baggs. I've used it through an old tube amp, through a DI box into a PA, and direct into an acoustic amp. I had excellent results in all cases, especially in the old Fender Deluxe Reverb. They're in your price range and I love mine. My 2 cents.