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Old 12-04-2017, 05:06 PM
Beagle1 Beagle1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BluesKing777 View Post
Best dual source pickup I own is what Australian guitarists have known for years (including the leading bender, TE) - the Maton AP5-Pro.
BluesKing777.
I agree with this. I basically came to the same conclusion as the OP a few years ago after experimenting with many different after-market pickup systems over the years. They all have their pros and cons, non is perfect. I like the Baggs Anthem the best out of all the after-market systems, but I still think it requires some corrective EQ to get it sounding good and I'm not crazy about the tone of the Element. If Baggs could find a way to combine a better UST with their TruMic, they would really have a winner.

With the Maton on the other hand, it is pretty hard to get a bad sound out of it amplified. Aside from TE, there are many great players who use these guitars live specifically because the pickup system sounds so good (Eric Johnson, Adam Rafferty, Joe Robinson, Keith Urban, etc).

I know many people feel the Matons are purely stage guitars, however, my experience is that they sound really good acoustically as well. The EBG 808 models in particular do not sound like your average Martin OM. They have a pretty dry sound and a unique voicing which might not be everyone's cup of tea. That being said, they also make dreadnought size models, or if you want the basic sound of an OM, they can do that too with their custom shop models -- all with their AP5 Pro pickup installed. I have heard a few Maton custom shop guitars that can hold their own with anything out there in both volume and tonal complexity.

If I had only one guitar to bring to a desert island, it would most likely be my Martin OM LJ model. However, if they had amplification on the island, I might very well pick my Maton!
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