[alohachris]

Aloha & Welcome to AGF Ron,

Mahalo for the passionate report about your new pickup in the L1 System - nice rig.

Are you mainly a soloist? Play quiet gigs sometimes, Ron?

The reason I ask is that I think that dual-source systems are the only way to go for amplifying an acoustic guitar & controlling your sound in many types of venues for solo gigs. It really helps with the flexibility & also in keeping ear fatigue down, something that all single pickups used alone accentuate through their compressed, mid-rangey tendencies.

Therefore, in this case w/ your fine Trance Amulet contact pickup, try adding a nice external SDC or one of the better dynamic instrument mic's to your Live mix (6-12" off the face angled in @ the 15th-18th fret) when playing in a quieter venue. If you like that sound, you can always add a quality internal mic later to combine w/ your Trance Amulet. I'm sure that dual-source will work for ya, Ron.

I feel that giggers really need a mic in their live mixes for an amplified acoustic guitar to sound more natural & acoustic - used with ANY pickup, ANY brand. It's about the open, airy texture & playing of the natural acoustic guitar sound & what mic's add to your sound. Pickups used alone rob us of some of the qualities of playing & hearing an acoustic guitar. Of course, we now have much better tools available for our live signal chains to control potential feedback in using live mic's.

I have no problem using mic's in my live mixes for every situation I gig in, except with rock or blues bands w/ heavy drums & bass & crowded stages & monitors all around. For that, I add a Duncan A-6 Magmic dynamic on the spot, & combine it with my K&K mini. I turn off my internal AKG 416 hypercardioid mic in those loud situations. It's all about being prepared. Dual+-source systems give you that.

Have fun with your new live sound, Ron. And Welcome to AGF.

alohachris