Quote:
Originally Posted by martingitdave
Thanks for the reply. This seems to be the consensus among us. If the Matrix does degrade tone, it's a small amount. We also are in agreement that the harder UST is better for acoustic tone. But, I think the harder material makes it worse for amplified tone, as compared to the LR Baggs braided pickup. But, with the Aura, or Tondexter per Ken, I think it's a winner.
Moreover, if you are working on a dedicated stage guitar, I think a small trade off is acceptable, and the feedback rejection of the UST makes the Aura imaging a worthwhile combination.
That said, for my guitars that are on primarily acoustic duty, I think SBT is a better option. Custom IR convolution like Tondexter, or Cuki's process, will work with those too. Just not as well.
For instance, I went with a passive K&K for my 12 string because I don't fancy the idea of a UST under 250 lbs of tension. Quack City! The K&K worked very well, was cheap, and required no batteries. I also don't fancy restringing a 12 string to change a battery that might die prematurely. For my GE Dread, I am considering a PUTW system with MiSi preamp. I emailed them to inquire. I mostly liked the Trance in that guitar, but I could not get it dialed in properly because the bridge plate is so small there isn't any real estate to work with.
I think that each guitar requires some thought to decide on the best pickup for it. And, there will be trade offs with each decision and application.
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I also think that each guitar reacts differently to certain pickups so it's always a consideration. I am finding that for me, the most natural systems are not always the best. If I was a finger picker, I could see myself loving a Dazzo, Trance etc but they don't always translate well to strumming.
With that said, I see where you are coming from with the harder material having a worse tone. However, I have never liked the tone of the Element. Always preferred the Matrix. Neither one sounds like an acoustic guitar but the Element seems to have this metallic tone to it. I do have a Headway UST in my octave mandolin. It's a bit different as it's completely round so takes more time to install but it actually sounds very natural so I guess it all depends.