[martingitdave]

Thanks for taking the time to answer Paul’s question. Nothing stinky about that. I’m enjoying the discussion.

I’ve noticed that a number of folks are presenting their factory solutions as better mouse traps. And, I totally agree. For instance, the Fishman F1, Maton, Yamaha ART, etc. are all excellent systems. In fact, if Martin made a Adirondack topped guitar with the Fishman system I’d be mighty tempted. However, the argument that Rich Addison has been making has finally sunk in for me. These systems, and the guitars that contain them, are really perfect for full time performing/working musicians, because they come with two major caveats: the model choices are somewhat limited, so you’ll need to really love the offering, and when the systems break, you’ll have a much greater challenge replacing or repairing them. I don’t mind the holes as much as other people seem to.

Non-working musicians who play on Sunday, weekends, open mics, etc., also want great sound quality, but they might not dedicate a “stage” guitar to the activity. In these cases, it might be better to select an after market option that is replaceable, or removable, and relatively undetectable. But, as stated above, all those options stink too. :-)

This is why I’ve come to the conclusion that a good “universal” solution is one that uses the simplest pickup with sophisticated modeling In the form of a pedal. The guitar’s tone is preserved and you get the sound quality. However, you lose the controls at your fingertips. One way to combat that is to include a passive volume pot on the guitar with your passive or active pickup like the one offered by K&K. This is what I’ll be installing on my newest guitar. At least you can adjust volume, or mute, right on he guitar. I think that’s very handy. Pun intended.

My hope is that inventors continue to miniaturize the aftermarket IR systems.