Pickup system with best tone

[celestialpivot]

I am looking for a pickup system for my new Acoustic,
a luthier made it. I wanted something that was least invasive in acoustic tone.
But gave me a nice hi fi tone.
I have a humphrey amp. for small venue and living room playing.
Looking at the
K&K pure mini with double helix into a grace felix preamp to humphrey amp.
K&K Trinity pro to humphrey amp.
K&K trinity pro solo into a grace felix and humphrey amp,
K&K pure mini with a DPA 4099G to a grace felix pre to humphrey amp.


appreciate any input,

[SpruceTop]

Trance Audio Amulet M-VT System Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Sheryl Crow, and Paul Simon use Trance products. Then again, if you can get away with just using a microphone that would be the best "acoustic" tone through your amp. Trance systems and some other quality systems can get somewhat close to a mic's nice acoustic tone but if you like to use reverb, chorus, delay or other effects, a pickup is a better choice. Even better, use a quality pickup system with an external mic for wonderful full tone.

[celestialpivot]

Trance audio was installed originally turns out it was installed incorrectly.
Backwards by a guitar tech causing a phase problem.
I also found out it is not a good physical fit for my guitar.
Space is to tight.
Can work if I shave the sides.
Will need a re install but may just try something else.

[martingitdave]

If you are looking at K&K systems, the trinity onboard or outboard is a great option.

[Melt in the Sun]

What is it you don't like about the Trance? To me it sounds very similar to the K&K piezos.

[Gordon Currie]

I've used K+K pure mini for the last five years and I have recommended it a lot.

However, for my money, the Dazzo and the Schatten HFN (both passive SBT like pure mini) are superior in tone. I am replacing all or most of my K+K pickups.

Combining a piezo and mini mic looks good on paper, and I used that for over a decade, but a mic onstage can be problematic unless you have a dedicated sound person. If you are primarily looking for home/studio use, K&K pure mini with a DPA 4099G to a grace felix pre to humphrey amp should give you the highest fidelity tone.

[The Kid!]

SBT's can sound great, but they're really susceptible to feedback. I have a UST and an SBT in my gigging guitars, and use the SBT when possible, but usually go for the UST for feedback resistance. I use both through the Tonedexter FWIW.

Microphones are still the best but they can be problematic in certain situations and at certain volumes. Having a good pre with some EQ options can help or hurt if you don't know how to dial it in.

There's always a trade off. Can you give us an idea of what types of rooms that you play?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by celestialpivot

…K&K pure mini with a DPA 4099G to a grace felix pre to humphrey amp.

HI cp

That would be a good combo (what I copied above).

I've been playing K&K dual source (Trinity passive) rigs in all my acoustics for nearly 15 years with outboard preamps (Raven PMB I & II, and DTAR Solstice) and they sound very natural.

Feed back is not an issue if you carry a sound-hole-cover (feedback buster).

If I weren't 70 yrs old and didn't own 4 guitars to re-fit, and were starting fresh, I'd go the ToneDexter route. Renting or borrowing studio mics, you could create great voicings and just carry the unit to gigs. A preamp can certainly be added to it, though for the gigs I play that would be overkill (I'd move to the ToneDexter because of scaling down and retaining quality).

Initial price (without an internal pickup installed) would come in below the price of just a Trinity dual source rig and outboard preamp. I'm sure if starting fresh the K&K Pure mini would be in each of my guitars as 'backup'.

The Schatten is the pickup-DuJour right now…but we've seen many of those come and go, and the K&K pure mini continues to perform just fine in most situations.

Have fun figuring it out - lots of options which would work fine, and all have strengths and limitations.

[Petty1818]

I think the big downside to a question like this is that there's really no answer to it. If there's one thing I can confidently say after years of testing pickups is that I really needed to try everything to know what I like best. With that said, I do think there's something to be said for consistency and as pointed out by ljguitar, the K&K really is about as consistent as you will find for a SBT. Match that with a tonedexter and you have an amazing set up.

I didn't have amazing luck with the Amulet M but I currently use the Schatten HFN. I find it's more mic-like than the K&K but the K&K provides better bottom end. The HFN also requires some experimentation in terms of placement.

[guitarwebguy]

I’ve discovered over the years that pickup systems are very much related to guitars, not everything works in anything .... my Trance Amulet was great in my Gurian, awful in my Breedlove and Alvarez to name a few. I currently have a K&K Trinity in a Breedlove that sounds great, and another K&K Duo that sounds quite nice in another Breedlove. All of them now go through a Grace Felix into a LR Baggs Acoustic Reference amp or house system. Your ears will know what’s best, if the Trance did not make sound good then you made a good choice, for me the defining difference is having the Grace Felix so I can tweak my sound.

[tadol]

James May, who developed the ToneDexter, has also developed a really wonderful pickup that takes everything good about the K&K, and makes it better. Its called the UltraTonic, and its absolutely worth looking into - it may be the “next step” in acoustic instrument pickups. I’ve heard one installed in an outstanding Sexauer guitar, and its definitely what I want to have installed in my main Sexauer - gonna happen soon!

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by celestialpivot

have the trance amulet installed.
it does not work well in my guitar.
Not a good fit,
it sounds dull.
this is what I am looking to replace,

I really wish you'd have told us that you already had a Trance system installed in your guitar. It would have been my first choice for sure with a custom-built guitar playing into a Humphrey amp.

[GuitarLuva]

My personal favorite is the Schatten HFN. Since you specifically mentioned "least invasive" you would be hard pressed to find anything better in that regard.

[fingeryoga]

I currently use a K&K mini blended with a akg516 , preamp is a Grace Felix.Very happy with the sound

[varmonter]

I like your last choice the kk and dpa into
the felix. You might also consider a mag like
baggs m80 or a sunrise and the dpa.There may be times
when you need to play louder than the kk or
the dpa will allow. thats where these mag pups
work well. But if your always quiet then the
kk and dpa are nice hi fi choices. I have a felix
its the best.