Dazzo Pickup Review

AeroUSA · #1 09-22-2021, 07:54 PM

Methos1979 · #2 09-22-2021, 08:22 PM

Meh. Well, it's no Cole Clark but then again what is, right?

I know a few people rave about them but I'm not hearing anything special.

As always, a great review though. Definitely sounded better through the Sun Audio.

jklotz · #3 09-22-2021, 08:42 PM

Nice Arron, great to see Dazzo and Sunnaudio getting some more press! I've been gigging that combo for a few months now and I'm very happy with it. Mine is in an Eastman e20-om and works really well.

If I may, a few words about the installation. I contacted Dazzo about which one they recommended (a 70 in my case). I wanted to add the mic, so I contacted Sunny at sunnaudio, as I already had an MS-2. He got the pickup from Dazzo and soldered the end pin with the mic in stereo (T/R/S) for me. It works great! Stereo cable into the MS-2 and I've got the pickup on one channel and the mic on the other. Plug in a regular guitar cable and I've got just the Dazzo to whatever I plug it into. I did the installation myself. I used the epoxy glue they recommend. There are 2 transducers that go under the bridge and I used the bridge pins as a guide, as directed on the web site. Couldn't have been easier. The hard part, keeping in mind the end pin was already predrilled from the Eastman factory, was getting the mic in the right position before I stuck it down. I could have done it in 15 minutes, but I took 45 because I'm like that.

I'm sure Teddy could have put it in better than I did, but considering I'd have had to ship my guitar across the country and back, it just didn't make sense, and I clearly didn't do all that bad of a job installing it because it sounds great!

I posted this before, but here is a quick comparison of the Dazzo through the MS-2, direct into my interface, then the sane but with a bit of the mic added in.

jklotz · #4 09-22-2021, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Meh. Well, it's no Cole Clark but then again what is, right?

I bought a used Cole Clark from GC and returned it the next day. The pickup was great, but man that thing sounded like it was stuffed with wet socks acoustically. I even wasted a set of Elixir's on it thinking it was the strings. That was my 1 and only experience with a Cole Clark. Are they all that bad acoustically?

jamison162 · #5 09-22-2021, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jklotz

I bought a used Cole Clark from GC and returned it the next day. The pickup was great, but man that thing sounded like it was stuffed with wet socks acoustically. I even wasted a set of Elixir's on it thinking it was the strings. That was my 1 and only experience with a Cole Clark. Are they all that bad acoustically?

Off topic, but yep...I owned a CC Fat Lady 2....spruce/rosewood in fact, not the off tonewoods (queensland maple, blackwood, etc.). The guitar was awful acoustically, just dead sounding. And honestly, I was not impressed with the pickup system. The K&K Trinity or similar dual-source sounds just as good if not better.

zeeway · #6 09-23-2021, 05:45 AM

Thanks for that review, Aaron. I always learn something from your reviews…in this case, choosing the more bass heavy Dazzo may make your guitar more prone to feedback. Others may have said, duh, of course. But my brain finally made some connections, correctly, I hope. I understand 100 to 200 hz are typical feedback frequencies- certainly in the bass range. And if bass is stronger, you are more in the danger zone.

Your guitar with the Dazzo sounded good to me with and without the preamp.

AeroUSA · #7 09-23-2021, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeeway

Thanks for that review, Aaron. I always learn something from your reviews…in this case, choosing the more bass heavy Dazzo may make your guitar more prone to feedback. Others may have said, duh, of course. But my brain finally made some connections, correctly, I hope. I understand 100 to 200 hz are typical feedback frequencies- certainly in the bass range. And if bass is stronger, you are more in the danger zone.

Your guitar with the Dazzo sounded good to me with and without the preamp.

Yes exactly! Thanks for watching.

Petty1818 · #8 09-23-2021, 10:09 AM

Aaron, thanks for another great review. I have to say though, I have tried the K&K and Amulet and heard a number of Dazzo demos and I am not sure if one is better than the other. IMO, the Dazzo and Amulet definitely have more fidelity from the get go. There's less tweaking and you get a fairly hi-fi tone. I don't want to say that they sound like a properly eq'd K&K, because I think the K&K still has some advantages, but it's along those lines.

I don't necessarily hear a 3D tone with the Amulet or Dazzo, just the highs are more pronounced. The K&K can sound just as good, it just might take some work. Where I think it's a bit better than the Amulet/Dazzo is just with the overall thickness to the tone. I have always felt as though the K&K was more woody sounding. With the Amulet, I could never eq in more warmth/thickness, I could only reduce treble. With the K&K, that thickness is already there so I can tweak to get it to sound better. With pedals like the VP, Tonedexter etc., it kind of makes the K&K even more appealing considering the price and consistency of installation.

Methos1979 · #9 09-23-2021, 11:47 AM

First, a quick apology to Aaron and the others for the Cole Clark comment. That was meant to be more of an inside joke between me and Aaron (both Cole Clark owners) and not to derail his review!

I've been interested in finding 'the best' solution for a pickup system for my Froggy Bottom but so far nothing much has made me want to pull the trigger and drill the hole(s). I used to use K&K's on everything before going over to the CC and as of late, the LR Baggs Anthem StagePro on my RainSong. Both those systems have spoiled me in that they are active multi-sourced systems with onboard preamp and EQ which seems to give the very best amplified tone.

But I've been looking for the baseline system from which to build on. K&K, Dazzo's, and Trance Amulet were the 'big three', all variations on the SBT theme, so to say. But so far none have made me want to jump. I'm hoping to see/hear someone (Aaron?) do a full on Ultratonic v3 system review and demo. I think probably any of those four above might be great with an added internal mic. But so far nothing has wowed me as a standalone pickup.

I'm forever hoping - as Aaron alludes to in his video - that someday a single pickup will come along that will give a tone as great as his Neumann mic! Dare to dream!!

jamison162 · #10 09-23-2021, 12:01 PM

Right on, Methos.

And while I'm thinking about it, Aaron...on your bucket list of pickups to review one of these days, don't forget about David Enke (PUTW => now Open to Source Sensors).

AeroUSA · #11 09-23-2021, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

First, a quick apology to Aaron and the others for the Cole Clark comment. That was meant to be more of an inside joke between me and Aaron (both Cole Clark owners) and not to derail his review!

I've been interested in finding 'the best' solution for a pickup system for my Froggy Bottom but so far nothing much has made me want to pull the trigger and drill the hole(s). I used to use K&K's on everything before going over to the CC and as of late, the LR Baggs Anthem StagePro on my RainSong. Both those systems have spoiled me in that they are active multi-sourced systems with onboard preamp and EQ which seems to give the very best amplified tone.

But I've been looking for the baseline system from which to build on. K&K, Dazzo's, and Trance Amulet were the 'big three', all variations on the SBT theme, so to say. But so far none have made me want to jump. I'm hoping to see/hear someone (Aaron?) do a full on Ultratonic v3 system review and demo. I think probably any of those four above might be great with an added internal mic. But so far nothing has wowed me as a standalone pickup.

I'm forever hoping - as Aaron alludes to in his video - that someday a single pickup will come along that will give a tone as great as his Neumann mic! Dare to dream!!

I have reviewed the Ultratonic. I feel the same as you and think you should go for the Anthem SL if you really want to plug that guitar in. If not then just keep it acoustic. The other option is the Dazzo plus a mic but the Baggs will give you the tone you are more used to from the Cole.

Methos1979 · #12 09-23-2021, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

I have reviewed the Ultratonic. I feel the same as you and think you should go for the Anthem SL if you really want to plug that guitar in. If not then just keep it acoustic. The other option is the Dazzo plus a mic but the Baggs will give you the tone you are more used to from the Cole.

I'll have to look that up - don't know how I missed it! Was the full version 3 install or the K&K upgrade? Maybe that's the difference?

You're not wrong though. Now that I've had a fair amount of time to really bond with and get to know the Anthem StagePro, I can't help but think that the SL might eventually be the way to go with the Frog if I end up putting anything in it at all.

Having the CC and RS guitars available for live playing really means there's no actual need to put anything into the Frog other than the desire to be able to take it out to play live. I've got the RS Nashville so dialed in on the new D6-58 that I'm rarely playing anything else these days.

jklotz · #13 09-23-2021, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

I'll have to look that up - don't know how I missed it! Was the full version 3 install or the K&K upgrade? Maybe that's the difference?

You're not wrong though. Now that I've had a fair amount of time to really bond with and get to know the Anthem StagePro, I can't help but think that the SL might eventually be the way to go with the Frog if I end up putting anything in it at all.

Having the CC and RS guitars available for live playing really means there's no actual need to put anything into the Frog other than the desire to be able to take it out to play live. I've got the RS Nashville so dialed in on the new D6-58 that I'm rarely playing anything else these days.

Oh man, none of my business but please don't go taking a drill and superglue to your froggy! So many other great guitars out there that already have a pickup and/or aren't the hand crafted works of art that froggy is. Just one man's opinion.

AeroUSA · #14 09-23-2021, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jklotz

Oh man, none of my business but please don't go taking a drill and superglue to your froggy! So many other great guitars out there that already have a pickup and/or aren't the hand crafted works of art that froggy is. Just one man's opinion.

I forgot it’s a Froggy. Just leave it as it is lol!

Methos1979 · #15 09-23-2021, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jklotz

Oh man, none of my business but please don't go taking a drill and superglue to your froggy! So many other great guitars out there that already have a pickup and/or aren't the hand crafted works of art that froggy is. Just one man's opinion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

I forgot it’s a Froggy. Just leave it as it is lol!

You're both not wrong! Maybe it's just as well that I never like anything I hear from the aftermarket offerings!!