K&K Mini vs. D-Tar Sadducer

[Robert H.]

I have an inexpensive, but great sounding OM style guitar with no electronics, and I wanted to install a simple, minimally invasive pickup that (hopefully) doesn't require a separate preamp. Will be using for low level coffeehouse gigs, running through one or two of the little Roland Cube Monitors. I've heard that the K&K Mini sounds very natural, but can have feedbacks issues. (Which shouldn't be a problem for my low level stuff) There are a lot of negative feelings out there about Under Saddle Transducers being brittle & quacky, but I've heard good things about the D-Tar Sadducers. I'm a hybrid (pick & fingers) player, playing chords and single note solos in a duo with a singer/songwriter guitarist, so I tend to play all over the neck. By the way, I don't think I'd like a soundhole pickup, as they seem to get in the way of my picking. Any suggestions?

[Brackett Instruments]

The D-tar sadducer is old technology. A more modern solution would be a D-tar Wavelength, or the Wavelength with the added internal microphone. (I don't remember what it's called) Alot of people around here really like the K&K's. I've installed a bunch of them, and for the most part people have been happy with them. K&K PWM's, or pretty much any other SBT doesn't suit my playing style. I kinda semi plant my pinky, and a SBT picks this up like a bad drummer. My personal guitars that have electronics have Wavelengths. If I need to plug in a guitar without electronics I use a LR Baggs M1. I use a Fishman Pro EQ Platinum with all of them.................except when I add an external mic to the blend. Then I use a Highlander EDB-1 to blend the mic and pickup.


Confusing, ain't it

[Robert H.]

Originally Posted by Brackett Instruments

The D-tar sadducer is old technology. A more modern solution would be a D-tar Wavelength, or the Wavelength with the added internal microphone. (I don't remember what it's called) Alot of people around here really like the K&K's. I've installed a bunch of them, and for the most part people have been happy with them. K&K PWM's, or pretty much any other SBT doesn't suit my playing style. I kinda semi plant my pinky, and a SBT picks this up like a bad drummer. My personal guitars that have electronics have Wavelengths. If I need to plug in a guitar without electronics I use a LR Baggs M1. I use a Fishman Pro EQ Platinum with all of them.................except when I add an external mic to the blend. Then I use a Highlander EDB-1 to blend the mic and pickup.


Confusing, ain't it

Thanks for the info. Yeah, a bit confusing. Though at least I'm pretty sure that I don't want a soundhole pickup, and I'd like to avoid having lots of "stuff" inside my guitar. The K&K seems likely, in that I can always use an external preamp. A friend has one in a steel string guitar; (which is what I'm playing) I'll try it out for the "bad drummer" effect! Part of my wish to keep it simple and unobtrusive is that I'll generally be playing unplugged 90% of the time.