#16
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Got the Bartlett Mic. It sounds great but I couldn't get it loud enough before feedback, having the S1 Pro sitting 8 feet away - my guitar is not very loud compared to most. So on to the next.
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#17
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Thought I'd give an update. Got a Fishman Rare Earth humbucker and it sounds really good, but I'm going to install a K&K after all and hopefully be able to EQ it properly.
The guitar is pretty somber compared to a Martin or J45 standard - probably because of the adjustable bridge. The Fishman acoustically mutes the guitar a bit and makes it sound kinda 'plinky' - I think it is some of the mids that are getting squashed. It's a pretty subtle change but enough to make me want to try the K&K instead. I'm hoping the K&K won't affect acoustic tone. That said, the Fishman sounds great through my S1 Pro plugged straight in, with no tonematch and a tad less bass and treble. The Fishman low end is really fantastic. I'm going to keep it around for another guitar or maybe let my dad try it in his old Guild D25. |
#18
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The K&K constantly had me battling low mids and when I pulled them out it left the sound lifeless (I own an Empress Para EQ, a Grace Alix, and Felix). The Lyric had two different frequencies that needed to be pulled from it and a compression artifact I could always hear!!! The Rare Earth was too magnetic sounding even with the mic. I eventually put a B-Band XOM 2.2 system in it that rocks but it is more invasive then you would like, and besides, B-band folded. I would look into the May ultratonic pickup system which may help deal with the woofy K&K sounding pickup http://jamesmayengineering.com/ Here's my latest J45 song... Last edited by rockabilly69; 01-10-2019 at 02:42 PM. |
#19
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The utratonic looks pretty cool, but don't think the extra pads would fit on my bridgeplate because of the adj bolts. I'm also considering PUTW #54 with the misi preamp.
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#20
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Not to be redundant, but you are going to get closer to the true microphone sound of that J45 with a Tonedexter than with any other preamp. I just got a 1957 National 1155, which is a Gibson J45 body with a National Valco neck and just to get it up and amplified fast, I put in a cheap $10 copy of a K&K to see how it would sound through the Tonedexter (I have K&K's in all my other guitars). The Tonedexter provided a wonderful sound, even with the cheap pickup, which was both harsher and lower in level than the K&K's. This is just to demonstrate that (IMHO) the Tonedexter cures all ills.
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2003 Martin OM-42, K&K's 1932 National Style O, K&K's 1930 National Style 1 tricone Square-neck 1951 Rickenbacker Panda lap steel 2014 Gibson Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe Ltd, Custom Shop, K&K's 1957 Kay K-27 X-braced jumbo, K&K's 1967 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins Nashville 2014 Gold Tone WL-250, Whyte Lade banjo 2024 Mahogany Weissenborn, Jack Stepick Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina Tonedexter |
#21
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#22
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I've been through hell and back with all sorts of pickups over the last few years. I just recently stumbled across and eventually purchased a Schatten HFN, a pickup I never heard of until recently, and I'm blown away by the pickup. It's just been redesigned and it sounds very much like a mic. I bought the passive version and it has plenty of output and sounds amazing.
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#23
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A Tonedexter's purpose (and talent) is to make your acoustic guitar sound very close to the way it sounds when recorded through a microphone (though you can tweak it). So if you like the way your guitar sounds, you should be able to get close to that. Many people confuse the Tonedexter with other preamps, but it is a different animal. Check out Doug Young's demo on Youtube.
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2003 Martin OM-42, K&K's 1932 National Style O, K&K's 1930 National Style 1 tricone Square-neck 1951 Rickenbacker Panda lap steel 2014 Gibson Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe Ltd, Custom Shop, K&K's 1957 Kay K-27 X-braced jumbo, K&K's 1967 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins Nashville 2014 Gold Tone WL-250, Whyte Lade banjo 2024 Mahogany Weissenborn, Jack Stepick Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina Tonedexter |
#24
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Last edited by Shredmaster007; 01-10-2019 at 05:08 PM. |
#25
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https://youtu.be/w2hjQgYsTsI |
#26
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#27
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Thanks for your kind remarks. Those 2 guitars are certainly very different in every way, shape and form. I love them both for different reasons as with the pickups. While I do fully understand every person is different with regards to tone, I personally feel that the Schatten pickup gives a better representation of the natural sound of the guitar. That being said there's absolutely nothing wrong with the Anthem either. The biggest consistent negative remark on the anthem seems to be the pickup output level. Just an FYI the Emerald guitar came with the full anthem system, which I obviously have removed for various reasons. Having used both versions I would certainly recommend the SL version over the full version.
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#28
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#29
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It's no problem at all. First of all, I still recommend the Schatten HFN over any pickup that I ever tried, and I tried lots of the years. Regarding the Anthem, I recommend the SL over the full Anthem for basically 2 reasons: 1) the extra size and weight of that preamp with the full anthem had a pretty significant impact on the unplugged tone of the guitar it was in. That coupled with the UST was just too much for me too live with. 2) the full anthem preamp has more controls (which when I was younger would've thought that to be a good thing) but as it turns out "less is more". The SL is more of a set it and forget type system. Most people adjust the mic level control to full mic and leave it at that than all your left with is volume control. I found with the full Anthem I was constantly tinkering with the adjustments which meant less playing time in the end. I really don't and never will miss having that system again. Hope this helps!
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#30
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Nobody suggested the Dazzo so far ? Installed properly it gives a much more accurate reproduction of the guitar's acoustic sound and is much less prone to feedback compared to a K&K. I used the K&K for 10 years, before that I used the rare earth blend for about ten years. IMO the Dazzo is an upgrade to them all.
The RedEye is a great tool to run with the Dazzo. I never really liked the internal mic on the rare earth blend because it is to close to feedback (I love to use 50/50 pickup/mic). The K&K trinity mic is the best considering the price. The best sounding internal mic I used is a DPA 4061 (omni), but it is quite pricey. I use DAZZO/DPA in several instruments (guitar, bouzouki, Weissenborn) and blend it with a Grace Felix preamp. I only need some HPF on both channels and use a QSC K8 as a personal monitor ( I like it better than the AER amps which I used before - more accurate, less feedback) - best setup I had in thirty years. I listened to the Tonedexter clips I could find and never really liked them. A true mic is superior. Coming back to the initial question: mandowill said it all ! But if your pickup has less output I would suggest the internal boost.
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Blazer & Henkes, vintage Martins & Gibsons, Altman, Martin 00016 Streetmaster mandolin family, Weissenborn, dobro, lap steel, pedal steel, 5-string banjo live gear: Dazzo, Schatten, K&K, Mimesis Kudos, Schoeps CMC6MK4, DPA4061, Neumann KM85, Grace Felix 2, SunnAudio, ToneDexter, RedEye https://www.youtube.com/@roberthasleder1526 |