K&K Pickup - D35 or 000-15M? Tips?

[aaronl]

I finally bit the bullet and bought the K&K
I am thinking of using it in either my D35 or my 00015M.
Is it better suited for one or the other? Are one or the other better suited for P&W music?

I am nervous to do the install because it is so "final" seeming with the glue etc.
I think I may give it a go, there is always de-bonder and a razor blade, I am having issues with my Car AC and I can't really afford a tech right now.
The AC issues happened AFTER I bought the K&K or I would have not bought it.

Anyway back to it.
1) What is the best or most used glue?
2) Any tips at all, little tricks that work best, i am a little nervous about the install part where you stick the clear plastic in the soundhole and hope you dont touch the glue to anything until you are ready.
3) Which would you go with first the 000-15m or the D35?

[bnjp]

Originally Posted by aaronl

Anyway back to it.
1) What is the best or most used glue?
2) Any tips at all, little tricks that work best, i am a little nervous about the install part where you stick the clear plastic in the soundhole and hope you dont touch the glue to anything until you are ready.
3) Which would you go with first the 000-15m or the D35?

1. They don't include the glue anymore, but I've gotten them with both Krazy brand and Scotch. The last one I used Loctite Gel. They say to purchase any brand of super glue gel. Be sure you get the gel.
2. Take your time and practice with their little jig several times. Start with the treble side and work your way to the bass side. Keep the output jack inside the guitar pushed over to the treble side so you don't get tangled in the wires. Use plenty of the gooey chewing gum stuff they send to attach the sensor to the transfer jig to make sure it stays put. Use enough glue so it oozes out around the sensor...and give the glue PLENTY of time to set...maybe 10-15 minutes to be safe before you pull the jig out.
3. If I had both of those guitars and was a worship leader. I'd go for the D35 first. Then buy another one for the other. Ask Shoreline Music about their AGF discount and do both.

[Ned Milburn]

You can install with putty (no glue) to test. Then remove putty and glue once you are confident in your choice.

My question to help you answer which guitar to install it in is this: Which guitar can you conceive of using amplified more often??

[aaronl]

Originally Posted by Ned Milburn

You can install with putty (no glue) to test. Then remove putty and glue once you are confident in your choice.

My question to help you answer which guitar to install it in is this: Which guitar can you conceive of using amplified more often??

I will probably do both at some point.
I may try the JJB on whichever one I do not use the K&K on

[Ben-Had]

Originally Posted by aaronl

I will probably do both at some point.
I may try the JJB on whichever one I do not use the K&K on

PM sent to you.

[Ben-Had]

Tried to send you this but your in box was full.

Really the most critical thing is drilling out the end pin hole, I have a special reamer for that. Here's my address and website (address on the website is before I moved into my new shop):

1645 Fawn La
Creedmoor, NC 27522

www.apexcustomguitars.com

[wcap]

I recently had a K&K installed in my 000-15, and liked it so much I had another installation done in my Goodall.

The sound (from both guitars) is wonderful (and very natural sounding) through a RedEye preamp, and especially through the RedEye and our small Allen & Heath mixer. Actually, it sounds pretty much as good just plugged directly into that particular mixer. (Plugged directly into an amp the sound is less natural sounding, and less satisfactory in my opinion.)

And the amplified Martin sounds a lot like the Martin, and the amplified Goodall has a lot of the Goodall's characteristic signature sound.

I'm very impressed (and again, the RedEye really improves the sound a lot).

[aaronl]

OK I got it all setup, did some test runs, and felt confident.
I put the glue on, pushed it all in there and check it, the cable is hitting the brace and the pickup wasn't actually on the baseplate.

I managed to get it off because it wasn't stuck but a little glue got on the baseplate, i wiped that off also.
I wiped all the gel/glue off the pickup itself, there is a small bit of residue, I may use a dab of acetone to wipe it off or just leave it as it is not much.

How do I get the wire around the brace?

[aaronl]

I do not know for sure what I did, maybe I did not push the cabling toward the pickup itself?



You can see the little dab of glue I wiped off

I think I had the transducer in the right place but maybe I did not push the cable up enough?

I honestly don't know what I am doing wrong, I am going to see a luthier.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by aaronl

I honestly don't know what I am doing wrong, I am going to see a luthier.

Probably a good plan.

As an aside, did you read (and follow) the installation instructions? They are quite detailed and explicit.

[aaronl]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

Probably a good plan.

As an aside, did you read (and follow) the installation instructions? They are quite detailed and explicit.

I hate to sound rude and maybe I took the question wrong but do you think I took at D35 and a new pickup and just decided to wing it?

The directions while good do not mention you may need to lay the wire on the putty with the wire at an angle to match the bracing. OR you may need to bend the wire way as you install the pickup, it simply shows you how to hold the white piece with your thumb and forefinger.

I think I will need to arrange the pickup with the wire at an angle OR put the pickup in with the wire already bent back over the plastic piece to avoid the brace.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by aaronl

I hate to sound rude and maybe I took the question wrong but do you think I took at D35 and a new pickup and just decided to wing it?

Perhaps I could have worded that better, more along the lines of are you aware that there are detailed instructions? From your response, you are.

You'd be surprised at what people do, and what they bring in to be fixed after they've botched it.

[aaronl]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

Perhaps I could have worded that better, more along the lines of are you aware that there are detailed instructions? From your response, you are.

You'd be surprised at what people do, and what they bring in to be fixed after they've botched it.

Charles, I should not have replied, I was very tired and very frustrated.

The internet is great because there is so much to learn and share, the internet is bad because context and or wording can be misleading.

I think I just need to plan it a little better, the Luthier was not able to do it, his schedule is too full. Ben-Had is not to far away I may take it up to him.

[bnjp]

Originally Posted by aaronl

Charles, I should not have replied, I was very tired and very frustrated.

The internet is great because there is so much to learn and share, the internet is bad because context and or wording can be misleading.

I think I just need to plan it a little better, the Luthier was not able to do it, his schedule is too full. Ben-Had is not to far away I may take it up to him.

I've done a half a dozen or so of these. Watch some video, dry fit it a few times, then go for it. If you can drill the hole for the jack, you can install the pickup. Line the treble side one in line with the high E, the middle one between the D and G, and the bass side one between the E and A...all directly under the saddle. Slant the wires to clear the X brace. You can do it.

[ShawnH]

You need to angle the cable away from the brace when you attach the sensor to the jig - that's all. Just spin the sensor a bit to angle the cable towards the center. Once that superglue hits the bridgeplate it sticks - so the cable (or something else) was holding it away from the bridgeplate.

Also something to be cautious of if you try it in the 000 is that the jig will actually hit the brace on the treble side - causing a similar problem. Or at least it did when I installed in my smaller bodied guitar. I ended up with that sensor not quite exactly where I wanted it because of this issue so I wish someone had told me.