Godin Multiac Doyle Dykes Signature Edition

[MrErikJ]

Originally Posted by guitaniac

FWIW, I'm not a fan of the Shadow Nano-Flex UST which is paired with the Angel. I actually tried the DiMarzio version of the Nano-Flex (Nano-Flex with DiMarzio designed preamp) during a period when I'd sent a guitar's Anthem system back to Baggs for repair. (Baggs support is terrific.) I found the pickup to be excessively boomy in the mid lows, and pretty harsh sounding once the boominess was removed. The DTAR Wavelength system which I temporarily replaced it with (while still waiting for the Anthem's return) was much better balanced and less feedback prone in the same guitar.

I've also had plenty of trouble, as a soundman, with Nano-Flex equipped Epiphones. Excessive boominess and a vulnerability to feedback has been a common problem with those guitars.

Yeah, I haven't loved the shadow Nano-Flex UST that they pair with the Angel but I was actually referring to the Black Angel and its SBT friend. Dimarzio doesn't offer a pre-wire of them (no clue why) but they make a piezo SBT, that looks like a tongue depressor, that's intended to be paired with the Black Angel. It seems pretty responsive and has more microphonic qualities than, say, a K&K and is used by Antoine Dufour and a bunch of the CandyRat guys. I like the idea and tone of the two combined but I also don't want to strip out my Baggs system and then change my outboard gear as well lol. But, that said, no batteries is a nice lifestyle as well.

[guitaniac]

Originally Posted by MrErikJ

Yeah, I haven't loved the shadow Nano-Flex UST that they pair with the Angel but I was actually referring to the Black Angel and its SBT friend. Dimarzio doesn't offer a pre-wire of them (no clue why) but they make a piezo SBT, that looks like a tongue depressor, that's intended to be paired with the Black Angel. It seems pretty responsive and has more microphonic qualities than, say, a K&K and is used by Antoine Dufour and a bunch of the CandyRat guys. I like the idea and tone of the two combined but I also don't want to strip out my Baggs system and then change my outboard gear as well lol. But, that said, no batteries is a nice lifestyle as well.

If you're using the DiMarzio soundboard pickup with the DiMarzio Angel, I believe that you can simply wire both passive pickups in stereo without getting a crosstalk problem. (I'm presuming that the passive Angel mag's jack would have a ring tab available to add a second pickup.) Of course, you'll also need a stereo or stereo-to-Y cable and some kind of outboard blender or two high impedance (500 Kohms to 1 Mohm) mixer channels.

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by guitaniac

I've also had plenty of trouble, as a soundman, with Nano-Flex equipped Epiphones. Excessive boominess and a vulnerability to feedback has been a common problem with those guitars.

I had a Nano-Flex equipped Epiphone and agree with you about the excessive boominess.

This was actually an asset though with a small acoustic guitar amp where the extra low end boost made the guitar sound full and rich. In fact, that is why I fell in love with it at the music store where that was how I auditioned the electronics: through a small acoustic guitar amp.

Live through a PA I ended up always using it with a pedal EQ, where I cut around 200Hz pretty hard. Boy did that extra low end sound nice through a small acoustic amp at low volumes though!

I had a similar experience with my Yamaha Silent Guitar. It had a little extra low frequently boost so that it would sound good through ear buds. That was great but the low E string was too loud through a PA system. No big deal if you had a good soundman with a nice audio console, but terrible at an open mic or a gig with a house sound system with minimal EQ.

[lkingston]

Lots of the DD Sig in this video:

https://youtu.be/QmzUigiLipY

[guitaniac]

Originally Posted by lkingston

Lots of the DD Sig in this video:

https://youtu.be/QmzUigiLipY

Thanks for the link. I hadn't seen & heard this one before. It doesn't sound exactly like a miked acoustic, but certainly pleasing enough.

[lkingston]

It just came today. It is used but it looks perfect. Just quick tests so far but here's what I'm seeing so far.

1) It plays very well, much like a really good electric. I can see this being a great option for an electric guitarist doing acoustic gigs. This will be very easy on my fingers.

2) It is heavier than an acoustic. Very well balanced in terms of how it feels sitting in my lap. It is about the weight of a chambered electric.

3) The amplified sound is very much like an LR Baggs Anthem equipped acoustic with the same strengths and weaknesses tonewise.

4) I still prefer the sound of my Martin with it's Schertler AG/S-mic pickup, but this is far more feedback resistant. This is really why I bought it. I will be able to use it the lyric mic engaged at levels where I have to turn the Schertler S-mic off or way down. The sound in a bad or loud bar situation is going to be an improvement from what I get when I turn down the S-mic.

5) I prefer the sound without the Session DI effect engaged. It reminds me of why I sold the Session DI pedal shortly after I got it.

6) Unamplified sound is better than I expected. This will be great for low volume practicing.

7) It is obviously an instrument designed for really good players.

[Spenceroo]

I wonder how it compares with the A6 Ultra, which is half the price. Don't signature guitars cost more in general? It looks like the major difference is the humbucker/mic swap. Is there really a $1k difference in sound?

[lkingston]

It is a matter of what you want. The A6 has an acoustic bridge pickup and a magnetic pickup. The DD Sig has the acoustic bridge pickup and a Lyric mic. I have settled into the sound of a mic/pickup blend as being what I like best, so really I wa only looking at systems that blend those two elements.

[lkingston]

A few more tweaks:

I put Elixer Polyweb acoustic strings (the original ones with the thicker coating) to take off a bit of the twang.

On the circuit board under the control backplate, there’s a pot to adjust the mic volume. I set the front mic volume control at the center detente and tweaked the internal mic control so that I would have just the right amount of mic for my taste at this setting.

I ordered a Godin strap, some black StrapLocks, a Paige Click capo, and a D’Adderio NS Micro Tuner.

It should be gig ready soon!

[lkingston]

I've got this guitar configured and have been using it at open mics around the Asheville NC area. Tonight in particular it felt really comfortable. The amplified sound is comparable to an Anthem Equipped instrument. It is a very easy instrument to play. I do a number of old standards with walking bass and solo sections over the bass and chords and it seems physically less demanding to do on this instrument than my Martin. Part of that is that it plays like an electric. It also feels like a just slightly short scale, so I believe some of the finger reaches I do are a little closer.

[lkingston]

Last night I went to an open mic here in Asheville NC. There were some really nice Martins and Taylors. Some used pickups, others were miked. At the end of the night, the host came to me asking about the guitar unsolicited. He said that my guitar tone was by far the best of the night and was curious as to what it was and how much they cost. It put a smile on my face for sure!

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by Spenceroo

I wonder how it compares with the A6 Ultra, which is half the price. Don't signature guitars cost more in general? It looks like the major difference is the humbucker/mic swap. Is there really a $1k difference in sound?

I gigged with an A6 Ultra for maybe 6 months and it can do a great acoustic guitar sound blending a little of the magnetic pickup with the UST. What it was less good at was doing pure electric as it did not have the bridge pickup of a T5z. For an acoustic tone the A6 is way better than the T5.

[lkingston]

My problem with hybrid guitars is the strings. Acoustic guitar strings don’t sound good on the electric sound. Electric guitar strings don’t sound good on the acoustic sounds. I have yet to hear a string that does both well. I have the same issue on archtops with pickups.

[Spenceroo]

In the end I settled on the A6 Ultra Koa model for live acoustic only. I wasn't concerned with using it as an electric. I'm highly impressed with it. Michel at Godin told me to put Phosphor Bronze strings on it if I'm using it solely as an acoustic. I've had some great acoustics with pickups, but I'm done with them. This thing sounds every bit as good, it's easy and comfortable to play, and feedback is now a thing of the past. I'm sold. I'd like to try the Dykes model, or the newly introduced Multiac Steel just to see how much difference there is.

[lkingston]

Just to make sure I’m understanding you correctly, you are using bronze/phosphor strings and blending in a little of the magnetic pickup to fill out the acoustic sound, but not using it purely as an electric at all. Is that correct?