LR Baggs Anthem vs K&K Pure Mini

[nightchef]

I don't actually hear the Anthem as bright, but then I hear a lot of pickups that others recommend, such as the K&K, as having a closed and muffled top end. So maybe I just like bright.

What I would say I hear is that compared to most pickups I've heard, the Anthem does a relatively good job of capturing the complex overtones in the upper "sparkle" range of acoustic guitar sound. It doesn't capture them as well as a decent mic by any means, but it gets enough of them to sound like a guitar to me, which most pickups don't.

I'd say its chief drawback is at the other extreme, where it doesn't really render the full bass content of even an OM like this Eastman, and I assume I'd miss that even more with something like a Martin dread. You can adjust that somewhat by turning down the mic blend, which brings up the UST (and therefore, the way the Anthem is designed, the sub-250 Hz range), but then you get less of that sparkle. So you sort of have to split the difference as best you can. The setting I have it on is what seems to work best for live performance.

[nightchef]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

Maybe it’s not that the Anthem is bright but that the studio mic picks up more room sound and low end which makes it appear fuller and warmer.

And yes, also the mic position was picking up a lot of low-frequency information -- probably a little too much. If I were doing a "real" recording I'd have moved the mic a little further from the guitar and pointed it more away from the soundhole to get a more balanced sound.

[AeroUSA]

Originally Posted by nightchef

I don't actually hear the Anthem as bright, but then I hear a lot of pickups that others recommend, such as the K&K, as having a closed and muffled top end. So maybe I just like bright.

What I would say I hear is that compared to most pickups I've heard, the Anthem does a relatively good job of capturing the complex overtones in the upper "sparkle" range of acoustic guitar sound. It doesn't capture them as well as a decent mic by any means, but it gets enough of them to sound like a guitar to me, which most pickups don't.

I'd say its chief drawback is at the other extreme, where it doesn't really render the full bass content of even an OM like this Eastman, and I assume I'd miss that even more with something like a Martin dread. You can adjust that somewhat by turning down the mic blend, which brings up the UST (and therefore, the way the Anthem is designed, the sub-250 Hz range), but then you get less of that sparkle. So you sort of have to split the difference as best you can. The setting I have it on is what seems to work best for live performance.

I assume the preamp is cutting some low frequencies to avoid feedback. How about adding bass at the mixer?

[aaronmarkson]

Originally Posted by nightchef

So I went ahead and did this -- recorded a little strumming and then fingerpicking with both the Anthem and an external mic.

Well done and thanks for sharing!

I'd say that sounds pretty darn good and could be Eq'd to taste and for the room or application with little effort

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

I assume the preamp is cutting some low frequencies to avoid feedback. How about adding bass at the mixer?

Just going to jump in here! One thing that took me a bit to realize is that often times I would want a thicker sound and think more bass would help. In reality I am often looking for strings that are a bit more warm, round and thick. If a pickup doesn't have this to begin with, I find it almost impossible to eq in those tones I want.

I say this because I too find Baggs pickups to often have a hi-fi/bright tone. That's not a bad thing at all but with the Anthem, I could never find a way to cut back the brightness and increase some warmth/thickness without things becoming muddy. Someone on here said that they found the Anthem to sound amazing in a quiet setting but once turned up, it wasn't as impressive. This was my fnding as well.

I feel as though I am constantly looking for that pickup that delivers a fat tone that I can then use IRs with. The best system I have found for that is the Takamine palathetic pickup but it's obviously built into the guitar.

[Cuki79]

Thanks Petty1818,

I kind of feel the same... Maybe I will wait for Trance Audio Amulet update annoucement (Maury leaked some information at AeroUSA monday youtube show) or try the Dazzo.

[AeroUSA]

Originally Posted by Cuki79

Thanks Petty1818,

I kind of feel the same... Maybe I will wait for Trance Audio Amulet update annoucement (Maury leaked some information at AeroUSA monday youtube show) or try the Dazzo.

I liked the Aura VT Enhance you played on Monday. Sounded great!

[Marty C]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

Maybe it’s not that the Anthem is bright but that the studio mic picks up more room sound and low end which makes it appear fuller and warmer.

Originally Posted by thirdie2002

Planning to get a Martin 000-15m and putting a pickup in it. I play in a worship band and we also do some acoustic live sessions. Which of these two would you recommend? I really like a punchy wooden sound. In terms of a full band, it might not matter but when we do acoustic sessions I want a punchy and percussive tone.

Edit:
Also, which of these two pickups would be a better representation of the wooden and sweet sound of an all mahogany guitar?

Did you get a solution for this 000-15m? Saw a lot of posts, but not sure if they were directed at this specific guitar. I have an interest since I have the same guitar.