Ipanez tenor & GB Shan 100: Pure Mini or

[ChuckInKc]

I have a new Ipanez tenor guitar and a Genz Benz shenandoah 100.

Guitar: https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/avt1_03.html.
Amp: https://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampl...#productDetail

I want to install a K & K pick up in it and I have boiled it down to either the pure mini or the twin spot.

Which do you think would be best and why?

Thanks!!

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by ChuckInKc

I have a new Ipanez tenor guitar and a Genz Benz shenandoah 100.

Guitar: https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/avt1_03.html.
Amp: https://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampl...#productDetail

I want to install a K & K pick up in it and I have boiled it down to either the pure mini or the twin spot.

Which do you think would be best and why?

Thanks!!

It would be logical to think that the twin spot would be better because it would serve each string pair with a seperate transducer for correct balance. I'm not sure how you would use 3 transducers for 4 strings.
Take a look inside and make sure there's enough room to mount the two transducers on the bridge plate directly under the saddle slot, though.

[ChuckInKc]

I thought about that. But then I thought that putting one lead on each of the two outer strings and one centered between the two inner strings would also be a balanced arrangement. It would have the advantage picking up more signal than the two lead option. In either case I agree that I have to see if there is sufficient room to attach the leads.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by ChuckInKc

I thought about that. But then I thought that putting one lead on each of the two outer strings and one centered between the two inner strings would also be a balanced arrangement. It would have the advantage picking up more signal than the two lead option. In either case I agree that I have to see if there is sufficient room to attach the leads.

Visually balanced, but not balanced for signal. With one at each outer string and the third between strings 2 and 3 that means the center transducer would be doing the energy conversion of 2 strings while the other two would be converting the energy of a single string.

Does it matter? Probably the best answer to your question would be to message Dieter at K&K. He's very knowledgeable about how piezo transducers work in real world conditions and is normally pretty easy to get an answer from.

My personal experience with piezo transducers indicates that low signal level is seldom a problem, and it's actually easy to produce a signal that's hot enough to distort the input of a preamp stage if you use larger diameter transducers. The progression of K&K to smaller transducer diameters seems to indicate the same thing. Again, Dieter could provide the answer.