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#1
02-04-2024, 12:35 PM
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Budget Acoustic Archtop Amplification for Looping
Hi all,
Apologies in advance for tossing another log onto the bonfire of repetitive questions. The guitar I am hoping to amplify is a fully acoustic 1960 Hofner Senator (picture below for anyone unfamiliar), through a Yamaha THR5A (which I already own for use with my flattops). I want a recommendation for a pickup/mic system primarily for some acoustic jazz looping in my living room. Ideally the pickup system will faithfully reproduce the acoustic archtop sound, otherwise I already have a flattop with a piezo and a solid body electric with magnetic pickups if I want those sounds. I also do not want to make any permanent modifications to the instrument, and ideally the system can be removed for when I am not looping (90% of the time). So I do not want a system which requires me to drill a jack hole for example. The guitar does not have it's original bridge which I am planning to replace, and I am making a new custom pickguard for it, so happy for the bridge or pickguard to be modified or whatever to facilitate a pickup system if that gives me better options. The only other requirement is that I do not want to spend too much - given that this is only a £350 guitar and my stage debut isn't happening any time soon! Many thanks! 
Last edited by ChordophoneChr.; 02-04-2024 at 01:17 PM. 
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#2
02-05-2024, 09:35 PM
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I’ve had some decent results with the iRig Acoustic Stage on my old Framus, not unlike the Senator.
SoS review The Framus has quite a thick top so the mic had to be held in place with some blu-tac instead of just clipping on. I suspect the Hof would be the same. I love these old boxes, I have a President in a case somewhere that never quite got put back together after being raided for parts for one of my other projects.
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Give a man a fishing rod... and he's got the makings of a rudimentary banjo.
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#3
02-06-2024, 02:35 AM
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When I have played my acoustic archtop on stage at the local open mic' and gigs, I have just mic'd it with whatever mic' they had available. They have such a good forward throw of sound, and such clarity, it worked just fine. I haven't even bothered with a fitting a pick-up for playing my archtop with a band. I've not used a looper though.
That's a good looking archtop you have! If your looper has a mic' input then I would start with that and see how it goes.
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. Last edited by Robin, Wales; 02-06-2024 at 05:49 AM.
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#4
02-06-2024, 04:11 PM
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Also worth considering the AKG c411. Mine (PP) requires phantom power but there is an “L” version that uses a belt-pack.
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Give a man a fishing rod... and he's got the makings of a rudimentary banjo.
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#5
02-06-2024, 04:23 PM
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You could use a K&K Twin Spot or a K&K Pure Floating. These are very natural sounding pickups but - like any passive pickup - need some impedance matching for full performance. So if your looper input is HiZ (high impedance), you're done. If not, use a BOSS floor pedal (GE7 or TU3 or ...) before you go to the looper.
That could be the most cost effective route to a decent sound.
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