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Replaced K&K with HFN
So after much head scratching, research, etc., I took the plunge. My K&K was better through a Red-eye preamp, but still seemed boomy and a bit muddy.
But for the good of mankind and guitar-kind, before removing the K&K entirely, I cut the lead to the middle disc and tried it...and it did sound better. I probably could have lived with that, but I still decided to press on. I removed the K&K discs from my carbon-fiber guitar with a razor blade scraper, the kind you use to take paint off of windows. That took about ten minutes to get all the little bits off. I then lightly sanded the area with 300 grit sandpaper - probably could have skipped this step, but I am a bit OCD when doing these guitar things. Used putty under the feet and located as close as I could get it directly under the saddle. Got the end pin all sorted, and then plugged it in through the Red-Eye preamp. The sound is very good, IMHO. I did eq a bit of bass out, and liked it even better. The specific pickup I used is the HFN Schatten passive for steel string guitars.
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Angie |
#2
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I am happy with the HFN's in my three RainSongs. I've previously installed K&K's in two RainSongs, a CO-DR1100N2 and a CH-WS1100N2. I thought both sounded pretty good too but I definitely like the HFN better. My initial interest in the HFN was finding a way around cyanoacrylate glue and the icing on the cake was the improved tone. I would have been hesitant to risk a razor blade near CF since unlike wood the strength is all in the inner/outer surface layers. My HFN's are all tape installed.
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jf45ir Free DIY Acoustic Guitar IR Generator .wav file, 30 seconds, pickup left, mic right, open position strumming best...send to direct email below I'll send you 100/0, 75/25, 50/50 & 0/100 IR/Bypass IRs IR Demo, read the description too: https://youtu.be/SELEE4yugjE My duo's website and my email... [email protected] Jon Fields |
#3
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Schatten HFN passive quickly became my favorite pickup. I'm after installing it in 4 different guitars so far and they all sound great plugged in.
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#4
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While I have been playing guitar a long time, my amplified playing only started about two years ago. During that time, I have been through three amps and three pickups, but I do believe I am now settled on HFN >Red Eye preamp>Fishman Artist for the foreseeable future.
I guess I just need to be more careful about getting sucked into the vortex of recommendations coming from AGF...
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Angie |
#5
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I was never quite happy with my amplified tone in the past. I sorta discovered the HFN and Tonedexter at the same. Both of those changed amplified tone for me. |
#6
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That Tonedexter also has a strong pull on me toward the vortex, but I will resist (I hope).
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Angie |
#7
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I think you can do without Tonedexter with the HFN, especially with the Fishman amp. Tonedexter doesn't really make it sound better, just different IMO.
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#8
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HFN for DTar
I recently acquired after a 5 year plus search a Goodall Royal Hawaiian. It had DTar under saddle installed that had gone south due to leaking batteries onto the small pc board under the battery holder. Decided to go with the Schatten after the usual AGF research and a little Youtube watching. It took longer to remove all the old wire and components than to install the HFN. Piece of cake!
I plug into a Kemper with some really nice rigs loaded for acoustic. One particular free profile is of a Neve 1037. I planned on grabbing a Redeye if the signal wasn’t hot enough for the Kemper and indeed it would help. Remembered I had a T1M buffer in my old pedal pile. It gives a nice clean low impedance boost and is just the ticket. So far really love the HFN and its so light and simple compared to its predecessor. |
#9
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#10
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Angie |
#11
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If it sounds great on your Loudbox, it should sound great in the venue PA.
Mm, maybe try the pre/post - button on the D.I.output of your BBE.
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Blazer & Henkes, vintage Martins & Gibsons, Altman, Martin 00016 Streetmaster mandolin family, Weissenborn, dobro, lap steel, pedal steel, 5-string banjo live gear: Dazzo, Schatten, K&K, Mimesis Kudos, Schoeps CMC6MK4, DPA4061, Neumann KM85, Grace Felix 2, SunnAudio, ToneDexter, RedEye https://www.youtube.com/@roberthasleder1526 |
#12
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We also use ToneDexter, but with these pickups it is because *I* want to hear and present the highest quality, not because it is absolutely mandatory. I'll mostly agree with GuitarLuva: with this pickup, ToneDexter may not give a big enough improvement for you to see it as an actual improvement. OTOH that might be more of a factor of the specific guitar, your own taste in guitar tones, and how tweaky your hearing is. Mine is very tweaky.
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-Gordon 1978 Larrivee L-26 cutaway 1988 Larrivee L-28 cutaway 2006 Larrivee L03-R 2009 Larrivee LV03-R 2016 Irvin SJ cutaway 2020 Irvin SJ cutaway (build thread) K+K, Dazzo, Schatten/ToneDexter Notable Journey website Facebook page Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art. - Leonardo Da Vinci |
#13
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