Do you really want your amplified sound to be the same as your natural sound? - Page 2

SpruceTop · #16 11-28-2021, 10:48 AM

Yes, natural sound for me as I don't use effects on my amplified tone so natural acoustic tone is my goal. I also want a chosen pickup/preamp system to enable me to EQ the amplified tone to accommodate various room acoustic qualities and still sound good without feedback.

leew3 · #17 11-28-2021, 02:17 PM

I want my amplified tone to sound more like Billy Strings but haven't found the right pickup/amp combination just yet!

jklotz · #18 11-28-2021, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leew3

I want my amplified tone to sound more like Billy Strings but haven't found the right pickup/amp combination just yet!

I think I saw somewhere he uses a DPA mic duct taped to his guitar, but I could be wrong.

Petty1818 · #19 11-28-2021, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leew3

I want my amplified tone to sound more like Billy Strings but haven't found the right pickup/amp combination just yet!

It's nothing special. He uses a K&K and I believe an Audio Technica 350 Lavalier mic. I am not even sure if the mic is part of his rig anymore, but even if it is, he can't be using much as they play loud stages.

He now also has the K&K Double Helix sound hole pickup, with a switch on his guitar. I am sure it's to go from the K&K pure mini to the Helix as he uses distortion and effects quite a bit. I don't ever really hear the Pure Mini and Helix combined.

Petty1818 · #20 11-28-2021, 03:47 PM

It's no for me on needing my guitar only louder. My ultimate goal is to have a larger than life sound. If I ever came across a UST that did that, I would have zero issues dealing with quack. I have however come to the conclusion that most pickups don't really provide this. I think it's an idea I have in my head that just doesn't really work out live, so I am starting to compromise.

I will say this, I have spent far too many hours researching and testing pickups. I am very tempted at this point to install the Dazzo I have and leave the Dtar Wavelength in the guitar and just make them work (I have two output jacks). The Dazzo would be the primary pickup with the Wavelength being for noisy stages that I could pair with a TD or Aura.

SpruceTop · #21 11-28-2021, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818

It's nothing special. He uses a K&K and I believe an Audio Technica 350 Lavalier mic. I am not even sure if the mic is part of his rig anymore, but even if it is, he can't be using much as they play loud stages.

He now also has the K&K Double Helix sound hole pickup, with a switch on his guitar. I am sure it's to go from the K&K pure mini to the Helix as he uses distortion and effects quite a bit. I don't ever really hear the Pure Mini and Helix combined.

Ooops, the alteration of my comment is because you had the magnetic pickup already mentioned in your comment.

Petty1818 · #22 11-28-2021, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Ooops, the alteration of my comment is because you had the magnetic pickup already mentioned in your comment.

Just on the topic of magnetic pickups, that Double Helix does have a very good sound. Probably the only magnetic pickup that I wouldn't mind trying out. Even Molloy Tuttle has switched to using it (I believe she still has the K&K blended in).

The downside is that it appears to only come as two versions. One is a temporary installation with the cable hanging out front and the other is an internal option that's wired to the Pure Mini. I wish they had an internal option with just the jack. I would like to have it coming out one of my jacks and the Dazzo in the other. I just don't necessarily want to commit to a wired together, stereo set up.

Methos1979 · #23 11-29-2021, 11:21 AM

I had the K&K Double Helix in my Martin dread before I sold it. It was a fantastic pickup for a magnetic sound hole pup. Best I've tried. I wouldn't hesitate to use one again if I have a guitar I want to gig that I don't want to permanently install an invasive pickup system in. It sounds great all by itself but when combined with a K&K (or other SBT system) and the signals mixed separately you can really get something special out of it.

Petty1818 · #24 11-29-2021, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

I had the K&K Double Helix in my Martin dread before I sold it. It was a fantastic pickup for a magnetic sound hole pup. Best I've tried. I wouldn't hesitate to use one again if I have a guitar I want to gig that I don't want to permanently install an invasive pickup system in. It sounds great all by itself but when combined with a K&K (or other SBT system) and the signals mixed separately you can really get something special out of it.

Out of curiosity, how was yours wired? Was it just the temporary external set up with the cable hanging out?

Methos1979 · #25 11-29-2021, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818

Out of curiosity, how was yours wired? Was it just the temporary external set up with the cable hanging out?

I started with the cable hanging out but once I decided I liked it enough to keep I had the bottom pin hole drilled out and installed full time. Not a big fan of cables hanging out the sound hole.

leew3 · #26 11-29-2021, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818

It's nothing special. He uses a K&K and I believe an Audio Technica 350 Lavalier mic. I am not even sure if the mic is part of his rig anymore, but even if it is, he can't be using much as they play loud stages.

He now also has the K&K Double Helix sound hole pickup, with a switch on his guitar. I am sure it's to go from the K&K pure mini to the Helix as he uses distortion and effects quite a bit. I don't ever really hear the Pure Mini and Helix combined.

allow me to clarify: I want my amplified PLAYING to sound like Billy Strings!

Petty1818 · #27 11-29-2021, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leew3

allow me to clarify: I want my amplified PLAYING to sound like Billy Strings!

Haha, thanks for that! I totally missed it. I agree though, I would love to be able to play like him!

jennconducts · #28 11-30-2021, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

I don't use my fingernails or finger picks so the tone on fingerstyle songs is VERY muted and dull sounding..

Hi there,
No offense intended, but do you really mean that? Would you consider Laurence Juber’s or Tommy Emmanuel’s tone to be muted and dull? I can assure you that their unamplified tones aren’t that. Granted, they have much better technique than you and I do!

Methos1979 · #29 11-30-2021, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennconducts

Hi there,
No offense intended, but do you really mean that? Would you consider Laurence Juber’s or Tommy Emmanuel’s tone to be muted and dull? I can assure you that their unamplified tones aren’t that. Granted, they have much better technique than you and I do!

Yes, I really did mean that. No, I don't consider Laurence Juber or Tommy Emmanuel's tone to be muted and dull. But then again I didn't say that their tone was muted, did I? I said MY tone was muted.

Nymuso · #30 11-30-2021, 05:57 AM

With respect to the original question - no, not necessarily.

I just want the guitar to have a full bodied acoustic tone. I don't actually need all the nuances of the same guitar unamplified.