The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Acoustic Amplification

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 12-02-2021, 11:37 AM
gfsark gfsark is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 669
Default Equalizer for guitar and Loudbox Mini—-suggestions?

I love both my guitar (Santa Cruz) and LoudBox Mini. The guitar is equipped with K&K pickups, and the result is real boominess in the bass. I’ve dialed back the bass a lot, which works better than nothing, but not getting the results I want.

Lately, I’ve been playing an electric guitar into the LoudBox, and the bass is really overwhelming, and unsatisfactory, so I’m looking to buy an equalizer for live performance coming up.

Here’s one from Wampler that seemed interesting to me: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...uator-eq-pedal

And from Boss another that features a low-pass filter, but doesn’t seem as sophisticated as the Wampler: https://www.samash.com/l-r-baggs-ali...al-lalignequ-p

Suggestions, comments?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-02-2021, 01:13 PM
Cuki79 Cuki79 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: France
Posts: 3,005
Default

I would not use the Wampler. An electric guitar pedal is not likely to provide an input impedance compatible with a K&K pickup.

The Align in that sens is a better choice

However I would consider the Sunnaudio STAGE DI-2 PRESTINE

It has a continuously tunable high pass filter and a parametric mid.

My 2 cents,
Cuki
__________________
Martin 00-18V Goldplus + internal mic (2003)
Martin OM-28V + HFN + internal mic (1999)
Eastman E6OM (2019) Trance Audio Amulet
Yamaha FGX-412 (1998)

Gibson Les Paul Standard 1958 Reissue (2013)
Fender Stratocaster American Vintage 1954 (2014)
http://acousticir.free.fr/
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-02-2021, 04:08 PM
Lost Sheep Lost Sheep is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Anchorage AK
Posts: 232
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gfsark View Post
I love both my guitar (Santa Cruz) and LoudBox Mini. The guitar is equipped with K&K pickups, and the result is real boominess in the bass. I’ve dialed back the bass a lot, which works better than nothing, but not getting the results I want.

Lately, I’ve been playing an electric guitar into the LoudBox, and the bass is really overwhelming, and unsatisfactory, so I’m looking to buy an equalizer for live performance coming up.

(edited for focus)
Suggestions, comments?
Is your Loudbox working properly? I mean, is the treble and midrange not coming through?

I am not sure how to test for frequency response, but plugging in a Microphone might give a clue if the Amp (or the speaker) is the problem.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-02-2021, 05:55 PM
zeeway zeeway is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Low Country, South Carolina, USA
Posts: 988
Default

A few years ago I had a K&K mini p/u in an Emerald X20 feeding into a Loudbox Mini, and the bass was overwhelming. Through a lot of investigation, I finally figured out that the K&K was the culprit. There are a number of comments on this forum that confirm others have had a bass boominess issue. I eventually added a Tonedexter which cured the problem, but that is admittedly an expensive solution. Others have used a preamp (K&K has a small one) to correct the problem.

I would use another source to check out the amp. I have found my electric guitars through the mini to also be bass heavy.
__________________
Angie
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-02-2021, 07:04 PM
PANDAPANDELO PANDAPANDELO is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Brazil
Posts: 352
Default

I would go with the Prestine 2, from Sunnaudio, or with the Alix, from Grace Design.
__________________
Rodrigo Pandeló

2005 Martin HD28 with K&K Trinity;
2012 Cordoba C10;
Grace Design Felix 2;
Sennheiser MD441;
DPA 4099 Core;
DPA 4018L;
Bose L1 Compact;
QSC Touchmix 8;
QSC K10.2;
Neumann u87ai;
Neumann KMS105;
Neumann KM184 (matched pair).

http://www.youtube.com/rodrigopandelo
http://www.rodrigopandelo.com
http://www.instagram.com/rodrigopandelo

São Paulo/Brazil
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-02-2021, 07:27 PM
gfsark gfsark is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 669
Default

I’m also playing my electric guitar through the amp, so it’s not just a K&K issue…
The tone controls on the mini work pretty well, I just can’t dial out all the base or dial in the sound that I want exactly. Playing through my Bose ToneMatch pre and S1 system, all of these problems either disappear or can be corrected quite well.

So I’m wanting a small, not too expensive equalizer (under $200 ?) that can correct both an electric and acoustic guitar sound for use with the mini…if that’s not asking too much. The Alix looks perfect…but too pricey for me. The Bose seems to handle both electric and acoustic guitars pretty well, but it’s pretty sophisticated…and more work to set up and lug around.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-02-2021, 07:36 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Ogden, Utah
Posts: 4,062
Default

Tech 21 Q-Strip EQ and Preamp Pedal should work well for what you need it for. A few reviewers have said they work fine for K&Ks!

They are a little more than your budget but just a bit! With all the holiday sales I'm sure can find one a bit cheaper... https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...B&gclsrc=aw.ds
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-02-2021, 08:01 PM
gfsark gfsark is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 669
Default

Hey, the Q-strip looks really interesting…looks great and gets good reviews. I’ll check it out…
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-02-2021, 08:50 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Ogden, Utah
Posts: 4,062
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gfsark View Post
Hey, the Q-strip looks really interesting…looks great and gets good reviews. I’ll check it out…
good luck!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-04-2021, 04:44 AM
SalFromChatham's Avatar
SalFromChatham SalFromChatham is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 7,726
Default

Wouldn’t the trusty old Boss GE-7 work? Impedance match as well?
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-04-2021, 07:39 PM
Lost Sheep Lost Sheep is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Anchorage AK
Posts: 232
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gfsark View Post
I’m also playing my electric guitar through the amp, so it’s not just a K&K issue…
The tone controls on the mini work pretty well, I just can’t dial out all the base or dial in the sound that I want exactly. Playing through my Bose ToneMatch pre and S1 system, all of these problems either disappear or can be corrected quite well.

So I’m wanting a small, not too expensive equalizer (under $200 ?) that can correct both an electric and acoustic guitar sound for use with the mini…if that’s not asking too much. The Alix looks perfect…but too pricey for me. The Bose seems to handle both electric and acoustic guitars pretty well, but it’s pretty sophisticated…and more work to set up and lug around.
How certain are you that the Loubbox Mini is not the problem? And might be fixed by "tuning up" the amplifier?
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-05-2021, 11:24 AM
leew3 leew3 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,953
Default

You might PM Rokdog as he uses an inexpensive equalizer with his LB Artist but I'm not sure which one.
__________________
"I go for a lotta things that's a little too strong" J.L. Hooker
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12-05-2021, 03:10 PM
Br1ck Br1ck is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: San Jose, Ca
Posts: 6,945
Default

I bought a guitar with a K&K in it. I have been using Dazzos for five years. I though the K&K must have been faulty. I took it to Gryphon and asked their opinion. My guitar, a D 35, was plugged into a Fishman mini, and BEFORE THE GUY PLAYED A NOTE, he turned the bass all the way off. It was still too boomy, so I know what you are talking about. Then he played around trying to get a midrange hump out, then took the shrillness out rolling off some treble. What he ended up with was useable. I marched right over to Teddys and had my sixth set of Dazzos put in. Turned out my guitar worked with his least bassy pickup. Herein lies the problem with any one size fits all pickup.

K&K has gone to a lot of trouble coming up with the best compromise. But then you need to EQ the heck out of them to get a usable tone. I don't care to do that.

Another vote for SunnAudio pre amps. Dazzo plus SunnAudio is the best combination I've tried, and work well enough I have Dazzos in six guitars from parlors to dreads. But of course, they are six different sets.

Back to your EQ question, when I talked to the designer of the RedEye, asking him why he had very little EQ in it, he told me that most amplification stages in consumer gear were not linear. In other words, certain frequencies got boosted or cut within the gain stage, then a bunch of EQ is added to compensate for the original signal, plus the gain stage. Why a non linear gain stage? Component cost. Studio gear is expensive in part due to parts costs. Good pots, caps and transformers are expensive (if the design has transformers). SunnAudio and I'd imagine Grace uses good parts. Take the average pre, put quality parts in it, and turn it from a $200 pre to a $600 pre. One good pot is at least $20, so just six pots in a pre are going to add $120 to the cost.

It's the same problem with speakers. I really like Beheringer powered speakers. I think they are terrific for the price, but side by side with QSCs it is not a contest. Such is the tradeoff with almost everything. There is always the good vs the better. Each has to decide for oneself.
__________________
2007 Martin D 35 Custom
1970 Guild D 35
1965 Epiphone Texan
2011 Santa Cruz D P/W
Pono OP 30 D parlor
Pono OP12-30
Pono MT uke
Goldtone Paul Beard squareneck resophonic
Fluke tenor ukulele
Boatload of home rolled telecasters

"Shut up and play ur guitar" Frank Zappa

Last edited by Br1ck; 12-05-2021 at 03:31 PM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Acoustic Amplification

Tags
bass response, equalizer, fishman, loudbox mini

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:54 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=