your choice of PU for nylonstring guitar ! ?

gitman · #1 02-11-2009, 05:30 PM

what are you using and which system has impressed you the most ?
right now i have the original b-band UST that was factory installed in my
Lakewood nylonstring, a simple affair with the preamp in the endpin and no controls on the guitar. the thing is though that i'm loosing more and more bass response and from what i've heard and read this is not an uncommon thing thing to happen to these film-type transducers : it seems they can loose their balance after a couple of years.... so i'm looking for an alternative system even though i like the sound of the (functioning) b-band pickup.
any input is appreciated !

Herb Hunter · #2 02-11-2009, 05:52 PM

You might want to consider the Schertler DYN-G pickup, especially if you can't stand the sound of piezoelectric pickups.

http://www.schertlerusa.com/dyn-guitar.htm

http://www.schertlerusa.com/preamps.htm

fitness1 · #3 02-11-2009, 06:05 PM

a good quality small diaphragm external condensor mic.......I've never heard a true reproduction of a classical with any pickup. Are you using it for big rooms? If not, I'd say this is the only way to go.

gitman · #4 02-12-2009, 04:22 AM

a mic in front of the guitar is possible at ca. 40% of my gigs; the majority of my work would not allow this. i need the freedom of movement on stage and when playing in an upright/standing position a mic is awkward and always in the way.... i have heard good things about the Schertler pickup/contact mic but have not yet heard it in person.
i need this for solo/duo gigs in restaurants etc. and for small ensemble work, where the guitar is also a lead instrument so a strong voice is a must .... keep them coming !

Dogsnax · #5 02-12-2009, 07:09 AM

I own two very nice cross-over nylon string guitars and have been quite pleased with the K&K Classic system. I pair the pu with the K&K Pure XLR amp and I'm good to go.

Mel · #6 02-12-2009, 08:02 AM

If you like the sound of the B-Band that is already fitted, try replacing the UST with B-Bands AST. I think you can keep the original end pin preamp.
If you look for the installation instructions on www.b-band.com it shows you where to fit the AST on a classical guitar.
The latest film transducers are less prone to loosing output over time, and the latest preamps have a higher output with a better S/N ratio.
You can buy on line if there isnt a stockist near you.
mel

BuleriaChk · #7 02-12-2009, 10:51 AM

The closest thing I found so far (without trying everything, but a fair number of them) is a PUTW film transducer; however this has a boomy sound which is corrected by a 1 meg resistor across the output (I have it inserted at the guitar jack, but you can also simply alter a guitar cable). This gives me an excellent basic sound (at low to mid volumes).

(The soundboard tends to have much more energy in the bass and the trebles, and I found impossible to dial out with EQ - but your situation may be different, since you WANT more bass, so this is just an FYI).

By far the best solution for me was the Takamine TH-5C, with the combination of the Palathetic pickup and the CoolTube preamp (although I find the tube effect not useful for me). I have a Flamenco version (special order) arriving in a couple of weeks......

Kabalan · #8 02-12-2009, 01:10 PM

i agree, the best is a mic,,
but in a open or big venus is hard to control,
i been using for years a pickup and a mic, more blend for the mic.
beyerdinamic m- 160 ribbon
akg c- 411, contact mic
lexicon reverb
with this combination i have two cds live.. really sounds natural!
Eblen Macari

gitman · #9 02-12-2009, 01:42 PM

i had a Beyer M-160 for years, after Ralph Towner suggested it (i think he still uses one, in combination with some sort of pickup, dunno which though...) but in my situation a mic just does't work anymore. i also own an AKG C411 and used it with guitars that had no built in pickup- it needs lots of tweaking and a very thorough soundcheck and then it can sound quite nice, true. maybe i could try and glue it to the underside of the soundboard and mix it together with a B-Band ... there's an idea.

Kabalan · #10 02-12-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gitman

i had a Beyer M-160 for years, after Ralph Towner suggested it (i think he still uses one, in combination with some sort of pickup, dunno which though...) but in my situation a mic just does't work anymore. i also own an AKG C411 and used it with guitars that had no built in pickup- it needs lots of tweaking and a very thorough soundcheck and then it can sound quite nice, true. maybe i could try and glue it to the underside of the soundboard and mix it together with a B-Band ... there's an idea.

hi gitman
towner his still using his beyer!! i got the suggestion from him too, you are
right about the soundckeck, i always bring my small mixer with my lexicon,
i just send a stereo mix to the house, so i control both mics and effect mix.
more work but the results are fine, you can check in
www.myspace.com/eblenmacaritrio
the 2 songs in the player are live recordings
Eblen

dcopper · #11 02-12-2009, 03:15 PM

I have a Taylor NS714 ce in cocobolo and use an LR Baggs Element Active with the volume control in the soundhole. It works fine for stage work and has pretty good articulation for an u/s pickup.
davidc

alohachris · #12 02-12-2009, 03:27 PM

Aloha,

I've never been happy with any pickup on a classical guitar. But the realities of gigging and most venues almost demand one.

I suggest using a high quality condenser mic alone whenever you can. The guys here have mentioned the right names in terms of pickups for classicals: K&K, PUTW, B-Band and Schertler. All SBT's basically.

Never use an UST on a classical, IMO. It's Quack City man, especially when you play near the bridge or hard. I hate that sound (think Muriel Anderson's quacky sound in the 90's, guys! YUK! Fingernails on the blackboard of my sonic world, I'll tellya.)

Of course if you're using a mic primarily, you should definitely have a great preamp with a fantastic EQ for room control. The Pendulum SPS-1 comes to mind first. Or a DTAR Solstice. A Rane SEQ 30L 1/3 octave system graphic EQ can help mics behave in almost any venue.

Good Luck on that one.

A Hui Hou!
alohachris

BuleriaChk · #13 02-12-2009, 06:34 PM

I meant more energy in the bass, don't know how the "trebles" reference snuck in there.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuleriaChk

(The soundboard tends to have much more energy in the bass and the trebles, and I found impossible to dial out with EQ - but your situation may be different, since you WANT more bass, so this is just an FYI).

gitman · #14 02-13-2009, 05:27 AM

it's not that i want more bass but the pickup's bass response simply got noticeably weaker- my guess is that it's broken or it's shelf-life is just over....
the crucial frequencies we deal with here are the mids and trebles anyway but a balanced bass is needed when you perform alone or in small ensembles.