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  #16  
Old 04-08-2018, 10:46 AM
sdelsolray sdelsolray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thisisme View Post
hello I have a k&K mini equipped acoustic and I was wondering if you get much better results in tone with using the k&K pick up with a K&K preamp when being played though your acoustic guitar amp?

I'm aware it will be much better when your pluuged into a PA live because it allows you to have tone control but I was wondering if there's a significant difference when used with a acoustic amplifier?
Much depends on the preamp under consideration, the availability of appropriate EQ filters and the distance (in feet) that the passive K&K signal needs to travel before it reaches the initial impedance buffering and gain stage.
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  #17  
Old 04-08-2018, 12:25 PM
gfirob gfirob is offline
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With respect, RustyAxe, don't knock the flavor til you taste the ice cream. It's pretty yummy...
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  #18  
Old 04-08-2018, 12:34 PM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
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Originally Posted by gfirob View Post
With respect, RustyAxe, don't knock the flavor til you taste the ice cream. It's pretty yummy...
Huh??? I didn't "knock" anything ... just made the suggestion that the OP take a look at what the flavor of the month was last month, and last year, and five years ago. Glad you're happy with your purchase, but really, it is not the be-all and end-all of such units. It's just one more.
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  #19  
Old 04-08-2018, 01:16 PM
sublro sublro is offline
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Originally Posted by RustyAxe View Post
Huh??? I didn't "knock" anything ... just made the suggestion that the OP take a look at what the flavor of the month was last month, and last year, and five years ago. Glad you're happy with your purchase, but really, it is not the be-all and end-all of such units. It's just one more.
Albeit a particularly innovative one that is successfully solving an issue that has previously proved difficult of not impossible to solve. FWIW
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  #20  
Old 04-08-2018, 02:34 PM
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I haven't tried the Tonedexter but it's not just another preamp.
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  #21  
Old 04-08-2018, 02:47 PM
gfirob gfirob is offline
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I think it is fair to say (not to try to turn the thread into a Tonedexter promo) that this is something with an entirely different and new way to attack the problem of overcoming the acoustic pickup's shortcomings. There is simply nothing to compare it to and it is unfair to the product to toss it into the bucket with all the other preamps that have gone before, IMHO. Just sayin'....
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  #22  
Old 04-08-2018, 02:55 PM
Steely Glen Steely Glen is offline
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Fire Eye Red Eye user here. Works great with the K&K, especially with an EQ pedal in the loop.
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  #23  
Old 04-08-2018, 03:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thisisme View Post
hello I have a k&K mini equipped acoustic and I was wondering if you get much better results in tone with using the k&K pick up with a K&K preamp when being played though your acoustic guitar amp?

I'm aware it will be much better when your pluuged into a PA live because it allows you to have tone control but I was wondering if there's a significant difference when used with a acoustic amplifier?
haven't read through all the posts - but three things that will make it an easier question to answer:

1) does your acoustic amp have a midrange tone control?

2) What is the speaker configuration and size on the amp?

3) what body size and wood combination is your guitar?
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  #24  
Old 04-08-2018, 03:45 PM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fitness1 View Post
haven't read through all the posts - but three things that will make it an easier question to answer:

1) does your acoustic amp have a midrange tone control?

2) What is the speaker configuration and size on the amp?

3) what body size and wood combination is your guitar?
yea has mid control. its a small amp its the roland ac33 but I'm going to get a fishman mini charge amp soon which is exactly the same as the fishman loudbox mini but with a battery option. my guitar is a voyage air. forgot the name of the model but its a really nice dreadnaught with a cutaway
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  #25  
Old 04-08-2018, 04:20 PM
Br1ck Br1ck is offline
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If you like a horrible acoustic tone, and from what I see at open mics and such plenty do, plug your K&K or any other piezo transducer directly into a mixing board. Otherwise, read the instructions that come with your K & K pickups and play them through a device with a 1 meg ohm input impedance, be that a DI or a preamp. An acoustic amp has the correct impedance designed in, or a switch to get you there.

There are also big differences in the quality of electrical parts and then there is design. A cheap pre or DI sounds like what it is, but is better than nothing.

A well designed unit like a RedEye sounds way better, the new offerings from Sunnaudio sound better than that. A Baggs PARA DI is solidly good, but doesn't sound as good as a RedEye.
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  #26  
Old 04-08-2018, 05:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thisisme View Post
yea has mid control. its a small amp its the roland ac33 but I'm going to get a fishman mini charge amp soon which is exactly the same as the fishman loudbox mini but with a battery option. my guitar is a voyage air. forgot the name of the model but its a really nice dreadnaught with a cutaway
With a 6.5 inch driver and a mid control (pretty sure the Fishman is 6.5) you shouldn't have too much trouble, but if your dread is rosewood and a little more toward the bass end of the spectrum, you may reap a benefit out of the preamp.
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  #27  
Old 04-08-2018, 05:35 PM
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Methos1979 Methos1979 is offline
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I have K&K's in all my guitars, past and present. A decent acoustic amp will get you where you need to be as long as it has a decent EQ section, which most do. That said, running through a separate preamp before getting to the amp will help even more. I've used many and most were really good. The Fire-Eye Red-Eye is great for simplicity. You get a boost and treble boost which is sometimes enough. I also have the little K&K belt clip preamp which also works great. I like that unit for when I want some on the fly (attached to me) EQ and volume control. This is helpful for open mics and what not where you're at the mercy of whatever the 'house' gear is.

Probably my tried and true fave though is the PARA DI. Built like a tank, a ton of EQ power with sculpting mids and notch. But I think you can't go wrong with any decent preamp. It depends on what you want to spend and how much time you want to play around to get a decent tone. My three choices are in the relatively inexpensive and easy to dial in camp. For the live playing we do, a lot of the tone is lost in the crowd noise anyway. Nobody cares except for maybe the lone AGF guy in the crowd that plays and knows that the struggle is real. But for the rest of them, as long as your guitar is in tune and you can sing/hit the notes, that's all they care about.
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