This Doesn't Happen Every Day!!!!

$ongWriter · #1 06-17-2010, 06:08 AM

Yesterday I went to Nashville to write with a friend of mine. This friend is one of the guys who does the Music Row Show on 1510 WLAC. It's a songwriter call in show on Sunday nights. One of their biggest sponsors is LR Baggs. I met him at the listening room for lunch. Well, they are having a show tonight featuring Kathy Matea. So, yesterday they were installing the new Anthem into all of the guitars that will be used on the show tonight. I got to talk to Mr. Baggs for an hour about acoustic guitar pick ups. Plus, I got to talk to one of the designers of the new pick up system. For a guitar geek like me it was a great way to spend a couple hours.....plus, the Anthem is amazing...the guitars they put them in actually sounded like acoustic guitars when plugged in.....Can't wait for the show tonight!!!!...

15 Man · #2 06-17-2010, 06:36 AM

Definitely a nice way to spend an afternoon! I'm a big L. R. Baggs fan myself.
I have a Baggs M-1 (Passive) hard wired into my Martin 000-15 and I love it.

guitar_goob · #3 06-17-2010, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by $ongWriter

Yesterday I went to Nashville to write with a friend of mine. This friend is one of the guys who does the Music Row Show on 1510 WLAC. It's a songwriter call in show on Sunday nights. One of their biggest sponsors is LR Baggs. I met him at the listening room for lunch. Well, they are having a show tonight featuring Kathy Matea. So, yesterday they were installing the new Anthem into all of the guitars that will be used on the show tonight. I got to talk to Mr. Baggs for an hour about acoustic guitar pick ups. Plus, I got to talk to one of the designers of the new pick up system. For a guitar geek like me it was a great way to spend a couple hours.....plus, the Anthem is amazing...the guitars they put them in actually sounded like acoustic guitars when plugged in.....Can't wait for the show tonight!!!!...

Congrats!!

I'm JEALOUS

Forensicguy · #4 06-17-2010, 07:04 PM

Must have been fun to talk "shop" for a while!

By chance, did Baggs mention if the Anthem could be added to any guitar that currently has an Element pickup in it? After all, the Anthem needs the mic and the Element pickup to work properly.

$ongWriter · #5 06-18-2010, 09:11 AM

Well...last night was the show and the coming out of the anthem. Show started with who else but Skip Ewing and Pat Flynn!!!....Skip played a 914ce (with the Anthem) and Pat played a Santa Cruz dred (with an Anthem). Both guitars sounded amazing. Especially the Santa Cruz Dred..and it was rosewood back and sides. Then Anthem sounded wonderful...like an acoustic guitar should sound. Next we saw Kathy Matea and a guy who played for her who's I'd never heard but was brilliant. Then Janis Ian played with her Janis Ian anthem equipped Santa Cruz Model. It is a tiny tiny acoustic guitar. But, it sounded huge!!...the show ended with two acoutic sets by Cold Water Jane and Gypsy...all guitars were using the anthem...and I can't wait to get one!!!!
Plus LR Baggs gave away about 6 Para Di's, 4 M1 pickups, one of their newer pre-amps (venue) and a bunch of tee shirts. On top of it all Larrivee gave away a guitar...the woman who won it was beside herself...it was a great night!!!...check out the anthem....I'm getting two or three as soon as I get the cash!!!!

guitaniac · #6 06-18-2010, 09:34 AM

Thanks so much for the report, $ongwriter. It bodes well that you thought all of the Anthem-equipped guitars sounded good.

Do you happen to know if the Baggs folks were doing all the installations themselves, or if they hired on some local luthiers/techs which they have a relationship with? Can you give us a rough estimate of how many Anthem-equipped guitars you heard at the show? (I'm guessing around ten, from your description of the show.)

Thanks again,
Gary

Rick Jones · #7 06-18-2010, 09:52 AM

Very encouraging info!
Thankyou Songwriter!

I sure love Kathy Matea, ever since I saw her on the transatlantic sessions with the late great John Martyn I've been listening to her.

Bobby1note · #8 06-18-2010, 10:12 AM

Songwriter,

Was this "show" in front of a live audience, or was it a studio show? I'm just wondering if there was any appreciable sound-pressure in the room in which the artists were playing. If so, did you notice if the artists use sound-hole plugs in their guitars while performing?

Any idea what the signal chain was?

thanks,

Bob

$ongWriter · #9 06-18-2010, 08:18 PM

I listened to about 9 guitars. The funny thing is this system sounded great in all of them. Even the rosewood dreds!!..(some Santa Cruz dred and a D-28). It was also in a Taylor 914, Taylor 710, a Martin OM, a Webber OOO, a Santa Cruz Janis Ian model, and I also heard it in a Gibson Advanced Jumbo and a Martin D-15. Also some custom rosewood b/s and cedar top guitar. This wasn't in a studio but it was at a really good venue. Maybe the best sounding in Nashville, the Listening Room. They use the Bose system but they use two of the stacks for the crowd and regular monitors for the players. I can't wait to get one!!!or two or three!!!....Oh, LR Baggs had their own people installing the pick up in the guitars the day before the event. Also, no one had any kind of sound hole plug...and it was really loud! In my conversations with Mr. Baggs and his main techy guy, they both said this new mic does not feed back. amazing!!!

$ongWriter · #10 06-18-2010, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forensicguy

Must have been fun to talk "shop" for a while!

By chance, did Baggs mention if the Anthem could be added to any guitar that currently has an Element pickup in it? After all, the Anthem needs the mic and the Element pickup to work properly.

I have an element in my D-28 and I ment to ask him about adding the Anthem to it. I'm going to NAMM tomorrow and I'll try to ask him then. Thanks for reminding me. I hope it can be added!!

revive · #11 06-25-2010, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by $ongWriter

I have an element in my D-28 and I ment to ask him about adding the Anthem to it. I'm going to NAMM tomorrow and I'll try to ask him then. Thanks for reminding me. I hope it can be added!!

I'd be interested to hear what you found out. thanks in advance!

guitom · #12 06-29-2010, 09:47 AM

I love this thread! Thanks for the great story and important information about the new pickup.