Amplify My Acoustic

[DetroitBlues]

I would like to add some sort of Acoust/Electric system to my Martin and also figure on some sort of amplification for it.

 

I know what works best would be expensive, so I won't ask that.

 

But, instead, what is reasonably priced to add to the guitar (without cutting into the guitar) and what acoustic combo amp be acceptable?

[Beagle216]

I have a great sound hole pickup for sale that requires no modification. I bought a second one and then realized it didn't fit my acoustic from 1904. It is a Schertler Ag6 Magnetico. Excellent and you can add a mic. Selling it for $140. Normally a $200 pickup. Didn't list it here but if you are interested shoot me a PM. I don't need two of them. It's a fantastic sounding pickup. I went through plenty of them.

 

As far as amps, I love my SA220. They are reasonably priced used. I got mine a long time ago and I still love it.

[212Mavguy]

I used a K&K Powermix Pure Mini in my Yairi Masterworks DYM94. There is VERY little mass attached to the top, a pair of amazingly lightweight volume fingerwheels attached with a small velcro strip just out of audience sight just inside the soundhole, Onboard two channel preamp 9v powered each channel has VTMB shorty small bit phillips screwdriver adjusted trimmers on a small low voltage PCB that is velcroed to the back of the guitar, inside. The battery holder is inside too. Two pickup sources, one under the saddle and one with three transducers directly adhered to the inside of the guitar top on the inside and far side of the bridge/stringpeg area.

 

The sound is strong and rich, as percussive as the hands are working, and has about double the current going out of a set of hot electric guitar pickups, your humbucker gain levels previously enjoyed need to be cut down by half the volume knob setting. This allows (with some judicious placement of the speaker cab) effects and higher gain settings with less feedback than the standard store bought tone toys can tolerate. Can easily get lead guitar tones out of my D-clones' lead channels...easily at smaller to mid size room volumes. The clean tones are very, very, musical and can well showcase a great or poor instrument or player.

 

Inexpensive? Hardly. Worth it soundwise? Yeeeees!

[Blunote]

JJB Pickups are said to be equivalent to K&K but only $60. Made in Bay City.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kidsmoke]

I know this, many of the most widely successful acoustic touring musicians use a sound hole pickup. Which brand? Dunno. What do they line out to? Pre-amp, etc? I dunno. But they're sound hole and relatively inexpensive. ~ K&k has long been regarded as good quality stuff.

 

My Marshall AS50D, a solid state 2x8 amp with dual channels, has been an utterly trouble free amp for.....maybe 6 years now. In and out of the back of the car, running regular duty at the open mic where I'd line in performers so they could use the EQ on themselves, as well as 'verb, then out to the board. Also used it in band rehearsals as a vocal monitor (has xlr in on one channel as well as 1/4 on both)...not a Fishman or AR or Bose rig by any stretch, but it sounds fine and hasn't failed me ever. I think it's comparable in performance and function to ubiquitous Fender Acoustisonic stuff. You'd be fine with either.

 

Have fun with this Josh! A whole other sonic wormhole for you to tumble down

[JeffB]

One of the best acoustic sounds I had (in a solo/duo context) was an old Centurion Peavey bass head into a 15' and horn PA speaker.

I think I had an LR Baggs Para DI with it. I cant remember.

I used to be given AER and Schertler amps to use. I like Schertler.

They were good but the crappy old Peavey and PA speaker combo was bigger and warmer and natural...ish sounding. Also bigger and heavier.

 

The other side of that equation was a cheap Yamaha with a cracked sound board that I salvaged from the dumpster out the back of the shop. I was meant to destroy it but I didnt. I gigged with it instead. Sounded great then and played great then but too many outside summer acousty gigs finished it.

I still have it and play it. Its not lush sounding anymore

 

I dont have discerning tastes when it comes to acoustic guitars DB. I used to get cheap Ibanez and Yamaha acoustics with what ever p/up they had and play them for two or three years, wear them out then get another.

They all sounded fantastic through our PA's. My concession to tone and personal sound was my monitors. I always picked monitors that made the guitar sound that came back at me sound good.

The added bonus was that the guy who played keybores had a 215 and horn fold back with me always blaring through them and I could position myself to get some of the spill as well. I couldve been playing a rubber band and it wouldve sounded huge on stage.

 

Dont disregard the amp and speaker. To me thats such a big part of the sound. I would go so far as to say for me very little else of the equation matters as much.

Any off the shelf LR Baggs or Fishman or whatever will work. If you are OCD it might take a few goes to find the right one.

[Conneazoo]

I've always used, with great tone and experience, Fender Acoustisonic amplifiers. To be honest, that's really the only thing I've ever used.

 

All of my acoustic guitars have been exclusively A/E when I bought them, so as far as adding electronics to a box, I'm no help. [emoji3]

 

To go back to the Acoustisonic amp though, I've also had excellent tone when using a dual amp rig with a piezo equipped electric.

[RickFinsta]

Buy once, cry once.

 

The answer is a Fishman Matrix undersaddle coupled with an Aura Spectrum DI. I have been live sound engineering for nearly twenty years; this setup has no equal excepting the onboard Aura system on new Martins.

 

Expect to pay $250 for quality installation of an undersaddle by a luthier. Plus side is you'll have your guitar set up as well, and can swap nuts, saddles, etc. at the same time for some cost benefit if you wanted to do those things anyways.

 

Total cost would be around $700 with the piezo, installation, and DI box. You could get by at $500 getting lucky on a used DI and maybe a discount on the pickup from the luthier who installs it.

 

If you are not 100% attached to that particular guitar, you may be money ahead selling it and getting a Performing Artist series with the Fishman Aura+ system on board. I've got a GPC Aura GT and it is an amazing instrument; you can get set up with a PA4 (OM, D, or GP) for around $1000 depending on new/used and body size.

 

If you are looking for an acoustic guitar sound amplified without mic'ing (and the associated problems) this is the way. Nothing else comes close. Honestly I've gotten better sound to front of house with an electric and modeling amp/pedal than with most soundhole pickups.

[rwinking]

So I have a couple different things but they are both similar. I sue a Sunrise magnetic with a K&K transducer into a K&K blender box. I make the Magnetic PUP sound as good as possible and then dial in a little of the "sparkle" of the transducer. Larry Dimarzio turned me on to his Angel System which is fundamentally the same thing....a magnetic and a transducer. The cool thing about the Angel is that you can blend it from the sound hole and you don't have to cut out your guitar. Plus it is a lot cheaper than my others and sounds as good. i think Larry has some demos up on his web site of some major acoustic guys using it. They sound pretty good and for the price they can't be beat.

[ironmike]

I use k&know and smaller saddle piexos, and Fishman matrix systems,all of them gon through a Fishman aura or a Fishman spectrum.. expensive but perfect,

[ironmike]

It should have said smaller piezos

[ironmike]

Shaller!

[tulk1]

I just swapped out the Stage Pro Element in my Larrivee with a Stage Pro Anthem. The Anthem comes with a bridge plate microphone, and you can get it with a sound hole control. No mods to your guitar's body. And can sorta be removed if necessary . The mic takes some deft manipulation get off the bridge plate without damage. But that is the same with most internal mounted mics/piezos.