Acoustic guitar mic for on stage

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timgill

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I'm a solo act, vocals, and guitar. I play classic country. I currently use an AKG C2000B mic on my guitar. The guitar is a 30 year old Martin Custom D-41. I know that a KM184, or C451, would be better for recording, but how practical would they be "on stage". I would like the best mic I can get, for using on stage, as a solo performer. Any help???
Thanks...
 
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I've used a KOA K2 on stage quite a bit and have gotten lots of compliments on my sound. It's a small-diagh. condenser I got from Sam Ash MANY moons ago. It was one of those "List Price=$300, Your Price=$80" so I thought I was getting quite the deal! I guess I did since I got alot of use out of it. Good luck finding one though! I also have a KM184, but I wouldn't want to take that one to a gig!
 
Stick with a pickup for live acoustic performance. I've never heard a straight mic'ed acoustic live that sounded very good. The sound always comes out too boomy and dark, and it feeds back something fierce. Not to mention the fact that you're forced into sitting as still as a statue to keep from moving too far away from the mic (or worse, banging into the mic).

If you do end up going the mic route, consider getting an in-ear monitoring system to keep the feedback demons at bay. I'm guessing that a bright hypercardiod with a bass rolloff would be your best bet.
 
I use 451's and even 414's quite often on stage. If your guitar has good tone and you play solidly they can be used without much hassle. With a decent preamp and a decent graphic EQ on the monitors (and decent monitors as well) you can get a surprising amount of gain out of a nice mic, even in the wedges.
 
I've never heard a straight mic'ed acoustic live that sounded very good
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Sorry, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings use a mic only setup (Shure SM57's) and they have some of the best acoustic sound around. I am at the opposite end of the spectrum: I have rarely heard a acoustic through any pickup that had a true acoustic sound.

*That said, you freaking rock. Love your site and you are one hell of a songwriter (but you knew that already). Is "Baby One More Time" in an open tuning?
 
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best acoustic sound is miked, loudest is pickup. Fishman blend and schertler(sp?) blue stick are both great. For mics I use a beta 57 or a sm57 or even a 58 for a little more air. beyer makes a nice mic too 201 or 69 tg or if you got $ th tg 88 is really nice
 
GoldFalcon said:
Sorry, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings use a mic only setup (Shure SM57's) and they have some of the best acoustic sound around. I am at the opposite end of the spectrum: I have rarely heard a acoustic through any pickup that had a true acoustic sound.

*That said, you freaking rock. Love your site and you are one hell of a songwriter (but you knew that already). Is "Baby One More Time" in an open tuning?
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Good point - that sound kinda works for them because of the style they're going after. I'd be curious how they deal with the trappings of micing a guitar in giant venues.

And thanks for the kind words. Yeah, that's in an open F minor tuning (F F C F Ab C) with the low E string down almost an octave. Needless to say, that *only* works with a pickup. ;-)
 
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