Acoustic pickup for direct recording

  • Thread starter Thread starter danny.guitar
  • Start date Start date
D

danny.guitar

Guest
Question is pretty simple. What's a good acoustic guitar pickup for just recording direct? I will be recording it both miked and direct at the same time. It sounds pretty damn good to me as it is with both a mic and direct, but still that "fuzzy" kind of sound and I'd like something that sounds a little better.

Style is easy-listening acoustic instrumental stuff with either a flatpick/simple chords or solo fingerstyle arrangements (like any of that is important).

Right now I'm using the factory pickups. No budget in mind, I'd like to know what's out there but I really want to limit my search to ones specific to recording direct, as opposed to playing live with an amp or with a band.
 
I recommend the K&K Sound Pure Westerns for acoustics. K&K has a very nice focus on traditional instruments: guitars (obviously), violins, pianos, cellos, etc.

Go to their web site to check them out www.kksound.com. Most of their systems use multiple transducers that you super glue under the bridge (inside the guitar). It's a straight forward install - but you do need to be patient/calm throughout the process. The only bugger is to drill the 7/16 hole where the tail strap button is for the jack. The jack doubles as a jack and a strap button (or maybe the the strap button doubles as a strap button and a jack - I'm not sure :D

I use the Pure Westerns for my nice Seagull 6 string and Pure Bass for my cheapo Dean 4 string acoustic bass.

I've recorded several things using the Seagull DI's/mic'd and have been extremely pleased. I haven't have a chance to record the bass, but through an amp it really sounds nicer than what I expected the cheap Dean to sound like... certainly MUCH better than the under saddle pup that Dean puts on that thing.

You'd probably still want to consider your DI box/preamp options if you want to achieve perfection. I got a nice L.R. Baggs preamp for use at church and it really perks up the signal for the 6 string.

I'd stay away from the under saddle stuff in general.
 
Wow, I listened to the MP3s of the "Trinity System" and it sounds like it was miked. For about $400 it's worth more than my guitar but definitely sounds worth the price.

Thanks a bunch. I've almost got enough saved now for a new guitar and when I do I will probably get this pickup system.
 
Fusioninspace said:
I recommend the K&K Sound Pure Westerns for acoustics. K&K has a very nice focus on traditional instruments: guitars (obviously), violins, pianos, cellos, etc.

Go to their web site to check them out www.kksound.com. Most of their systems use multiple transducers that you super glue under the bridge (inside the guitar). It's a straight forward install - but you do need to be patient/calm throughout the process. The only bugger is to drill the 7/16 hole where the tail strap button is for the jack. The jack doubles as a jack and a strap button (or maybe the the strap button doubles as a strap button and a jack - I'm not sure :D

I use the Pure Westerns for my nice Seagull 6 string and Pure Bass for my cheapo Dean 4 string acoustic bass.

I've recorded several things using the Seagull DI's/mic'd and have been extremely pleased. I haven't have a chance to record the bass, but through an amp it really sounds nicer than what I expected the cheap Dean to sound like... certainly MUCH better than the under saddle pup that Dean puts on that thing.

You'd probably still want to consider your DI box/preamp options if you want to achieve perfection. I got a nice L.R. Baggs preamp for use at church and it really perks up the signal for the 6 string.

I'd stay away from the under saddle stuff in general.
Click to expand...

I'd never even heard of K&K until 2 weeks ago....I heard a mandolin player getting "mic'ed" sounds out of his instrument, which obviously didn't have a mic on it....so I asked him what he was using. K&K pickups through an LR Baggs DI. It sounded great.

I actually get pretty decent tones through my Fishman soundhole pickup going thru an LR Baggs.
 
K&K is all I use now. I replaced the Taylor ES and a Fishman blender system ina Taylor both with K&K UltraPure systems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top