Acoustic Pickups: is it just me? WTF???

[famous beagle]

Ok, I'm really starting to wonder what the hell's going on. I've been looking for a way to amplify my Seagull and have been trying to listen to as many samples as I can of different pickups.

Out of all of them, the only one that hasn't had hardly anything bad said about the sound (I don't care about difficult installation, I can handle that) or feedback issues is the B-Band A2.2. Everyone raves about the sound.

So I went to their site to hear samples. Here it is:

http://www.b-band.com/guitar-systems/sound-clips.php

I figured these clips should be a good indicator since it's on the friggin' manufacturer's website, and it's Johnny Hiland playing. Well, it sounds like DOGSHIT! Sure, it doesn't sound as much like dogshit as a cheap piezo does, but still, compared to the sound of a normal acoustic, it sounds like D-O-G-S-H-I-T.

It is 100% apparent right from the very first note that this is an electrified acoustic.

This is a $200 pickup. ???? How much do you have to spend?

I don't understand how people can rave about how this pickup sounds "just like my acoustic guitar." Do they not have ears? Have they been playing crappy plugged-in Ovation or Takamine electric-acoustics for so long that they've forgotten what an acoustic guitar is supposed to sound like?

Please, somebody ... clue me in here!

Does anyone know of a reliable way to amplify an acoustic and get it to sound like an acoustic and not feedback?

Anyone?

Losing hope quickly...

 

[RezN8]

Those sound files don't sound all that great to my ears either. i personally HATE the quack of Piezo - especially on hard strumming - and have been on a similar quest.


The CLOSEST I've heard so far is an L.R.Baggs through a Para DI.

http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/products_pickups.shtml

If you find a better solution, keep me in the loop. Cheers, Rez

 

[muttley600]

Acoustic guitar pickups have been discussed at length here. Use the search option and you'll find loads of good advice.

First you will NEVER get the true sound of your acoustic guitar either on stage or recorded. The closest you will get would involve spending thousands. You can get acceptable results. A lot will depend on where and how you will be recording or in what situation you are gigging. The key is your budget. The best bang for buck is always going to be a decent mic and a decent PA.

Some recent threads discussing your options.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=242599
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=231258
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=227509

There are lots more threads

Edit: Those samples you link to are pretty low quality whichever way you look at it. Probably not the best way to audition that piece of kit??!!

 

[Light]

Acoustic guitar pickups are a compromise. Accept the fact that you will never get the sound of your guitar, and you can find a satisfactory solution. Don't accept it, and you are in for a long and expensive search which will, in the end, be completely unsuccessful. That's the deal. End of story, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Find something that works for your situation. If you are playing solo or in an acoustic group with no drummer all the time, that might be a microphone, but if you are playing in a rock band a microphone is all but useless. In that situation, you need volume before feedback, and you will do the best job of getting that if you use an undersaddle piezo or a magnetic pickup.


Now, go use the search button and find any of the dozens of posts by Muttley and myself on acoustic guitar pickups.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[famous beagle]

Those are dark truths indeed.

But thanks for the advice y'all. I'll search and see what I can find.