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pornuccio
New member
Does anyone have an opinion on the best type of pickup for a guild jumbo j4Nt? I've been getting contradictory advice , ie some people say pizo, some say sound hole.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?
C
Charlie Mosbrook
New member
I would only go sound hole with the the right pick up.
- Fishman Rare earth, Sun rise, EMG.
Avoid Dean markly type. cords are not shielded.
A fishman type thinline is great for overall balence.
If you record with a pick up. be sure to blend it w/a mic.
If you have an iso room and a couple of Nuemans, Don't plug in!
If you have to record in abed room with a noisy fan cooling off you four track and your most suitible mic is a sm57 or AKG c1000s. try blending with a thin line.
Oh yea. be sure to use a pre amp. fish man and LR Baggs both make one that you will start running every thind with a string thrue.
- Fishman Rare earth, Sun rise, EMG.
Avoid Dean markly type. cords are not shielded.
A fishman type thinline is great for overall balence.
If you record with a pick up. be sure to blend it w/a mic.
If you have an iso room and a couple of Nuemans, Don't plug in!
If you have to record in abed room with a noisy fan cooling off you four track and your most suitible mic is a sm57 or AKG c1000s. try blending with a thin line.
Oh yea. be sure to use a pre amp. fish man and LR Baggs both make one that you will start running every thind with a string thrue.
Treeline
New member
How do you intend to use it? If its for recording in a studio environment, I would try to stay away from internal pickups. But if you plan on using this on stage or in an environment with high sound pressures (the local bar on a Friday night) It'll feed back on you like crazy if you depend on a mic. You need something that is feedback resistant.
I have an older Taylor jumbo that gets twitchy on me on stage, and I found a pretty good solution with a combination. I don't like the piezo undersaddle "quack" sound, although it gives high gain before feedback. I retrofitted my guitar with a B-band system that combines an undersaddle transducer (a ribbon condenser and not a piezo), together with an internal condenser microphone. Both run to an internal preamp that produces a non-blended stereo signal at an endpin jack.
The two signals are very different in character, and I can blend them to suit the environment. I went on the cheap and did a DOD passive mixer ($50) and use the mono blended signal through an impedance transformer to the board. Combined with an SM57, that is a good compromise between gain, tone and feedback resistance.
A decent blender with a notch control will enhance the "gain before feedback" capability. Remember, though, if you're dealing with a partying band, you'll probably have to use a soundhole damper to reduce feedback. That's where a small wired axe pays for itself.
Here's a really interesting new transducer - the link is to a MIMF review. Check it out and let us know what you think.
http://www.mimf.com/reviews/putw.htm
I have an older Taylor jumbo that gets twitchy on me on stage, and I found a pretty good solution with a combination. I don't like the piezo undersaddle "quack" sound, although it gives high gain before feedback. I retrofitted my guitar with a B-band system that combines an undersaddle transducer (a ribbon condenser and not a piezo), together with an internal condenser microphone. Both run to an internal preamp that produces a non-blended stereo signal at an endpin jack.
The two signals are very different in character, and I can blend them to suit the environment. I went on the cheap and did a DOD passive mixer ($50) and use the mono blended signal through an impedance transformer to the board. Combined with an SM57, that is a good compromise between gain, tone and feedback resistance.
A decent blender with a notch control will enhance the "gain before feedback" capability. Remember, though, if you're dealing with a partying band, you'll probably have to use a soundhole damper to reduce feedback. That's where a small wired axe pays for itself.
Here's a really interesting new transducer - the link is to a MIMF review. Check it out and let us know what you think.
http://www.mimf.com/reviews/putw.htm
Hard2Hear
New member
I have an acoustic with an LR Baggs system in it like the above one. An under saddle and an internal condender. It has controls on the guitar for blending the two together. I think the Baggs system is best. I think the name of it was the Duet or something. I bought it about 3 years ago. The Fishman blender also seems to work at this task.
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pornuccio
New member
Thanks for all the advice. Basically, I'm just recording in my bedroom at the moment, but I would like the versatility to play live without worrying about feedback.
I'm not so up with all of the terminology, but you guys have given me plenty to research to do.
Treeline, I went to that site you suggested, and it seems fairly impressive. I'm not sure how much use that is to me, though as I live in Melbourne, Australia!
I'm not so up with all of the terminology, but you guys have given me plenty to research to do.
Treeline, I went to that site you suggested, and it seems fairly impressive. I'm not sure how much use that is to me, though as I live in Melbourne, Australia!
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lazyboy
New member
Like the others said, don't waste your money on a soundhole pick-up, Please! A Guild jumbo is just too sweet a guitar. I know a woman who has a Guild outfitted with a fishman thinline that sounds really nice, but I'd hate to molest a jumbo in any way. A Guild jumbo is the first thing I'm buying when I finish this fucking degree.
LI Slim
New member
I have a Fishman that I think is great for live performances. Certainly, the issue of whether you're abusing your guitar is an important one. In case you don't know, the transducer pickups that people are referrring to is this thin strip that goes under the saddle, requiring that a small hole be drilled under the saddle going into the guitar. the wire then connects to a 9 volt battery that is braced inside the guitar and goes out through the peg hole in the bottom of the guitar. The existing peg is removed, the hole is widened and the plug, which has the preamp built in, goes into the hole (you can also get them with separate preamps with or without controls). Do NOT try to do this yourself, no matter how handy you are. You need to go to an experienced Luthier (ie, guitar repair guy). It's a pretty easy job for the Luthier and it should not hurt your guitar at all. The hardware costs about $120 (or more if you get the fancier models) and the Luthier should cost about $100 or maybe even less.
I have the ribbon condensor and not the piezo type. As I understand it, the piezo type has these little chrystals that are interspersed to be under where the strings are, so there's more chance for a screw up if it's not positioned just right. One other thing - this will boost your saddle up about 1/8 inch, so if you're worried about your action being a tiny bit higher, you'll need to consider having the Luthier sand down the saddle a little.
[Edited by LI Slim on 09-19-2000 at 11:43]
I have the ribbon condensor and not the piezo type. As I understand it, the piezo type has these little chrystals that are interspersed to be under where the strings are, so there's more chance for a screw up if it's not positioned just right. One other thing - this will boost your saddle up about 1/8 inch, so if you're worried about your action being a tiny bit higher, you'll need to consider having the Luthier sand down the saddle a little.
[Edited by LI Slim on 09-19-2000 at 11:43]
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pornuccio
New member
Once again, thanks everyone. I'll have to weigh up my options, but now I know what to ask for. I'll let you all know how I go.
Treeline
New member
Pornuccio - Send 'em an e-mail. Amazing what can be done with a VISA card and international FedEx. You may have a nasty tax issue, but it's worth a call at any rate.
Once I had a client in Venezuela who was selling a condo in The Valley. I needed the deed executed at the American Consulate in Caracas and figured, what the hey, FedEx it there. It got as far as customs and disappeared for two weeks, only to reappear for delivery, having been "examined". The story I heard is that overnight couriers are favored mechanisms for transporting medium sized pieces of green paper. I guess international "examination" can be pretty profitable these days. My stuff must have bored them silly.
I'd insure the unit.
Once I had a client in Venezuela who was selling a condo in The Valley. I needed the deed executed at the American Consulate in Caracas and figured, what the hey, FedEx it there. It got as far as customs and disappeared for two weeks, only to reappear for delivery, having been "examined". The story I heard is that overnight couriers are favored mechanisms for transporting medium sized pieces of green paper. I guess international "examination" can be pretty profitable these days. My stuff must have bored them silly.
I'd insure the unit.
B
B-Complex
New member
pornuccio said:
I have a Guild JF55 jumbo with a Fishman Matrix Natural 1 in the bridge - it sounds perty....