Ischell pickup placement on Dupont MDC 50

Chiefbigeasy

I've got a Ischell pickup on the way and am looking for a few tips on placement. I know a few of you have been successful with placement near the bass-string side of the bridge. I'd appreciate any and all pointers and/or referrals to past articles about placement and use of this pickup. I'm getting the non-inbox version and will be playing it through the "David" Schertler amp, so preamp and phantom power issues should not be a problem. I just want to mount it and leave it on my Dupont MDC 50 without it looking too dorky.

Lango-Django

Inside the body, directly under the bridge between the A and D strings, that was the sweet spot for me.

Then you not only don't see that ugly little pickup gummed on the top of your beautiful guitar, but you can also use a quarter inch tail-pin jack instead of that skinny little wire that it comes with.

Best tech move I ever made.

Chiefbigeasy

Yeah, Lango, I saw your post about that. I’m wondering if the pickup stays in place attached to an unfinished wood area as it would on the outside surface and whether the sticky stuff hardens over time and needs to be replaced. Also, I’m guessing every guitar is different. Finding the best spot would be on the menu. Finally, inner placement would not allow one to place the pickup over a brace like Bob Holo suggests.

I’m with you too on the look of the pickup on the surface. It kind of looks like a pimple if one uses too much white stuff. I asked Michael if it came in black; apparently it doesn’t. I’m goin to try to see how little I can get away with.

Anyway, I’m all in now. I’ve also got a Schertler David and a Peche a la Mouche on the way as well. Guess I just spent my Django in June money.

klaatu

You have to find the sweet spot on your guitar. Any advice is no more than a starting point for you.

That said, on my Rodrigo Shopis D hole, I found the best spot to be on the bass side of the bridge, between the bridge and the soundhole, sitting on top of the brace. Some people have done better with treble side placement, and some have probably done well with Schertler's illustration, centered on the bridge. Try lots of placements and decide what is best to your ears.

Lango-Django

Oh, I definitely agree with Bob Holo about putting it above a brace; that's exactly where I had mine when I had it on top of the guitar.

But I am here to tell you that if you put the thing on the inside, placing it underneath the bridge will give an even better sound than above a brace, no shit.

Recordings don't lie and if you are interested I could even send you MP3's of recordings made at gigs comparing the two positions on the same guitar.

But hey, just like klaatu says, you've gotta try lots of placements... preferably recording the sound at each location, so that you can listen to them when you're not actually playing the instrument. Hearing the acoustic sound of the guitar simultaneously with the pickup sound can be deceptive.

And if you do decide to take the plunge and mount the thing inside, I'd recommend that you stick it in there with double sided tape.

richter4208

Lango, what was used to attach the mic on the inside of the guitar? Glue or putty? Did you wire that to a 1/4 inch jack at the endpin that you can just plug into a amp?
Seems like a great setup

Lango-Django

Double-sided tape.

Then I had my guitar tech cut that thin wire and hook it up to a tailpin inside to make it compatible with a regular quarter inch guitar jack.

Then I hook that cord up to the little silver Ischell "inside box"-- why do they call it that when its never inside...?

Lango-Django

Hmmm... well, it's probably way too late because this thread seems to be destined to be forgotten anyway, but just for the record, here is an MP3 of my guitar with the Ischell pickup doubletaped underneath the bridge.

This is a recording of "Nuages" on a night which the audience was unusually talkative and loud, so you can hear that the sound teetering just at the edge of feedback... nevertheless that wonderful Ischell pickup is rock solid!

I can't claim my playing is particularly wonderful by comparison with what I hear when I go to Django in June, but I will say this... YOU try playing without a rhythm guitar for awhile and see how YOU like it!

Will

PS The guitar signal has had some reverb added, just below the level where the listener becomes really aware of it. This produces an acoustic guitar sound which I really love but may not be to everyone's taste... sort of the equivalent of a "soft focus" lens.

As my late father used to say, "If this is the kind of thing you like--- then you'll really like it!"

Chiefbigeasy

Still doing the amplification dance between my AT 831b and the Ischell. Love the AT’s beautiful reproduction of acoustic sound, but placement vs feedback at volume + setup time is always an issue.

Tried various versions of DPA style mounting, but will be going back to the usual alternatives plus a strange one that has the mic pointing toward the sound hole from the lower portion of the instrument way below the bridge.

Put the Ischell back on for a bit but was immediately struck by the all the other sounds it picks up: fingers/knuckles brushing on the top of the guitar, string/pick noise. I’m thinking I’ll adjust or get used to it as a trade off for more volume and easier set up.

Michael reminded me that amping these guitars is a thankless task. Sometimes, an L-5 style electric is the way to go. Let’s see if I can scrape up that 28k Michael is asking for.