Who's got the best pickup???

ace · May 2007

Would everyone care to voice their opinions on pickups?
Shatten vs Big Tone vs DYN-G

I use a DYN-G and my bandmate uses a Shatten, and I'm thrilled with niether. They're a little dry and I feel the need for mic support on the guitar when it's an option.

Anything on the market that combines the Piezo and a mic with a blender that's worth buying?

Whatdya think?
Josh

djadam · May 2007

While there's always a downside to a pickup, I've been surprisingly pleased with the bigtone in my Park guitar. It sounds very natural through my Compact 60. However, when we took a soundboard recording from a recent show (from the DI out on the Compact 60), it sounded a little quacky. But these things aren't made for recording.

I'm going to start experimenting with a mic as well and let the amp be the blender.

Oh, and I thought the Schatten in my 250M was pretty good once I dialed it in with the Baggs preamp (and a lot of experimentation). I always wondered how it would sound in a more expensive guitar.

asd123321 · May 2007

I have noticed the K & K Sound Systems Pure Western pickup recommended on other acoustic guitar forums. I wonder how it would work on the Selmer type?

A.K. Kibben · May 2007

Josh,

I have used the Schertler, Bigtones and I have a DA Anouman that was Alain's personal guitar that I bought from him that he put a Fishman Prefix Blender on it... Thats not why I bought it though. It's killer loud and well balanced. The Fishman turns out is a very versatile set up whether I go direct to house or amp... Blind folded it sounds and performs better than the Bigtone...

K&K makes great pickups.. They now have a a pick up designed for SelMac's called Pure Macaferri... Their Trinity System is great on steel string acoustics..
Too many choices...
Maybe this is the answer...

O.K. all you gear heads,

I have come up with an idea that will solve most players head scratching in determining which pick up would be the best suitable for their own personal sound preference for a sel mac amplification. Read on...

I am in the final stages of refinishing the top on a DG255 I bought that is the best sounding Gitane I have played to date. It has a natural nitrocellulose lacquer finish with new tuners and tailpiece... (The only model I haven't played is Stephane Wrembel's new one)...

This DG255 has, at the moment, three pick up options...
1. Big Tone
2. Schertler
3. Seymour Duncan SH2N Humbucker

I will be adding most of the popular choices in the near future to include,
4. Schatten
5. K&K
6. Stimer
7. AK15
8. Possibly a Beta 98 mic...

When completed I would like it to be available to a few players and reviewers to be put through the acid test, you know a blind fold test...
Where can you go test drive many pick ups? Hardly anywhere.
I would be willing to send it to the West Coast (LA area), Pacific Northwest (Seattle), Northeast (New York). Shipping cost would be the responsibility of the receiver...
Another possibility would be to have it at DFNW for many to hear and play. What better way to assist individuals to make a personal choice on what suits their taste?

BTW, I bought it for a $35. It had bad damage to the finish on the top, scratches where someone tried to sand glue off of it after they glued shims under the bridge!
Refinishing cost was a little over $100...
Approximate cost of all the pickups, $1,500...
Result...Priceless...Just like Mastercard...

There will be NO hardware on the top as in volume / tone knobs and switches. They will all be mounted on the upper bout...
I am having it wired by a professional as I am adamant about it being done correctly for switching from one pickup to the other. Well see if there is blending options on a few of them...

I sure wouldn't do all these mods on my other two guitars...
Just a brainstorm on an inexpensive great sounding and playing guitar that I hope will generate some interest...

What do you think? Good or bad idea? Am I nuts?
The later question is rhetorical...

A.K.

Jack · May 2007

Allin,

Are you saying you're going to put ALL those pickups into one guitar, so they'd all be available at any time?? If so, would all that hardware effect the natural tone to an extent that the pickup test would be compromised?

More importantly, where did you find it for $35?!?

best,
Jack.

A.K. Kibben · May 2007

You got it right Jack...

I would be willing to put the remaining pickups on the axe, if it would generate some interest...
If none of the pickups work out I think there is a market to sell the ones I and others don't choose or like could be sold with ease...
Heck, my other two guitars cost a lot more for the price I can hot rod this up for comparison purposes...
The only pickup I think might have an acoustic dampening effect is the Humbucker... It's a lot like Romanes, Niel's, Josh's and Robin's.
Clean cut and I braced it around the Humbucker...
The sound hole is open 99%...
It will be ten days to two weeks before I have the top buffed out and then wired for the pickups...
You want first choice on trying it out?
Come on! I don't think the remaining pickups will dampen the sound!
Most of them are small and don't effect the acoustic characteristic of the instrument... Otherwise we wouldn't put them on our guitars...
The Schatten internal mount, Schertler external, Stimer sound hole,
Clip on Beta98. K&K internal mount...All are designed to be placed in different places...
I think players are looking for amplified sound that they choose and like with the amp of their choice, otherwise we would always use microphones... Best choice so far in the studio, just problematic on stage
and small noisy venues...
This is an amplified test for pickups...I think the acoustic properties are second hand to this experiment...
You do have a very good point though...
Any other suggestions on this project guitar?

Tip #2, Go to garage sales and don't ask any questions, play dumb and talk fast...

Where do you think I got my golf clubs...Not from a pro shop!

Right place, right time...

Swing hard and follow through!

You just might get a hole in one...

A.K.

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MichaelHorowitz · May 2007

Wow...very cool idea! I think in general it will be a great way to evaluate pickups. There are a few problems I can think of:

1) The installation of one pickup could compromise the performance of another pickup. For example, bigtone bridges can often dampen the acoustic sound of an instrument. That in turn would make some pickups, like the schertler, not work correctly.

2) Ultimately people want a pickup that works well for their guitar. No matter how nice the test guitar is, it will respond differently then the plethora of gypsy instruments in use today. For example, my Favino sounds great with the DYN-G, but my Dupont loves the Basik.

anyway, I'd defintly like to try this guitar!

TenorClef · May 2007

It seems any form of pickup is a trade off of acoustic sound versus electric. The closest to acoustic for me was a microphone with all its inherent problems. I'm presently enjoying my Stimer 48 but the benefits of this pickup come with a massive trade off of how the instrument sounds acoustically.