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Acoustic questions?

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(@nicktorres)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 5381
Topic starter  

Derek,

Forgive me, but this is a little frustrating. You've asked the same style of question before and gotten the same answer.

1. There is no best. There are hundreds of different kinds: Fishman, Baggs, PUTW, Seymour Duncan, K&K. You can spend a hundred to thousands of bucks. You can get single coil, humbucker, microphone and any combination of the above. You can get different kinds of magnets. You can get an external pre-amp. You can get either passive or active. You have to go listen and figure out what you like. No one here can tell you what will sound best to you. So please stop asking the which is best/which one is better question. We just don't know. On top of all that, I like the Baggs in one guitar, the Fishman in another, the PUTW in a third. It's a mix of properties in each guitar and pickup. You may hate the way they all sound and you wouldn't be wrong. You can listen to a few examples here, but these are not what your guitar will sound like:

http://www.dougyoungguitar.com/pickuptest.htm

2. Yes it can. It involves shimming or shaving the saddle.

3. There is no way for us to tell how it will sound. If you like it, then you'll like it.


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 10264
 

I use one of these...

A Seymour Duncan "Woody" - it just clips into the soundhole like this.........

Sounds pretty good through my Cube30X on the "acoustic" setting - but if you so desire, you can switch it to another channel, say R-fier with a lot of gain and it'll sound like a distorted electric guitar. It won't FEEL like one, though, especially much above the 12th fret.

As for the bridge question, I don't see why not - but most acoustics don't need the action raising, they tend to be higher actions than electric guitars anyway. You'd just need a piece of whatever material the piece your strings rest on (is that the saddle?) that's bigger than the one that's already in.....

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@denny)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 452
 

This is the Acoustic guitar I'm going to convert to electric since it sounds so sweet.

My question is - if this guitar sounds so sweet, why would you want to change anything? The soundhole pickup that Vic suggests will let you have both options, amped or unplugged.

Denny


   
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(@canrock)
Eminent Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 28
 

Raising the saddle/bridge will mess up your intonation. So you may need to get a new one cut. The way I see it, most acoustic guitars come from the factory set up well. The bridge/saddle is set up for correct intonation, and action. Changing the action will result in the intonation of the strings changing, (changing to a different guage string may correct this possibly) which will require a new saddle to be cut and filed in order to intonate the strings correctly. Ultimately, this is a job for an experienced luthier, and takes a lot of patience. I'm not sure about luthiers in your area, but over here the job costs about 120 bucks minimum. Ultimately, I think you'd be better off adjusting your slide technique (pressure against the strings among other things) rather than spend the money.

As for your questions, only the second one has a definite answer. The other two are more a matter of opinion than anything else. What's best is what sounds good to you (don't expect others to share your opinion though =p).

My suggestion is to take your guitar to a music store and ask about options for soundhole mounted pickups. Test every one through every amp you can, to get the best idea of what the pickups are capable of. If this isn't an option for whatever reason, you'll have to go with a random choice. But, don't just buy pickup "Y" because it's brand "X" or pickup "Z" because it costs more than pickup "A". Ask questions, always ask questions. Just make sure your not talking to a fanboy/girl.


   
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(@nicktorres)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 5381
Topic starter  

Derekslide, I said style of question, not this question. I'm sorry for sounding snippy. It isn't the waste of bandwidth that's frustrating, it's that sometimes you don't seem to read the answers people take the time to type. Look, I'm all for helping out everyone and anyone with a question, but take the time to read, understand and apply that knowledge given by all the forum members to future questions.

Can you raise a bridge/saddle? Now that's a good question. To clarify my answer you can both raise, shim, and lower them, shave. As a matter of fact you can just buy two saddles that fit, one high and one normal. You can swap them as you like. The intonation isn't going to matter much with a slide if you adjust your playing.

Which one is best of anything is impossible to answer. Which beer is best? Perfume? Prison? Breed of Dog? Type of pickup? Cigar? Kind of amp? Airline? Car? Brand of Pickle? I can only tell you my preferences.

1. Black and Tan with Guinness and Harp
2. Body by Victoria and White Diamonds in a head spinning, memory inducing tie
3. Florence in Lakewood, where you can apparently just walk away as you wish
4. Random Terrier - adopt one from your local shelter
5. Fishman Rare Earth Blend - approximately $350 available online, makes an acoustic sound like an acoustic
6. Montecristo Cuban #1
7. Fender Acoustasonic 30, big enough for me and has a mic input for coffeehouse gigs
8. None, well maybe Singapore Air, but none domestically
9. The one that you have finished making payments on
10. Vlasic

I doubt anyone will have a different opinion. Will they? You do get my drift right?

Will this combination of things sound awesome? I can't tell you for the same reasons listed above. I can tell you things like if you plug an acoustic into a great big honking stack of immense wattage the high pitched squeal of feedback will kill geese flying overhead and small animals in the yard. Although the neighbors may complain you won't have to worry because you won't be able to hear them....ever.

So anyway, keep asking questions, just apply your gathered knowledge first.


   
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(@twistedlefty)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 4113
 

although my A/E taks both sound great (IMO) through my fishman acoustic amp.
they also sound great (IMO) just mic'd through the same amp.

my Yamaha sounds fantastic (IMO again) mic'd through the fishman as well.

I've never heard enough sound hole pups to make a fair assessment, but i would trust Vic and the others on suggestions that they offer. the trick as is always YMMV

#4491....


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 10264
 

I can only offer an opinion on what I've used - and my guitar, + the woody, sounds good to me through the clean channel of the cube. However, my Fender Tele sounds just as good, if not better, played through the acoustic setting - either way, there's a bit of fiddling with settings to get the sound I want. More bass, less treble and a little chorus (the minimum) using the woody, more treble, less bass and slightly more chorus using the Tele. That's for the sound I like.

But that might not work for you - the only way to get the sound YOU want is by trial and error.

I'd gladly post a soundclip, but I've left the woody round at my mate's house...it'll be weekend before I go round again.

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@jwmartin)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1435
 

1. Black and Tan with Guinness and Harp

Hmm, I've never tried Harp, this has been added to my list.

For #5, I would have answered GMC (you confused me by having all the non-guitar related topics). :D

Bass player for Undercover


   
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