How do you guys make your acoustic guitars heard on stage?

chet · March 22nd, 2005, 02:55 PM

Do you mike them through the PA?

Use a pickup? If so, the soundhole type or saddle mounted type?

Do you use an acoustic-electric?

Anyone use an acoustic guitar amp?

Matt Plescher · March 22nd, 2005, 03:02 PM

I'm not in the "I want my acousitic to sound EXACTLY like it does unamplified only louder" camp. I'm just after a balanced acoustic electric sound.

I play an inexpensive (but nice sounding) late 80's Fender Catalina. I have a Woody XL soundhole pickup hardwired in. I run that into a Boss AD-3 preamp which has a balanced line out to the board.

If you want faithful reproduction of your guitar's sound the above setup might not be the best.

I hate being stuck behind a mic with a guitar, and I don't really see many people doing that anymore.

Cheers
Matt

Hucklebilly · March 22nd, 2005, 03:48 PM

Sunrise into a Rane AP13 into the PA. Best acoustic set up I've used, and I've used a bunch. YMMV.

Zorba · March 22nd, 2005, 04:16 PM

I play a mid 70s LoPrinzi acoustic, it has the mid-80s pick-up system in it which sounds great. I run it through a fishman GII.

I really like the sound, it's very transparent and sounds like an acoustic guitar.

Joe-Bob · March 22nd, 2005, 04:29 PM

I have a nice Takamine with their on-board DSP preamp. It sounds great acoustic or plugged in, has on-board reverbs, a tuner, and a wide variety of EQs that can cut out specific feedback frequencies.

Tele295 · March 22nd, 2005, 04:49 PM

Fishman Matrix on my Guild F47 - mic + piezo pup under saddle into either a Roland Keyboard Cube 60 or a Tubeworks DI and Altec tube PA

stephent2 · March 22nd, 2005, 04:58 PM

I second the Sunrise, it's the best soundhole pickup and the only acoustic pickup for playing loud.

Hucklebilly · March 22nd, 2005, 05:34 PM

That's what I've found. I had a piezo/mic combo which sounded quite good, and I ran it in stereo through the AP13. But it could never keep up with even a moderately loud band. The Sunrise can, and it doesn't sound like a magnetic pickup. I don't know how they do it but it captures to the resonance of the body somehow.

tiktok · March 22nd, 2005, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephent2

I second the Sunrise, it's the best soundhole pickup and the only acoustic pickup for playing loud.

I'll third that.

David Barnett · March 23rd, 2005, 01:49 AM

The Sunrise is good enough for Leo Kottke and Richard Thompson, I figger that's what I'll get if the need arises.

And contrary to popular myth, the Sunrise works just fine straight into a direct box without additional buffers or preamps. Last time Leo Kottke was here he just had a standard Radial Engineering passive DI, and it sounded great. (although the Radial box does have a Jensen transformer in it...)

Hucklebilly · March 23rd, 2005, 08:00 AM

Sometimes I plug the Sunrise directly into my Twin. It doesn't sound quite as acoustic, but it's a killer tone. It's just a magic pickup to me. Someday I want a dobro with a Sunrise built in.

Tim Armstrong · March 23rd, 2005, 08:19 AM

My Larrivee D-03 has a Highlander in it, and on the rare occasions that I play it live, I run it into a K&K preamp.

My upright bass has a K&K Bassmax wing pickup that I run into the K&K preamp. Really GREAT acoustic bass pickup. K&K is out of Coos Bay, Oregon, and they make really fine piezo & mic stuff for just about any acoustic intrument. Not pricey, either.

http://www.kksound.com/index.html

Cheers, Tim

jz63 · March 23rd, 2005, 09:08 AM

Another Sunrise. I run mine into a Award Session GG10 preamp. The guitar is a Gibson J-45.

Paul in Colorado · March 23rd, 2005, 12:00 PM

My Gurion and Taylor 12 string have Highlander pickups. I run into a Baggs Para Acoustic preamp straight to the board, or the a Presonus Acousti-Q tube blender/preamp. That signal goes to a Furman four channel rack mixer with a Digitech effects unit in the loop for reverb, chorus and delay (used sparingly). The output of the mixer goes to the house mixer.
Neither of the guitars have microphones, but will eventually. Sometimes I'll add an AKG C-535 condenser mic to get some "air."

Raymond · March 23rd, 2005, 12:40 PM

I use a Fishman Rarearth sound hole pickup. It does have a preamp built in and it works great through either an acoustic amp or a PA.

Charlie Bernstein · March 23rd, 2005, 04:24 PM

i just run one of those wooden dean markley soundhole pickups right into a regular tube amp. makes my fairly cheesy acoustic sound great.

------------

"no, man. we're not gonna play louder. you gotta listen louder." bob weir, dead acoustic set, capitol theater, port chester, ny, circa 1971

Daddy Elmis · March 23rd, 2005, 05:29 PM

into an LR Baggs Paracoustic DI, then to the board. That Baggs is the absolute bomb for acoustic interface.

March 22nd, 2005, 02:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
chet Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: The Jersey Shore Posts: 5,972	How do you guys make your acoustic guitars heard on stage? Do you mike them through the PA? Use a pickup? If so, the soundhole type or saddle mounted type? Do you use an acoustic-electric? Anyone use an acoustic guitar amp?

March 22nd, 2005, 03:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
Matt Plescher Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: West Michigan Posts: 837	I'm not in the "I want my acousitic to sound EXACTLY like it does unamplified only louder" camp. I'm just after a balanced acoustic electric sound. I play an inexpensive (but nice sounding) late 80's Fender Catalina. I have a Woody XL soundhole pickup hardwired in. I run that into a Boss AD-3 preamp which has a balanced line out to the board. If you want faithful reproduction of your guitar's sound the above setup might not be the best. I hate being stuck behind a mic with a guitar, and I don't really see many people doing that anymore. Cheers Matt __________________ She's not your satellite She doesn't miss you So turn off your smoke machine And Marshall stack

March 22nd, 2005, 03:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
Hucklebilly Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 768 2 Photos	Sunrise Sunrise into a Rane AP13 into the PA. Best acoustic set up I've used, and I've used a bunch. YMMV.

March 22nd, 2005, 04:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
Zorba Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 178	I play a mid 70s LoPrinzi acoustic, it has the mid-80s pick-up system in it which sounds great. I run it through a fishman GII. I really like the sound, it's very transparent and sounds like an acoustic guitar. __________________ Rose's Runn The Tumbleweeds The Drunken Deacons

March 22nd, 2005, 04:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 3,661	I have a nice Takamine with their on-board DSP preamp. It sounds great acoustic or plugged in, has on-board reverbs, a tuner, and a wide variety of EQs that can cut out specific feedback frequencies. __________________ "Smart like Fox, Strong like Bull!"

March 22nd, 2005, 04:49 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tele295 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Tiger Town Posts: 3,229 14 Photos	Fishman Matrix on my Guild F47 - mic + piezo pup under saddle into either a Roland Keyboard Cube 60 or a Tubeworks DI and Altec tube PA __________________ "Turn it up and it doesn't need any reverb." - Danny Gatton www.dannygatton.info Tiger Town Aces - Music That Bites Back In Redd we trust! Free Bill Kirchen! If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

March 22nd, 2005, 04:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
stephent2 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA. Age: 57 Posts: 2,224 20 Photos	I second the Sunrise, it's the best soundhole pickup and the only acoustic pickup for playing loud. __________________ 3. If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers. - - Thomas Pynchon

March 22nd, 2005, 05:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
Hucklebilly Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 768 2 Photos	That's what I've found. I had a piezo/mic combo which sounded quite good, and I ran it in stereo through the AP13. But it could never keep up with even a moderately loud band. The Sunrise can, and it doesn't sound like a magnetic pickup. I don't know how they do it but it captures to the resonance of the body somehow.

March 23rd, 2005, 01:49 AM	#10 (permalink)
David Barnett Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: LIttle Rock, AR Age: 52 Posts: 5,269	The Sunrise is good enough for Leo Kottke and Richard Thompson, I figger that's what I'll get if the need arises. And contrary to popular myth, the Sunrise works just fine straight into a direct box without additional buffers or preamps. Last time Leo Kottke was here he just had a standard Radial Engineering passive DI, and it sounded great. (although the Radial box does have a Jensen transformer in it...)

March 23rd, 2005, 08:00 AM	#11 (permalink)
Hucklebilly Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 768 2 Photos	that's true! Sometimes I plug the Sunrise directly into my Twin. It doesn't sound quite as acoustic, but it's a killer tone. It's just a magic pickup to me. Someday I want a dobro with a Sunrise built in.

March 23rd, 2005, 08:19 AM	#12 (permalink)
Tim Armstrong Moderator Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Berlin, Maryland, USA Age: 49 Posts: 8,248	My Larrivee D-03 has a Highlander in it, and on the rare occasions that I play it live, I run it into a K&K preamp. My upright bass has a K&K Bassmax wing pickup that I run into the K&K preamp. Really GREAT acoustic bass pickup. K&K is out of Coos Bay, Oregon, and they make really fine piezo & mic stuff for just about any acoustic intrument. Not pricey, either. http://www.kksound.com/index.html Cheers, Tim __________________ http://www.moodswingers.org

March 23rd, 2005, 09:08 AM	#13 (permalink)
jz63 Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: London U.K. Age: 38 Posts: 479	Another Sunrise. I run mine into a Award Session GG10 preamp. The guitar is a Gibson J-45.

March 23rd, 2005, 12:00 PM	#14 (permalink)
Paul in Colorado Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fort Collins, CO Age: 55 Posts: 4,106 3 Photos	My Gurion and Taylor 12 string have Highlander pickups. I run into a Baggs Para Acoustic preamp straight to the board, or the a Presonus Acousti-Q tube blender/preamp. That signal goes to a Furman four channel rack mixer with a Digitech effects unit in the loop for reverb, chorus and delay (used sparingly). The output of the mixer goes to the house mixer. Neither of the guitars have microphones, but will eventually. Sometimes I'll add an AKG C-535 condenser mic to get some "air."

March 23rd, 2005, 12:40 PM	#15 (permalink)
Raymond Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Herndon, VA Posts: 2,417 3 Photos	I use a Fishman Rarearth sound hole pickup. It does have a preamp built in and it works great through either an acoustic amp or a PA. __________________ "That's a hard pill to swallow, buddy; when you find out what the blues is all about"

March 23rd, 2005, 04:24 PM	#16 (permalink)
Charlie Bernstein Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Augusta, Maine Posts: 2,387	a soundhole pickup. i just run one of those wooden dean markley soundhole pickups right into a regular tube amp. makes my fairly cheesy acoustic sound great. ------------ "no, man. we're not gonna play louder. you gotta listen louder." bob weir, dead acoustic set, capitol theater, port chester, ny, circa 1971

March 23rd, 2005, 05:29 PM	#17 (permalink)
Daddy Elmis Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: USA Posts: 960	into an LR Baggs Paracoustic DI, then to the board. That Baggs is the absolute bomb for acoustic interface.