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Anyone have any suggestions about how to go about plugging in an acoustic?

I recently bought a new acoustic; a Simon and Patrick Songsmith Dreadnaught:


So full story, I hadn't been playing guitar a lot so I went with the cheaper acoustic only version. Since then having an acoustic has completely inspired me and I'm constantly playing again. Then I saw this (intro and at roughly the 4 minute mark):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWHjN5MHr1I[/youtube]
Now all I want to do is run my guitar through my pedalboard, but I'd like something that keeps a lot of the acoustic sounds and doesn't need an external preamp pedal. I've been toying with the idea of an LR Baggs Element, a Schatten HFN Active, or a K&K Mini (which would possibly need an external preamp)

Cool!

I like K&K, I have them on my acoustic bass guitar, upright and my cello

here is a direct recording of my bass guitar
https://soundcloud.com/myblackenedsoul/ovations-of-meh

Get a cheap magnetic soundhole pickup? That's what I'd do.

Blackened Soul wrote:Cool!

I like K&K, I have them on my acoustic bass guitar, upright and my cello

here is a direct recording of my bass guitar
https://soundcloud.com/myblackenedsoul/ovations-of-meh

That sounds really good! Any more info about your setup? I can't find too much info about the K&K thin twin?

Chankgeez wrote:Get a cheap magnetic soundhole pickup? That's what I'd do.

I thought about this too and it might be a good temporary solution, but I'm not sure if anything like that will really replicate the sound properly.

Also, now that I think of it, I do have a Unidyne III mic that I was sending through my pedalboard. Might have to try miking up my guitar with that tomorrow

Yeah, I'd be less interested in maintaining the acousticness.

Run a separate clean signal (possibly from a different source) and blend 'em?

Also, way too complicated, but very interesting:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaSYKzQVY64[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaSYKzQVY64

MrNovember wrote:

Blackened Soul wrote:Cool!

I like K&K, I have them on my acoustic bass guitar, upright and my cello

here is a direct recording of my bass guitar
https://soundcloud.com/myblackenedsoul/ovations-of-meh

That sounds really good! Any more info about your setup? I can't find too much info about the K&K thin twin?

The thin twin is 2 piezo pads about 5/8" in size mounted inside of the top just under the bridge, it comes with a pre wired internal jack. I have it in a 90s applause (ovation) short scale bass strung with classical contrabass guitar strings, the stock pickup was a under saddle piezo the was very weak and horrible. I've had the same pickup on my cello with and external style jack mounted to the tailpiece for a few years and was happy with that so I got another for this. You don't need a preamp with it, I run it into my board all the time, it's as loud as a magnetic sound hole pickup but without the noise, hum, cord in your way, and gives you a bit more of a full spectrum "acoustic" sound not saying I don't like sound hole pickups, I have a few Duncan's I use sometimes. The only issue I could see is if you want a internal pickup setup if you don't want to put holes in your guitar....

check out the (discontinued) Seymour Duncan Acoustic Tube. Ira uses one with Yo La Tengo, and i really liked the way it sounded when i saw them last spring. they're still fairly common on eBay/Reverb.

I've got a pretty nice Dimarzio acoustic pickup Bought it for a wedding gig 17 years ago and have used it once since then. I think it's pretty rad? I recall it being balls expensive because I figured that I should sound good while raking in the wedding dollars. Wedding was good. Gig was good. Fucking hated every second of it and haven't done one since
If you want to try it out hit me up - it's definitely not getting used for any more wedding gigs.

i have one of the passive bill lawrence ones like elliott smith used. sounds ok.

always wanted to try a flatpup but never have!

MechaGodzilla wrote:i have one of the passive bill lawrence ones like elliott smith used. sounds ok.

always wanted to try a flatpup but never have!

I've always wanted to try "one" of those on my double neck acoustic as it doesn't have sound holes in a normal spots [ovation thingy]

Chankgeez wrote:Yeah, I'd be less interested in maintaining the acousticness.

Run a separate clean signal (possibly from a different source) and blend 'em?

Also, way too complicated, but very interesting:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaSYKzQVY64[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaSYKzQVY64

Yeah, this is definitely over complicated, but essentially exactly what I'd like to do; I'd just prefer doing it with one pickup and no preamp if at all possible. I mean for now; I'm totally down to mess around with multiple sound sources sometime down the road if this all goes well Great video, though. I really enjoyed when he started messing with the Digitech Echo pedal. Might have to look into one of them as well

Blackened Soul wrote:The thin twin is 2 piezo pads about 5/8" in size mounted inside of the top just under the bridge, it comes with a pre wired internal jack. I have it in a 90s applause (ovation) short scale bass strung with classical contrabass guitar strings, the stock pickup was a under saddle piezo the was very weak and horrible. I've had the same pickup on my cello with and external style jack mounted to the tailpiece for a few years and was happy with that so I got another for this. You don't need a preamp with it, I run it into my board all the time, it's as loud as a magnetic sound hole pickup but without the noise, hum, cord in your way, and gives you a bit more of a full spectrum "acoustic" sound not saying I don't like sound hole pickups, I have a few Duncan's I use sometimes. The only issue I could see is if you want a internal pickup setup if you don't want to put holes in your guitar....

Cool, that sounds very similar to the K&K Mini and I think is pretty much what I'm looking for. There is actually a passive Schatten pickup in my lap steel that I've sent directly into my pedalboard in the past; so I don't see why this wouldn't work. I was just hoping for some more opinions/options

goroth wrote:I've got a pretty nice Dimarzio acoustic pickup Bought it for a wedding gig 17 years ago and have used it once since then. I think it's pretty rad? I recall it being balls expensive because I figured that I should sound good while raking in the wedding dollars. Wedding was good. Gig was good. Fucking hated every second of it and haven't done one since
If you want to try it out hit me up - it's definitely not getting used for any more wedding gigs.

That's very kind! I will shoot you a PM

I have a Baggs M-80 that I like a lot running through effects. My guitar has an under saddle piezo that sounds kinda shitty so I run that through a preamp and the Baggs through my board. I’ve been playing a lot of 70’s country stuff at home and it’s cool to have both tones+the actual acoustic sound.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but it's so similar to a question that's been bugging me that I figure it's a good place to start. I'm seeking opinions on the merits of electrifying my acoustic vs getting a dedicated a/e. My acoustic is a great Westerly Guild, and my a/e is an Ibanez that sounds decent going through my board, but not so hot on its own. Ideally I'd like to have one guitar for both purposes.

All the Ibanez really has going for it is the cutaway and electronics (EQ etc) (plus it's pretty to look at). And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't miss the cutaway THAT much. I don't think I can afford an a/e of the quality I'd like. But I'm wondering: pros/cons of either approach?

Errant Tiger wrote:I don't want to hijack this thread, but it's so similar to a question that's been bugging me that I figure it's a good place to start. I'm seeking opinions on the merits of electrifying my acoustic vs getting a dedicated a/e. My acoustic is a great Westerly Guild, and my a/e is an Ibanez that sounds decent going through my board, but not so hot on its own. Ideally I'd like to have one guitar for both purposes.

All the Ibanez really has going for it is the cutaway and electronics (EQ etc) (plus it's pretty to look at). And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't miss the cutaway THAT much. I don't think I can afford an a/e of the quality I'd like. But I'm wondering: pros/cons of either approach?

I'd go with the guild the better guitar is better, there are a lot of ways you can go with external preamps and stuff, I've seen folk guys with them attached to their strap.

---------abrupt thought change----------

And about distortion here is a good example of what a acoustic (ibanez bass) can do with a Dwarfcraft great destroyer (after the ukulele intro that is)

[youtube]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y32-qHSUYoc[/youtube]
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y32-qHSUYoc

Blackened Soul wrote: I'd go with the guild the better guitar is better, there are a lot of ways you can go with external preamps and stuff, I've seen folk guys with them attached to their strap.

---------abrupt thought change----------

And about distortion here is a good example of what a acoustic (ibanez bass) can do with a Dwarfcraft great destroyer (after the ukulele intro that is)

[youtube]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y32-qHSUYoc[/youtube]
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y32-qHSUYoc

That is some radness, for sure.

This is probably a stupid question, but after sticking a pickup into my Guild, would I necessarily need a preamp? I've never used or needed one before - but is that just built into a dedicated a/e already?