Quote from Forum Archives on June 23, 2003, 6:49 am

Posted by: stravis <stravis@...>

> > > Seems like a lot of
> > > soundpeople .... don't really know what
> > > effects sound good for acoustic guitar.
(snip)
> I have yet to hear a good sounding piezo or mag setup on an > acoustic
guitar
(snip).

(In reference to yesterday's posting, my was rushing me so I didn't quite
finish explaining my thoughts on piezo or mag pickups. So here goes)

Piezo and mag pickups tipically color the tone/sound of the instrument to
the point that the instrument is unrecognizable. Having said that, there
are some relatively new pickups that seem to vault over this problem. Some
require preamps, some claim not to need them. I haven't used any of them
as of yet, but Bryan Kimsey be able to speak to them with more first hand
knowledge.

The Schertler "Bluestick" is a mini condenser mic that mounts to the
underside of the saddle. This pickup is said to reproduce the sound of the
guitar very accurately. The caution here is that a bad sounding guitar
will sound like an amplified bad sounding guitar. The same has been said
of the McIntyre Feather adn teh "Pick up the World" pickup. Fishman also
has a "feather" type tracsducer that is supposed to be very natural
sounding (when used with a good preamp such as the Paracoustic DI.

If I were going to purchase a pickup today, based of the comments of people
I trust as "acoustic tone purist" that need to plug in, I'd probably buy
the Schertler BlueStick and Fishmen Paracoustic DI combination. My info
comes from the folks on a flatpickers list. Tone is very important to
these folks.

I have an Alvarez that sounds about as good plugged in as anything I've
heard to date, but I still prefer to mic the guitar because the pickup
doesn't reproduce the guitar's tone. The piezo pickup makes it sound like
the rest of the piezo'd guitars out there. Use enough EQ and it almost
sounds like a guitar, but it doesn't sound like MY guitar. A SM-57 or
better mic does a better job of keeping the sound "acoustic" My Martin
sounds like my Martin when mic'd. I don't have a pickup in it, but if I
ever go that rouote the Schertler will like be my choice.

Concerning my comments about mixing electric and acoustic instruments where
monitors are needed, I have yet to play with an electric player that is
willing to mic his amp at a volume level that would allow a mic'd acoustic
to be heard in the monitors. The guitar amp always dominates, forcing the
monitor level up resulting in feedback. The Schertler may indeed be the
answer. I understand that it's gain before feedback is incredible.

Blessings,
StanT