-
I have been searching for threads on this to no avail. I'm sure it's been discussed + i'm not searching for it well. I wasn't even sure where to post the question. So if any of you could post a link, i'd be 'beholden' as we say in the south.
But if you wanted to give a 'fresh' thought on this---I've been playing an acoustic archtop since March almost exclusively. Lately i wanted to hear this beautiful tone amplified, so i had luthier mount the benedetto pickguard and pu built for this guitar. I actually had him wire it so it is easily removable. I didn't care so much for the amplified tone after all---but if it ultimately doesn't make a real difference, i'll leave it on there. Any thoughts welcome?
tnx in advance
-
09-01-2020 10:55 AM
-
I recently got a DPA 4099 for my Trenier Magnolia and have been quite pleased with it's reproduction of the acoustic sound of the guitar. I will be adding a Kent Armstrong PAF and look forward to blending the sound. I play the DPA through my DV Mark Little Jazz.
Originally Posted by stringmann
Dan
-
If your aim is the amplification of the acoustic tone of your guitar then you will need a microphone - either a condenser sitting in front of your instrument (pointed somewhere towards the neck/body joint, give or take) or a miniature mic (DPA etc.) on a gooseneck, clip-mounted on the rim and aimed somewhere near one of the f-holes. The various piezo-pickups on the market are not an alternative. MAYBE you'll have better luck with a Bartolini floater since those are said to have a much more hi-fi oriented tone (less electric sounding) compared to the other popular pups. Do you need that for stage work or just so you can hear yourself better ? A cheap but good-sounding condenser is the OKTAVA MK012 :
Oktava MK-012 condenser microphone. Oktava-online - only genuine Russian made studio microphones
How do you like this sound that Anthony Wilson gets with his Monteleone via a Lollar Goldfoil floater into a Princeton :
Bill Frisell on his Andersen :
Last edited by gitman; 09-01-2020 at 01:27 PM.
-
Nobody's really answering your question...I'd say if it's a floating pickup, the impact on acoustic tone is minimal.
-
as long as the f hole has clearance it will sound the same. Maybe a little more projection without pickguard if it is large a covers up the f hole but minimal. My 37 New Yorker has a Dearmond Mike that I can attach to it but it has no real effect on the acoustic sound either way. If the pickup is not on the guitar it is just one less thing to worry about.
-
Agreed - removing the pickguard will have a bigger effect on the sound than attaching a floater to it, but in either case the change is minimal. Originally Posted by deacon Mark
-
I agree that the difference in tone should be undetectable, as long as the pickguard isn't too big. A Benedetto pickguard should cause no change in sound at all, or at least so little that you won't be able to hear it.
-
You also mentioned that your goal is to hear the beautiful tone of your guitar amplified. While a magnetic pickup may sound great, that's not quite what they do.
-
In theory, whether a floating pickup affects the acoustic tone would depend on whether the pickup touches the top or not. Some floating pickups actually do that, often with a piece of felt on the underside of the pickup so the top is not scrathed. In theory it will dampen the vibrations of the top, but in practice there is very little movement in that area of the top, so in practice the difference should not be audible. BTW, some find that some floating pickups sound better amplified if they have contact with the top, say via the mentioned piece of felt or the like but in the end what is "better" is a matter of personal taste.
-
In my case (Heritage Johnny Smith 17"), the pickguard not only covered half of the f-hole, it also rested on the soundboard with a small mounting block under it. I suspect the wiring harness was touching the soundboard inside as well. Hence, removing all electronics and the pickguard improved the acoustic volume audibly but not dramatically (I liked how it sounded before and after pickup-pickguard-electronics removal). I also bought a DPA 4099 for use on this guitar, on my classical guitar and on my Peerless 15" that has a Kent Armstrong floater pickup that buzzes a little bit. Gooseneck on the rim feels awkward and gets bumped until I get used to it but the sound is great and surprisingly not prone to much feedback.
-
here's something else to consider. Leaning the back of the guitar against your body effects the projected sound more than the pickguard does. Try playing with it leaning against your body and then away from your body sometime...
-
Whether you rest your finger(s) on the pickguard or not will also affect the tone as much as whether there a floater attached to it or not.
-
If you use the cello mount on the tailpiece it’s a lot less awkward. Originally Posted by medblues
-
I'm glad i asked because i found these posts helpful. Mr B was right, i was asking about leaving the pickguard on when playing acoustic only; not how to amplify pure acoustic tone, but i may not have specified well. Like medblues, i actually have tried the dpa on a pure acoustic L5 and haven't overcome the feedback problems---even tho i've listened to our friend jonathon stout describe how he does it.
And gitman, you must have read my mind, as i have a bartolini floater on my viktor baker 7 that i love (and i have had an oktava for years) but i was asking about playing acoustically only.
I suspected that removing the pickguard + floater (which btw is not touching the top, but that also was a helpful distinction) would have minimal impact, if any---but it was helpful to hear that many of you thought so. And i agree that position of the guitar to the body, let alone string size/quality, plectrum vs fingerstyle, fingers resting on it, let alone the room (!) could be more significant than the presence of a pickguard.
Thanks for taking the time.
Reply With Quote
Samick Jz4 update/upgrade
Yesterday, 03:41 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos