True Acoustic Tone

[DumbKim]

Kim, hindi ko alam kung magkano ang behringer di box na yan.  tingin ka na lang sa mga behringer stores.

there are also cheap di boxes available in Audiophile.

ito yung dual inputs. - around 2,400 ang price
http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1754&brandID=2

ito yung single input lang. - around 1,900 ang price
http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1603&brandID=2

salamat sir maxi_musikero =)

geh buy ako sa monday,

maganda po yan ha =)

and nga pala, is it the d.i or my guitar?
i mean di kasi sya na ganun na brilliant i mean naging bassy ung tunog, pag nakasak sak, makalansing, pero di ung kalansing na hinahanap hanap ko =)
ung parang kalansing ng gitara sa till i see you -hillsong mga ganun XD
im currently using light gauge string[d'addario]
what if mag palit po ako ng extra light?
maganda kya? o magtunog electric guitar gitara ko sobrang nipis[lata?]

un lang po...

salamat sa lahat ng tumulong =)

tapos na problema ni kim heheh

Godbless all

[maxi_musikero]

maganda po yan ha =)

and nga pala, is it the d.i or my guitar?
i mean di kasi sya na ganun na brilliant i mean naging bassy ung tunog, pag nakasak sak, makalansing, pero di ung kalansing na hinahanap hanap ko =)
ung parang kalansing ng gitara sa till i see you -hillsong mga ganun XD
im currently using light gauge string[d'addario]
what if mag palit po ako ng extra light?
maganda kya? o magtunog electric guitar gitara ko sobrang nipis[lata?]

wala akong first-hand experience sa mga DI na yan bro...word of mouth lang din.  buti pa siguro bago ka bumili, magtry ka muna para malaman mo kung ano ang effect nya sa tone mo.

malaki talagang factor ang guitar construction sa overall tone nya.  kung Applause ang guitar mo, alam naman natin na entry-level yan diba?  so don't expect too much brilliance.  pwede luminis ang tunog mo with the DI but if ganyan ang guitar mo, you might want to consider buying acoustic effects.

[DumbKim]

nakakahiya kasi magtrytry heheh =)
anyway cge gagawin ko yan  ^___^
then balitaan nalang kita ano nangyari heheh...

ano ung entry-level?
hmmm, siguru nga, sabagay d ba subbrand lang ang applause ng ovation?
=) nainggit lang siguro ako sa tunog nung larrive na acoustic saka yamaha apx sa church sa pasig.
ung AEL din pala, AEG ata ung ng ibanez.

anyway, balak ko nga din bumili kahit zoom504 lang, may nakausap kasi ako taga dito, hinihintay ko lang ung backpay ko XD
pede ba un

Guitar - Zoom504 - Di > Sound System ?

di po ba madadagdagan ung kalansing if mag extra light ako?
any bad experiences sa extra light d'addario?
gusto kong subukan, kaso baka pumangit tunog =(
sayang P350.00 heheheh

Sir Max salamat pala sa pagtulong ^__^

[maxi_musikero]

Guitar - Zoom504 - Di > Sound System ?

di po ba madadagdagan ung kalansing if mag extra light ako?
any bad experiences sa extra light d'addario?

i don't recommend the 504II acoustic...digitized masyado ang tunog nya.  you have to do a lot of tweaking para hindi maging tunog digital.  kung ako sayo, mag-ipon ka pa ng konti para makakuha ka ng Zoom A2.  mas maganda daw ang reviews dun and may XLR out yun...which means it can also act as a DI box.

d'addario exp extra light ang gamit ko...ok naman yung tunog and matibay.  i haven't tried any other d'addario aside from the EXP.

[DumbKim]

i don't recommend the 504II acoustic...digitized masyado ang tunog nya.  you have to do a lot of tweaking para hindi maging tunog digital.  kung ako sayo, mag-ipon ka pa ng konti para makakuha ka ng Zoom A2.  mas maganda daw ang reviews dun and may XLR out yun...which means it can also act as a DI box.

d'addario exp extra light ang gamit ko...ok naman yung tunog and matibay.  i haven't tried any other d'addario aside from the EXP.

Ganun ho ba,
buti nalang sinabi mo,
zoom a2 ung green diba?
cge cge un nalang,

Try ko din ung d ada na extra light exp pag palit ko,
sana di ako magsisi heheh, sana bumagay sa gitara

salamat na marami '',

[strummer]

hey guys do you have schematics for direct box/ preamp for acoustics? heheh. im planning to have one made kasi... heheh

[borgy]

I was in a hunt for a really good acoustic-electric guitar for the past 10 months. I tried several larrivees, Taylor, martin and newer Gibson models at Long and Macquade and Tom Lee considering a budget of 2-2.5 only. Brand new price causes  always an aversion in buying.
Then this baby popped-up in Craigslist. Blue book lists it at 1500-1900  used(excellent condish) and MSR in 1998 was 2700.



This is a Gibson EC-30 Blues King Electro made between 94-98. Mine came from the last batch of 1998 . The newer model is now the J185.
Anyway, quoting Gibson's site, this guitar " comes equipped with a high quality saddle transducer pick-up and "Pre-Fix" pre-amp, with onboard controls, giving players from all genres full command of their sound. Controls include volume, brilliance, treble, contour, bass frequency, notch, and a phase switch.  And complementing this are an Ebony bridge, bound Ebony fingerboard with Mother of Pearl parallelogram inlay, a bound headstock and gold tuners". Mine comes in black.
The neck feels like a 58 Historic ( which I like). Comparing this to a Taylor 615ce, I would say that the unplugged sound of the EC30 is a notch louder and more balanced comparable to a Gibson SJ200. Though I admire more the very simple yet nice Expression system of the Taylor, I could mix and match the onboard controls of the EC30 to get the tone that I want.

I am very excited to plug it into a higher model acoustic amp. I am currently using a Fender 30w acoustasonic and overwhelmed by the sound.
Thanks for viewing.

[maxi_musikero]

congrats on the great find bro!  definitely a beauty.  i've tried the Gibson's at Tom Lee HK and they give off good volume and tone.  i prefer the Martins personally but i like the Gibsons better than the Taylors. 

if you're planning to get a high-end acoustic amp, i suggest you pay Tom Lee HK a visit.  their prices are slightly lower than US prices.  the salesman in the acoustic section mentioned that they might have a summer sale come july or august.

[abyssinianson]

congrats on the great find bro!  definitely a beauty.  i've tried the Gibson's at Tom Lee HK and they give off good volume and tone.  i prefer the Martins personally but i like the Gibsons better than the Taylors. 

if you're planning to get a high-end acoustic amp, i suggest you pay Tom Lee HK a visit.  their prices are slightly lower than US prices.  the salesman in the acoustic section mentioned that they might have a summer sale come july or august.

does Tom Lee charge tax separately or is stuff sold using the VAT system?

[borgy]

congrats on the great find bro!  definitely a beauty.  i've tried the Gibson's at Tom Lee HK and they give off good volume and tone.  i prefer the Martins personally but i like the Gibsons better than the Taylors. 

if you're planning to get a high-end acoustic amp, i suggest you pay Tom Lee HK a visit.  their prices are slightly lower than US prices.  the salesman in the acoustic section mentioned that they might have a summer sale come july or august.

Thanks. Medyo malayo na sakin ang Tom Lee HK eh. I m hunting for a AER para portable.

[maxi_musikero]

does Tom Lee charge tax separately or is stuff sold using the VAT system?

i'm not too sure about this...but my receipts don't show any amount for VAT.  only the list price of the item bought.  i'm not sure if i can assume that the VAT is imputed already in the list price.

[maxi_musikero]

Thanks. Medyo malayo na sakin ang Tom Lee HK eh. I hunting for a AER para portable.

san ka ba based bro?

[borgy]

@ maximusikero:
I am based here in Vancouver. 

[GGBR]

i'm not too sure about this...but my receipts don't show any amount for VAT.  only the list price of the item bought.  i'm not sure if i can assume that the VAT is imputed already in the list price.

Did you say Tom Lee HK? ---- HK? Tax?? VAT??

They must now have taxes in Sing as well?

[maxi_musikero]

@ maximusikero:
I am based here in Vancouver. 

oh ok!  i thought you were just in the Asian region.   

[deltaslim]

UPDATE:

Nakabit na yung K&K Pure Western-Mini transducers sa Morris F20 ko!  Mang Raul helped me install it (but wasn't that complicated naman pala).  The hardest part was drilling the hole for the endpin/jack.  I actually had to rout a hole twice as big as my largest drill bit!  Yikes!

I like the tone -- definitely sounds better than piezo and a little better than the Shadow.  More importantly, it's now a plug and play guitar and I don't have to worry about any attachments or add'l micing.  The sound is pretty full and strong from bass to highs, but I need to give it a full workout before I give a proper review.  I'll make a soundclip din so you guys can judge for yourself (we all have different ears and tastes).

I'm already searching for another acoustic but I'm thinking of trying the locally available brands first because, as Mang Raul, pointed out, simple lang naman construction nung transducer designs like K&K. The transducers themselves are cheap and readily available locally. In fact, I'm sure Mang Raul can jig up an exact replica of the K&K!  (Hmmm... sabihin ko nga i-business nya).  But I'll also look at the other options suggested by sir Chito (AER, Artec, etc.).  Back-read and reresearch muna ako habang wala pang new-old guitar, hehe.


EDIT:  Here's a link to the rough soundclips (done w/ mVoice app on Treo 650)

http://tinyurl.com/5k8ntf

[chito_eoi]

I'm sure Mang Raul can jig up an exact replica of the K&K!  (Hmmm... sabihin ko nga i-business nya). 

hmmm... sana mag materialize tong idea mo brother Joric. Ill be the first one to buy that Mojo!

btw. congrats sa bagong p-ups 

[GGBR]

UPDATE:

Nakabit na yung K&K Pure Western-Mini transducers sa Morris F20 ko! 

I like the tone -- definitely sounds better than piezo and a little better than the Shadow.  More importantly, it's now a plug and play guitar and I don't have to worry about any attachments or add'l micing.  The sound is pretty full and strong from bass to highs, but I need to give it a full workout before I give a proper review. 

I' The transducers themselves are cheap and readily available locally. In fact, I'm sure Mang Raul can jig up an exact replica of the K&K!  (Hmmm... sabihin ko nga i-business nya).  But I'll also look at the other options suggested by sir Chito (AER, Artec, etc.).  Back-read and reresearch muna ako habang wala pang new-old guitar, hehe.

That's great that you've installed the K & K! Reviews have it as one of the most natural sounding signals among the top brands (Highlander (another top-rate), LR Baggs, B-Band and D-Tar...).

Until you've heard that then there would really be no comparison to be able to talk about the 'quaky' piezo sound. Many pick up sets have now incorporated an internal condenser mic which contribute the more natural wood sound of the bout's internal chamber. Some of these pickups are AER's AK-15+, ARTECs 'EDGE' series (check out artecsound.com very inexpensive BUT highly rated in Harmony Central)...

The mini Western has a slightly lower signal than the Pure Western due to the foil strip that you need to install between the bridge plate and the mini itself. But still the sound is most natural.

You may want to also combine with the FunstaSTICK UST and the internal mic then out it to the Trinity blender.  They have a recently released tube preamp (name slips my mind) which sells for more than $600. I believe it employs two 12AX7s. I would go for that preamp. Then you can experiment with your Shuagang or EI tubes.

Now if you want to get serious on your preamp purchase, then the way to go is Pendulum Audio's SPS-1. You'll have to save some for this!

I've replaced the standard Ruby tube with a Tung Sol (which you have mentioned to me prior) on my tube preamp and the sound was found to be 'exciting' by those who've tried it.

[GGBR]

WOW, =)
meron na akong 2k in hand sa tingin ko onti nalang iipunin ko ano?

magkano po ba to?
ang hirap ng buhay mahirap hahahahahah
salamat sa lahat

Ang laman ng mga commercially sold DI box ay 3 or 4 na mga resistor/capacitor lang!! Ang nagpapamahal ay yung metal box nya at yung mga jacks (PL/XLR).

Kung pipiliin mo yung mga hi end DI's, ang ngapapamahal dun ay yung transformers nya. Usually ang transformer ay made by Jensen who is known to make very good components kaya mataas ang price. A cheap DI can be made by any knowledgeable electronic tech. Remember HI-Z to LO-Z lang naman ang ginagawa nyan.

Now, the effect on your sound is another factor.

[maxi_musikero]

UPDATE:

EDIT:  Here's a link to the rough soundclips (done w/ mVoice app on Treo 650)

http://tinyurl.com/5k8ntf

congrats on the new pickup! 

GGBR gives good advice as he has extensive knowledge on acoustics.  so if he says it's good, it's REALLY good.

on the soundclip, how exactly was this captured?  the signal wasn't very clear and i doubt that is the true sound of the K & K.

[deltaslim]

congrats on the new pickup! 

GGBR gives good advice as he has extensive knowledge on acoustics.  so if he says it's good, it's REALLY good.

true that. but it was my friend 'messyhands' who turned me on to K&K, we've both been searching high and low for a solution. in this case, credit goes to him.  i am learning a lot of other great stuff from Chito too tho.

on the soundclip, how exactly was this captured?  the signal wasn't very clear and i doubt that is the true sound of the K & K.

as mentioned above, it was recorded with a Treo 650's built-in mic and using the mVoice software.  both hw/sw are optimized for voice so it's not the ideal or best recording solution.  i think medyo humina na rin yung volume ng mic over time eh. 

i don't know that the K&K has a "true sound". shouldn't the sound be that of the guitar (through the K&K).      ... unless meron iniimpose na 'tone signature' ang K&K that you like and are after.  all the soundclips i've heard of it don't seem to indicate there's a "true K&K sound" per se. 

anyway, FWIW recording lang yan.  my mention of the recording setup was supposed to be the caveat to readers.

[af_villaruel]

pwedeng maki-join sa acoustic club? hehehehe.

i'm mainly an acoustic guitar player. i've used an ovation celebrity and a couple of ibanezes before. in the pursuit of "true" acoustic tone, i ended up with this very recent purchase:



it's an EGIMA 000-18 acoustic guitar.

anyway, since it doesn't have pickups (piezo or otherwise) nor a preamp, AND i'd like to use it plugged in a live setting, i don't really know of my options with regards to pickups/preamps.

if u'd indulge my lack of knowledge on this matter, i'd like you to suggest me a pickup+preamp system. the seller of the guitar offered me a fishman classic 4t piezo+preamp+tuner system kaya lang the preamp has to be routed sa body. sana ung hindi destructive.

as for the budget limit, i think i have around 4-5k for the system.

thanks!

[af_villaruel]

i forgot to mention, undersaddle piezos are a bit too bright (if not tinny) for my taste. or maybe it's just because of the quality of the ones i've used, i wouldn't know. i'd like to capture the woody sound sana nung guitar. but if there are undersaddle piezos that could capture that sound, feel free to hit me up.

btw, i find deltaslim's shadow transducer quite appealing.

[deltaslim]

btw, i find deltaslim's shadow transducer quite appealing.

alwyn - nagpapagawa na ako ng K&K clone. it's 3 disc transducers under the bridge connected directly to a the endpin output jack.  hintayin mo na lang yun, mas mura yun.

kung nagmamadali ka, try mo yung suggestion ni GGBR for locally available options: AER, Artec, etc.  kung oorder online, dami mo options.


ps - i was eyeing that Egima. di lang kami makapag-set ng good sked nung seller kasi ang layo nya sa akin.  anyway, first call ako kung sakali ibenta mo ah?  hehe... pero suggest ko ikeep mo na yan.

[maxi_musikero]

as mentioned above, it was recorded with a Treo 650's built-in mic and using the mVoice software.  both hw/sw are optimized for voice so it's not the ideal or best recording solution.  i think medyo humina na rin yung volume ng mic over time eh. 

anyway, FWIW recording lang yan.  my mention of the recording setup was supposed to be the caveat to readers.

sorry if my question was wrong. 

what i meant was.. "Where did you plug your guitar?"  i knew that it was recorded using the Treo's built-in mic but to hear the effect of the K&K, it should be plugged right?   

i don't know that the K&K has a "true sound". shouldn't the sound be that of the guitar (through the K&K).      ... unless meron iniimpose na 'tone signature' ang K&K that you like and are after.  all the soundclips i've heard of it don't seem to indicate there's a "true K&K sound" per se. 

as for the true K&K sound, i received a demo soundclip of the K&K Trinity System.  when i heard it, the only thing i said was.."Now THAT is acoustic!"  based on this, i assumed that your pick-up will sound similar to the transducer of this system.