Re: Guitar Pickup

[Richard Sales <richard@glasswing.com>]

K&K PIckups are incredible.  I have the three way pickup in two guitars - mine (Collings) and Hayley's (Webber).  

When we first started recording Hayley's record I bought about $10K worth of Neumann and Sennheiser mic's.  Mike Gillies, who mixes and does tech work at Metallica's studio was helping.  After the mic's I got the K&Ks and put one in Hayley's guitar.  Mike said, "Gee... we don't need any mic's now!"

I was pissed to say the least.  But the pickups are very close to the real thing for me. 

Use Lithium batteries.  

We DID use mic's. 

I have a Sunrise in my 12 string that I also like.  No feedback.  But it doesn't sound as good as the K&K.  Great for distorto pedals etc. 

Schatten in Canada makes GREAT banjo and resonator guitar pickups.  I have one in a Phillips resonator guitar and it is probably the most EASY to enjoy of my guitars.  I got a Ultrasound pre amp from them too that's very cool.  Cheap.  The K&K banjo pickup is nice but is so big it muffles the sound of the banjo live.  

www.schattendesign.com

You don't need a pre amp with the K&Ks.  They have one that goes inside the guitar.  I can't comment on the other K&K's 'cause I haven't used them.  Mine is the Power Mix Trinity:

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

I have a Highlander in my little parlor Webber guitar.  It's nice.  Makes it sound like a Tele or something.  I don't use the mic part. But it's not as real sounding as the K&K by any means.   I wish that guitar had 14 frets to the neck.  It sounds great thru the pedal board and amp.

The mic on the K&K is wonderful for recording when you want a really accurate sound.  Awful live unless you love uncontrolled feedback.  The howl of death. 

Haven't tried the RMC pickups (I think I got the name right) but they look VERY cool. 

AXON is coming out with a new MIDI pickup in May that' I'm interested in.  ANyone know anything about it?

richard sales
glassWing farm and studio
vancouver island, b.c.   
www.glassWing.com     www.richardsales.com
www.hayleysales.com     www.joannesales.com
www.blueberryfieldsfarm.com     
www.broombusters.org
On 25-Apr-08, at 5:02 PM, Sam Nilsson wrote:

> Scott Kellogg wrote:
> > Sorry if this has been discussed ad nauseum, but what's the guitar pickup all the cool kids are using these days?  I have a Seagull cedar acoustic that plays really nicely and has a pleasant-but-average tone.  I'm interested in processing the signal before it gets to my looper, and would like to be able to pick up taps and other percussive slaps on the body of the instrument.
> > While we're on the topic, what you think of the new crop of 'acoustic guitar' processors that are on the market (e.g. the Fishman stuff, Korg, Boss, etc.)?  My original plan was to loop with my electric basses, but my singer-songwriter groove is coming back, and maybe the guitar will be in my path as well as a bass.  Then again, an acoustic guitar with an octaver makes good basslines.
>
> K&K Sound's Pure system has gotten positive reviews from people that I have met. When I tried it, I thought it had a nice fairly natural sound. *Much* nicer than a piezo.
>
> http://www.kksound.com/acousticguitar.html#pure
>
> - Sam