Double Neck Guitar in need of acoustic sounding pickup!

[Diminished Triad]

I'm building a double neck guitar and want one half of the guitar to sound as acoustic as possible. I may even go 12 string but have not yet decided. I am sure I want one of the two guitars to sound as acoustic as possible and would like your help in designing and selecting. Please share your preferences for a bridge and a pickup that will give an electric guitar like this the closest sound to acoustic possible. Lots of songs out there that have both an acoustic guitar playing (usually starting) and electric guitars jamming, and with only 2 guitar players in our band we want to take a shot at this combo guitar with two necks and see what we can produce to as close as an acoustic sound as allowable. So, what can we do for pickups and what can we do for bridges to accomplish this goal?

Thanks!!!

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: Double Neck Guitar in need of acoustic sounding pickup!

You ever see the Bon Jovi video for Wanted Dead or Alive?
Put an acoustic guitar on a stand pointed at a mic.
Use it when you want an acoustic sound.
Swap back and forth with your electric.
Doing anything else is just for the sake of complexity.

And for what it's worth... an amplified acoustic sound, from a microphone, is almost impossible to duplicate electronically.

 

[agentzero12]

Double Neck Guitar in need of acoustic sounding pickup!

Top half semi hollow with a piezo, maybe? I've never done it but that seems like a close formula.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Double Neck Guitar in need of acoustic sounding pickup!

using a mic on an acoustic in a live setting can be a nightmare. unless its all acoustic instruments and the volume is very low, you will have feedback issues.

your best practical bet is a piezo bridge

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Double Neck Guitar in need of acoustic sounding pickup!

Yes, piezzo is the only way to get a good acoustic sound from an electric guitar.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Double Neck Guitar in need of acoustic sounding pickup!

Acoustic strings, a Sunrise, and a good pre-amp. Add a piezo-loaded acoustic bridge and blender too if you can swing it. No plug-in acoustic sound is great in my book, but of the options, my favorite is the Sunrise system.

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: Double Neck Guitar in need of acoustic sounding pickup!

OP have you thought of maybe adding the guts from a Line 6 modeling guitar?
I've seen people successfully transplant those to other guitars and IIRC, they do a pretty good modeled acoustic sound.
Certainly better sounding that just adding a piezo.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Double Neck Guitar in need of acoustic sounding pickup!

OP have you thought of maybe adding the guts from a Line 6 modeling guitar?
I've seen people successfully transplant those to other guitars and IIRC, they do a pretty good modeled acoustic sound.
Certainly better sounding that just adding a piezo.

Okay, what's an OP? :guilty:

Thanks for the advice for sure!

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: Double Neck Guitar in need of acoustic sounding pickup!

Okay, what's an OP? :guilty:

Shorthand for "original poster".

Thanks for the advice for sure!

No problem.
I hate to sound like I'm being negative, I just don't want you to waste your time.
If what you're looking for is to just have a passable "acoustic" sound come out of an electric guitar (solid, semi-hollow or hollow body) then a piezo bridge/acoustic preamp/amp will do that for you.
If you're looking to *sound like an acoustic guitar*, then there are other solutions, the least of which is to use an actual acoustic guitar and switch between the two.

If you were *really* adventurous, it would be intriguing to make a doubleneck semi-hollow/hollow body for one neck and a solid for the other.
Then put a piezo bridge and microphone inside the chamber using one of those dual input preamps they make for acoustics.
That combo is what makes acoustics onstage sound great because you can mix the two signals to get best response.

And then there's the Line 6 modeling alternative.

Which ever direction you take, good luck and keep us updated.