Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
- Thread starter LesStrat
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strat_master
New member
Re: Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
I play in my washroom sometimes. I knw this soudns dumb but the acoustics of the room brings the guitar TO LIFE
I play in my washroom sometimes. I knw this soudns dumb but the acoustics of the room brings the guitar TO LIFE
sweet_lou
New member
Re: Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
My latest buy a Hamer Artist Custom came with this. I have not tried the accoustic yet. But quite a fee guys with Artists use them. I understand it is about 150.00
http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/pickups_tbridge.shtml
My latest buy a Hamer Artist Custom came with this. I have not tried the accoustic yet. But quite a fee guys with Artists use them. I understand it is about 150.00
http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/pickups_tbridge.shtml
Robert S.
Super Moderator
Re: Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
LesStrat, are you looking to improve the acoustic tone of the guitar or the transduced tone. I'm partial to phosphur bronze strings on acoustics to get that bright, spanky tone that only bronze strings get, but they generally don't last too long before they deaden.
If it's the electric tone that is lacking you may have a less than stellar preamp/transducer setup, an EQ or a sonic maximizer may help to clear up your electric tone.
LesStrat, are you looking to improve the acoustic tone of the guitar or the transduced tone. I'm partial to phosphur bronze strings on acoustics to get that bright, spanky tone that only bronze strings get, but they generally don't last too long before they deaden.
If it's the electric tone that is lacking you may have a less than stellar preamp/transducer setup, an EQ or a sonic maximizer may help to clear up your electric tone.
LesStrat
Reining PunLowered
Re: Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
The electric/amplified tone. It's not that I don't like my sound, I'm just looking for enhancements.
I tried an Aphex Xciter pedal yesterday. I liked it, but I don't know if it is worth the money (it didn't seem to make THAT much difference).
Review (brief): It definitely enhanced the tone, but mostly when chorus was used. it wasn't significantly different without chorus. Which is what made me question its real impact. A pretty subtle device, IMO. Then again, maybe that was the point.
I considered using a compressor recently. I tried out an old Alesis Microcomp--cool device, but the one I tried had been through the ringer, and the a/c plug didn't set well, and it couldn't be re-soldered easily (looked pretty risky to me).
Just wondering what you guys use/recommend.
(BTW, I like playing in the bathroom, too--great natural reverb!)
The electric/amplified tone. It's not that I don't like my sound, I'm just looking for enhancements.
I tried an Aphex Xciter pedal yesterday. I liked it, but I don't know if it is worth the money (it didn't seem to make THAT much difference).
Review (brief): It definitely enhanced the tone, but mostly when chorus was used. it wasn't significantly different without chorus. Which is what made me question its real impact. A pretty subtle device, IMO. Then again, maybe that was the point.
I considered using a compressor recently. I tried out an old Alesis Microcomp--cool device, but the one I tried had been through the ringer, and the a/c plug didn't set well, and it couldn't be re-soldered easily (looked pretty risky to me).
Just wondering what you guys use/recommend.
(BTW, I like playing in the bathroom, too--great natural reverb!)
Re: Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
I play acoustic primarily so have thought about this and experimented a lot...
First, my sense is that amplifying an acoustic is less about making the acoustic sound louder than it is about making it bigger. If someone is interested in me saying more about that, that can happen in a later post.
My set-up goes like this - a Sunrise soundhole and McIntyre surface mount to a stereo Sunrise pre-amp to a Raven PMB-1 (the signal has a bit more from the Sunrise than the Mc) with a touch of compression on each pickup, a touch of chorus, and a touch of reverb.
The compression tames the peaks and valleys a bit but helps to bring out the harmonics. The chorus fattens the sound and helps make the simpler sound via the pickups seem a little more complex - like the natural sound - and the reverb helps to simulate the way an acoustic's sound surrounds you when the guitar is sitting in your lap. Finally, multiple sources helps to give a more complex and complete picture of the sound of the guitar.
roy
I play acoustic primarily so have thought about this and experimented a lot...
First, my sense is that amplifying an acoustic is less about making the acoustic sound louder than it is about making it bigger. If someone is interested in me saying more about that, that can happen in a later post.
My set-up goes like this - a Sunrise soundhole and McIntyre surface mount to a stereo Sunrise pre-amp to a Raven PMB-1 (the signal has a bit more from the Sunrise than the Mc) with a touch of compression on each pickup, a touch of chorus, and a touch of reverb.
The compression tames the peaks and valleys a bit but helps to bring out the harmonics. The chorus fattens the sound and helps make the simpler sound via the pickups seem a little more complex - like the natural sound - and the reverb helps to simulate the way an acoustic's sound surrounds you when the guitar is sitting in your lap. Finally, multiple sources helps to give a more complex and complete picture of the sound of the guitar.
roy
beandip
Frito's Better Half
Re: Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
I'd say email Evan w/ your problem and he'll come to the rescue. I was reading a recent edition of Acoustic Guitar and the D-tar came out on top (I forgot what for though,
), so I guess the products are pretty good (what Duncan isnt?).
I'd say email Evan w/ your problem and he'll come to the rescue. I was reading a recent edition of Acoustic Guitar and the D-tar came out on top (I forgot what for though,
), so I guess the products are pretty good (what Duncan isnt?).
Bludave
New member
Re: Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
If you want an acoustic guitar to sound like an acoustic guitar, put a microphone in front of it. In live situations I use a sure SM57 or 58. In the studio I use a a Senhauser ( I think). An acoustic guitar is considerably more difficult to get it to sound got amplified. It was built to sound good acoustically. The less electronics you use the better the acoustic sound. Listen to recordings of great acoustic players, and then read about what they did in the studio. Generally they put a microphone in front of the sound hole or at some point within a foot of the soundhole and start taping. Most live situations IMO sound inferior to this tecnique. A lot of players use mikes and transducers in combination where each signal can be managed seperatley to "blend" the signals together to get the best acoustic sound like a Fishman system. This gives you added flexibility to dial in the best sound that a particular room can offer. Bottom line is Live acoustic "amplified" is always going to be a challenge to get it to sound acoustic!!
If you want an acoustic guitar to sound like an acoustic guitar, put a microphone in front of it. In live situations I use a sure SM57 or 58. In the studio I use a a Senhauser ( I think). An acoustic guitar is considerably more difficult to get it to sound got amplified. It was built to sound good acoustically. The less electronics you use the better the acoustic sound. Listen to recordings of great acoustic players, and then read about what they did in the studio. Generally they put a microphone in front of the sound hole or at some point within a foot of the soundhole and start taping. Most live situations IMO sound inferior to this tecnique. A lot of players use mikes and transducers in combination where each signal can be managed seperatley to "blend" the signals together to get the best acoustic sound like a Fishman system. This gives you added flexibility to dial in the best sound that a particular room can offer. Bottom line is Live acoustic "amplified" is always going to be a challenge to get it to sound acoustic!!
gordon_39422
New member
Re: Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
Bludave is right on there!! I've been into home recording for awhile, and that has been my unicorn... Recording the perfect accoustic sound. Using 3 mics simultaneously on 3 separate channels has been the most sucesful (1 placed near the soundhole, 1 placed near the fingerboard to record action, and one placed behind the guitar to get the depth). By eliminating stage presence it is not very practical for live sound, huh! Even when recording, you cant sing along to ensure you are stilll in the right spot of the song. I haven't played with it first hand, but one of my buddies from back when I was in the Army just purchased the new 3-way pup system by Dean Markley for his Martin and swears by it. It has the normal under-saddle piezzo trandsucer, a magnetic soundhole pup, and a condesner mic that can each be indepently adjusted to give natural sounds. Weighing in a $500, it may not be the cheapest option, but it definitely seems to be the best option available short of micing the guitar.
Bludave is right on there!! I've been into home recording for awhile, and that has been my unicorn... Recording the perfect accoustic sound. Using 3 mics simultaneously on 3 separate channels has been the most sucesful (1 placed near the soundhole, 1 placed near the fingerboard to record action, and one placed behind the guitar to get the depth). By eliminating stage presence it is not very practical for live sound, huh! Even when recording, you cant sing along to ensure you are stilll in the right spot of the song. I haven't played with it first hand, but one of my buddies from back when I was in the Army just purchased the new 3-way pup system by Dean Markley for his Martin and swears by it. It has the normal under-saddle piezzo trandsucer, a magnetic soundhole pup, and a condesner mic that can each be indepently adjusted to give natural sounds. Weighing in a $500, it may not be the cheapest option, but it definitely seems to be the best option available short of micing the guitar.
LesStrat
Reining PunLowered
Re: Enhancing Acoustic Guitar sound--advice???
I like my guitar. I don't have problems with the pups. It sounds good with chorus. I'm just thinking about possibilities with processors to enhance the sound.
And you're right--mics are pretty impractical in live performance situations.
I like my guitar. I don't have problems with the pups. It sounds good with chorus. I'm just thinking about possibilities with processors to enhance the sound.
And you're right--mics are pretty impractical in live performance situations.
