YerDugliness Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Despite the fact that my collection of guitars includes a few multi-thousand dollar specimens, my Masterbilt AJ500RC is my very favorite play. It was a cosmic coalescence of the right tone-woods, the right size body, the right scale, and a "baseball bat" neck that is VERY comfortable for me to play. I'd like to juice it up to use onstage (I currently use a Tak 2005 LTD edition). I'm hoping that I can get some advice from our forum members. I don't like a UST pickup...just don't think they would do a good job of reproducing the incredible tonal characteristics of this Masterbilt. I think I prefer the K&K products, which include 3 (for a steel string acoustic) or 4 (for a classical) microphones glued to the underside of the bridge-plate inside the body of the guitar. So...has anyone tried this option? If I did this, I'd have the shop (which is an authorized Gibson repair shop) relocate the strap button on the butt of the guitar to the heel of the neck and replace it with a matching end-pin jack. I know I'd need to wear some sort of pre-amp, that doesn't bother me as I'm mostly standing (or sitting, as in my photo/avatar) in front of a mic and don't move around much when performing. What say you, folks? Cheers from Dugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 I don't like a UST pickup...just don't think they would do a good job of reproducing the incredible tonal characteristics of this Masterbilt. I think I prefer the K&K products, which include 3 (for a steel string acoustic) or 4 (for a classical) microphones glued to the underside of the bridge-plate inside the body of the guitar. You're talking about the 12-fret slot-head AJ500RC? Undersaddles are sort of the 'new thing', but if you don't like 'em, K&K mini is a very good system, too. I think they're piezos, not mics, but some systems are adding a little mic as well. Yeah, if you add a pre-amp, you ought to be set! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YerDugliness Posted October 21, 2016 Author Share Posted October 21, 2016 You're talking about the 12-fret slot-head AJ500RC? Undersaddles are sort of the 'new thing', but if you don't like 'em, K&K mini is a very good system, too. I think they're piezos, not mics, but some systems are adding a little mic as well. Yeah, if you add a pre-amp, you ought to be set! Thanks...yes, it's the slot-headed 12-fret free model. I'll check out the K&K system...I'd prefer a microphone based system just because my AJ has the sweetest tone I've ever heard and that is what I think a mic would reproduce better than a piezo or UST. Thanks, again! Cheers! Dugly B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YerDugliness Posted October 21, 2016 Author Share Posted October 21, 2016 I think they're piezos, not mics, but some systems are adding a little mic as well. I took a look at the K&K website...it's changed considerably since the last time I looked (probably two years ago), but they now refer to their pickups as "transducers"...piezos, I'd guess. I looked at Amazon, too...found LOTS of highly complimentary reviews and Amazon sells the system at a very decent price. I do remember that one could also order a volume control (a knurled knob type that gets attached to the underside of the soundboard at the "top" of the soundhole) as well as what I recall as a "phase control"...perhaps some sort of device to control feedback? I REALLY like the idea of a microphone based system, would you mind providing me with the names of the companies who offer those, Cougar? Having said that, though...a lot of the reviews on Amazon (and there were some 280+ of them) said that the K&K Mini Pure Western did a better job of reproducing the individual voice of their acoustic guitar than any other system they had tried. The number of reviews that said that was VERY impressive. It is also surprising that their steel string system uses three transducers while their system for classical guitars uses four...wonder why? While the installation MAY be simple, I'd leave all that up to the shop I use in Houston. It's a Gibson authorized repair center and they said they have had great success installing the K&K products. Cheers!!! Dugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Choosing the right pickup often depends on what kind of tone you would want to get out of your guitar and whether or not you are willing to install any permanent hardware. I found Reverb's brief article quite informative on this very subject. In my opinion, only Ovation ever nailed the acoustic/electric. The other guitar brands including both Gibson and Epiphone are completely stuck in the past in terms of amplification, and only have disappointment to offer you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YerDugliness Posted October 25, 2016 Author Share Posted October 25, 2016 In my opinion, only Ovation ever nailed the acoustic/electric. I owned an Ovation "Troubador" acoustic-only model (it was 1972...that is what my memory says, but we all know about memories from that long ago, so the model might be wrong!) and it was the most absolutely horrid guitar I've ever played. I had to have the neck adjusted almost every time the sun came up in the east. The neck was absolutely TOO narrow for hands that had learned on a classical guitar. The only reason I even kept the guitar was that it did have a very "pure" tone. I hated the way that plastic bowl they used for a back slid down while I was playing it. It was my very first steel-string guitar, I paid $75 for it and it was practically new with Ovation HSC. It was stolen from my home while I was away on vacation...I didn't even mind, but I REALLY wanted the classical guitar back that was stolen with it. My juiced guitars were all "juiced" at the factory...Washburn and Takamini models. They sound fine to my old (68 years soon) ears, but I think this AJ500RC will out-do them if I can get the right pickup. I read the Reverb article and it sounds like I was right to pick the K&K Mini, as it seems to offer the best amplification for the acoustic guitar. I think I'll give it a try and see how I like it. If I still had the golden ears I had as a younger audiophile I could probably tell whether it was the best choice, but that boat sailed LOOOONG ago...so, thank you for posting that link, it was quite helpful in making my decision! There WAS an ovation A/E model that I thought was attractive...was it the "Adonis" model? It had a group of smaller holes up at the margin of the upper bout rather than a centrally located sound-hole. As I looked at that guitar I almost wanted one, because the neck looked wide enough...but there was still that "bowl" shaped back, so "almost" was as close as I could get. One of my favorite guitarists...Jerry Wood (the other half of the Finnigan and Wood duo of "Crazed Hipsters" fame) once traded a beautiful flamed maple Gibson Les Paul in on an Ovation Electric...I was not a fan of the Ovation solid body electric just because it looked so....what....awful? Jerry's no longer with us....drugs, I've heard...all Mike will say is something to the effect of "It's a shame how things ended for Jerry". I have my own history with Ovations...SO glad your experience with them has been better than mine . Cheers! Dugly B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 I REALLY like the idea of a microphone based system, would you mind providing me with the names of the companies who offer those, Cougar? The only one I'm familiar with is the DTAR dual source. It's got an under-saddle and a mic, with controls in the soundhole..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YerDugliness Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 The only one I'm familiar with is the DTAR dual source. It's got an under-saddle and a mic, with controls in the soundhole..... From what I read combining the UST/piezo pickup with a microphone will result in the most realistic sound production. I'll certainly take a look at the DTAR option. Thanks! Dugly B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 Good advice flowing as usual.... I also had a bad experience with an Ovation in the 70's... :blink: Forward to the 2010's....'bout 40 of your wonderful English years... <_< Ovations are hugely improved now....they offer a contoured resin back on some models I have a multi hole 12 string of that type...and with it's excellent P/U and EQ.... Usually draws praise in the tone department.... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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