K & K Mini

[Scott Ptak]

Anybody using a K & K mini pickup? Thoughts? Sound quality?

[DRC]

Hey Scott, welcome! Been using them in all my guitars and bouzouki for many years and are the best, most natural sounding pickups I've used in 40+ years of playing/touring. For me, the less clutter inside my guitar the better and the K&K is minimally invasive with nothing sitting under the saddle as with USTs. If you're performing, they're best used with a good external preamp and I'm using the dedicated K&K preamps with EQ control. Excellent natural, clear, balanced sound whether run through my band's system or large venue FOH systems. I've heard that the JJB 330 is the equivalent of the K&K at half the price and planning to try one soon.

 

BTW, I'll be removing the Baggs Element in my J-35 soon and replacing with either a K&K or JJB. The Element is...well.... let's just say... not great. :)

 

DC

[gottabetweed]

I use a Gibson Hummingbird with an KandK mini, into an LR Baggs Para Acoustic then direct into the board. I get complements on how natural my guitar sounds all the time. Works for me.

[ponty]

K&K is great..JJB is great, and HALF the price of K&K.

There is little difference. I have both.

[livemusic]

K&K is great..JJB is great, and HALF the price of K&K.

There is little difference. I have both.

 

You say there is little difference, inferring that there is a difference. What is it? Thanks.

 

(I listened to several demos of the JJB and some of them did not sound great to me. But I did not have the K&K to compare it to.)

[ponty]

You say there is little difference, inferring that there is a difference. What is it? Thanks.

 

(I listened to several demos of the JJB and some of them did not sound great to me. But I did not have the K&K to compare it to.)

 

Firstly the sound. They are piezo discs

which look identical. Not surprising they sound the same.

The build quality is the same. High quality components, and build quality.

The packaging is different. The JJB comes in a brown padded envelope, and the KK in a nice yellow

box, small krazy glue tube, and a temporary fixing device. The Marketing for K&K is better,

and it is more widely known. Try the JJB..it is really the bargain of all pick-ups.

[Danner]

I put a K&K Pure Mini in my 2009 TV Southern Jumbo. I like it very much. It's a peizo, but not quacky like the under-saddle pick-ups. I also like that fact that there are no batteries or other circuits in the guitar, so it is "minimally invasive".

 

I would recommend it to others.

[akacappy]

I just put the K&K mini with volume control in my new j-45 TV...sounds amazing. I actually like playing it amped more! The volume control seems to act a bit like tone control too, kind of nice.

[MorrisrownSal]

I have it in my Southern Jumbo TV. I also use a K&K preamp. Its great. I too like the simplicity and low impact to the guitar, structurally.

[Scott Ptak]

Thank you all for the comments on the K&K Mini. Looks as if I will be picking one up and giving it a whirl. Have you had to use a pre-amp in any stage / venue situation? Working in a large room with good sized band using a direct box with a house mix. Thinking of getting the K&K pre-amp (street about $90.00) just in case I need a bit of a boost.

 

Scott

[DRC]

Thank you all for the comments on the K&K Mini. Looks as if I will be picking one up and giving it a whirl. Have you had to use a pre-amp in any stage / venue situation? Working in a large room with good sized band using a direct box with a house mix. Thinking of getting the K&K pre-amp (street about $90.00) just in case I need a bit of a boost.

 

Scott

Hey Scott, I guess you missed my post (#2) where I said, "If you're performing, they're best used with a good external preamp and I'm using the dedicated K&K preamps with EQ control. Excellent natural, clear, balanced sound whether run through my band's system or large venue FOH systems."

 

My Irish band plays some large venues including festivals through some pretty strong 'house' systems. I always use DIs along with the K&K preamps. For these types of situations, I'd never run my K&K pickups without preamps since they're not really an 'active' pickup and need a boost through larger systems. I receive comments all the time from sound engineers and people in the audience saying how great my guitars and bouzouki sound. I think you'll really like the K&K. I haven't installed a pickup in my Guild F-130R yet, and am seriously considering trying the JJB 330.

 

Good luck

DC

[Danner]

Thank you all for the comments on the K&K Mini. Looks as if I will be picking one up and giving it a whirl. Have you had to use a pre-amp in any stage / venue situation? Working in a large room with good sized band using a direct box with a house mix. Thinking of getting the K&K pre-amp (street about $90.00) just in case I need a bit of a boost.

 

Scott

 

My Fishman Loudbox can run off the K&K with no extra preamp, no problems at all. I don't gig, so feedback has never been an issue for me.

[DRC]

K&Ks do just fine without a preamp when run through small portable amps or small powered mixers meant for small venues. However, when run through larger systems with significantly more power and powering a series of external speakers for large venues, you'll need the preamp. My band's system is 1200 watts stereo (600w/side), and FOH systems we've played at large venues are MUCH more powerful. If you run the K&K with and without a preamp through these large systems with 2-4 or more mains and 4-5 monitors, you will hear the difference. In fact, at one gig we were doing a sound check and I forgot to plug one of my guitars into the preamp and bypassed it. The sound engineer said, "Hey, what pickup are you using...I'll need more power". Then I realized the preamp was still sitting on my chair. Hooked it up and BAM! The engineer said, "Okay....that's what I'm talkin' about. Sounds great." BTW, I've never had feedback issues with the K&K in any size venue.

 

DC

[Irish]

I have K&Ks on 3 of my guitars. Very happy with them. Natural sound, lots of gain even un-preamped, no holes or barndoors in my guitars. I'd recommend them.

[Gibby Acoustic Lover]

I had one in the past on a Martin D-16GT, but sold the guitar. I'm having one put into a J-150 and probably into an AJ in a couple weeks.

 

I don't have the first hand experience yet to tell you how it plays live, but hopefully in the near future.

 

I have heard/read online about it sounding more natural than a UST and it also helps to go through a pretty transparent DI like a Red Eye or the like.

[Gibby Acoustic Lover]

I had one in the past on a Martin D-16GT, but sold the guitar. I'm having one put into a J-150 and probably into an AJ in a couple weeks.

 

I don't have the first hand experience yet to tell you how it plays live, but hopefully in the near future.

 

I have heard/read online about it sounding more natural than a UST and it also helps to go through a pretty transparent DI like a Red Eye or the like.

 

 

Just got back from a show and really loved sound of the K&K though my J150. Gotta be careful with taping on the top (I like to be percussive at times) but though my Fishman aura spectrum it sounded great in the mix. I hope to try a Red Eye DI soon, but certainly think I'll put a Pure mini in my AJ.

 

I had a Baggs M80 in the J150, and personally I didn't care for it.