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Mic'ing through an amp?


TomLeoni

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Does anyone mic their strictly-acoustic guitar through an amplifier for performance in smallish venues and, if so, what combination works best for you?

 

I love my EH 185 and since I only have vocal mikes, have been reading up on instrument mikes to plug into that "microphone" channel. It's extremely hard to find information about this combination (mic==>amp) though, unless it's for a mouth-harp. And it seems a pity to mike a fine guitar through the PA system without being tempted to exploit the awesome tone of the EH.

 

Any thoughts?

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I used a rode condenser mic just placed in front of me to capture vocals and guitar , but it's a quiet gig

My pal mic's his with an sm57 just placed in front of guitar

Works grand. No moving about too much though and there's the extra equipment crowding round you

 

I hate the sound of pickup in a guitar but I put up with it because of the ease of use , micing a guitar is great but ......

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First thing.......what's an EH-185? EDIT: Ah! An old Gibson tube amp, huh? Can't imagine that has a good acoustic tone at any volume......vacuum tubes break up very nicely and are indispensable for rock & roll guitar......but acoustic? Awesome though tube amp tone is, it is generally considered inferior for acoustic amplification for the very reason it is awesome behind an electric guitar.

 

Indeed, a good microphone beats pretty much any onboard pickup for acoustic sound reproduction, but it's a tough row to hoe for a lot of reasons and nearly impossible for anything more than a solo/duet acoustic act. I bought a ETL Edwina condenser mic for the purpose and it is magnificent for capturing vocal and guitar. (I have yet to use it anywhere but at home, however.......it's in the quiver, though, for the day when things develop further as I pursue a plan.) It does require 48V phantom power which may or may not be a concern for the amp you plan to use.

 

Welcome to the pursuit of the perfect acoustic tone!

 

(honestly, I think even the best live acoustic tone is pearls before swine.......most clubbers don't have an ear for such nuance.......no offense to the clubbers intended, of course!)

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On the open mic circuit folks take what is available.....:blink:

 

So a vocal mic like an SM58 could end up placed close in front of an acoustic guitar....[thumbup]

 

I recently witnessed a 'purist' Martin player doing this.....[biggrin]

 

And we all thought it sounded excellent......[thumbup]

 

V

 

:-({|=

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one option in another direction, is a removable sound hole pickup.

 

A Dean Markley Pro Mag is one such decent sounding pickup of this type. Not too expensive either, about 50/60 USD.

 

They are not perfect, sometimes can get in the way, and the cable sort of hangs from the sound-hole, but in a pinch, very effective.

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1502112546[/url]' post='1873702']

Does anyone mic their strictly-acoustic guitar through an amplifier for performance in smallish venues and, if so, what combination works best for you?

 

I love my EH 185 and since I only have vocal mikes, have been reading up on instrument mikes to plug into that "microphone" channel. It's extremely hard to find information about this combination (mic==>amp) though, unless it's for a mouth-harp. And it seems a pity to mike a fine guitar through the PA system without being tempted to exploit the awesome tone of the EH.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Yes I do this quite often , I place a Shure SM58 on a boom stand in front of the guitar and plug into the mic channel of my AER 60 . Got to be honest in the context that I use this it works well , I find the best position for the Mike is close to the 14th fret ( the body and neck joint ) I don't play loud so it's just used for sound reinforcement in church

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Does anyone mic their strictly-acoustic guitar through an amplifier for performance in smallish venues and, if so, what combination works best for you?

 

I love my EH 185 and since I only have vocal mikes, have been reading up on instrument mikes to plug into that "microphone" channel. It's extremely hard to find information about this combination (mic==>amp) though, unless it's for a mouth-harp. And it seems a pity to mike a fine guitar through the PA system without being tempted to exploit the awesome tone of the EH.

 

Any thoughts?

 

I mic my 5 string banjo as well as my uke with a basic Berringer (sp) microphone with a mic stand in front through the mic input of my amp when I do a short instrumental set with each at my gigs. Works fine. Acoustic instruments really do not need anything fancy...

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

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I've never mic'ed my J-45, may have to try it.....

 

I will say I much prefer it's plugged in sound through the Carvin acoustic amp, than through a p.a. system. I've often thought if I start gigging more acoustically I would buy another cab, or the new Carvin 300 watt version with another cab for the guitar.

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