Has anyone tried the Fishman Blackstack pickup?

[Jinder]

Hi all,

             I have the possibility of doing a deal on an L-00 and am considering what pickup to put in it, should I trade for it. 

I love the Sunrise in my AJ and have had great results with the Seymour Duncan MagMic I have in my '41 Reissue SJ100, too. I definitely want to go for a soundhole pickup but I'm debating which...

I'm tempted to go for another Sunrise, but I've read recently that the Fishman Blackstack is very close to the Sunrise tonally, but is lighter and slightly smaller. I gather it was designed by Mike Vanden, who of course is the architect of the brilliant Mimesis Kudos and Rare Earth pickups. I have been tempted by the Mimesis but I don't really want to go down the outboard blending route, which the condenser in the Mimesis requires.

 

Has anyone tried the Blackstack? Any real life experiences would be great to hear. 

Failing that, any other soundhole recommendations are very welcome. I'm not a fan of the Rare Earth Humbuckers (I like the single coil RE in my J180 but the risk of 60hz hum makes it difficult to rely on) but am keen to hear thoughts on anything else.

[BluesKing777]

I have the Blackstack.

I threw it in the "Failed Drawer" - on its own it sounded awful and little level to use.

But someone suggested a quite expensive fix - Ha, this will rock you - use a Sunrise buffer preamp. Sounds great, but the Sunrise pickup is way 'nicer'. I have had trouble balancing the 4th string pole piece. and don't know why....get a buzz at the mo.

But running through the Sunrise box and then my Fishman Pro EQ to trim the fat all over - gets it close.

I love my Seymour Dunc MM - just having that mic on a few percent makes it easier to play like it is an acoustic. My opinion.

Hey, I did an experiment with the Sunrise in my Maton (SRS808). The Maton AP5-Pro pickup system has sep controls for vol on the undersaddle and internal mic. I turned the undersaddle off and ran the mic only to a mixer channel - and the Sunrise to the buffer and another mixer channel. Voila! Sunrise with a bit of real mic as well. (Sunrise had to have the wings taken off to fit in the small soundhole of the Maton and gaffa tape applied to hold in position - and then I could not get the pickup out without loosening the strings.) But end result - the Sunrise needs a mic as well! But the Maton normally can have a soundhole anti feedback buster. Oh Oh.

Err, back to SD Mag Mic then..

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

[Jinder]

On 5/28/2019 at 11:54 PM, BluesKing777 said:

I have the Blackstack.

I threw it in the "Failed Drawer" - on its own it sounded awful and little level to use.

But someone suggested a quite expensive fix - Ha, this will rock you - use a Sunrise buffer preamp. Sounds great, but the Sunrise pickup is way 'nicer'. I have had trouble balancing the 4th string pole piece. and don't know why....get a buzz at the mo.

But running through the Sunrise box and then my Fishman Pro EQ to trim the fat all over - gets it close.

I love my Seymour Dunc MM - just having that mic on a few percent makes it easier to play like it is an acoustic. My opinion.

Hey, I did an experiment with the Sunrise in my Maton (SRS808). The Maton AP5-Pro pickup system has sep controls for vol on the undersaddle and internal mic. I turned the undersaddle off and ran the mic only to a mixer channel - and the Sunrise to the buffer and another mixer channel. Voila! Sunrise with a bit of real mic as well. (Sunrise had to have the wings taken off to fit in the small soundhole of the Maton and gaffa tape applied to hold in position - and then I could not get the pickup out without loosening the strings.) But end result - the Sunrise needs a mic as well! But the Maton normally can have a soundhole anti feedback buster. Oh Oh.

Err, back to SD Mag Mic then..

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

I though you might be the one to advise, thankyou! I'll give the Blackstack a miss until I can try it hands on. I have a Seymour Duncan MM in my '41 Reissue SJ100 and love it-superb pickup! I'd fit another in a heartbeat, although nothing has topped the Sunrise for me yet. I enjoy mine in my AJ as a single source unit, although I do use my Boss AD10 pre and run the 'Acoustic Resonance' function at around 11 o'clock, which I think probably adds something of the air to the Sunrise tone that a bit of mic blend achieves.

I used my SJ200 (with Fishman Matrix Infinity) for a gig the other day, and was shocked by how cheesy the UST sounds in comparison to my Sunrise, MagMic etc that I've been using for the last year or so. Not even in the same district in terms of tonal quality. 

I'm wondering whether I'd see much tonal uptick from running a Sunrise buffer box in front of the AD10...it seems a bit self defeating to chain the gain stages like that, but I'm intrigued. 

I'm also very interested in the Sarno Steel Guitar Black Box, the all tube variable-z front end box which is supposed to add all manner of tonal magic when placed at the front of the signal chain. It's not just a buffer as such (although it functions as one), more a tonal conditioner. Fascinating bit of gear!

[BluesKing777]

2 hours ago, Jinder said:

I though you might be the one to advise, thankyou! I'll give the Blackstack a miss until I can try it hands on. I have a Seymour Duncan MM in my '41 Reissue SJ100 and love it-superb pickup! I'd fit another in a heartbeat, although nothing has topped the Sunrise for me yet. I enjoy mine in my AJ as a single source unit, although I do use my Boss AD10 pre and run the 'Acoustic Resonance' function at around 11 o'clock, which I think probably adds something of the air to the Sunrise tone that a bit of mic blend achieves.

I used my SJ200 (with Fishman Matrix Infinity) for a gig the other day, and was shocked by how cheesy the UST sounds in comparison to my Sunrise, MagMic etc that I've been using for the last year or so. Not even in the same district in terms of tonal quality. 

I'm wondering whether I'd see much tonal uptick from running a Sunrise buffer box in front of the AD10...it seems a bit self defeating to chain the gain stages like that, but I'm intrigued. 

I'm also very interested in the Sarno Steel Guitar Black Box, the all tube variable-z front end box which is supposed to add all manner of tonal magic when placed at the front of the signal chain. It's not just a buffer as such (although it functions as one), more a tonal conditioner. Fascinating bit of gear!

 

The Sunrise buffer box pre gives a big fat sound to everything, then alter level and tone on the Boss.....

I like my DiMarzio Black Angel.....passive, no battery, adjustable poles etc, but also through the Sunrise buffer. I prefer the Mag Mic with a bit of the mic on...or a lot.....but if you don’t get to use the mic, you may be pleased with the Black Angel.

Lots of people use the Sunrise pickup with a Demeter Tube DI, I have been told.....

 

BluesKing777.