K&K Pure Mini users?

[dhanners623]

I'm thinking of getting some sort of pickup in my Farida OT-22 (their guitar with LG-2 specs) and I don't want a UST. For those of you with K&K Pure Minis, do you like them? Advantages? Disadvantages? Overall impressions?

[uncle fester]

I'm a hack, so take it for what it's worth, but I like mine (in my J45).  Light, sounds good to my ears, I've never had feedback issues - but others who have, have used a feedback buster (rubber plug in the soundhole) and it solves any problems.

Edited November 11, 2019 by billroy fineman

[MorrisrownSal]

I have always liked them.

The K&K is a passive, yet hot, pickup option. They need some EQ'ing... specifically they are bass-midrange hot. So you tend to need to bring down the EQ on the bass and mids.

Dialed in correctly, they are a real natural sound and I like them a ton. My best K&K sound came from my J50 and my D18 equipped guitars, through a Fire Eye Red Eye preamp, which gives the benefit of a boost function (which I needed). There is one tone knob for the EQ - yet it is surprisingly effective for getting the EQ right on the K&Ks. If you play loud in tight quarters, you may also need a soundhole feedback buster plug. I did.

If you are thinking K&K, budget $100-$200 for a K&K pure preamp or a K&K Pure XLR preamp. Or budget $200 for a used Fire Eye Red Eye.

One last thing - K&K recommends matching the impedance of the K&K with the preamp (the K&K preamps and the Fire Eyes are such a match). In other words they say the guitar will sound better though those than they will a Baggs Venue etc, which is not a match. Some think that's hooey. I found success listening to them.

As a final really last  "last thing",  let's say you already have a preamp you use and like and don't want to buy another one. The impedance matching issue can also be solved by going guitar ==> Boss TU3 tuner pedal (which matches) ==> your preamp. In fact most BOSS pedals have the correct impedance match. I had a Boss TU3-Waza, which was great.

 

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by Salfromchatham

[Jinder]

K&K are great, and jive especially well with Mahogany guitars. I've got them in my Hummingbird 12 string and '67 J45 and am a big fan. Generally I use soundhole mag pickups but the K&K is attractively invisible and very natural sounding with a bit of a cut in the mids and bottom end. Feedback can be an issue unless EQd correctly, but in a smaller bodied guitar such as the OT22, you should be golden. Plus, you are an experienced artist and absolutely know what you're doing live tone wise, so you'll be fine!

[Jim Wilson]

I have the K&K Pure Mini in two Gibsons….a J45 rosewood and a J45 mahogany...and really like them.  The most natural sound that I've gotten with a pickup.  I also have the K&K preamp...but rarely use it.  I just go directly into my Fishman Loudbox Professional and get the kind of sound that I want.  I've never had a feedback issue, but I don't play real loud.  

[ponty]

You may be interested in this from JJB. At $49 you cant go wrong.

I have 2 J45s, one fitted with KK and the other JJB. Both do the same job.

http://www.jjb-electronics.com/prestige-330.html

[MissouriPicker]

I've got this pickup in my J100.  For a passive pickup it has a very strong signal.  If you need to do some EQing you'll need a DI box/etc.  I really like this pickup.

[MorrisrownSal]

The JJB's are NOT as hot. I tried them once, and the signal was way too weak. maybe the install was wrong... who knows.

[BluesKing777]

 

Hmmm..

Pickups - my pet love/hate.

Surely, I have all of them?

K&K..works...boring. Connect it to a Tonedexter and experiment with getting some really nice sounds and then we are cooking! Just on, 1/4 turn of bass cut off, 1/4 turn of treble cut off and we get the 'sound of your guitar mic'd in a studio'. (their claim, not mine). But once you have Tonedexter, you can use all manner of pickups with it, even the dreaded Element that comes with most Gibsons.

The real beauty of a K&K, to me, my opinion and I have done this - get the guitar electrified without too much drilling and damage to a nice guitar.....jack plug needs drilling to 1/4 and the pickup is stuck to the bridge plate with super glue preferably, but tape can be used.

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by BluesKing777

[Steve W]

Love the K&K mini with pure preamp! I have it in 6 of my 7 Guilds, and will be taking the Fishman Aura Elipse out of my SJ200 and installing the K& K. It is, by far, the best system I have ever used for amplifying acoustic guitar. And even tho it’s a passive system, I always add the soundhole volume control...as more of an instant on/off.

and no batteries inside the guitar!

[Violeiro]

I would never put a K&K on my expensive guitars, or buy a guitar with it unless it is a fantastic deal that I could flip if I wanted and make a buck...I find the CA glue to very intrusive on the bridge plate. If you ever have to remove it is impossible to get the glue out...some people say they can but I respectfully doubt since the glue is sucked into the wood.

For a bit more money the Amulet system is very similar but instead of CA glue it uses a double tape system.

I do hear lots of praises for the K&K, sure they are good and inexpensive....but just not for me.