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Looking for some suggestions. I have recently been attending some "acoustic" jams. To that end I have been taking my Tanglewood TW45-DLX-FC4 model guitar. This guitar as been set up by an accomplished guitar tech. A few years back I replaced the Fishman piezo with a LRBaggs transducer pickup on suggestion from Mac. The sound for chunkin chords and inside pickin is killer. My problem is that I am being asked to take more adlib solos and the E and B strings just don't cut it. If I bring their volume up the bass strings gets too loud. I think part of the reason is due to the fact the bridge string holes are drilled in a slight arc similiar to a "C" . I have tried different placement of the transducer with no success. Sooooo what are you other acoustic pickers doing out there, using two pickups, a different brand/kind/type of pickup, kind of amp,, etc.? Because the jams are "slightly" electric I am playing through a Fender Frontman 15R (the big boys have to stay home). Sure would be curious what is working for others. Thanks DennisD.
There are only 3 kinds of musicians: those that can count, and those that can't!
PC AMD A4-5300 APU 3.4 GHz, 8gb RAM, 1T HDD, Windows 10,
Reaper 4.77, BIAB2018, PTPA12, RB2018, Roland VS-880 DAW
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Denis, I was always jealous of some person whips out a guitar and and could lead us in singing "Blowin' in the wind."
My 88 key piano I grew up with was not so portable.
Now I understand almost nothing about your post, but wow, that's a bunch of problems.
Hope you get it sorted out. I just thought you turned the wee knobs and it was sort of in tune. They used to ask this geek guy to sing the notes. My nick was 'tuner'.
Any snow in Kewlona? I should call my uncle and find out how the rockets are doing.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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are you sure it is the pickup? What you describe sounds like issues that some folks have with the saddle piece not contacting the bridge with even pressure. Graphtec makes some saddles that have standoffs at each string on the underside so that you can 'balance' the kind of problem you describe. Here's the saddles I'm referring to: http://www.graphtech.com/product-209-2/What you can do with that saddle is sand the underside flat by flat, to get a balanced output from the transducer. This was designed for undersaddle transducers, but might work for LR Baggs type as well. The fact that you can move the baggs around easily is a bit of a concern actually. It could simply be that you aren't getting even transduction into the Baggs due to the way it's attached to the underside of the bridge. Maybe more 'stickem' is needed on the ends.
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Rockstar thanks for the reply. I think I have a different issue, my guitar tech did a number of things to my guitar (another posting, as it was quite slick), two things he did do was to replace and reconfigure the bridge saddle so it was compensated for my guitar, and increased the take off angle of the 1st and 2nd strings from the saddle to the bridge pine holes so they would exert more downward pressure. Also the saddle is both a tight and flat fit to the bridge. Both the nut and the saddle were replaced with Tusq's. I can't easily move the Bagg's but I do have extra pieces of the sticky tape that is used to mount the pickup which has allowed me to experiment with placement so I know the transducer is firmly and securely mounted insided the guitar under the bridge. Perhaps I am just being too picky with my sound as no one else has complained about it. I just know I am forcing the strings too much when I play singular line leads on them. As I stated before it is kick ass acoustic flattop for comping and inside playing.
John we had a big snowfall 2 weeks ago and since then fairly cold weather and wind. We are running about -8 to -13 right now but the snow has mostly disappeared. The Rockets are currently tied for first place in the west and have just started a month on the road playing from Calgary to Winnipeg (central league). I am having a lot of fun at these jams as the musical variety went from "Cold Cold Heart" to "I'm Confessing That I Love You" so it is giving my "ear" playing a good work out as well as playing in the all the keys, not just the horn keys I am used to. DennisD
There are only 3 kinds of musicians: those that can count, and those that can't!
PC AMD A4-5300 APU 3.4 GHz, 8gb RAM, 1T HDD, Windows 10,
Reaper 4.77, BIAB2018, PTPA12, RB2018, Roland VS-880 DAW
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If both E and B are weak this won't help a lot, but I use 0.011 for both E and B strings. This makes the E's volume closer to B's.
- Bud
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That does not sound like it is a function of the Baggs pickup, it sounds like it may have more to do with the physical ;properties of the guitar itself. Just so you know, I've never had trouble with that pickup amplifying all the strings equally. Are you using a preamp? I've never used a Baggs without a preamp and would expect that to be an Impedance mismatch situation that would affect EQ like you describe.
So first thing to do is to LISTEN to the guitar play without amplification and try to tell if the two smaller strings are indeed not coming out at amplitude equal to the others in the first place, which I suspect to be the case.
There are a couple of things you could try, one would be to incorporate an inline EQ between pickup and amp and adjust that small EQ to bring out more of the highs and less of the lows.
If you are not using a Preamp with the pickup, then that can be the problem right there. A preamp with EQ would be the way to go here.
And, as mentioned above, sometimes going to the next larger string gauge on those two strings can help.
--Mac
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I would use Mac’s play without amplification suggestion and see if the E and B strings still have lower volume. If they do before buying anything else I would change strings keeping the same gauge but maybe a different brand. I have had the same problem with some packages of strings, i.e. for some reason the E and B strings were DOA out of the package.
You didn’t say what gauge or brand of strings you are using but I have heard the same problem on many of my students’ guitars, acoustic and electric, when they use ultra-light strings 8s, 9s or 10s. Maybe the next gauge up will solve the problem.
Older strings have a propensity to exhibit the same problem, especially if you don’t wipe the strings down after every time you play. Could that be the problem.
I hope this helps and good luck.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4mOFJ37pxEGuitar: TACOMA JR55 Microphone: AMT S3G Pre-amp: L.R.Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. Recorder: Fostex MR8mkII I've used the LR BAGGS PARA-ACOUSTIC FOR MANY YEARS WITH MY 175'S AND 335'S FOR ACOUSTIC-SOUNDING PURPOSES and E-q ing It has a mic output too. http://www.tacomaguitars.com/home.php
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What I see the hot blues guys using to do single string lead work is a soundhole pick up. The LRBaggs type of set up gives a more acoustic sound and is great if that's what you want, but often for leads you want a hottier, dirtier sound with some sustain. Other ways to get this would be to play through a stomp box that you could kick in for lead work or to play through a small amp that you could overdrive for volume and sustain. There are also some preamps that offer different settings that might work. Take your guitar set up down to a local music store and try some of these ideas out and tell them what you're wanting to do.
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Dennis, I think Pete just gave you some very good advice: Quote:
Take your guitar set up down to a local music store and try some of these ideas out and tell them what you're wanting to do.
Most of these guys are musicians so they can probably give you some good ideas, ...... but never forget they're also salesmen, frequently on commission.
But it is your best bet to get what you want. Ask them to listen to your setup, and also ask them to play your rig while you listen.
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