Preamp for acoustic guitars?

[billiam]

I usually plug the acoustic guitars into the standard DI box, but those damn piezo Pu's sound like crap. Does anyone use a preamp for just such a purpose? It seems that at least 7 out of 10 gigs, there is an acoustic.

[Thundercranium]

I use an LR Baggs ParaAcoustic DI. It tames the piezo "quack", provides extensive sound shaping, notch filter and phase reversal to help control feedback, and it runs on phantom power.

 

I would not gig without it!

[Kennykeys]

One of the applications where I can hear one of those under a $100 tube mic pre-amps actually doing something is in use with a piezo acoustic. It softens up that irratating piezo sound a bit. I use the ART Tube-Pac. It combines a "tube" compressor and the "tube" pre-amp into one unit. I'll even out the piezo acoustic and make it almost audibly bearable.

[tlbonehead]

I used to have a Sansamp Acoustic DI which had built-in compression. It tamed the piezo quack. I use an Ovation now with the OP+24 preamp and it sounds really authentic going directly into the board.

[Black Frog]

We also use the LR Baggs unit with very nice results.

 

I don't think you could go wrong with it.....

[Scodiddly]

Also keep an eye (ear) out for weak guitar preamp batteries. Often if the pickup sounds {censored}ty I'll ask about the battery, and often enough a new battery will make a big improvement.

[sonusman]

The LR Baggs DI is a good value for what it will do. Certainly not on par with a Avalon U5, but definately way above your standard DI box.

 

 

Thundercranium, I am VERY interested in hearing about how your feel phase invert is going to control feedback, aside from the fact that the unit's spec sheet suggests this?

 

Ed

[ashivraj]

Originally posted by sonusman Thundercranium, I am VERY interested in hearing about how your feel phase invert is going to control feedback, aside from the fact that the unit's spec sheet suggests this?

 

while im no thundercranium - in fact, i dont have much of a brain either - our lead singer/aco.gtr uses this from time to time. he claims that one way, he can hear the monitor wedge much louder; the other way, he hears the natural acoustic sound much louder (i.e. one w.r.t the other).

 

i know in either case (both on-board preamp, as well as the outboard ones), the phase reverse is AFTER the acoustic sound, so reversing phase wont change what you hear directly (acoustically), only what you hear thru the PA/monitors. i guess the phase relationship between the acoustic and a wedge aimed into it, varies depending on the phase of the signal coming out of the monitor. or something.

 

me, i just use IEMs.

 

AS

[whsjosh]

I'm using Trace Elliot Acoustic Pre stomp box(? forgot the real name) for Gibson Chet Atkins SST, and Art Tube MP for Yahama cheapo nylon.

 

These pres sounds much better than Behringer and Boss DIs. But AC lines for power are very annoying...

 

My Tube MP also sounds very good with Fishman's fiddle pickup (piezo).

 

YOSHI

[billiam]

I'm kind of looking for a rackmount solution. Guitarists who never use any kind of stompbox get carried away if there is something at their feet to play with. I've seen some ART tube units, as KENNYKEYS suggested but I don't know what I want or need. The need is to add some life and depth that the mixer eq cannot and I figure some sort of tube thingy with some console or other good eqing should do the trick. Am I on the right path?