Members missedmyexit Posted March 29, 2017 Members Share Posted March 29, 2017 So I just ordered a Aura Blender DI and K&K Pure Mini to Install in my Maritn 00-DB. I have done prezio installs before but never this kind of pickup. Any tips tricks gotchas? I know this is a popular pickup here. I saw some mention of a Jig to get placement correct is this something that comes with the pickup? Also what glue do you use to secure it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted March 29, 2017 Members Share Posted March 29, 2017 When I installed my JJB (looks just like that one) I used a single dot of thick cyanoacrylate from Stewmac on each one. Any more and I'd risk gluing my finger, any thinner and it might not "catch". I put a few little blobs of blue tac to help me feel where to put them once, then just reached in and did them "blind". Once you've squished it into place you can't move for about a minute. Definitely no attempted readjustment - you have to get each one right first time. That was a few years back and it's worked perfectly and withstood my drumming and banging on the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members acousticdepot Posted March 29, 2017 Members Share Posted March 29, 2017 I always make a cardboard template with holes cutout for the high and low E bridge pins. I use masking tape and tape the tops of the pickups on to the template where each pickup is to be placed. Then I put the glue on the bottom of the pickups and push the template up so the two bridge pins go into the correct holes (bottom up). When the pickups make contact, they should be in the exact position I want them. Then just press and hold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted March 29, 2017 Members Share Posted March 29, 2017 I bought one of these. It works fine. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-5cm-Professional-Pickup-Piezo-3-Transducer-Acoustic-Guitar-Ukulele-Mandolin-/381635531257?hash=item58db4011f9:g:FCIAAOSwdV1XNuBl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted March 29, 2017 Members Share Posted March 29, 2017 Spot check your top for the targeted three frequency responses of the 3-pup matrix the PWM is looking for. There are places that are better than the bridge plate to tap them from. The PWM's weakness is the trebles. The factory harness configuration is too short to reach the treble hot spots on the top, which are not on the bridge plate. So, you can either butcher the harness outer jacketing to expose longer leads for each of the pups or simply cut and splice new wire on the treble pup. Or, you can scoop out the mids and bass and boost the treble pup in the signal chain and act like you did the best job your desire allowed. Edit: I know it sounds like I'm a picky bass-tard, and I am, but remember the PWM was designed to be a DIY'er product so some compromise was done to make it easy for the average fumble fingers to do. However, if K&K decided not to compromise the potential of their product and did as I mention about, their PWM would get rave reviews by those who found each frequency's sweet spot and placed the pups accordingly. They'd also suffer from it via the fugitives of technical finesse because they mucked the job. So, they provided just enough harness to give a bridge plate spread on their PWM and removed the length of harness certain buffoons would hang themselves with. People being prone to failure, they erred to the safe side. I used slow cure superglue and accelerator to mount the PWM. I put a dab of glue on the business side of the pup and with a gauze pad dipped in accelerator I moistened the spot for the pup. Then I carefully placed the pup on the spot and held it there for about a minute. I used the slow cure SG because it has a gap-filling thickener property that spreads out like a putty when the pup is held in place. Because it's so rigid when cured in provides the best frequency transference available for any bonding product. Most others have a more ductile property. Do not let the glue come in contact with your skin when pressing the pup in place. You will bond your finger to it and have a no-happy moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 30, 2017 Members Share Posted March 30, 2017 I've installed dozens of K&K, in fact I just came in from the shop with a sweat little Eastman parlor with a brand new pickup. The jig will come with the pickup and the instructions are very good. I install them exactly where they suggest and they have worked fine. I always use a dab of gel superglue instead of the double sticky tape. I keep a flashlight and inspection mirror handy, it helps to shine it thru the pin holes as I'm fumbling around inside trying to get the little pin in the right hole (they talk about using the golf tee to find the hole, that has never worked for me. As soon as I get it positioned and the pin comes thru the right pin hole (you'll understand when you read the instructions) I look thru the next hole while I move the jig back and forth, you'll see the little cutout where the golf tee goes (again, this will all make sense....). Put the tee in and clamp something on the the pin to hold it in place (I use one of those big paper clamps). Stick your mirror inside and make sure it is in the right place, then reach back in and push and hold the sensor against the bridge plate while you count to a hundred. Then leave it for fifteen minutes while the gel CA kicks off. Take the golf tee out and very gently rock the jig back and forth - you are trying to break the putty loose without breaking the sensor loose. Don't be in a hurry - let the glue completely cure. The second and third sensors get trickier because the first gets in the way, I've had the sensor come loose from the putty (put a pretty thick blob on and stick the sensor pretty tightly to it). If it comes off the putty, pull it out, reattach, put another bit of gel on it and try again. Ream the end pin hole to 15/32 (or 1/2), fish the jack into place and tighten. You can push a piece of string thru the hole and tie in onto the jack (use the cross holes in the end), then pull it thru the end block. It might take several tries adjust the backup nut so you have the right thickness, once you get it there is a cylindrical part of the jack that should be tightened against that backup nut. When you put the outside nut on (its either 1/2 inch or 12 mm wrench, I can't remember) there is a hole in the end of the jack that you can insert a small round object (a small allen wrench works fine) - use that to hold the jack while you tighten the nut. Be careful of the finish. Last comment - do a trial fit of the jig for each sensor position - I had one guitar where the X brace was so narrow that the jig would not go down inside - I had to sand away some of the jig so it wouldn't foul the X brace. Oh, you can enlarge the end pin hole with a uni-bit or a bunch of drill bits but that scares the heck out of me. I broke down and bought the very expensive reamer but for a single install just be very careful. Edit to add, you can get the gel CA at Lowes or Home Depot in little squeeze tubes. I put a fairly good size blob on the sensor. Be careful about gluing your fingers to the inside of your guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 30, 2017 Members Share Posted March 30, 2017 Thought of a couple more things. Even tho I'm right handed I find it easier to reach inside with my left. I also find it easier to do the actual positioning with the guitar on its (bass) side. I start out with it on its back, position the jig, put the putty, sensor and super glue on, then flip the guitar onto its side while holding the jig assembly in my left hand at the soundhole. Reach inside and fumble around while I hold the flashlight with my right hand pointed at the pin holes. Move the jig around until I see the end of the pin, move it to the right hole, insert the tee. I put the clamp on the pin so it won't fall out and quickly check the location - did the sensor come off the putty, does everything look right. Then reach back in with my left hand and hold it in place while I start counting.... Obviously your method and milage will vary. We charge one hour of my labor for installing a K&K but I feel like that's really cheating - it takes all of ten minutes. Most of the time I'm waiting for the CA to kick - I'll dress the frets or do some other maintenance. Something like a Fishman UST really does take the hour - what with lowering the saddle and all the other futzing around. K&K's are simple, they sound great and are pretty hard to screw up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted March 30, 2017 Members Share Posted March 30, 2017 I read the instructions and then took it to my luthier to install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members missedmyexit Posted March 30, 2017 Author Members Share Posted March 30, 2017 One last question. This putty you speak of, does it come with or should I pick some up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 30, 2017 Members Share Posted March 30, 2017 Comes with it - a little strip between two pieces of paper. You'll also get a couple pieces of double stick tape which you won't need if you use super glue. Divide the putty into three parts, use fresh with each sensor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 30, 2017 Members Share Posted March 30, 2017 Even tho he said he had no plans to ever plug it in, when I built the 175-thingie I put a K&K in while the back was off. Figured a hundred bucks was kind of an ace in the hole if he ever did and that was certainly the time to do it. The one thing you won't get to do is put the little tie down on the wires, just give it a twist like the instructions show and it won't rattle. Discussion over at the lutherie forum - not much to add other than lots of love for the K&K http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=49190 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted March 31, 2017 Members Share Posted March 31, 2017 FWIW I don't like the single transducer install method/jig. When I did my first they didn't include the jig. I made my own out of cardboard and did the test fit for all three transducers simultaneously on top of the bridge so I was able to determine where each transducer would be in relation to the others and the saddle slot. Then I mounted all three at once and was done. When I put a JJB in my Martin it came with one of those single jigs and I don't think it cakes out as good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sdelsolray Posted April 2, 2017 Members Share Posted April 2, 2017 So I just ordered a Aura Blender DI and K&K Pure Mini to Install in my Maritn 00-DB. I have done prezio installs before but never this kind of pickup. Any tips tricks gotchas? I know this is a popular pickup here. I saw some mention of a Jig to get placement correct is this something that comes with the pickup? Also what glue do you use to secure it? You may wish to check to see how well a K&K SBT pickup will work with an Aura device. There are hundreds of posts over the years (mostly on other forums) which caution against using a SBT-type pickup with an Aura unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members missedmyexit Posted April 3, 2017 Author Members Share Posted April 3, 2017 You may wish to check to see how well a K&K SBT pickup will work with an Aura device. There are hundreds of posts over the years (mostly on other forums) which caution against using a SBT-type pickup with an Aura unit. Already installed it this weekend. Overall I am happy with it. The volume did seems a bit low even running through the Aura, not sure if it counts as a Pre-Amp or if I should put something in front of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members missedmyexit Posted April 3, 2017 Author Members Share Posted April 3, 2017 This is the post install picture. For some reason I had a hell of time getting that last Bass Side contact to stick. Finally got it to setup. I removed the putty later after giving the glue plenty of time to setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted April 3, 2017 Members Share Posted April 3, 2017 Good job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted April 14, 2017 Members Share Posted April 14, 2017 In my experience piezo is piezo and I've gotten similar results with THESE pickups as I did with the K&K: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acoustic-String-Piezo-Pick-up-System-3-Transducers-for-Guitar-Mandolin-Uku-H2G8-/142191471373 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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