Thoughts on the KK Pure Western

[Pincookie1]

Just bought one of these for My larrivee. Replacing a stock Fishman system * that I hate * I heard a lot of good things about them, anyone got an opinion? Played with one? Etc

[guitarist21]

Love mine. Very dynamic and flexible. Great sound, very accurately reproducing the guitar's sound. The only downside in my opinion would be that its prone to feedback in loud situations, but any pickup of that style is prone to feedback in loud situations.

 

Overall, I give it a 8.8 out of 10.

 

Ellen

[redpoint]

How loud is loud?

[Pincookie1]

Hrmm. Well, We dont get to * loud * Assuming you mean so loud that even the audience is turned off by it. I am probably gonna go straight into our board for a while, cant afford to buy the preamp box thingy right now.

[babablowfish]

 

Hrmm. Well, We dont get to * loud * Assuming you mean so loud that even the audience is turned off by it. I am probably gonna go straight into our board for a while, cant afford to buy the preamp box thingy right now.

 

 

I have K&K in my Parkwood Jumbo and I love it. It sounds very clean. No "quackiness" at all. I did buy "the preamp box thingy" but wound up not using it (it is a Baggs Para DI) Turns out that I just plug in at the various open mikes I play at and I am good to go. I have encountered feedback a couple of times but just moved the monitors and I was fine.

[Fantfool]

So the pure western is good enough by itself without the preamp? Also, is there any difference soundwise between the pure western regular and the mini?

 

 

 

Thanks

[DeepEnd]

It should have more than enough output without a preamp. As for the differences: the Mini is a permanent installation whereas the Standard can be removed, the Mini has smaller transducers and lower output, and the Standard has more bass and midrange. For more, see the K&K web site: http://www.kksound.com/purewestern.html.

[57GLDTP]

I put a Western Mini in my Larrivee SD50 & loved it so much I put one in all

my acoustics except my ES loaded Taylor. My Martin D41 had a piezo in it.

I never liked Piezo pickups because they where always too mid heavy & had

that traditional piezo "quack" or "spike."

 

These are the most natural sounding passive pickups I've ever used.

 

I do use an outboard preamp (Fishman Platinum Pro) that shapes my tone &

boosts the output just enough.

 

The Pure Western Standard is the larger version & has a bit more emphasis

on the bass that tends to make is boomy & more susceptible to feedback.

 

57GT:)

[Fstpicker]

Add my name to the list of growing satisfied K&K owners. I installed my first one on my new Guild GAD-50ATB and was blown away by the sound. Compared to my Fishman Natural 1, this is so much more natural and the dynamics are better. It is very loud without a pre-amp as well. How do they do it without a pre-amp? I don't know, but I know they sound great.

 

Jeff

[sdelsolray]

 

Add my name to the list of growing satisfied K&K owners. I installed my first one on my new Guild GAD-50ATB and was blown away by the sound. Compared to my Fishman Natural 1, this is so much more natural and the dynamics are better. It is very loud without a pre-amp as well. How do they do it without a pre-amp? I don't know, but I know they sound great. Jeff

 

 

Either K&K pickup requires a preamp, it's just a matter of where it is physically located in your signal chain. The closer the pickup is (physically via wire length) to the preamp, the better, all other things being equal.

[Pincookie1]

Wow, excited to hear it now. Hopefully its half as good as most of you claim it to be. Should be here on Tuesday. Shop putting it in for me Saturday!

 

Yay

 

 

Daniel

[d28andm1911a1]

I have K&K mini in 3 different gigging guitars.

Played a biker bar last Fri and was able to skip the feedback, but if the stage is real small I sometimes have a little feedback problem in loud gigs.

 

I have an outboard preamp but rarely use it, mostly just straight to the PA.

[LiveMusic]

 

I sometimes have a little feedback problem in loud gigs.

 

 

What does that mean in red above? Thanks.

[jaxinbc]

I bought the K&K Trinity Pure Western model with the balance box or what ever you call it. K&K said it would fit my J40 Martin. When my Martin luthier tried to install it he said it would definatley not fit. I had bought it new off e-bay so instead I had it installed in an old D1 Martin. Bad move as then I couldn't return it for a refund.

The only time I ever use it is once in a blue moon here at home I might plug it into a Fender SFX just to show someone how it sounds. I guess it would be good for playing in a very small bar or coffee house but for loud money making gigs forget it. You have to turn the mic pickup down so low to overcome feedback it results in you only listening to the bridge pick-up. I even bought a L.R. Baggs D1 to see if I could up the volume. it did a bit but still not enough and then you have to be really careful you don't even turn a bit to the back or the feedback is shrieking.

I have a under saddle $90 fishman pick-up in the J40 and it sounds the best of all. Oh well, live & learn.

[57GLDTP]

 

I bought the K&K Trinity Pure Western model with the balance box or what ever you call it. K&K said it would fit my J40 Martin. When my Martin luthier tried to install it he said it would definatley not fit. I had bought it new off e-bay so instead I had it installed in an old D1 Martin. Bad move as then I couldn't return it for a refund. The only time I ever use it is once in a blue moon here at home I might plug it into a Fender SFX just to show someone how it sounds. I guess it would be good for playing in a very small bar or coffee house but for loud money making gigs forget it. You have to turn the mic pickup down so low to overcome feedback it results in you only listening to the bridge pick-up. I even bought a L.R. Baggs D1 to see if I could up the volume. it did a bit but still not enough and then you have to be really careful you don't even turn a bit to the back or the feedback is shrieking. I have a under saddle $90 fishman pick-up in the J40 and it sounds the best of all. Oh well, live & learn.

 

 

 

 

The Trinity system is a totally different animal from the under saddle transducer the mini is. I play on a big stage w/ a good deal of volume

& use an outboard preamp w/ zero feedback issues & nice clean, pure

tone.

 

57GT:)

[zb0430]

Hmm, I'm seeing it is commonly referred to as a UST, when in fact the K&K Pure Western Mini is a Sound-Board-Transducer. Just thought I'd toss that tid-bit in there....

 

If it was a UST it'd be about as feedback proof as decent pickups come, other than magnets! But it's good to hear that you play a good sized venue without issues. That's my main concern for when I have to get a second stage acoustic. Our worship center has a brand spanking new, big beefy PA and will seat around 1,000 to 1,200 bodies, so I want to make sure I'm not gonna have any SBT woes from the K&K even with a full band/worship team. Playing for the youth it'll be used in a 1-2 electric, drummer, bass, keys, and me on acoustic leading/playing. In a main service, it might not suit things too well. We've got a grand piano that our worship pastor plays/leads on, a 4 piece vocal team, an electric guitar, bass, 2 keyboards, drums, congas, a 50 piece choir, and another acoustic guitar... I think the K&K might not find that setting so friendly, as it can get pretty loud. But, it might make it due to everybody using avioms and in-ears instead of wedges. It'd be a risk, for sure, though.

 

Gah, sorry for the OT post... I get carried away and type as I think...

 

But yeah, you should check out doug young's acoustic pickup page and listen to how rish the K&K sounds on there. Very very good tone...

[redpoint]

 

The only time I ever use it is once in a blue moon here at home I might plug it into a Fender SFX just to show someone how it sounds. I guess it would be good for playing in a very small bar or coffee house but for loud money making gigs forget it. You have to turn the mic pickup down so low to overcome feedback it results in you only listening to the bridge pick-up. I even bought a L.R. Baggs D1 to see if I could up the volume. it did a bit but still not enough and then you have to be really careful you don't even turn a bit to the back or the feedback is shrieking. I have a under saddle $90 fishman pick-up in the J40 and it sounds the best of all. Oh well, live & learn.

 

 

Hm, it sounds like the K&K Pure Western mini by itself (just the sound board transducer) doesn't get feedback in this situation - it's just the microphone.

[jaxinbc]

nope, this is the combination with the microphone, plus it came with the box and stereo cord so you can balance between the two.

[redpoint]

 

nope, this is the combination with the microphone, plus it came with the box and stereo cord so you can balance between the two.

 

 

Yeah, I just meant it sounds like if you didn't use the microphone at all, then the pickup didn't feedback. So that might mean that the K&K mini by itself would also not feedback.

[jaxinbc]

But in my opinion it was a big waste of money as why buy a system that you can only use one part of it. Nice if your playing in a parlor or small room and don't need much volume but even then the sound difference to me is so little it hardly warrents the super bucks it costs.

[57GLDTP]

 

But in my opinion it was a big waste of money as why buy a system that you can only use one part of it. Nice if your playing in a parlor or small room and don't need much volume but even then the sound difference to me is so little it hardly warrents the super bucks it costs.

 

 

That's exactly why I said the Trinity System is totally different from the mini.

The mini is the pickup most folks here are recommending.

 

57GT:)

[57GLDTP]

Hmm, I'm seeing it is commonly referred to as a UST, when in fact the K&K Pure Western Mini is a Sound-Board-Transducer. Just thought I'd toss that tid-bit in there.... If it was a UST it'd be about as feedback proof as decent pickups come, other than magnets! But it's good to hear that you play a good sized venue without issues. That's my main concern for when I have to get a second stage acoustic. Our worship center has a brand spanking new, big beefy PA and will seat around 1,000 to 1,200 bodies, so I want to make sure I'm not gonna have any SBT woes from the K&K even with a full band/worship team. Playing for the youth it'll be used in a 1-2 electric, drummer, bass, keys, and me on acoustic leading/playing. In a main service, it might not suit things too well. We've got a grand piano that our worship pastor plays/leads on, a 4 piece vocal team, an electric guitar, bass, 2 keyboards, drums, congas, a 50 piece choir, and another acoustic guitar... I think the K&K might not find that setting so friendly, as it can get pretty loud. But, it might make it due to everybody using avioms and in-ears instead of wedges. It'd be a risk, for sure, though. Gah, sorry for the OT post... I get carried away and type as I think... But yeah, you should check out doug young's acoustic pickup page and listen to how rish the K&K sounds on there. Very very good tone...

 

 

I use mine in almost exactly the same setting. Our church building used to

be a theatre. It seats around 1200 & the stage volume has never been

an issue. I use my Western Mini equipt acoustics for both solo & full band

applications. (no 50 piece choir however, but a fairly hard hitting drummer)

Our monitors are Yamaha wedges. I've never had a feedback problem yet.

 

oh and, you're right....I did mistakenly identify the Pure Western Mini as

an under saddle Transducer when it is indeed a sound board transducer.

My bad:idk:

 

57GT:)

[T.B.]

Another for K&K. I have the Pure Mini/Classical and Trinity Systems with the Pure XLR and Trinity Preamp installed in three guitars respectively. K's are the most natural, clear as a bell sounding pickups on the market. IMHO That being said, the issues Ellen and ZB0430 mentioned should be considered. I'm not sure I would use this particular pickup if I where in an electric rock roll band or played in a choir the size ZB0 mentioned ...... been there done that.

 

 

Here's some info on pickups:

 

http://www.fingerpick.com/pickups.htm

 

http://www.dougyoungguitar.com/pickuptest.htm

 

Trina

[Fstpicker]

 

Either K&K pickup requires a preamp, it's just a matter of where it is physically located in your signal chain. The closer the pickup is (physically via wire length) to the preamp, the better, all other things being equal.

 

 

I'll have to disagree with you on this one. I can plug my Standard K&K into my regular guitar amp without any preamp, and get a great sound. Yes, a pre-amp may help, and improve the sound perhaps, but is not an absolute necessity if one chooses not to use it.

 

Jeff

[babablowfish]

When I was first shopping for a pickup I read the Shoreline Music site and then called Shoreline up. The guy I spoke with talked me out of the Trinity precisely because of the feedback problems. Although he wouldn't recommend the K&K over the Baggs or any other - he represents a bunch of brands - in our friendly discussion, it became clear to me that the K&K mini was the best fit for what I was looking for. I am glad I went with it. If anyone is having questions or doubts I can recommend checking out Shoreline and talking with them.