Phil O'Keefe Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Just wondering what everyone is using in live situations. Not just the guitar, but how you're amplifying it. Do you have pickups / preamps installed, and if so, what models? Do you use a external (or internal) microphone? How's that working out for you? Do you use an acoustic amp, or send a DI to the mixing console? From your perspective, what are the biggest issues you have to deal with when playing acoustic guitar live? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted March 7, 2016 Members Share Posted March 7, 2016 I use a Cort CJCE custom shop acoustic with a Fishman Premium blend system. I swapped the UST pickup for a JJB internal transducer. I blend the JJB and the internal gooseneck mic and run it into the guitar input of my TC Electronics Voicelive GTX vocal processor where it gets whatever guitar effects/level are needed for a given vocal patch. Very convenient to be able to step on one switch and change both the vocal and guitar settings. The TC also "reads" the guitar input to determine what vocal harmony key works. I use the harmonies really infrequently though as they sound a bit cheesy. I then take a stereo feed from the TC straight into 2 channels on the PA. For bigger gigs I also use the Fishman Rare Earth humbucker that I've installed in that guitar and take its signal to my electric rig as a completely separate signal so I can access those sounds without grabbing an electric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted March 7, 2016 Members Share Posted March 7, 2016 An Ibanez AW120 with an aftermarket Shadow SH095 UST, running through a DI into the PA. This is my standard setup for worship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted March 7, 2016 Members Share Posted March 7, 2016 I play a low end Yamaha F-310 Martin style guitar with a Fishman undersaddle transducer. The pickup is connected directly to the output jack and there are no electronics or batteries in the guitar. I plug into an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI which accomodates the passive pickup with a very high input impedance. The DI has a phase invert switch which is very effective in reducing feedback. It also has an F/X loop which I use with a footswitch to effectively mute the unit. I use a TRS plug with the tip and ring connected together and thefootswitch shunts the signal to ground. I plug into the PA and monitor through the foldback. Feedback used to be an issue but, with the Para Acoustic DI and its phase switch and notch filter I can manage the feedback and still get a high fidelity sound. That being said, I keep my footswich close by in case I need to hit the emergency stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted March 7, 2016 Members Share Posted March 7, 2016 Yamaha CG110-CE with factory on-boards through a Nady MGT-16 wireless system (MT-16R transmitter) into a Fishman SA220's channel 2. Voice is through a Shure SM58 wired into channel 1. No issues. My biggest issue playing live is remembering the lyrics. That's a constant ID10T error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members katopp Posted March 7, 2016 Members Share Posted March 7, 2016 Ovation with piezo and built-in Preamp or Vintage Gordon Giltrap or Binh Custom - both with Fishman blender - into Zoom A2.1u and then from there via DI into the FOH or into acoustic amp via 1/4 inch.Usually I fatten the piezo with a bit of micro, but not that much that I could get into surging or feedback. The Ovation is kind of a universal weapon and I tried for a while to use the modelling that comes with the Zoom A3, but since there is no A3.1u and I need a) the pedal and b) the DI, the A3 is back into the cupboard, gathering dust.If possible, I just use a very flat setting and about a maximum of 20-30% modelling in the A2.1u and leave the sound to the FOH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members panhandler Posted March 8, 2016 Members Share Posted March 8, 2016 Guitar> K&K Pure Mini> Fishman Loudbox Performer> out to FOH board. Senn e935 for vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted March 8, 2016 Members Share Posted March 8, 2016 I keep it simple. Martin 00016 guitar with fishman blender, cause that's what came in the thing. Fishman Aura Spectra DI in t a Fishman solo amp solo. If I need more I have a Fishman Loudbox Performer ( the older black tolex one). I also sometime play mandolin and I use the Gibson F5G and Baggs radial M into there Venue Pre. I am planning to build an acoustic pedal board That will run a single cable into the pedal board that will run either pre and send it to the Fishman.I have a old SWR Cal blonde that I used to use, but I like the Fishman stuff better and it's lighter to haul.I still have and old Fender Passport, that made me gobs of money for years playing at several area bars and coffee houses, 2 sometimes 3 times a week. I used that with another singer -guitar guy I played with. The fishman solo amp works, but there is stuff that is better for vocs, as if anyone cared at the places I have played. The house PA works for me, but what some bars call a house PS, I'd rather not plug into. I like A Beyer TGX 80 for live vocs, sometimes I take out a Shure SM58 and I like the SM58 Beta's too. I would like to load a K&K system in my Taylor GS mini. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted March 8, 2016 Members Share Posted March 8, 2016 Most of my acoustics use some sort of piezoelectric soundboard transducer (not UST) and an acoustic active preamp like a Baggs Para EQ. I'm very happy with one guitar that has a Dimarzio Angel acoustic pickup system that sounds great but a bit less woody and raw. Smoother. I modified it to use a soundboard transducer to blend with the neo magnet pickup instead of a UST. It's active and blends the two pickups so I typically run it straight into the amp. I usually either run my guitar straight to a PA or a Roland AC 60 for smaller church venues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted March 8, 2016 Members Share Posted March 8, 2016 I don't play live anymore. But I still have a rig and let other players use it at my joint. Guitars1997 Guild F65ce w/on-board Fishman Blender or 1988 Guild (Kim Walker) D60 w/K&K Western Mini, or Binh Classical w/Blender, or Binh archtop w Kent Armstrong floating mini-humbucker StuffSmall Mackie 402 VLZ3 mixer, Roland AC60 amp, Alesis Nanoverb, JoeMeek C2 stereo compressor and Joe Meek VC3 Pro-channel mic pre-amp. SM58 or CAD c400s if I can get away w/it. Pedals: BBE Sonic Maximizer stomp box and BOSS TR-2 tremolo. Guitar---->VC3 pre/compressor---->pedals BBE/Tremolo---->AC60--->mixer-->Nanoverb-->bar sound system. I can run it simpler than that of course. The bar is small enough, you really don't need amplification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted March 8, 2016 Members Share Posted March 8, 2016 solo rig,ftaylor blackwood with baggs hex system > line 6 wireless > fishman aura spectrum > 12 channel yammy board > qsc k10's( vocals > countryman headset > akg wireless > yammy board) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dberman Posted March 9, 2016 Members Share Posted March 9, 2016 1978 Guild D35 with LR Baggs M1 Active Pickup going right into a Fishman SA220 SoloAmp. Microphone is Heil Sound PR 22, which I run through a Digitech Vocalist Live FX harmonizer/looping pedal into the SoloAmp. Two other key pieces of equipment are a Bespeco mic stand I bought on Amazon because it has a heavy, adjustable weight counterbalance and it's built like a tank, and of course my tip jar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members riffmeister lives Posted March 9, 2016 Members Share Posted March 9, 2016 I recently acquired a Taylor 814ce with the ES2 pickup. I've been plugging the Taylor into a Fishman Platinum Pro EQ (I use the compressor function in addition to the EQ/phase/notch functions) and from there DI out into the band's PA system. And sometimes I do the same but also using the amp thru on the Platinum Pro to a Fishman Loudbox Performer to act as a stage monitor. I'm still kind of new to this (I am mostly an electric guitar player in the bands I play in) but it seems to be working reasonably well and I have gotten good feedback (not that kind!) from my bandmates and members of the audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Delmont Posted March 9, 2016 Members Share Posted March 9, 2016 For guitar, I just put a single-coil magnetic pickup into the guitar sound hole and plug it into an electric guitar amp with no pedals in between. I'm no artiste. My Martin usually stays safe and snug at home. I have a '76 Guild D-35 that I take to gigs. I sing into a mic that goes to the band's PA. I'm a very self-conscious singer, so I'm fussy (read neurotic) about mics. I recently bought a used Sennheiser e945 that I like a lot. For harp, I have a groovy dedicated harp mic, but I hardly ever use it. I usually just blow into the vocal mic. Easier, and who cares? My dobro and mando are another story. It's complicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted March 10, 2016 Members Share Posted March 10, 2016 It's usually just me and my guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted March 11, 2016 Members Share Posted March 11, 2016 I recently acquired a Taylor 814ce with the ES2 pickup. I've been plugging the Taylor into a Fishman Platinum Pro EQ (I use the compressor function in addition to the EQ/phase/notch functions) and from there DI out into the band's PA system. And sometimes I do the same but also using the amp thru on the Platinum Pro to a Fishman Loudbox Performer to act as a stage monitor. I'm still kind of new to this (I am mostly an electric guitar player in the bands I play in) but it seems to be working reasonably well and I have gotten good feedback (not that kind!) from my bandmates and members of the audience. 814ce is a fine guitar - my favorite Taylor. An old playing partner offered to sell me his for 1600 about 10 years ago. He'd moved on to Collings and Ryans. Almost did. But then I found a 97 Guild F65ce, which he and I thought was a superior instrument for my style of playing. But the Taylor had better electronics. It really came down to Maple versus Rosewood. I've always been partial to Maple. We had a lot of good recording sessions w/his mid-90's 814ce though.Bob got it right on that model.. Congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members riffmeister lives Posted March 11, 2016 Members Share Posted March 11, 2016 814ce is a fine guitar - my favorite Taylor. An old playing partner offered to sell me his for 1600 about 10 years ago. He'd moved on to Collings and Ryans. Almost did. But then I found a 97 Guild F65ce, which he and I thought was a superior instrument for my style of playing. But the Taylor had better electronics. It really came down to Maple versus Rosewood. I've always been partial to Maple. We had a lot of good recording sessions w/his mid-90's 814ce though.Bob got it right on that model.. Congratulations. I've been playing two Collings guitars, a dread and an OM, for the last dozen plus years.....at home and for a couple of recording sessions. But recently my bands have needed an acoustic guitar in a few songs, so I decided to sell the Collings dread and get the Taylor for the stage work. I'm still quite new to using an acoustic guitar on stage, so I don't have a broad perspective on the matter, but so far I've been very pleased with the Taylor and Fishman products, the sounds out front seem to be very good. The new "e" series Taylors use a single under saddle piezo transducer, whereas the older Taylors used a combination of UST and magnetic pickup under the fretboard. The new system seems to work well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted March 11, 2016 Members Share Posted March 11, 2016 I play a Guild G37, which is an arched back maple dread. I put a K&K Pure Mini in it and run that through an external Fishman preamp then into the PA. IT sounds fine going in direct, but the preamp allows me to have volume and tone controls at my position so it is a lot easier than relying on and trying to signal a sound man. I used to use it with a classic rock bands for rhythm on songs like BEG and Little Pink Houses, etc... sounds great. These days I play in a modern country band and use it the same way...I only bring it to gigs at bigger rooms with enough room on the stage to securely set it in a stand and not worry about anyone tripping over it. I sometimes play in a acoustic duo setting and then I run it through my Boss ME50 multi effects box which has a volume pedal and also allows me to color the sound with some chorus and or delay, reverb, etc. Playing an acoustic gig with the country band next Friday and I am going to try my Guild 412 with my Sennheiser e609 amp mic at practice and see how it sounds. ( no pup installed yet) Although I may not want to bring to a club gig because it is by far my most expensive guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sdelsolray Posted March 12, 2016 Members Share Posted March 12, 2016 Current Mini-PA Rig: Guitar: Bill Tippin OMT PUTW #54 SBT pickup wired to tip and Joe Mills internal mic wired to ringExternal mic: Oktava MC-012 w/ hypercardioid capsulePreamp/EQ: Pendulum Audio SPS-1 w/ pickup/mic moduleEffects: TC Electronics M3000Power: Hafler P3000Speakers: Pair Daedalus W802 3-way passiveMonitor: Ultrasound AG50 powered speaker The picture below is older with slightly different configuration: [ATTACH=CONFIG]n31709626[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n31709627[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Campfire Troubadour Posted June 14, 2016 Members Share Posted June 14, 2016 Here's the rig I currently use in an acoustic duo: Guitar: Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE (Martin SP Lifespan 12s & Ebony bridge pins), Mic: TC Helicon MP75, LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI, Boss Chorus Ensemble, TC Helicon Harmony Singer pedal, PA: Alto 12 channel mixer with 3 Alto TS115S 800 watt powered speakers (2 on poles & 1 as monitor or 1 on pole & 1 as monitor for smaller venues). Those speakers are a lot of weight to haul around but it's good exercise I guess. After some experimentation, the Harmony Singer pedal has been a Godsend to drive home choruses on those harmony heavy classic rock & country singalongs. I would highly recommend that pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mickey Maguire Posted June 23, 2016 Members Share Posted June 23, 2016 I had a Breedlove and a Fender Passport. I also had an Acoustic AG60. Here are a few pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members min7b5 Posted July 1, 2016 Members Share Posted July 1, 2016 Most of the tim I use a Blue Encore 300 microphone on my guitar and go into what house PA or rental is on hand. I also have a small Hendricks The Bud amp I sometimes use as a micro PA... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted July 1, 2016 Members Share Posted July 1, 2016 I had a Breedlove and a Fender Passport. I also had an Acoustic AG60. Here are a few pics. I have an older Fender Passport 250 here at the house for when I was playing small bars, coffee houses and a few restaurants in the area. I still have the the system and it doesn't owe me a dime. It's not a huge thump, but eq-ed just nicely for what it is. A couple of Ultimate stands a couple of mics for a duo thing, and I was set to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Welcome to HC! Thanks for sharing your live rig details! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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