The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #116640   Message #2527555
Posted By: Stringsinger
30-Dec-08 - 01:01 PM
Thread Name: Acoustic Guitar Pickup
Subject: RE: Acoustic Guitar Pickup
Hey, you're not going to get a natural sounding guitar sound with a pickup period. The best result is a good condenser mic that reads the signal from the outside of the instrument which is the sound the guitar makers had intended for an acoustic instrument.

Otherwise, there are trade-offs. I can tell when someone is playing acoustic with a pick-up.
There is a kind of snap that they get when playing at high levels. I hear it on Pat Donahue's guitar on the Prairie Home Companion. I find it disconcerting.

This whole electronic mess is completely overdone and misleading. Electronic is electronic.
I have not heard an acoustic instrument played as it was intended to sound with any pickup including Schertler, Seymour Duncan, piezo, magnetic, tack-ons or even built in mics.

Even Joe Pass recorded an album with his unamplifed arch top guitar because he was going for the natural sound of the instrument.

Go with a high-end condenser for the best results.

Frank Hamilton