What preamp for Acoustic guitar

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: HipflaskAndy
Date: 02 Aug 10 - 11:44 AM

Orchid is more expensive?
But only one needed.
Orchid's strength is all the controls at your fingertips - as it screws onto the micstand in front of you.
The one device copes with all the instruments you might wanna plug in. The mute switch is 'silent' in operation and you can still tine up when it mutes, you don't bother the audience while it happens...
The mute switch pressed, you can talk to the audience tween numbers and change to another guitar/mandola/cittern -whatever you need next.
The tone and volume controls at your fingertips means you can make your own adjustments to each instrument's nuances.
Floundering around on the floor to perform these functions is hardly slick - but if you only use one instrument, then the Baggs is indeed a fine choice.
If however you flit tween guitars (like I do) and/or other such instruments - then you either flounder to make changes - or have one pre-amp for each (consequently using more channels up on the PA) - and that's more expensive a route, methinks?
Batteries for pre-amps fail at the most in-opertune moments ( once had to pass a certain M Carthy a battery during his set at Walton on the Naze fest - his guitar sounded appaling for three or so numbers before it was suggested his pre-amp battery needed a change!)
The OPrchid runs off the PA's phantom power - the converse argument being that 'not all PAs have phantom power!
These days that's be a right rarity at most venues and fests, though.
In ten years of extensive gigging at venues and fests both UK and Europe - I've yet to be flummoxed by that argument - it just hasn't happened - and that, in spite of me carrying a back-up power supply all these years - now THAT was a waste of money! ;0)

When all is aid and done - ALL the above systems work well - and one merely makes the choice on what you can afford and what suits your own purpose best.
Happy hunting - happy playing!
DO post the end result when you make that choice - cheers!

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: mandotim
Date: 02 Aug 10 - 09:48 AM

Hi, Ive got one of the Behringer jobbies; good in an emergency, but I found it tended to get noisy if used for the whole of a long gig. Most people seem to go with the Baggs ParaDI, but there is a growing number of Orchid users. If you want something for serious gigging, Orchid seems to be the way to go.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: theleveller
Date: 02 Aug 10 - 04:40 AM

"£180 for the Orchid - that's put me off somewhat! "

There's one for sale on ebay at the moment for £120.

I was playing around yesterday trying different options with a Behringer SDi21. I've two guitars with different pickups and a cittern (which is a brute to amplify and to which I've just had a Headway Snake fitted). I managed to get excellent sound from all of them with the Behringer. At around £40 it's a bargain, especially as it's also a DI box.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 02 Aug 10 - 04:05 AM

Don't fuck around!..L.R. Baggs...pick-up, pre-amp, and everything inside the guitar!..You might use a 'Bridge Doctor' while you're at it!

GfS

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 03:36 PM

"If it has a preamp it isn't acoustic"

The instrument is - but does it matter? The guy wants to be heard!!!

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: Nick
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 03:11 PM

£180 for the Orchid - that's put me off somewhat!

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: Nick
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 03:08 PM

Thanks to all for the answers

Had a very entertaining evening in our local pub listening to Last Nights Fun some years back (probably the smallest gig they will have played) and then chatting and playing with Denny Bartley until the early hours of the morning. I remember his guitar sounding good.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: michaelr
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 02:04 PM

I recommend the SansAmp Para Driver.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: GUEST,HipflaskAndy at work
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 01:15 PM

Pre-amp for acoustic guitar - well, for through the PA work, I use an Orchid (John Godsland makes 'em)
Phil Beer put me onto 'em - it's what SoH use (had designed for 'em, I believe)
Not cheap - mine was 80+ quid a long while back - but brilliant! Not sure, today's cost.
Does need 48v phantom power - but that's no prob to today's desks and PA soundmen at fests/venues...
Volume control, tone controls (so you have a great degree of control, no matter how high or low your guitar's output
- and a wonderful Mute switch for when swapping insruments on stage
- completely silent in operation (the switch!) - sound engineers love that !
No loud bangs and surprises through their precious speakers - no heart-attack-inducement in the audience!
There's an output to run to a tuner at your feet - which operates wether mute is on or off - so you can tune up 'silently' (as regards the PA)
whilst chatting, tween songs, to the audience, NOT annoying them with your tuning banging out of the PA

Marvellous bit o' kit! Been using it solidly on the road since purchase some 8 years back - brilliant!

Have a deek at their site - just google... Orchid

Other users include Tull's Martin Barre - and 'Last Night's Fun ace guitar wizz, Denny Bartley and loads more... go see...

The Baggs systems are ace too - tried and liked 'em - but still went wi' Orchid. - Duncan McFarlane

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: DonMeixner
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 12:42 PM

Baggs Paracoustic DI is my vote as well. 10 years on the job 50 gigs a year I have replace the 9v battery a total of 10 times. Thats because it was New Years Day and I replace all the batteries on New Years Day. Probably could have gone longer but why take chance for a 9v battery.

I Paid $ 139.00 for it and I see that they are still under $200.00 at most shops. It is about mid price range but I think the best bang for the buck.

Clear instructions. Intuitive to use. I have it on my banjo long with a Pick Up The World pick up(Strongly endorsed by me) and once it was set I have never changed the pre amp settings.

Don

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: GUEST,ghirotondo
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 11:13 AM

Hi, I own a L.R. Baggs Paracoustic DI and I am completely satisfied of the thing. Pretty expensive, but worth any $ you put in it. I have used it with my old Fender F-35 with undersaddle fishman pickup. (now I use a fishman ellipse system (piezo + mic) in the same guitar, and I have an excellent sound. I use the Baggs on my A-style Epiphone mando, with piezo shadow bridge. The sound is great also with the mandolin!
Lanfranco.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 09:09 AM

whoops sorry PLEASE IGNORE MY POST ABOVE.

That's a mic-pre!

What I meant to link to was this, their new GUITAR pre-amp/compressor:

http://www.fmraudio.com/arc.htm

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 09:06 AM

I haven't heard it, but I have heard/used other products by FMR and they're always good, so I'm intrigued by their new pre-amp. The Really Nice Pre-Amp.

Lookee here:

http://www.fmraudio.com/rnp.htm

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 08:32 AM

Might want to check back with the folks who sold you the Fishman 'cause Fishman makes some purdy nice little pre-amps, too... I have one in my Washburn ES-10 resonator and it sounds great...

B~

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: mandotim
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 09:16 AM

If it's acoustic in a large noisy venue, the technical term is 'inaudible'.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: GUEST,johnmc
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 07:52 AM

GIGPRO is quite good for improving magnetic P/u sound, and it's a small belt clip on.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: Midchuck
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 07:41 AM

If it has a preamp it isn't acoustic.

P.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 05:17 AM

Amazon have the GII for US$ 49 which I imagine would be £49 in the UK.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 05:13 AM

There are many circuit diagrams on the net for a suitable preamp for both high and low impedance pickups - that is if you are handy with a soldering iron.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: mandotim
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 05:11 AM

Hi again; the Zoom one was the 504. They now do one called the A2, which has a version with a volume pedal as well. It's better made than the old ones, and more sophisticated effects are available.

Subject: RE: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: mandotim
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 05:02 AM

Hi Nick; depends to some extent what you're plugging into as an amplifier. Most 'Acoustic' amps have a built-in preamp, whereas plugging into 'line in' on a mixer channel does not. Using a simple active DI box will give you a better signal and allow you to plug into the XLR socket on the mixer; this allows you to take advantage of the mic preamps on the mixer itself. There is a huge range of preamps available. Fishman do one (I think it's called the GII or G2) that clips on your belt and gives extra gain plus a basic EQ. The Baggs ParaDI is the one most people seem to use, and this allows some boost via the EQ function. Behringer make a cheaper copy of this one. If you are in the UK, give Orchid Electronics a call. They can build you wharever you want, and they're not hugely expensive. Re your Zoom 606; that's an electric guitar pedal, but as I remember Zoom do a 505, which is the equivalent for acoustic guitars.
Hope this helps.
Tim

Subject: What preamp for Acoustic guitar
From: Nick
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 03:46 AM

I have an steel string acoustic guitar with no electrics on board. I have a Fishman pickup wich goes across the soundhole (not the expensive Fishman but the Neo-d one) and the sound is reasonable.

I played with some people at a gig last week and the other two acoustics had onboard preamps so I got pretty drowned out and there was no more power on the amp we were using. So I thought for the future I should do something rather than suffer or have to buy a different guitar as I'm happy with what I have.

(As an aside I ended up trying to play louder by hitting the guitar harder. In my exuberance I slightly miscalculated and must have missed a bit with the pick. One of the guitarists came over at one point and said 'do you know you're dripping blood down the front of the guitar'... I hadn't noticed but he was right)

Any suggestions for a reasonably priced guitar preamp that would boost me so that I can play without flaying the skin off my hands in future?

I do have an old Zoom 606 effects pedal which I would guess has some form of preamp in but I'm not sure what the quality would be like as it is really just a cheap effects pedal ("fuzz folk" or "flange folk" - interesting thought)