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Topic: Acoustic Pre-Amp OK for Steel? |
Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 9 Oct 2004 12:41 pm |
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Here is a nifty little pre-amp designed to be used with a passive preamp installed in an acoustic instrument. It has a volume control on top and a gain control on the bottom. I wonder if it would work as a buffer amp with a magnetic pickup on a steel guitar.
Click Here
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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande
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John Daugherty
From:
Rolla, Missouri, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2004 3:48 am
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| Lee, the high input impedance indicates that it would work OK but I would not buy this without doing the old "ear test". For myself, I can see no use for a pickup preamp. If I was feeding a power amp, I would want a preamp with at least 3 EQ adjustments.....JD |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2004 10:45 am
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Lee. Chances are that the input on that little thing would be too sensitive for the high voltage that steel pickups generate. Passive acoustic pickups like "Pick Up The World" makes are far weaker than a magnetic steel pickup. Also that 10meg input impedance is a bit high for getting a steel pickup to sound normal. Steel pickups sound best with a load between 300k and 1Meg.
Regarding that brand of stuff; I've got one of their pickups on my F-5 Mandolin under the bridge and it's hands down the best sounding pickup for that app that I've ever heard or tried. Real nice people there at "Pick Up The World".
Brad Sarno |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 10 Oct 2004 11:54 am
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Thanks, Brad. I ran across this in my quest for a pickup to install in my 1950 Martin D-28. I've narrowed it down to two - McIntyre Feather and Pick-Up The World. Both have been highly recommended by respected luthiers and guitar repair guys.
Lee |
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Mike Simpson
From:
Gilbert, Arizona, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2004 8:20 pm
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Lee,
The PUTW pickups are good and they are pretty natural sounding. I have one on my Tricone. The preamps are good little units and contain the 9v battery outside the guitar but they can take a couple of minutes to change and you will need a screwdriver. I have the line driver that clips on a belt or pocket and I use a 3ft cord to go to the guitar. Lately I have been using a Boss GE-7 eq pedal as a preamp for a while, it has boost and a 7 band eq and can be powered by a 9v adapter (PS-120)
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Big Mike
http://www.blueswizards.net
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 7 Dec 2004 7:05 am
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I ended up purchasing a Baggs Gig-Pro pre-amp for my old Martin. Yesterday evening I tried it out on my Mullen and was quite pleased. Granted, this was in a small room, at low levels.
The unit has both a gain control and a volume control, along with treble and bass contols. The bass control is sweepable.
I suspect the hot Mullen pickup may overdrive the unit, but with the gain control maybe that could be controlled.
Lee |
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Ford Cole
From:
Texas
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Posted 7 Dec 2004 9:53 am
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| How about the Black Box + a solid state amp? Have heard the two make a sweet match. |
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Pete Knapton
From:
Otago, New Zealand
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 3:55 am
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Lee, I have been using an L R Baggs Mixpro pre amp for most of this year. Its a 2 channel preamp. The tip (stereo) channel is exactly the same as the gigpro. Its smaller than a packet of cigs and easily mounts on a mic stand. I play harmonica and lap steel and have set up each channel respectively, going into only one guitar amp (or PA). It has gain, vol, bass & treb EQ, phase inverter and bass trim. For me, this is without a doubt the most convientient, versatile and best sounding preamp i have owned. Its solid, well engineered and has long battery life. For steel playing into a tube guitar amp, this preamp tightens up the sound considerably, with minimal loss in tone (yes, its another gadget in the chain).
I have no affilation with the company, but i like the product.
Pete |
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