hi everyone. i recently purchased a gypsy guitar, and i am looking for a way to amplify it. i already have an aer compact 60 so i am looking for something to work good with that. i have seen the bigtone piezo being recommended here, but i am also looking into the K&K Pure Floating Bridge pickup, which is similar, but is a pickup (?) instead of a piezo. so if anyone has experience with these two systems i 'd appreciate the help.
i also understand the bigtone system to come complete with the bridge (or is it something to be installed under your own bridge?)
Comments
And I believe it actually is a piezo.
Shadow makes something similar. Our bass player loves his Shadow pickup, but I can't vouch for the Maccaferri one. Here it is for info purposes:
http://www.shadow-electronics.com/viewpro.html?lang_id=&id=219
I use Schatten passive pickups. They work for me, but some people hate them. If you get a chance to try different pickups on other people's guitars, you can judge for yourself. Otherwise, read all the advice, use your best judgment, and good luck.
"It's a great feeling to be dealing with material which is better than yourself, that you know you can never live up to."
-- Orson Welles
Ultimately it's a personal choice and it a lot depends on the situations you play in and how loud you need to be. I think the bigtone is the winner for volume, but you may like the wetter sound of some of the other systems but keep in mind they can be problematic at higher volumes.
Good luck!
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My most recent Dell'Arte had a Bigtone, which I eventually replaced with a Schatten. Didn't care for the Bigtone, which just seemed to be a little too "hot." However, Michael and others have said that the Dupont Bigtone is a very different beast and superior to others, including Dell'Arte's. I'd love to try one someday.
In the end, there is no perfect solution to getting an acoustic sound, other than playing acoustically through a good microphone. Unfortunately, that usually means having a sound guy standing by, a luxury that my band does not have.
Hey Michael, did you ever get a chance to try that Mateos bridge/pickup combo?
"It's a great feeling to be dealing with material which is better than yourself, that you know you can never live up to."
-- Orson Welles
thanks again
Yes...many people have experienced "bigtone trauma" and swore to never use them again. But usually they were using a poorly constructed/installed one. The Duponts are the best I've tried...but even so the bigtone sound isn't for everyone. But it does seem to be the most overall practical solution as far as piezos go.
I ordered a bunch of the Patrick Inghilleri pickups which are similar:
http://www.djangostation.com/Micro-chev ... e,997.html
Should be here next week!
'm
Konstandinos
in NY