K&K Pickups
I used to recommend and sell another brand of pickups, but one
day I got a Martin 000-16 in for a setup and the customer wanted me to install a
supplied K&K Mini-Western pickup in it. The first thing I noticed was that
it was a lot easier to get the pickups on the bridgeplate, compared to the
previous brand of pickup. With 3 individual discs, it's easier to push
them around or spread them out, as the bridgeplate allows. I did the
install and plugged the guitar into an L.R. Baggs ParaAcoustic DI and then into
my Peavey Ecoustic 112 amp. I was expecting the typical quacky piezo sound
but I was surprised! I ended up playing the guitar for about 1/2 hour
and even my wife, who dislikes pickups very much, commented on the quality of
sound. What I noticed was:
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A smoother, more balanced sound
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The response was more in tune with the acoustic guitar.
I could strum harder or softer and the pickup reflected that. Most
undersaddle pickups are way too responsive.
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Plenty of volume.
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Good response to changes in the preamp. If I turned the
amp's treble up, I got more treble.
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Less sensitive to hand pressure on the top.
Undersaddle pups really pick up noise if you brush the bridge or saddle area
while playing. The K&K didn't
I was a K&K dealer w/in the week and I have a K&K installed in
my personal "stage" guitar.
Installation
K&K pickups can be installed using a sticky tape or superglue.
The sticky tape is okay for temporary installations, but I really recommend
using superglue and just treating the install as "permanent". For one
thing, this is a much more secure installation and won't fall out while
traveling. I also think the superglue attachment produces a better sound.
As a K&K dealer, I can order any system you want and match any price out there.
Contact me and I'll get it. These are the "Big 4" that I try to keep in
stock.
PURCHASING INFORMATION: If you have any trouble
with Paypal's "Buy Now" links,
E-mail me, tell me what you want, and I'll send you a total and/or a Paypal
invoice.
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Mini-Western:
This is my #1 selling pickup. It's inexpensive,
easily installed, durable, and sounds great. This is a good choice
for the player who plugs in just every now and then and/or works in an
ensemble of mixed electric and acoustic instruments where pure acoustic
tone isn't so important. You'll get a great plugged-in tone, but
the Trinity (below) is more versatile and gives an even better acoustic
tone. If you order this, I recommend either the Pure Preamp or XLR
Pure, below.
More details
on Mini-Western
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Trinity Mini-Western:
The Trinity adds a small, highly adjustable internal mic
to the Mini-Western for an even purer acoustic tone. The supplied
preamp allows you to mix in the amount of mic vs. pickup that you want.
You can adjust treble/mid/bass via pots inside the cover. I recommend
this system for those wanting the best plugged-in acoustic tone.
More details on Trinity System.
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Trinity Western UPGRADE:
If you already have a K&K Western or Mini-Western
installed, this kit lets you upgrade to the Trinity sytem. It
includes the internal mic, preamp, and stereo cable.
More details
on Trinity Upgrade.
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Pure Preamp: The K&K Mini Westerns work
best with a preamp. They'll work alright w/out one, but a preamp
gives you volume and tone controls as well as sending the correct signal
to the amp/board. The Pure Preamp sends the signal out via a 1/4"
jack and thus is more appropriate for plugging into an amp than directly
into a mixing board.
More details
on the Pure Preamp.
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Pure XLR Preamp: The XLR preamp is my first choice for a
preamp as it allows you to send a 1/4" signal to an amp, or an balanced
XLR directly to a mixing board. It's larger than the Pure Preamp
and works best sitting on a stand or the floor. If you think you
want a belt-mounted unit you may find that this unit actually words
better since you can mount it anywhere and don't have to shuffle your
clothes aside looking for the volume knob, like you often have to do
with a belt-mounted unit.
More details
on the Pure XLR Preamp
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An Installation Question and Tips for removing a
stubborn jack.
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