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Best way to "acoustify" an electric

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9/11/2005 10:25 AM

Dwight Listmayer

Best way to "acoustify" an electric

It looks as if I am either going to give away or sell for peanuts, my last acoustic/electric guitar to a struggling, Gospel artist. I gave her my Takamine already, about 6 - 8 years ago, and she has worn it out playing over 200 gigs a year, most of them "free" - then the guitar is used by Soup Kitchen patrons, incarcerated pickers in Prisons, etc. When she's out there, she's on the road and the guitar's gone - I can't use it anymore.

I'll be left with no A/E (can't afford another) and do not intend to borrow someone's when I have to play at a Coffee House, which is also at a church for fundraising, in about 3 weeks.

How can I get a satisfactory acoustic sound from any of my Strats ... or I'm thinking my new Godin SD? I have spent hours tweaking my Boss AC-2 Acoustic Simulator with just the right electric guitar, till I think it sounds goods - then I A/B with the real acoustic/electric and I realize it doesn't sound right.

Any of you guys got piezos in your electrics, or L.R. Baggs-type saddles, or anything you'd like to share your experiences about to help me out here?

Thanks, Strat man Dwight

9/13/2005 1:27 AM

Looking for someone 2 donate an acoustic to a good cause

Dwight:

Maybe it is time for someone else to step up to the plate and offer an acoustic guitar to your struggling Gospel artist friend. Does she need an acoustic/electric or would an acoustic be sufficient? You see plain old acoustics at garage sales for dirt cheap prices.

The story of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs comes to mind... you really need your A/E for your own gigs.

It's too bad that your friend doesn't need an electric because I have a few that I would be willing to donate to a good cause. Maybe we can work out a 3 way deal in which I would supply an electric to someone who would give your friend an acoustic.

Steve Ahola

9/14/2005 3:27 PM
Dwight Listmayer	Re: Looking for someone 2 donate an acoustic to a good c That's very nice Steve. Thanks for your response and your own good thoughts. Strat man Dwight

9/16/2005 8:21 AM
Steve A.	Ummm... anybody driving from SF to midwest (or Ontario)? Dwight: I believe that you mentioned living in Ontario— if someone was driving out there from SF it would sure make everything a lot easier... Steve Ahola

9/19/2005 5:18 PM

Dwight Listmayer

Re: Ummm... anybody driving from SF to midwest (or Ontar

Thanks.

I don't really expect a free guitar for the lady in question, unless it comes from me again, but in the event of some kind of miracle ... this woman travels as far as Goshen, Indiana on occasion; more often to points in Minnesota and Wisconsin, then all the way West to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Yes I live in Ontario, just North of Toronto, and I'm currently in Thunder Bay, visiting friends.

Strat man Dwight

9/22/2005 3:17 PM

Re: Best way to "acoustify" an electric

Hey Dwight,

Well, IMHO you can't "acoustify" an electric guitar - but you can "piezofy" them! Unfortunately the piezo pickups have become a de facto standard for the "acoustic" sound and we tend to confuse one for the other. Since my primary instrument is a Martin D-25K (D-18 with Koa sides and back) and I often play totally acoustically - no amplification - I'm pretty picky about amplified sound and no piezo pickup I've tried - and I've tried scads - gives an "acoustic guitar" sound - these pickups just have too much crunchy compression for my taste. In fact I usually perform on stage with a magnetic pickup - Fishman make - that is tailored for acoustic guitar and get a more acoustic guitar sound than I do with a piezo.

But back to your query - you can use almost any piezo element that will fit under your saddles to get the sound you probably want. Simply wiring them in parallel and feeding them into a really high impedance preamp will work well. For more control you can individually preamp each p/u and mix the outputs. Most all piezos sound identical - the difference is in how they are fitted to the instrument.

Hmmm, for starters you could try just glueing a piezo to the guitars body and see what you get.

Rob

9/23/2005 10:45 PM
Dwight Listmayer	Thanks Rob. I'll work on something like that. Strat man Dwight

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