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February 2004
Posts: 4
Location: Illinois | I have a 1978 Ovation 10th Anniversary model (straight acoustic).
Has anyone installed one of these in a 6 string Ovation? I need to know if I should get the Pure Classic model or the Pure Western model.
The Ovations have fan bracing, no bridgeplate and are pinless. Dieter at K&K wasn't sure which one to use.
I see a guy on Harmony Central installed one on a 12 string Ovation. Not sure how the bracing compares to my 6 string, but he mentions 3 transducers (Western version). The Pure Classic has 4 transducers and is recommended for Nylon classical guitars with fan bracing. |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Don't get sucked in by this. The pickups used by K & K are essentially generic piezo buzzers which can be bought at Radio Shack for 2 or 3 dollars each. I'm sure their Pre-Amps are fine, or should be at the prices the charge, but believe me their pickups are the same transducers as you find in musical greetings cards. All you have to do is buy a "singing" card, pull out they piezo disc, reverse the wiring, connect to an impedance transformer/buffer preamp and you have a 20Hz-20+kHz pickup. It's Snake Oil. Lots of current piezo pickup technology comes from siesmology & vibration testing. If you know where to buy piezo film or co-axial piezo cable it costs a few bucks a metre, not $100 per saddle length.
If you want a pickup in your guitar talk to Ovation Customer Service about a CP100 thinline or an OPP, or have a Baggs or Fishman installed, but avoid soundboard transducers at all costs, they suck. Multiple soundboard transducers, as advocated by K&K are a phase-cancellation nightmare. |
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February 2004
Posts: 4
Location: Illinois | Thanks for your opinion, but I've already made up my mind. Also on the K&K website, Ovation Guitars is actually listed as a dealer of K&K pickups.
Sorry, heard them and liked them. Great reviews everywhere too. I have a professional guitarist friend that has them installed in his Avalon guitars for his touring.
I want something very non-invasive. I don't like soundhole pickups myself and I don't want to do anything more to the guitar than drill the end jack.
Back to my question. Anybody installed a K&K on their Ovation 6 string and which one fits? |
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July 2004
Posts: 338
Location: Omaha | beatlenut,
I can't tell you which one to use, just wanted to add my endorsement of the K&K; I have one in one of my Larrivees (an LV-09) and it sounds very nice; I eq it just a little with a Boss EQ-7 stompbox.
I'm also thinking about putting one in my 1975 Ovation 1124 (a nylon string). Because the classical is designed for the nylon string version, I'd say go with either the standard western or mini-western; the standard western will give you a little more volume, since it's transducers are a little larger...that's one consideration...so it depends what kind of eq-ing you plan to do.
Let me know how it turns out!!!
:) :cool: |
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February 2004
Posts: 4
Location: Illinois | I will be running it thru either a Yamaha AG stomp direct into the PA or a Genz Benz Shenandoah 100 amp. |
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March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | Originally posted by Paul Templeman:
Don't get sucked in by this. The pickups used by K & K are essentially generic piezo buzzers which can be bought at Radio Shack for 2 or 3 dollars each. I'm sure their Pre-Amps are fine, or should be at the prices the charge, but believe me their pickups are the same transducers as you find in musical greetings cards. All you have to do is buy a "singing" card, pull out they piezo disc, reverse the wiring, connect to an impedance transformer/buffer preamp and you have a 20Hz-20+kHz pickup. It's Snake Oil. Lots of current piezo pickup technology comes from siesmology & vibration testing. If you know where to buy piezo film or co-axial piezo cable it costs a few bucks a metre, not $100 per saddle length.
If you want a pickup in your guitar talk to Ovation Customer Service about a CP100 thinline or an OPP, or have a Baggs or Fishman installed, but avoid soundboard transducers at all costs, they suck. Multiple soundboard transducers, as advocated by K&K are a phase-cancellation nightmare.
paul, i hope you have time to look at my last synth project guitar thread and add a few comments. i forgot how many pints i owe you , but tack another on. |
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February 2002
Posts: 83
Location: Columbus, OH | I bought an Alvarez that has a 3 transducer system installed along with the original ust and preamp. The Alvarez Preamp has an extra input jack for the K&K or a mic etc... with its own volume control to mix it with the piezo. No toneshaping on the K&K. Frankly, I'm quite happy with the sound of the piezo and K&K blended together. Certainly better than the piezo alone and more natural sounding than the original piezo or my Custom Legend. |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | I installed the K&K in my '02 CL 12string. I believe it was the Pure Western(the LARGER of the 2 p/u's). I measured between the braces and the bigger ones fit. Spoke to the same tech guy you did, and he said the larger ones put out more volume. Anyway...I love the sound compared to the p/u that came with the guitar. Some tricky things had to be done to ensure I didn't screw up the sound. Email me if you like and I'll tell you. John <>{ |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Sorry Temp...I didn't mean to step right over your comment. I have a lot of respect for your experience. It's too late for my guitar though...I already made the switch. But I do like the sound better, and I didn't mind paying the $100. Given the unusual saddle slot that my guitar has, I thought this would be the easiest thing to do. I must admit I was really nervous until I actually PLUGGED IN. But that was a year ago, and it's all OK. I guess 3 musical greeting cards would have been cheaper,though. Live and learn. John <>{ |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | I've been working with a UK company who are doing some pretty innovative and radical things with piezo material, the results of which may come to market in the near future. I'm not really in a position to go into detail because I'm just involved in testing & evaluation, and more importantly there are a couple of patents involved, but the R&D guys have purchased and tested just about every after-market pickup and pre-amp out there, including K&K, Fishman, B-Band, Baggs, Shadow, Shertler, Highlander and dozens of others. In the process I've learned a lot about pickups, preamps and instruments and the way they interact.
If you like the sound of a particular pickup & it works for you in your situation, go for it, but first try to evaluate as many options as you can in the real world. There are any number of pickups which may sound incredible through an acoustic amp or a PA in a store, at home or in a small club, and if that's what you do then fine. When the circumstances in which you play become less predictable, your choice of pickup/guitar will diminish accordingly. |
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Anybody install a K&K pickup on their Ovation?
