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Location: Chicago | Some of us have installed NON-Ovation electronics in your wood and carbon axes (LR Baggs, Fishman). Before I chop my Adamas, I'd like advice on WHICH IS BEST? (fact: 2-knob system is limited, especially for a BASS plus FEEDBACK monster like my 1581). |
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Location: Scotland | There is not a more feedback resistant pickup out there than the original Ovation pickup. Send it back to the factory and have them install an Optima. My 1581 was originally a 2-knob, now has an Optima. I can play fingerstyle over a loud rhythm section without a problem |
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Location: SoCal | Use air plugs..... |
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Location: Chicago | Well, I've learned that the extremely flexible 4-band EQ of the Fishman (PreFIX Pro) is a great asset live. Just don't dig the single tone knob. |
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Location: Scotland | Airlocks are not enough in a gig where you need to be loud and heard over other instruments. Airlocks plus at least 1 notch filter through a clean, high-quality, flat, well EQ'd PA system and you'll be getting there.
When I use my 1581 (single epi) it has the 3 main holes plugged and goes from the Optima into a BOSS AD5 then to a DBX compressor, then to a Behringer Shark. The AD5 is set flat, I just use a little reverb and a tiny touch of it's microphone modelling. The Shark is set up to deal with my Weissenborn, so very occasionally I need to use the onboard notch on the 1581. From there to whatever system we happen to be using. |
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Location: Chicago | Now that is getting warmer (the Fishman has a notch). I only like the tone of the single eip Adamas WAY over toward "Dark": it is full and rich but that's bad for feedback. For me it is still more about tone and control than just feedback.
Temp: you recommend Optima over LR Baggs? |
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Location: Scotland | I really like the Baggs ParaAcoustic DI, but the Optima pretty does the same job onboard. The only real difference is the Baggs has a sweepable midrange control and phase reversal (which in extreme situations might get you an extra 1dB in headroom before feedback)
The problem with the 2-knob is the lack of midrange control. It's produces good useable tones for strumming and fingerpicking at moderate volumes but For "dark" melody playing you need to roll off the treble and boost the mids, not boost the bass. You can't do that with the 2-knob EQ. You can with the Optima. |
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Location: Chicago | That is helpgul, Paul. Thanks (PS gig bag?) |
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Location: Scotland | New sales manager at the company who isn't keen on drop-shipping. If you can wait a few weeks I may be able to have one brought over to you |
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Location: Chicago | Are we the only ones, then, who have O's sporting "alien" pickups like the LR Baggs and Fishman. Could have sworn that there were others...
As for the gig bag, I am quite content to overpay a little.... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I see em all the time... :rolleyes: |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by dobro:
Are we the only ones, then, who have O's sporting "alien" pickups like the LR Baggs and Fishman. Could have sworn that there were others...
I don't have any non-Ovation pickups or preamps built into my guitars unless you count the Baggs M1 magnetic on a '72 Legend that I use for slide. My old Wideneck Adamas had a Baggs system when I acquired it, which I rippd out and replaced with an Op24 and Ovation pickup. I do have a bunch of outboard processing which I find essential. |
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Location: Chicago | How's an OP24 different from the Optima (or OP PRO for that matter)? |
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Location: Scotland | The original OP24 was just 3-band EQ plus volume. The Op-Pro is basically an updated version of the Op24, they sound very similar to me. The Optima has 4 bands plus a notch. |
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Location: Chicago | My 1769 has an OP PRO. I do not like it: rather feeble (others here have agreed). John Budny sent me the OP Studio as a retrofit and, WOW, what an improvement. So far, however, nothing has the range the kick, the onboard flexibility of the Fishman PreFix PRO. Hence my query (I noted you had praised the Baggs at one point)... |
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Location: Scotland | I'm not a huge fan on the Op-Pro either. Of the Ovation preamps my favourites are the Optima and Op50. I like the Op Studio a lot, though right now I don't own one. |
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Location: Chicago | Ironically the OP Studio transplant into MY 1769 (not Jeff's: he's fine) has produced serious complications despite the nice sound: a nasty hum and eternally-lit battery light. Sooo... for that guitar it will be back to Mother Ship with "please iron these bugs, I like the OP Studio"!
Clarification: Is the Optima in your Adamas 1581-5 single-epi RI? The guitar is superb acoustically but, again: it's impossible to gig with that single tone knob! |
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Location: Scotland | My 1581 is a single epalette, but is not a reissue. |
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Location: Chicago | Cool. My question is, what pickup do you have in it? Factory? LR Baggs? Outboard EQ? |
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Location: Scotland | Check the second post in this thread. It has it's original Ovation pickup with a later factory upgraded Optima. If you want headroom before feedback the only choice is the Ovation pickup |
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Location: Angoulême - France | I tried many pickups on different guitars and I agree with Paul : the best one is the OCP-1 Ovation Pickup. RMC makes good pickups (Godin, Kirk Sand...) but the guitar sounds "RMC", after that B-Band UST is very natural but not so much powerful than OCP-1 or RMC (more feedback),...
Remy |
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Location: Chicago | That is very helpful, Remy; merci! My Fishman system (PreFIX Pro) in the old Legend 1117 projects a very "true" version of the guitar. I wonder how you would rate it or compare it to the RMC and the OCP-1? I am probably the only guy on the planet with and Ovation that has "Fishman" guts. C'est une hybride suspicieux. |
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Location: Jet City | I really like the cooltubes from takamine. I wonder what that would sound like with the triaxe. |
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O's with ALIEN PICKUP?
