# Good acoustic guitar pre-amp?



## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i have plans to start using an acoustic guitar with a pickup.

i'd like to plug into a good preamp, with effects, then into the sound system.

can someone recommend a good preamp with reverb, chorus etc?

thanks!

-dh


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## sysexguy (Mar 5, 2006)

The best is the pendulum (imho)....it's so good, pendulum won't even let its dealers sell 'em ....sometimes they appear on ebay for good prices. It's kinda the defacto touring standard

http://www.pendulumaudio.com/SPS-1.html

as far as a one box multi effects wonder......don't know what to recommend. One can get a quite good multi f/x box for very little (TC/Lexicon etc.) and add a pre-amp from one of the pickup companies (Fishman etc.). 

Andy


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

There is also the DTAR Equinox made by Seymour Duncan and Rick Turner.

It is a parametric eq with full sound control. As far as effects, acoustic guitars have their own built in reverb and everyone is sick of chorus.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...the pendulum is extreme overkill. i was thinking more along the lines of the yamaha magicstomp ag. then again, i probably don't need effects, just good tone. 

i do like digital reverb, however......

-dh


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## chimo (Mar 29, 2006)

I've used Baggs Para DI with good results but then I bought a Taylor K4. 

lets just say that even though taylors have the best plugged in sound, all taylor guitars should come with this piece. It's a Neve design and works extremely well. 

It's also kinda pricey... 900usd street. :2guns:


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i'm thinking that a very basic, but good quality, preamp - with no effects - might be what i need. my guitar has a fishman pickup, but no on-board electronics.

-dh


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

I have the Yamaha Acoustic Stomp and it does the job quite nicely, not too many effects but lots of different tone models. It also has the feedback eliminator in it which is quite handy sometimes. Not overly expensive another good point.


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## Gitpik (Apr 13, 2006)

*pre-amp*

I have been trying to come up with a perfect combination for true acoustic sound for many many years. I finally believe I am very close to the holy grail.
I've tried Fender SFX, Fishman Loudbox,Genz BenZ, Yorkville and a whole hoard of other top line amps. Here's my problem. I don't like 8 or 10" speakers . I believe if your not pushing air and wattage your just not going to produce top quality sound that really projects out to the crowd in big areas or large halls. Plus I can't stand fighting feedback and don't like to patch through to the PA unless I really have to. 
So on the advice of a smart cookie I rented a np550x Yorkville powered speaker from L&M for a month. I've had it out to two big gigs so far. The audience, the band and myself just love the sound. My main gig guitar is a J40 Martin, ( Fishman Thin Line pick-up ) I have a K&K Trinty True Western but trying to get volume and blending is just a nightmare of feedback problems so just use the Thinline. I just bought a L.R. Baggs Para 1 off e-bay so in the meantime I'm using a Behringer AD1 21 V-Tone Acoustic Modeler that is very good and really retards the feedback. I use a Yamaha DG Stomp box for effects. The sound I get is real ear candy and I can turnaround, face the speaker with out a rubber feedback plug in my sound hole and get within 1 foot before any feedback happens, and crank the volume way up.
Soooo----- to sum it up, I can now finally match the lead electric players if need be, and whack into lead with a footswitch or just the floor switch on the DG stomp. Love it. Sorry for the long post fellows but just had to let it all hang out. Cheers


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

That is the way I am leaning also. I have a DTAR Parametric EQ and am looking for a powered speaker-I don't bother with effects though.


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## cohenj (Feb 7, 2006)

*preamp*

You can pickup a Boss AD-3 on Ebay for less than $100.00 and it will do the job nicely. It has notch filters that are specially tuned for acoustic guitar, feedback elimination, reverb and chorus. Its dead quiet and reliable. I've been using one for years (with my fishman Matrix II equipped dreadnaught. Works great, no fat.

Jeff


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

cohenj said:


> You can pickup a Boss AD-3 on Ebay for less than $100.00 and it will do the job nicely. It has notch filters that are specially tuned for acoustic guitar, feedback elimination, reverb and chorus. Its dead quiet and reliable. I've been using one for years (with my fishman Matrix II equipped dreadnaught. Works great, no fat.Jeff



...that looks like a good one, jeff, thanks.

-dh


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

sysexguy said:


> The best is the pendulum (imho)....it's so good, pendulum won't even let its dealers sell 'em ....sometimes they appear on ebay for good prices. It's kinda the defacto touring standard
> 
> http://www.pendulumaudio.com/SPS-1.html
> 
> ...



Hey Andy...

I went to the site. Very interesting stuff. Are you a Pendulum dealer ?
Pete


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## Benee Wafers (Jul 1, 2006)

Hi David.
Know you're inquiring about a pre amp and you didn't mention the p/u you're using but here is a great site with audio and lots of info.
Worth checking out.
Benee Wafers

http://www.fingerpick.com/pickups.htm


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