How to Get Great Acoustic Guitar Tones Live
#acousticguitar #acousticelectric #guitar
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Ever wonder how to make your acoustic guitar sound better plugged in? Here are some tools and tricks to help make your acoustic-electric sound more natural when you’re playing live! In this video I use a Martin DM with a K&K Pure Mini pickup and a Gretsch Roots Acoustic with an active Fishman pickup into the Fender SFX II Acoustic amp and Boss Acoustic Singer Live, and I use a Joyo 6-Band EQ, a One Control Pale Blue Compressor and a Keeley Hydra to improve my tone.
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This is a semi sponsored video as mentioned. The Joyo 6 Band EQ appears as part of a collaborative promotion. I own the Fender SFX II, One Control Pale Blue Compressor and Keeley Hydra as part of promotional collaborations, however, those collaborations were limited to their individual reviews, and my use of them in this video was done entirely of my own volition.
Disclaimer: I do basic audio editing on my videos to account for the microphones, preamp and room. This editing, mostly light EQ and compression, is intended to give you the most accurate representation of how the featured gear actually sounds. NO editing is done to misrepresent how the featured gear sounds in any way.
#Great #Acoustic #Guitar #Tones #Live
Originally posted by UCEQ_Z17PBn1zm9oEXORwg1g at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a3iwcxQhL8
Very usefull.
But I would start with explaing to set your amp in the best sound mode you can get .
Are you not satisfied than bring on the pedals .
And , by the way , you almost always need an equalizer pedal to get rid of those ugly mid frequencies but that is also what Jack said.
Tip : for a warm tone take the high frequencies back on your EQ ; me personally I don't like them.
great video
The accoustic amp does help
Picks,picks,picks
Too many electronics dude
Soft pics mellow the strig sounds
I have that sound problem…and have found that trying different pics to change the tone in the strings
TRY THE JOURNEY TEK EP001K PICKUP SYSTEM. TRUST ME!!! They cost only $50 ( US ) and IMHO, are the purest sounding in the industry. MAKE SURE YOUR BRIDGE PLATE IS WIDE ENOUGH ( front to back ) BENEATH THE SADDLE FOR THESE 3 TRANSDUCERS TO FIT BEFORE BUYING THE JOURNEY TEK. Some bridge plates are too narrow underneath the saddle and both Journey Tek and K&K ( the K&K Pure Mini is nearly identical, but costs $150 now ) state that in order to get the best signal & tone, these transducers MUST be glued directly beneath the saddle on the bridge plate. Please see my other lengthy comment below for great advice on the best way to set up your Boss Acoustic Singer Pro or Live amp. Because I have yet to see anyone else on youtube giving the advice that I did in my other comment below.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING FOR VALUABLE "MUST KNOW" TIPS FOR ANY NEW OWNER OF ONE OF THESE AMAZING BOSS ACOUSTIC SINGER PRO/LIVE AMPS, IN ORDER TO GET THE PUREST SOUND!!! NO ONE ON YOUTUBE IS DESCRIBING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FOR THESE AMAZING BOSS ACOUSTIC AMPS, BUT I AM, RIGHT HERE & NOW!!! >>>>>> ( I've been playing/singing/performing for decades & just bought the Boss Acoustic Singer Pro for myself recently. FABULOUS amps!!! ) The tips I'm about to share here, are applicable to any of the other higher quality acoustic amps as well ( such as the Fishman Loudbox ….but I MUCH prefer the BOSS Acoustic Pro Singer. Boss has been making killer professional music gear for as long as I can remember. ) THE SENNHEISER E835 MICROPHONE WORKS BEST FOR VOCALS WITH THESE BOSS AMPS. The tried & true Shure SM58 may sound too muddy, forcing you to use the "pad" button. So buy yourself the Sennheiser e835 to start, or as soon as possible. When you first start out: SET BOTH VOLUME KNOBS FOR GUITAR & VOCAL MIC TO ZERO. Next, right off the bat, set your MASTER VOLUME anywhere between 11 and 12 o'clock. TRUST ME ON THIS. ( You can adjust your master volume later. ) The dedicated "volume" knobs for the guitar ( or other acoustic instrument such as a mandolin or fiddle…..these amps are made for ALL stringed acoustic instruments ) and vocals SHOULD be treated as "GAIN" controls. ( On some of the other acoustic amps, they are indeed labeled as "Gain". ) Begin adjusting your channel volume/"gain" knobs for both instrument and vocals in small increments, because you already have the master volume set at 11 to 12 o'clock. ( set your EQ knobs at "neutral" which is also 12 o'clock to start…….worry about your EQ later, as we will discuss later on here ) These volume/"gain" controls BOOST the signal of your pickup system in your instrument. If you raise these "gain" controls too high, and have your master volume even "decreased", you WILL have problems with muddy, boomy sound, including possible feedback. THIS IS BECAUSE YOU ARE OVER-USING THE "GAIN" CONTROLS. Far too many guitarists who don't know any better are using these "gain" and master volume knobs ASS BACKWARDS. Please keep reading if ya want the best sound: I bought & installed the Journey Tek EP001K passive pickup system in all 4 of my Hsienmo acoustic guitars, and even though they are passive, they still produce a powerful signal……they also happen to produce the purest acoustic tone in the industry…….for ONLY $50.00 !!! Use the "gain" ( channel volume ) controls SPARINGLY, to get JUST THE RIGHT NATURAL WARM SOUND, and then you can always increase ( or decrease ) your master volume. If you raise the channel volume/"gain" to the point it starts sounding boomy, BACK IT OFF SLIGHTLY. You now have your gain set to the max & best position. THIS IS THE CORRECT WAY TO USE THESE AMPS!!! When this is done properly as described, you shouldn't even need to use the "pad" buttons OR your feedback controls, even at higher volumes. ( If you're doing everything properly, and you're getting feedback, try moving AWAY from the amp BEFORE using "pad" buttons and/or feedback controls as a last resort. I am currently using both my vocal and guitar channel volume/"gain" knobs at only the 9 o'clock position, and I still have tons of volume/headroom when using my master volume for "overall volume". TRY IT. THIS WORKS!!! ALSO>>>> IMPORTANT FOR GUITARISTS: DISABLE THE TWEETER SPEAKER FOR ACOUSTIC GUITARS (because it WILL sound MUCH too harsh & tinny……the tweeter is made in these amps for other acoustic instruments such as mandolin, fiddle, banjo, etc ) If you try using the tweeter for guitar, you will be forced to decrease your treble control in the EQ section SO much for your guitar, that now you're losing ALL of your sweet high frequencies, and your guitar will have overpowering mid's. So shut that tweeter OFF, and LEAVE IT OFF. Lastly: because all acoustic guitars are different, ( even if the same pickup system is used among all of your acoustic guitars ), don't be afraid of trying the various "resonance" settings in this amazing amp. Counting the default, you have FOUR of these resonance settings, and each makes quite a difference. ALL are totally usable, depending on each guitar. ALSO: Don't be afraid to CUT any of your 3 EQ knobs ( bass, mid, treble ) BELOW the neutral ( 12 o'clock ) position if necessary! That's what they are made for! Example: one of my fine Hsienmo acoustic's likes ALL THREE EQ knobs set at only the 11 o'clock positions, while my other Hsienmo acoustic's likes all 3 EQ knobs set anywhere between neutral ( 12 o'clock ) to close to 1 o'clock. STAY ROCK SOLID WITH MY INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE FOR USING THE "GAIN" KNOBS & MASTER VOLUME. As for the 4 different resonance settings ( including "default" ) and your EQ section…….take your time & experiment with each guitar. Your different acoustic guitars WILL TELL YOU what they like the best. Remember, each guitar IS different. WRITE ALL OF YOUR BEST SETTINGS DOWN FOR EACH GUITAR, AND USE THOSE EXACT SETTINGS EVERY TIME!!! Using ALL of the above information, I was able to get THE SWEETEST, MOST LUSH & NATURAL ACOUSTIC GUITAR SOUNDS I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED IN AMPLIFICATION OF ACOUSTIC GUITARS!!! ……….One last tip: If you're going for PURE acoustic sound with as little to no effects as possible, use your reverb VERY sparingly ( or not at all ), and the #1 Chorus at a bare minimum. Depending on the guitar, you may find that using the #1 Chorus ( there are 2 choices of chorus in these amps ) at a bare minimum MAY actually make that certain guitar sound even better vs NO chorus at all. For other LUSH acoustic sounds, the #1 chorus in this amp IS KILLER!!! I use it in various settings for different songs. The #2 Chorus is good for certain sounds. By the way: these amazing Boss amps are SO sensitive & responsive, different guitar picks of various thickness & stiffness actually make a difference in your tone as well !!! The very best guitar picks I have ever used are the Jim Dunlop TRUE TONE picks. They come in various sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, and you can even get them in smooth or the KILLER textured finishes for ultimate grip, and the pick will NEVER rotate or spin while playing. TRY THEM !!! The Jim Dunlop True Tone picks are the ONLY picks I use anymore!!! I just remembered ONE MORE IMPORTANT TIP: BUY THE BOSS GA-FC FOOT CONTROLLER FOR THESE BOSS ACOUSTIC AMPS NOW, OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!! It has SIX buttons. When used in conjunction with the included foot switch with only 2 buttons, that ONLY controls the looper & harmonies, you will now have ultimate control over this amazing amp!!! If you buy the Boss GA-FC foot controller, BE SURE TO tell your salesman that it will be used for the Boss Acoustic Singer Pro or LIVE amp…….because he/she MUST give you the proper stick-on labels to install on the face plate of the foot controller. Without these stickers, the GA-FC controller is set up for the KATANA amps, so you MUST use those different stick-on labels !!! This amp is FAR MORE VERSATILE when using the Boss GA-FC foot controller in conjunction with the smaller included foot switch. The GA-FC foot controller enables you to control ALL of the effects for your guitar AND vocals, plus you'll have a MUTE button too!!! Again: the smaller included foot switch will only control the looper & harmonies, with OR without the Boss GA-FC foot controller. I would love to hear from anyone here in this comment who tries my above advice!!! Please post your response here. YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS AMP………TRUST ME!!!
Great video
Great practical advice from a dedicated 'teacher!' Thanks!
Great. I love the part around 8:30, using the EQ pedal. I’m going to use a Boss GE-7, which is similar.
Hmmm….l find them all sound unnatural sounding compared to condenser miked. Still searching how best to play live plugged in.
Thanks Jack. Love that acoustic guitar sound you have. I agree Fishman pickups provide excellent sound and would recommend Fishman Loudbox series amps. They sound excellent with all controls set right in the middle; straight up. When you love the sound you're getting, well, you just want to keep playing.
Boss AD-2 is “magic” where acoustic guitars are concerned and it’s notch adjustment lets you get rid of feedback in just a couple of seconds. I think KISS is better than trying to throw every pedal imaginable – you wind up compensating for the various pedals rather than the actual goal – preserving the complexity of acoustic sound.
I have the same fender amp with the fender pedal could I just use the reverb on the amp
Have you tried the behringer Adi 21? Great budget EQ/DI pedal for acoustic.
Am I missing something? I only see one cable running out of your Hydra
Excellent Video! Clear and eloquently spoken. And thanks for not starting with "yo wasup".
Thank You so much Jack. I loved this info. I love steel strings for "their sound" and dislike amps with "muddy sounds". I even have A Martin Dm, so I loved this even more, since You've given Me a taste of what is actually possible to achieve with this particular guitar. My brother-in-law and I always discuss new tricks on acoustics. Will forward this to him immediately. Hope to see/hear You soon again. Happy Strings to You. ????
I'm just starting to experiment with slivers of material ! between the piezo pickup and the bridge ,
in order to soften the tone. ????
A few years ago i started playing around with the artec guitar electronics and i really like the sound of my acoustic electric going through the band control unit.
Maton acoustics sound great plugged in. They have a fantastic pups, plus a small mic in the sound hole, you can mix the 2 together to find a great natural sound
Thanks for the video. Now I know that I'll never use a piezo on a Martin
Nice Video! I just would like to add my opinion: as a solo acoustic player I partly disagree. Maybe in a band context this works but solo it is compressed too much. Why should I want to lose dynamics? It's one of my ways to express myself musically. The attacks sound unnatural. Maybe you just exaggerated a little to make your adjustments noticable. I agree with the lower mids- but as a singer for me the guitar is much too trebly- it get's in the way with the voice.)
Too much talk.MF
if the compressor has built-in eq, is it not better to place if before the actual eq pedal? ????
You might like to try a maton guitar they have the best pick up system ap5 pro best I've heard
I purchased a LR baggs m1 soundhole pickup for my Martin D16. Sounded great right out of the box. Been inn my guitar for 9 years. the battery lasts over a year. I gigged for years plugging straigh into a fender Acoustasonic on stage. Just ordered a Taylor. Curious how the e2 will sound compared to the Baggs
Do you have a preference between these two amps? Or a comment of note for someone deciding between the two?
What cheaply priced output device can I use for plugging in a singing microphone? My current guitar amplifier only comes with one channel.
Excellent sounds and ideas ????
What a great resource!
…of course it's a G chord 🙂 Of course it's a subscribe button
Excellent video and it explains a lot that may be a mystery. I personally don't use compression as it tends to ruin dynamics, something most people forget about. Keep up the great work.
Money better spent on a knk mini. I used to need all that junk too. Active piezoelectric systems suck. I have a ton of extra gear, pedals, power strips, wall warts, cables, extention cords, ect, ect. just trying to make under saddle pickups sound decent. A nice guitar, a KnK Mini and your favorite acoustic amp, is what people need. Less complicated, less to go wrong, no batteries required, and just sounds way better. I did everything you are doing. It's an expensive, time consuming hassle, putting makeup on a pig, and bringing a studio worth of gear to do it.
thanos.. nice reference bro.. i am impressed.. but not surprised..
what brand is the tobacco guitar ? thank you ! great vid as always !
Good video, very interesting. Great to see some experience behind presentation!!
Could you possibly do a follow-up video on how to get great acoustic guitar sounds in a home studio?
man I'm so far behind, I just wanted to know how to get my acoustic guitar to sound, but I don't even have a plug in