Why Does The Crowdster Sound So Good? Seriously...

[paleolith54]

My wife and I are putting a trio together with a multi-instrumentalist, and he plays plugged-in acoustic (a very well-known brand) on some of the songs. The Crowdster just sounds better all the way around, even in my rather pedestrian hands. Fuller bottom end, highs that are distinct without being piercing or plinky, nice mids, just a nice balanced sound all the way around.

Is it just that Tom and the guys designed a better UST, or is there more going on that I understand? I'm really curious.

[brokenvail]

My wife and I are putting a trio together with a multi-instrumentalist, and he plays plugged-in acoustic (a very well-known brand) on some of the songs. The Crowdster just sounds better all the way around, even in my rather pedestrian hands. Fuller bottom end, highs that are distinct without being piercing or plinky, nice mids, just a nice balanced sound all the way around.

Is it just that Tom and the guys designed a better UST, or is there more going on that I understand? I'm really curious.

I am sure it is a combo of build quality, tone woods short scale and the eq which I believe is custom voiced. When playing plugged in and with a band (especially a loud one.) Nothing can beat a crowdster

[Pietro]

It's why mine is no for sale... ever...

[paleolith54]

I am sure it is a combo of build quality, tone woods short scale and the eq which I believe is custom voiced. When playing plugged in and with a band (especially a loud one.) Nothing can beat a crowdster

Yeah, with my loud bar band I play it on 6-8 songs, in the mix with electric, bass, drums and vocals. So many "stage" acoustics can keep up in terms of volume, but they stop sounding like acoustics as they get louder. The Crowdster doesn't do that. Pretty amazing.

And of course, the fact that it floats is a nice part of the stage show.

http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy96/paleolith54/Polo%2003-17_zpswv99ttyg.jpg (http://s781.photobucket.com/user/paleolith54/media/Polo%2003-17_zpswv99ttyg.jpg.html)

[pipedwho]

I also think it's a combination of body woods, the bridge construction material and nut material, and the custom EQing in the preamp.

It just sounds really really good without any extra outboard gear. It's direct with a good strong mid response and is clear without too much 'body resonance' to get in the way. The louder it gets, the better it sounds - which is kind of the opposite compared to a full sized plugged-in acoustic that starts to get muddy and indistinct as the volume goes up.

I've tried the Aura and other 'body resonance' enhancements and they do make it sound 'different', but it always loses it's ability to punch and be heard. For non-electric guitar style music I currently use it direct into an AER Compact 60, nothing extra.

I've also been playing with the Helix, acoustic guitar impulse responses and electric guitar amp simulation from the magnetic (+2) pickups. It sounds great like that as you've probably heard from pietro's youtube demos. But, that is a different style of music with lots of reverb, delay and other effects.

For pure acoustic, I keep coming back to the Crowdster direct to the AER. (Minimal reverb if any on the AER and the EQ set pretty much flat.)

[BFC]

Then the comfort of the thinner body with the slight forearm contour and the playability. I love the Crowdster.

[tom]

glad they are serving you all well. it has been a long evolution of tiny changes to get to where it settled. i've said it before, the biggest asset to any piezo loaded guitar is a player that knows not to over play the guitar. piezo's are very dynamic pickups, and don't sound nice when you beat on them too hard. so a controlled attack does wonders for how they sound.

[paleolith54]

glad they are serving you all well. it has been a long evolution of tiny changes to get to where it settled. i've said it before, the biggest asset to any piezo loaded guitar is a player that knows not to over play the guitar. piezo's are very dynamic pickups, and don't sound nice when you beat on them too hard. so a controlled attack does wonders for how they sound.

I'm glad you chimed in Tom. I guess your reply supports the "lots of little things" perspective that the other guys said above. And you're dead on about the attack: It took me a couple of days to figure that out when I first got the Crowdster, but sure made huge difference.

Anyway, like Peter says, this one and my Cobra will stay with me to the end.

[BFC]

I play with a very light touch with the pick generally all around. I've never understood how guys get good sounds, either electric or acoustic, whacking the strings as hard as they do. Just doesn't work for me. But somehow a lot of guys sound absolutely great sawing away.

[Pietro]

And if a sound can't be made by my Crowdster into my Helix, it ought not be made...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFCbOgKPaHw