Help setting up Acoustic RIG

[ryman150]

Hey guys. Ok, so I just got the guitar spot for new artist here in town. I'll be playing mostly rhythm electric and acoustic, and then swapping guitar solos with the other guitarist. He'll be playing mostly lead.

Anyways, I have my electric rig all ready to go, but I wasn't planning on playing acoustic. I have a Taylor 612ce that I just bought to resell, but I think I'll be keeping it for now - just to take on the road.

I think I am going to try and find a Boss TU-2 tuner and then just run into like a simple reverb pedal to get a good warm acoustic sound over the PA. Anybody have any ideas of a better way to get a cheap acoustic rig setup?

Thanks


P.S. - I need to buy a TU-2, so if anybody knows where I can do that for a good price, please let me know.

[tom]

lots of guys just use a good di, the sound company may even supply them. if you 're doing mostly background strumming i wouldn't worry about effects.

[Suriel Zayas]

lots of guys just use a good di, the sound company may even supply them. if you 're doing mostly background strumming i wouldn't worry about effects.
+1 on what tom said......on the road, the sound reinforecement company carries a whole assortment of di's and they know which is best for your acoustic. they will also handle any reverb, unless you're looking for a particular effect. they'll take your direct signal and dial in a perfect eq based on the acoustics of the venue.

if you want to see them like kids in a toy store, let them eq a crowdster. an acoustic guitarist biggest duties on the road are, knowing your parts and making sure your guitar is in tune.

good luck!

[leecow]

Baggs makes a nice, simple, fairly inexpensive acoustic preamp/di. Don't remember the model, it's the brown one ;) The worship lead at one of the churches I play at uses one and the tone is quite good.

[Rhys]

The L.R. Baggs unit is called the Para D.I. You can pick one up for around $150, and I think they're well worth it. Even for guitars with an onboard preamp, a floor unit really cleans up the sound. I'll also put a plug in for the StroboStomp tuner. It's more expensive than the boss unit, but I've been really impressed with it. And it's got BFTS presets, so its perfect for a TAG electic rig too.

[ryman150]

Hey thanks everybody for all the pointers. Gives me good ideas. So now, what exactly is the Baggs going to do for my sound? Does it essentially give me more control over how my Acoustic is EQed, etc...?

Thanks...

[tom]

the para di is a great eq, and it is also a pre amp for weak pickups ot thise without onboard preamps. it has a loop if you wanted to put you tuner there.

[Suriel Zayas]

what exactly is the Baggs going to do for my sound?
unlike electric guitar that you can shape your tone with a good guitar, amp & pedals. most of the time for acoustic guitarists, their sound is in the hands of the sound man. they shape, color & texture your sound. many times with very good results. imho, the piezo pup or dual system piezo/mic sometimes becomes a bigger concern with translating the info from your guitar to the sound guy correctly. you mention that you are using a taylor, taylors have a good reputation of having a good onboard preamp and eq.

[guitarzan]

unlike electric guitar that you can shape your tone with a good guitar, amp & pedals. most of the time for acoustic guitarists, their sound is in the hands of the sound man. they shape, color & texture your sound. many times with very good results. imho, the piezo pup or dual system piezo/mic sometimes becomes a bigger concern with translating the info from your guitar to the sound guy correctly. you mention that you are using a taylor, taylors have a good reputation of having a good onboard preamp and eq.


+1. I think Suriel is right. I think your main focus should be on knowing your parts and having a decent acoustic to play. You said you're playing a Taylor (600 series?), so I wouldn't worry about anything other than bringing a quarter inch cable to get into the DI (unless you wanted to put a tuner in there as well). If you're playing at places that have a soundguy, he's going to control everything regardless of what you do. I'm not gonna sit here and poop on sound guys, but you can massage your acoustic tone and dial in all of the sweet mojo in the world and they're still gonna give it their own personal treatment before it hits the mains. You just have to trust that the sound guy knows what he's doing. I wouldn't lose any sleep over not having a bunch of bells and whistles for your acoustic rig.

[guitarzan]

I think I am going to try and find a Boss TU-2 tuner and then just run into like a simple reverb pedal to get a good warm acoustic sound over the PA.

I'd steer clear of reverb also- not because it's inherently evil, but because it's not necessary. Every room you play in will have its own sound and every soundman you play for will have his own "season-to-taste" theory about what acoustic guitars need to sound right. This will be a good time to make friends with him and send him a clean signal with an extra helping of trust. I've found that gigs are extra sweet if you make good with the sound folks.

[ryman150]

Well guys I appreciate all the info. I bought a TU-2, and I think that's all I'm going to go with for now. You guys rock! I'll keep you posted on how the gig goes. We're playing monthy at the Wild Horse Saloon and then also a few Casinos, etc. out of town each month as well.

Thanks everybody!

[LonestarGtr]

Ryan,

what preamp do you have in your Taylor? I have a 614ce that came with a Fishman Blender and I swapped it out for a Baggs Imix (retrofits in the same space as the Blender) and it sounds a lot better to me. Might be something to consider in the future. It's the next best sounding live acoustic sound behind my Crowdster. Also, like someone else said, I'll vote for staying away from reverb. If you have to do any solo'ing on acoustic and you need some extra "punch" you can run a slight gain box (a voodoo labs sparkle drive works great) for a nice acoustic solo. It doesn't really distort the acu, but it gives you some extra boost in a few nice frequencies without it going nuts. I saw Kenny Loggins and his guitarist Chris Rodriguez using them.

Mike

[ryman150]

I have a Taylor 612ce with their Expression system. I really won't be soloing much on acoustic anyways, so I think I'll be fine there...