Have an Electrifying Experience
Many musicians enjoy acoustic instruments for the richness and warmth of their tone and wouldn’t think of swapping a prized Martin or Taylor acoustic guitar for an electric ax.
There are times, though, when acoustic amplification is called for—if you are planning to make a recording for practice or posterity, if you are venturing out to play at an open mike, or if you’ve joined a jam where your subtle acoustic sounds are getting lost.
Before you trade-in for an acoustic-electric guitar—although they are better than ever and worth considering—take a look at some of the many retro-fit, aftermarket amplification systems on the available today.
If you are a banjo player, double bassist, violinist, or indeed any other kind of acoustic musician, don’t stop reading. Some of the systems mentioned in this article are good options for you too, particularly condenser microphones and soundhole mikes that come with an external setup option.
But innovations in amplification have most often focused on turning up the guitar.
The guitar has gone through many incarnations in its long history, which began in around the 14th century. Early guitars were small and relatively quiet instruments. Innovators first began to increase the instrument’s volume by increasing the size and the strength of the guitar’s body, to the point where, in the hands of an early 20th century virtuoso such as Andrés Segovia, it could command a stage.
Also in the early 20th century, the resonator guitar was invented, a forerunner of the electric guitar. Looking to create a guitar that could compete sonically with brass and reed instruments, guitarist George Beauchamp and inventor John Dopyera developed a metal guitar amplified using three metal cones as resonators. The company they formed—National—still makes “Reso-Phonic” guitars, most popular with blues and country musicians.
It wasn’t long before the Age of Electricity brought us the electric guitar, amplified using magnets to pick up and transform, or transduce, the mechanical vibration of strings into an electrical signal. Of course, this system meant a guitar didn’t need a hollow body to be heard, so the solid-body guitar was born.
Amplification is not as crude as it once was. Today, much of the technology that threatened to do away with acoustic instruments has been retooled to meet their needs. You can capture and amplify the range and subtlety of your acoustic tone by choosing among four main systems—a condenser microphone, a soundhole mike, a high-tech magnetic pickup (often in combination with a mike), or a crystal piezo pickup.
Instrument Microphone
Often condenser and other high-end microphones (such as ribbon mikes) are deemed best for picking up acoustic instruments. Avoid dynamic mikes for this job. Look for a “cardioid” (or heart-shaped) pickup pattern and a mike that can handle a wide dynamic range. Placing a mike about eight to 10 inches from a soundhole will help the mike interpret an instrument’s full tonal range.
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Soundhole Microphone
Some acoustic musicians claim soundhole mikes pick up acoustic tone better than other amplification systems. Look for low-impedance condenser microphones, a fastening that won’t ruin your instrument’s finish, and shock mounting. Some soundhole mikes are describe as “internal/external,” an option which allows them to be used on a variety of guitars as well as banjos and other instruments.
For further information, visit http://www.ghsstrings.com/
Magnetic Pickups
An inexpensive solution to miking an acoustic guitar is to retro-fit a magnetic pickup. Manufacturers that make aftermarket magnetic pickups for electric guitars also offer pickups that fit beneath the strings of an acoustic. However, the complex and rich tone of an acoustic is often lost with these pickups, so systems that combine a magnetic pickup with a microphone are being introduced.
For further information, visit http://www.seymourduncan.com/
Piezo Pickup
Piezo pickups are often found in acoustic-electric guitars. They use crystals to turn mechanical motion into voltage, called the “piezoelectric effect.” Less likely to cause feedback, they offer a wide frequency range, although they must be combined with a “buffer amplifier” because the amplitude of the signal they produce can be over-powering.
For further information, visit http://www.shadow-pickups.com/
