floating pick up questions

blackwingchai · #1 10-06-2010, 02:07 AM

hi to all, please do enlighten me. does floating or jazz pick up for arch top tend to sound more acoustic or not?
thanks .

Chai

Bertrand tB · #2 10-06-2010, 05:21 AM

I think it does. When I compare my jazzer equipped with floaters to
for instance my Ibanez AF 105 (non floater) they sound more accoustic.

BigDaddyLoveHandles · #3 10-06-2010, 08:25 AM

... especially on (over?) a carved top. I think of my setup as a sort of electric acoustic hybrid. So, you can consider using either more of an acoustic amp, or a regular amp.

brad4d8 · #4 10-06-2010, 10:30 AM

I think it does. I usually play my Artist Award acoustically, but Sunday I was at a monthly folk society meeting and played it through a Genz-Benz acoustic amp and it sounded more acoustically pure than many of the piezo pickups on flattops (no piezo quack).
Brad

martins · #5 10-06-2010, 01:08 PM

For me it's hard to believe and even if it does, the reason cannot be the pickup, but has to be the effect of mounting something to the guitar body at the pickup position. Some years ago I made my thoughts about the physics of the coupled electro-acustic system of an archtop. If the pickup is not too bad and does not pickup the vibrations from the wood, I think there cannot be a remarkable difference other than from the disturbance of the body resonances due to the mounting of the pickup.

mr. beaumont · #6 10-06-2010, 01:57 PM

Yes and no.

First of all, there's different kinds of floating pickups on the market--do the research--some will be all about capturing a more realistic "acoustic" tone, some not.

The most commonly seen floaters are probably kent armstrong style mini-bucker, or a floating DeArmond, and they do have a brighter, snappier tone than many a routed in humbucker, but I wouldn't describe their tone as "acoustic."

Part of the reason for a floating pickup is to preserve the actual acoustic tone of the instrument by not cutting into the top. This may allow the guitar to sound better unplugged, but for the most part, plugged in, it's still an "electric" guitar sound.

Steve Hoffman · #7 10-06-2010, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackwingchai

hi to all, please do enlighten me. does floating or jazz pick up for arch top tend to sound more acoustic or not?
thanks .

Chai

No, it doesn't. It helps maintain the acoustic properties of the guitar when played without electricity.

In the case of a Gibson Johnny Smith (for example), having a floating really matters not because the way he wanted the guitar braced makes for a not very pleasing acoustic tone. So, what was the point of the floating 'bucker? It's sharper than a full humbucker by design and has a bit of a "kick" to it but this has nothing to do with the fact that it is floating. Just the way it was designed.

So, find a good archtop that sounds good acoustically and add a floater to it. That's about the only way to get both sounds the way you want them... A pickup will make your guitar sound electric no matter what the style but the neat, full quality of a big archtop has a nice influence on the pickup tone. It's just not an acoustic tone that is amplified. Not at all.

IMO, of course.

RoyaleT · #8 10-06-2010, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Hoffman

No, it doesn't. It helps maintain the acoustic properties of the guitar when played without electricity.

In the case of a Gibson Johnny Smith (for example), having a floating really matters not because the way he wanted the guitar braced makes for a not very pleasing acoustic tone. So, what was the point of the floating 'bucker? It's sharper than a full humbucker by design and has a bit of a "kick" to it but this has nothing to do with the fact that it is floating. Just the way it was designed.

So, find a good archtop that sounds good acoustically and add a floater to it. That's about the only way to get both sounds the way you want them... A pickup will make your guitar sound electric no matter what the style but the neat, full quality of a big archtop has a nice influence on the pickup tone. It's just not an acoustic tone that is amplified. Not at all.

IMO, of course.

Sounds like good advice, Steve. By the way great new avatar BDLH!

kamlapati · #9 10-06-2010, 03:02 PM

I see that folks have already staked out some positions, but I'll still venture mine...

I would say that whether the floating PU sounds more acoustic depends a lot on the PU. I have a carved top with a floating handmade KA single coil, and with the right amp EQ it can sound somewhat like the acoustic tone of the guitar. OTOH, my floating Bartolini HB sounds nothing at all like the acoustic tone of the guitar.

But I'll restate what all above say too: once you nail a PU to the top, well your great acoustic archtop isn't such a good of an acoustic archtop anymore, so no matter what you do at that point, it won't sound as "acoustic."

blackwingchai · #10 10-07-2010, 12:09 AM

thanks for the replies,
question: which do jazzers prefer more, acoustic tone or the electric tone? And im referring about for the archtops when plugged.

and yea BDLH nice new avatar

mr. beaumont · #11 10-07-2010, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackwingchai

thanks for the replies,
question: which do jazzers prefer more, acoustic tone or the electric tone? And im referring about for the archtops when plugged.

I think it's all subjective to the playing situation and the player's preference.

I like recording solo guitar now with a more "acoustic" tone, I feel the overtones are more complex and it makes for a more interesting listen, considering you're only hearing one instrument.

In a group setting, I like a more electric tone, but one that's still pretty clean with no frills. I think Jimmy Raney had the best tone of all time, to give you an idea.