How do you hear the sound of a pickup?

[Northenlights]

I was trying out a couple of different pickups for my new archtop, and I'm having a hard time hearing what the respective pickups actually sound like. The acoustic tone of the guitar is so loud that I'm not sure what's the unamplified tone and what's coming from the amp. I've mostly been palying solids and semi-hollows, so it's the first time I've run into this problem. How do you people usually do when evaluating a pickup for an archtop? Do you crank the amp really loud? Do you place the amp in another room and record it? Or is it simply a matter of experience, learning to discern acoustic tone from amplified?

[GNAPPI]

Turn the amp up and tell us the make and model of this acoustically marvelous git.

[Northenlights]

Well, it's a Levin Model 6 from 1953, and although I really like it, I wouldn't say that it is "acoustically marvelous". It's not that the guitar drowns out the amp, it's more about the fact that it can be heard, and thus influences the tone. When I sit in front of my amp and listens to the pluged in sound of one of my solid bodies, the sound I hear will be basically the same as the members of the audience sitting 10 meters away. When I play the Levin, I will hear both the amplified sound AND the acoustic sound, whereas the audience will only be able to hear what comes out of the amp. This makes me unsure of which frequences come from the guitar and which comes from the pickup/amp, and thus which pickup really sounds best, and even how I should dial the amp for the best tone.

[Jim Soloway]

Sit close to the amp and turn up the volume at amp (not the guitar). Alternately, does your amp have a headphone jack? Listen with headphones or earbuds at a volume loud enough to drown out the acoustic volume of the guitar.

[hotpepper01]

Let somebody else play the guitar, in that way you can take some distance yourself and fully concentrate on the sound. Close your eyes as well. I did this years ago when I went out to buy my first high end guitar and had to make a choice which guitar to pick.

[JazzNote]

To be honest i can validly judge any piece of equipment only after playing a few gigs with it. This is true of guitars, amps, pickups, effects, preamps, even of tuners. It's not just about what i hear, it's also about how i intuitively react to what i hear. Some things which seem to be okay in the practise room just don't work as well when applied to a live situation.

So my advice would be to take the one which makes you feel best, start from there and consider the option to change if anything turns out not to be to your liking. I usually stick with what i like best, preferences have changed over the years, but inspiration comes easier when i like my sound.

[whiskey02]

twenty to thirty foot guitar cable ought to sort it out for you

[agentsmith]

the only valid way is to post a poll here, lol.

[icr]

I frequently practice with headphones, mixing board and mic'd amp. Since I don't play out much anymore, the recorded sound is 'my sound.' I'm probably an oddball here but the only acoustic guitar I like is classical. I actually don't own a 'steel string' and actually don't like the sound of an un-amplified archtop. I tried playing my L7 before I put the pickup on it and it did nothing for me.

[PB+J]

I was trying out a couple of different pickups for my new archtop, and I'm having a hard time hearing what the respective pickups actually sound like. The acoustic tone of the guitar is so loud that I'm not sure what's the unamplified tone and what's coming from the amp. I've mostly been palying solids and semi-hollows, so it's the first time I've run into this problem. How do you people usually do when evaluating a pickup for an archtop? Do you crank the amp really loud? Do you place the amp in another room and record it? Or is it simply a matter of experience, learning to discern acoustic tone from amplified?

I record it. I do a recording straight into the DAW and then another with the amp and cab mic'ed. That way I can objectively hear it.


although it all changes in a live setting, you get some information this way.

[jasaco]

twenty to thirty foot guitar cable ought to sort it out for you

But then you're all the farther away from the amplified sound and still right next to the acoustic sound... ?? (But I guess you could record the amp sound then...)

[BigToe]

I assume you're a gigging musician. I'm not sure what kind of gigs you want to play with the Levin but more than likely a player would choose a smaller venue and ensemble for that guitar. A good archtop will project 10 meters into a listening crowd, especially if you're standing or on a stool. It's not going to be the predominant sound but the crowd will hear it blended with your amp sound. I remember seeing Jim Hall live and he would sometimes turn down completely and play rhythm acoustically, and he played a laminate! Sounded great.

[JazzNote]

The problem with recorded sound is that unless you go into a high end equipped studio you will never get a recording which even gets close to the sound as you hear it live.

There are too many sound-changing factors in the chain like "sound of the mic", inaccuracies of the D/A converters, character of speakers/headphones and so on.

[PB+J]

The problem with recorded sound is that unless you go into a high end equipped studio you will never get a recording which even gets close to the sound as you hear it live.

There are too many sound-changing factors in the chain like "sound of the mic", inaccuracies of the D/A converters, character of speakers/headphones and so on.

I totally disagree with this. your live sound is of course totally dependent on the room, and how full it is, and where you are standing. But if you want to objectively determine the sound of your pickup, just record it.

A record it direct. Any basic USB interface is going to be capable of CD level reproduction of your sound--there's just zero doubt about that. Recording direct into the board is very common with jazz guitar. Jst send the signal direct and don't' add any effects, and then you get an extremely accurate representation of the sound the of the pickup. There's no major distortion being added in that signal path

and as far as mics go. most guitar cabs are close mic'ed, so the room is not part of the equation. And a million recordings have been done with an SM57, but if you want to spend more, you get get and excellent condenser for suprisingly little. it's not a neumann, but for crying out loud, do you really think the small differences between a $400 shure sm42 and a $1200 mic are going to make some dramatic difference, if all you want to know is the difference between pickup A and pickup B? Seriously?

[JazzNote]

I totally disagree with this.

So i suggest you listen to a recording live over the monitor in the control room while it's being recorded, and then to the playback of the recording - and compare.

[PB+J]

So i suggest you listen to a recording live over the monitor in the control room while it's being recorded, and then to the playback of the recording - and compare.

??I've done that hundreds of times. I'm not sure I understand what you are claiming

[Herbie]

To the OP: rise the pickup nearer to the strings.

[JazzNote]

??I've done that hundreds of times. I'm not sure I understand what you are claiming

By experience i know that a recording which i hear when listing to the (recorded) playback does not sound the same as it did when it was monitored while being recorded.

But i would not claim that everybody can hear the difference ;-).

[PB+J]

By experience i know that a recording which i hear when listing to the (recorded) playback does not sound the same as it did when it was monitored while being recorded.

But i would suppose that not everybody can hear the difference ;-).

Sorry, I forgot to make allowances for cork sniffery.