Black Box Users w/ Acoustic 6-string...any pickup recs?

[Patrick Rusert]

I've got a 6-string bandmate that is considering using a black box + pickup for acoustic @ stage volume. Any thoughts or recommendations on an acoustic pickup that works well with the SGBB?

The alternative is the Baggs MI into the Baggs DI. Budget is $400.

I'm secretly hoping it makes sense for him to use the SGBB so I can borrow it for recording!

Any thoughts or advise would be greatly appreciated.

PR

[Brett Lanier]

I feel like the black box has an even bigger improvement on sound quality with acoustic guitar and dobro than electric instruments like steel, guitar... It always seems to tame feedback some as well.

I really like it in conjunction with the LR Baggs venue DI as well as the more common rectangular one. My roommate (who is almost exclusively a finger style acoustic player) is absolutely hooked.

[Patrick Rusert]

Thanks Brett! Do you still need an active DI with the BB? I was thinking he could use a less expensive, passive DI in this scenario.

[Brad Sarno]

For the past couple of years, we've been selling about as many Black Boxes for acoustic pickup use as we are for steel guitar use. It's an amazing game changer on piezo pickups. Even the Baggs M1 soundhole pickup too.

Piezo's do something amazing when they see a tube directly. The midrange quack virtually disappears, the high, glassy treble becomes smooth and sweet and almost like the sound of a condenser mic on a guitar. And the vari-Z control knob becomes a boom/thump controller because of the nature of piezos. Fiddle players, mandolin, acoustic guitar, upright bass, any piezo pickup'd instrument is wildly transformed with a Black Box.

Ideally, the connection is with a passive piezo straight into the SGBB. But even if you have a battery powered pickup, it still works wonders.

It's not a subtle thing, it's pretty dramatic. A couple of years ago when Buddy Miller was on tour with Patty Griffin, he had one of his Black Boxes on stage for his old Gibson acoustic loaded with a Fishman undersaddle pickup. They used the Black Box and then into a DI box. One night they were chasing down a hum problem and pulled the Black Box thinking that may be the culprit. It wasn't. They played the 1st set without the Black Box. Both Buddy and the soundman agreed that the acoustic tone was suffering, so at setbreak, they re-connected the Black Box and it remained for the tour.

I get reports like this all the time now.

http://www.sarnomusicsolutions.com/products/sgbb.html


Brad

[Brad Sarno]

Thanks Brett! Do you still need an active DI with the BB? I was thinking he could use a less expensive, passive DI in this scenario.

Passive DI works great with the BB doing all the "active" duty.

B

[Patrick Rusert]

That's why you're the man, Brad. Thanks!

[Mitch Adelman]

I used my acoustic with a piezo with the Brad's Freeloader at a gig. I figured it was worth a try to tame the harshness and I just happened to have one in my bag from a steel gig.It also made a dramatic improvement on tone!! Really nice!