changining pickup on OM03R

[qba]

Hi Guys,
i know there's been plenty a threads about it but bear with me. I play OM03R with A2.2 installed however I am not happy with the pickup, it sounds a bit harsh and tinny sometimes. I am thinking of installing K&K but i am not sure if i should go for the Mini or Regular.
Any ideas? what do you guys think?

thanks
Qba

[jmhyer]

While many people have installed the regular, K&K actually recommends the mini for Larrivee guitars.  The area of the bridge plate in front of the pin holes is relatively small and the regular size transducers can be a tight fit.  Supposedly, the volume from the mini is not significantly different from the regular.

[el guitana]

Mini is all K & K recommends at this point - some say the regular is too bassy and more prone to feedback. Love the sound of my mini.

[dberch]

I have K&K mini's in three guitars, including my 0M-05MT. They sound fabulous.   

[sdelsolray]

Hi Guys,
i know there's been plenty a threads about it but bear with me. I play OM03R with A2.2 installed however I am not happy with the pickup, it sounds a bit harsh and tinny sometimes. I am thinking of installing K&K but i am not sure if i should go for the Mini or Regular.
Any ideas? what do you guys think?

thanks
Qba

What's the remainder of your signal chain?  The A2.2 is not know for sounding harsh or tinny, unless perhaps you are stumming very hard.  Before changing pickups, you might want to investigate the rest of the equipment you are using.

[sublro]

picking up my OM-03R from having K&K mini's installed this weekend. will post once I've had a listen. I use a Baggs Para DI as well...

[mrrinse]

Hi QBA,
I'll second the signal chain suggestion. I've not had any problems with my LV09's A2.2 going into a Johnson J-Station (like the Line 6 pod). I've also tried it via a Little Labs Redeye into a SPL Gold Mic tube pre-amp - sounds awesome, but then that's a $800 plus signal chain! I do find it depends a lot on the amp/speakers too though... I'm starting to think about an AER Compact 60 and ditching PA systems altogether.

That said, If you do decide to ditch the A2.2, let me know if you're selling it...

Dan

[qba]

i listened to KK on my friend's guitar and wasn't too impressed. so i am staying with my A2.2, you're right, the amp i am going through isn't impressive. so i might shop for a nice preamp instead. i am very close to buying LR Baggs Para DI as this will give me more EQ options. what do you think?

[dberch]

i listened to KK on my friend's guitar and wasn't too impressed.

HI, qba.

What was he playing through?  What EQ is he using?  I've learned that with K&K the cleaner your signal the better.  Most amps/processors that were designed for fishman type pickups just make K&K sound muddy and bad.  A simple preamp like Baggs PADI or K&K's Pure preamp (if using the mini pickups) straight into a PA or any good acoustic amp sounds best.

Also, I'd be curious to learn what guitar it was installed in.  K&K pickups sound like your guitar.  If your guitar has any bad qualities, they are amplified as well.  And with improper EQ, even more so.  Not trying to change your mind, just curious to learn why this particular K&K installation doesn't work.  Don't hear that very often!

David

[qba]

the pickup was on a solid top Tanglewood dred. I know it's not a high flyer but it's a really good soundin guitar, the system is pretty basic, small console straight to sony active studio monitors. it's not the point, KK was much hotter than my A2.2 and i liked its bass, but the trebles sounded strange, not naturally, a bit boxy.
maybe it's just the way he installed it, i don't know.

[sublro]

I'm in a band with all three of us using K&K's. Two guys sound great and one guy's, not so hot. I've been reading on the K&K web site that a lot can have to do with high input impedance of whatever preamp one uses. the K&K's like to see pretty low imedance, and if you use a preamp with higher impedance, you will find the signal extremely hot, with too much bass. he's considering picking up a K&K preamp to get an optimal impedance match and see if that helps.

also, just FYI, the K&K pure western "regular" original (not mini) size is very strong on bass and midrange, by K&K's own admission. This can be not good on the occasional guitar that for whatever anatomical reasons has a high midrange quotient.

the combination of the mini's and a baggs para DI has turned out to be very good, however since the para di has extremely high input impedance, I'm considering trying the K&K preamp to see if I get a sound that needs less EQ and sounds even more natural. can't hurt to try, right?

[dberch]

Sublro, I think that's a good thing to try.  I've AB'd the PADI and Pure preamp with my K&K mini pickups, and to my ears the Pure was a clear winner.  PADI is good, but K&K is better.  Especially for guitars with strong bass like my Collings D1A.  I stopped using the Baggs live, unless I get in a situation where I need to reverse the phase.  Has only happened once in the past year.

David

[blackg20]

Doesn't the A2.2 have an internal premamp where you can adjust the EQ of each pickup?  If it does like my Imix you might want to fool around with that.  I just recently did and my Taylor sounds much better plugged in now.