I frequent the gear section of the boards and i find myself constantly answering the same questions over and over, so the goal of this thread is to answer all of those questions once and for all.
Economy Acoustic Guitar
Things to look for:
In this price range, the materials used from brand to brand are not going to differ much, so the quality of sound is going to come almost entirely from the quality with which the guitar is built. And, for most people, atleast on the boards, a guitar in this price range would be a beater so you're gonna want to look for something sturdy.
Things to watch out for:
For this price range the first thing you have to make sure the guitar is is playable. Watch out for guitars with no truss rod, a poorly attatched bridge or crappy neck joint, or with no binding. If the guitar has no truss, a change in climate could warp the neck and make the action to high or so low the strings are sitting on the frets, and there would be no way to fix it. With economy guitars the first thing to go with frequent use is commonly the bridge or neck joint, if youre looking at the guitar and there is any kind of seperation between any of these parts, no matter how minute, keep looking. A guitar without binding is likely to have the sides, top, or back seperate with time due to the constant force of the string's tension on the guitar. To test how sturdy the guitar is you might try holding the end of the neck and the end of the body and LIGHTLY trying to bend an open note by pulling up on the neck, with force this can be done to any guitar no matter how well made, but if its easy, the guitar is flimsily made. Also, watch out for cheap tuners. The tuning machines is a place where companies often try and cut costs because they don't affect the sound of the guitar, however, some of the cheap models have tuners so bad that the guitar won't even stay in tune during normal playing. Checking these things should help you make an informed and successful purchase.
Common Brands:
Rogue
Dean
Epiphone
Jasmine
Takamine
Washburn
Applause
Fender
Ibanez
Oscar Schmidt
Carlo Robelli
Ariana
Yamaha
Alvarez
Bottom Line:
You want to buy and economy guitar that will last, especially if youre going to take it camping, play it on the beach, and pass it around circles of people that don't play, like i do with my beater.
Mid Level Acoustic Guitar
Things to look for:
In this most common price echelon, there is a clear line in quality of guitars, and that line is the "solid wood top" line. If you want a decent acoustic guitar and only want to spend three or four hundred dollars, than my suggestion would be save up to get a solid wood top, or no matter what you get it will sound like any decent economy model out there. There are many more topics of discussion in this price range than on the economy level. There are lots of differences between models and there is no "answer" as to what guitar to buy like i believe there is on the economy level.
Components to consider:
Top Wood
Body Shape
Bracing Pattern
Nut Width
Action
Fret Material
Top Wood
There are three common top woods in this price range: spruce, cedar, and mahoghany. Spruce is the lightest colored and most common top wood, giving a desirable clear and bright sound. Cedar is a darker warmer wood, used second most commonly. Mahoghany is even darker and more commonly used as a back and side wood, but it can be used on the top too. Spruce is used in all body types and is best suited for rhythmic strumming, it is however the most versatile. Cedar is used mostly in OM and parlor body types, but is by no means limited to it and can be found in any body style. It is best suited for fingerpicking and a more classical style, but it can bring a warmer sound to strumming as well. Mahoghany is the darkest and is found on OM style guitars as well. It is used in the same manner as cedar, but is rumored to record more easily. I personally prefer Cedar for any style of playing.
Body Style:
Body style has a big effect on the sound of your guitar when playing different styles. Here are the main shapes:
Dreadnought: One of the most common styles. Large size used mostly for strumming based Rhythm. High Volume, high action and versatile.
Om: Smaller body style used primarily for fingerstyle playing. Lower action and not capable of the same agression as a dread.
Jumbo: Loudest and largest body style. Very deep sound, not as versatile. Used for many styles of music and has a distinctive sound.
Brand Specific Shapes: The brand specific body shapes are ussually the best and most versatile. Examples are the Taylor shape, the Larrivee L-shape, the Breedlove style, etc. These are ussually hybrids between dreads and om's, with a deeper cut than a dread but not as deep as the fingerstyle guitars. These in most cases have a balanced sound and a good look and they can be used for any style with any top wood.
Bracing Pattern
Bracing patterns are essentially unique to different brands. Martin has the X bracing system that they use in almost all their guitars and all the other Companies like Taylor, Larrivee, Takamine, and Alvarez have their own individual bracing patterns that give each brand a distinctive sound. The exact differences between the patterns is not important, all that matters is that you play atleast one guitar from most major brands so you get an idea of what sounds are out there. I personally prefer the larrivee bracing pattern, with Martin in a close second.
Nut Width
Nut Width is something that you should also consider when purchasing a guitar. The nut width should match your approximate hand size, if you have smaller hands a smaller nut width will make it easier for you to play. However, if you have larger hands or fingers the smaller nut width can cause accidental muting of strings or buzzing. You should find a nut width that fits your style. Seagulls are known for having a drastically larger nut width (1/16th of an inch bigger than the norm) so i would suggest playing both a seagull and a guitar with a smaller nut width so you can see the difference and come to pick one you like best.
Action
Action is one of the most important things when picking a guitar, however it is adjustable so it should not be the deciding factor. A lower action makes it easier to tap and play on the higher frets, but if you play agressively buzzing is likely. For that reason a low action is associated with the OM body style, where as a higher action is used with the dreadnought shape. Find an action that suits you and ask a technician for the measurements for the 12th and 5th fret. Write those numbers down and when you have your guitar set up you can ask to have it set at that height.
Fret Material
There are two different materials used in frets. One is the older and much more common nickel. This gives the ussual guitar sound. There are newer frets that are plated in stainless steel and they give a much brighter sound, so bright in fact that man people dont like them. The stainless steel frets however almost never need to be replaced. Play atleast one guitar with each fret material so you know what you prefer. You can spot the stainless steel ones because they are visibly brighter and shinier.
Brand Differences
Each brand in this price bracket has a distinctive niche. Finding what niche you fit into can help point you in the right direction when trying to find a guitar.
Martin: "True" acoustic. The original sound. The action is ussually higher and the strings are a heavier gauge to give a fuller sound that some consider a little more difficult to play. Pure acoustic players ussually prefer Martin's in my experience.
Taylor: Most players consider taylor sort of a crossover brand. Their acoustics are remarkably easy to play with a comfortable action and medium or lighter gauge strings. If a full electric player is to get an acoustic, Taylor would probably be the best choice.
Larrivee: Larrivee's have a very distinctive sound and play very crisp. They are made with more care and attention to detail than other brands and their sound could be described as clean. Good for almost any style of playing.
Takamine: Takamine's make great stage guitars. Their amplification system was already very good and they recently added the Cool Tube preamp which only gives them another edge. Great sound to cut through a full band.
Alvarez: I think alvarez makes great guitars in this price range. They have a more aggressive sound than most guitars in my experience. I'll just say if you play one you'll either love it or not see what the hubbub is about, so before you buy play atleast one.
Things to avoid:
Avoid guitars without solid wood tops. If you can afford it they're a huge plus and they make your guitar worth more down the road because they age better. Everything else is pretty much preference, so play alot of guitars and hopefully you'll know the right one when you play it.
High-end Acoustic Guitar
What you need to know:
With a high end guitar, I would say around 1500 dollars or above, you still need to watch out for everything we discussed in the mid-range guitar section, because companies like Martin will try to sell you laminate or HPL guitars like theyre something special (the Martin X-series) but by now we know better. However, there are a few more things that you'll run into at this price range that can help make you make the best decision possible. These things include but are not limited to:
Nut Material
Bridge/Saddle Material
Solid wood back and sides
Bridge Pin Material
High Ratio Tuning Machines
Nut, Saddle, and Bridge Pin Material
For almost every guitar under a thousand dollars the nut, saddle, and bridge pins are made of plastic and no one complains. So, most people think that these have little to no effect on your sound. However, right behind the strings, these three things toether affect your sound more than any other aspect of the guitar. Some higher end models come with bone nuts, saddles, and pins. Bone is far superior to any plastic. Within the bone category there are different types of bone with different hardnesses. The harder or older the bone, the better tone you're going to get from your guitar. Buying a guitar with plastic parts and upgrading to bone is a possibility, but the nut and saddle will have to be set by a professional and a set of solid bone pins can run you $150+. For some brands, some companies make nuts and saddles that come pre-shaped to your guitars factory action, but the nut is epoxied in place anyway, so doing the work yourself is bad news.
Solid wood Back and Sides
When you get into the higher price guitars the back and sides are often made of solid wood as well. However, the back and sides have much less to do with the sound and tone of your guitar than the top, strings, bridge, nut, pins, and body shape. However it is a plus to have your whole guitar solid wood. As time passes the wood like the bone will age and get firmer and dryer, giving you better tone. The grain in the wood is drawn together over time so wood resonates better the older it is.
High Ratio Tuning Machines
Your standard tuning machine has a ratio of 1/12 or 1/16, which means for every rotation of the tuning peg, the string will go around 1/12th or 1/16th of the way, respectively. Some high end guitars offer high ratio tuners that go as high as 1/40. I personally see no reason for such extreme ratios and can imagine tuning would be a time consuming affair. The reason for the high ratios is so you can tune your guitar more accurately, or so the companies say, but ive never had a problem tuning up. Its a matter of personal preference.
Suggested Models:
$0 - $100
Ariana Acoustic Guitar Pack ($69.99)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=516971
Description: I had to help the general music teacher at my old middle school (my mommy) decide on an acoustic guitar pack the school could buy in bulk for under 100 bucks. I played almost every pack out there and this is the best one. A very capable beater for anyone in the market, best soudning guitar for under 100.
$100 - $200
Washburn D100 ($119.99)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=515366
Description: Even cheaper than the D10s but all of the Washburn quality still applies. I think this one looks way better than the D10s and plays exactly the same. The D10s feels more solid that this one, but thats not to say this one won't last, it just means you may want to refrain from dropping this one over cliffs while camping. The most elegant beater guitar I've ever played.
Washburn D10s ($199.99)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=515333
Description: Washburn is my favorite brand for economy models. They make solid guitars that play like higher end models. Its also one of the louder economy models I've played that doesn't buzz. This is my suggestion to anyone buying economy.
$200 - $300
Alvarez RD8 ($219.00)
http://www.music123.com/Alvarez-RD8-i46 ... ce=froogle
Description: No description, just recomended over the RD20 by Czech... how bout a review Czech?
Alvarez RD20 ($237.99)
http://www.instrumentpro.com/P-ALVRD20S ... ce=froogle
Description: I got the guitar with hard case for $120. The guitar was in very good condition with just a lot of grime on the fretboard. Everything about the guitar is nice (for a $200 guitar) except the playability. the fretboard almost feels convex to me. Like the D & G strings are the most sunken in. i know its just an illusion, but it really does suck as far as playability goes. The sound is great for a cheap guitar. I was very impressed with the sound and appearance. However I must say that I would prefer spending a little less and picking up an RD8, or spending the same and getting a used Seagull. (Courtesy of Czech)
$300 - $400
Washburn WD18SW ($329.99)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=515938
Description: Pretty darn similar to the Sapele D-15, just with a much smaller price tag. I swear by these Washburn dreads for affordability, quality, and sound. Its also one of the cheapest guitars WITH a solid top. See, see i told ya!
Alvarez AD60SC ($368.98)
http://www.worldmusicsupply.com/guitars ... AD60SC.asp
Description: The electronic are clear and pick every sound up. The guitar itself is beautiful, the inlays are gorgeous (especially the headstock), and the finish is shiny like a new sportscar. Sound wise it is great. When I first got mine brand new it had a bright tone and sounded similar to some taylors I had heard. After about 4 months of sitting in my room with a window open (i was in europe) the tone changed. It had much more bass (still nothign like a martin). Now with the guitar broken in and equipped with some Elixir Light Medium Phosphor bronze strings the sound is as perfect as you can hope for from a guitar bought new for $329.
Also, the playability I hold up to any other. I love how this thing plays, it sits well on my lap or on a strap, and the neck has a perfect feel, very good action (getting a little higher now from being out of a case), no fret buzzing once I moved to Light/mediums and or mediums (buzzing was very slight to begin with). Overall I have never played a guitar in its price range that sounded, looked, or played as well as my my AD60SC. (Courtesy of Czech)
$400 - $500
Alvarez AJ60S12 (12 string) ($438.98)
http://www.worldmusicsupply.com/guitars ... J60S12.asp
Description: Alvarez really hit it out of the park on this one. All of the elements of this guitar combine to make the nicest 12 string I've ever played and have the fortune of owning. The spruce top keeps the sound bright and the jumbo body style keeps the higher octave strings from overpowering the bass. Everything about this guitar is visually perfect imo. I love the maple back and sides, this thing is my blonde bomber. I love the simple inlay on the 12th fret, its very conservative and elegant. The binding around the headstock is perfect. All I can say is if you want to buy a 12 string, play ths sucker before you buy anything else, especially if youre looking at something thats more pricey.
Seagull S6 ($499.99)
http://www.musiciansbuy.com/seagull_s6_ ... 22502.html
Description: Seagulls are definetly a different kind of guitar. They have a wider nut width than any other non-classical guitar on the market and for that reason many consider them difficult to play. I however love seagulls and find the nut width and action only accomodating to my aggressive style, because i dont have to worry about buzzing. Seagulls are known for having some of the best tone out there and they would undoubtedly be more popular if more people considered them easy to play.
Breedlove Atlas Series AD200/SM ($499.99)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=512406
Description: This is like the base model atlas, but it still has that distinctive bright atlas sound. Works well both acoustic and amplified on stage. All breedloves have a slightly narrower but width, so small handers check em out.
$500 - $600
$600 - $700
$700 - $800
Martin Sapele D-15 ($799.99)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=514740
Description: I think the mahoghany works perfectly with every other part of this guitar. It has a great dynamic sound and a unique look. With the fishman Matrix pickup in the one i played it sounds just as good through an amp. Most people in a large acoustic room would pass up a guitar like this for more flashy ones, but its one of the nicest guitars ive played.
$800 - $900
Larrivee L-03 (<$819.00)
http://www.guitaradoptions.com/store/pr ... 257&page=3
Description: A fairly plain looking guitar with an anything but plain sound when you pick it up and give it a strum. One of the cleanest sounding instruments you can find. Every detail on this guitar is perfect. The lines around the binding, frets, rosette, and soundhole are tight. You get a really open feeling when you play this guitar. The sound rings loud and clear and you really feel like nothing is obstructing it. The purest form of Larrivee quality available.
Larrivee D-03MT (<$819.00)
http://www.guitaradoptions.com/store/pr ... 257&page=1
Description: I played one of these at my local sam ash and it may be the nicest guitar I've ever played. Its sound is so deep and resonant it sounds like its coming from all around you, reverberating off the walls. It looks gorgeous and the one i played was set up perfectly to my taste. I love the transparent pickguard and the natural look. I would recommend this guiar over many other much more expspensive models and brands. A must play in my book.
Breedlove Atlas Series AD20/SR Plus ($899.99)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=512402
Description: Breedlove makes a high quality guitar with a unique body shape. It has a great sound and plays really easily and naturally, atleast for me. The body style is large but still comfortable to play in any position.
$900 - $1000
$1000 - $1100
$1100 - $1200
$1200 - $1300
$1300 - $1400
$1400 - $1500
$1500 - $1600
Larrivee LV-05 ($1529.00)
http://www.guitaradoptions.com/store/pr ... 257&page=5
Description: Esentially a stage ready version of the L-03. You get the same uninhibited acoustic response as you do from the L-03, but this version is amplified and ready to cut through any drums or bass in a full band. The Larrivee sound is great because it sounds so pure, theres no tinny noise, certainly no buzzing, and no muffled bogged down feeling when playing one of these pieces of art.
$1600 - $1700
$1700 - $1800
$1800 - $1900
$1900 - $2000
> $2000
Martin D-35 ($2099.00)
http://www.bananas.com/productdetail.asp/pid_8753
Description: Maybe the nicest guitar I've ever played. The three piece back is gorgeous and the guitar is built with the highest quality materials and the best workmanship around. Deep, resonant bass response with airy ringing trebbles. Perfect for any style of playing. I can't say enough good things about this guitar.
Taylor 2001 714LTD a.k.a. Taylor 714CE ($2749.99)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=514997 (not exact model)
Description: My particular guitar is cocobolo back/sides with a cedar top. This is a great combination for fingerstyle guitar players. The cedar top is very responsive to a light touch and does well under fingerstyle, flatpicking, and light strumming. It is a very balanced guitar and has great bass (especially for a Taylor). The guitar is extremely playable. The action is low, which is another reason it is great for fingerstyle, but even under strumming there isn't any buzzing. The guitar is very well made and looks gorgeous. This particular Taylor has grover tuners, which are good quality tuners, but I believe that the new Taylors are made with Ping tuners (which I know nothing about). Overall, the guitar sounds great, plays great, looks great, and is built very well.
Keep in mind though that this guitar isn't built for heavy strumming. If you strum too hard, it can "overload" the top and become somewhat muddled.
I don't know how much they go for new, but I paid around $1800 used, but take into account that it is a limited with cocobolo back/sides and that it also has a LR Baggs IMix pickup installed, which is a fairly nice pickup, and costs aound $230 online...and thats without installation. This one was professionally installed. (Courtesy of EnFuego)
Strings
Some may think that strings are pretty basic and are therefore pretty much all the same. For my first year and a half of playing I just bought the cheapest strings I could get my hands on. However the truth of the matter is that string companies are like cymbal companies in that they each have a very special and distinct intricate way they make their strings. Its a very exact science that is used to make the strings we use.
There are essentially 2 different kinds of strings for acoustics: Coated and Uncoated
Coated strings are all different because each company uses a different coating. However the general direction of coatings moves away from tone ever so slightly in order to make large bounds in the life department. The more coating on the string the "worse" the tone but the longer the strings will remain at that tone until dying.
Everyone has different opinions on strings and there is no real "defining" term to seperate good and bad strings. So im just gonna post my opinion on every string I've played and i would like everyone else to add their opinions on any string they've played. Thanks In Advance!
Black Diamond Coated Phosphor Bronze Acoustics
This is the worst set of strings I have ever played. I was at the beach and snapped 4 of my 8 month old elixirs playing entirely to wildy on the boardwalk, and with no music store in town i was forced to drive to the next town and settle for these strings. The had no tone from the second I put them on and after extended playing they became sticky. I don't know about the life of them because I took them off the second i got back after only 4 days. I would not recommend them.
D'Addario Bronze 80/20's
The first set of strings I got because they were the cheapest available in the store at the time. They had great tone in the beginning, a really sweet sound. However, the quality of the sound deteriorated quickly and after only a month they were about as bad as a set of strings can get. I would not recommend these either, because theres no lasting life to them.
D'Addario Phosphor Bronze EXP's
I have bought probably 4 sets of these in my life, and before i discovered the nanowebs i swore by these. The tone is very comparable to the 80/20's but the life is alot better. They last about 4 months before going dead, atleast with my level and frequency of playing. I would recommend these if you dont like coated strings.
Elixir Nanowebs
These are the strings I currently swear by. They have just the right amount of coating for that good balance of tone and life. I also love how slippery they are and how long that slippiness lasts. The tone is amazing and they last about 8-9 months before really dying. However, when they die, they DIE. The coating begins to come off and you get patches of realy rough spots on the strings making slides difficult. I would recommend these to anyone, and i wouldnt be set in another kind of string without trying these.
Acoustic Amplification
Ok people, we're all looking for it. The holy grail of Acoustic Amplification. How do I make the beautiful and unique sound my guitar makes as loud as possible without losing quality? (You may be asking yourself) Well I myself have done alot of research on the subject and would like to impart all the information I have learned to you. (For a nominal fee)
What we are going to do is trace the path of your guitar signal from the strings to the speakers and figure out what setup will work best for you economically.
Pickups
This is where it all starts people, your pickup. Now, there are 4 different types of acoustic pickups: Piezo, Transducer, Magnetic, and Mic. It is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each type so you can decide which one fits your style the best.
A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: I am very very strongly opposed to a few things that will not be discussed later. Those things are built in electronics from a company and onboard preamps with EQs.
First off, any pickup in your guitar from the company that made the guitar is going to be of lesser quality than one you can buy on the market, and as i will discuss later, is extremely unlikely to be exactly what you are looking for. NEVER settle on a lesser pickup system because of the convenience that comes with it being pre-installed. Plus, companies will ALWAYS overcharge you on an acoustic with built in electronics.
I am just as strongly opposed to onboard EQs. These tumors are frankensteined into the side of your guitar only to do a job that could be done much better by an outboard EQ. Some will say that having access to the levels of your signal on the side of your guitar is convenient, but how many times do you change one of your settings midsong? Is it really that much harder to reach down and change it on an outboard EQ? Plus, it is always a good idea to keep things simplified and have as few volume controls on your signal as possible. If you have a volume on your guitar, DI box, amp, mixer, and power amp, it can get a little confusing. (Later on i will express my love for the Bband A2.2 with its volume and mix controls onboard, but they are placed INSIDE the soundhole where they are not obstructing the guitar's tone, and the mix dial is the only one i would suggest using, i would keep the volume at a max for all settings so you never have to touch it.)
So, don't read halfway down and ask where my review of the Takamine cooltube is. Don't ask for a section on onboard EQs either. Thank you that is all.
Piezo: This is probably the most widely used type of pickup. It consists of a very very thin metal strip underneath of the bridge that "feels" the vibrations of the strings and translates those vibrations to sound. The piezo pickup has a very high output with clear unmuffled sound that allows you to hear individually picked strings through a mess of strumming. It works best in a full band setup where the guitar needs to cut through other instruments. I personally find that on its own a piezo sounds less natural than other pickup types, and often trebbly and quacky. I also find it to be a little to harsh for a singer songwriter setup. It makes the guitar jump out front and scream "Listen to me!" instead of blending into the background and providing a foundation for the vocals. In conclusion, the piezo is a high output pickup, suited best for full bands, that requires little modification to your guitar to install.
Transducer: Transducers are my personal favorite kind of pickup. They are basically suction cups that attatch to the underside or topside of your guitars top, ussually with finish safe double sided tape or adhesive. They feel the vibrations of your guitar's soundboard, instead of the strings. This makes the sound put out by the pickup more unique to your guitar and also more natural sounding than other options. Different placements on the top will increase the bass, trebble, or mids or the signal, therefore pickup placement can be used to offset, say a martins natural bassy tone or a taylors trebbly one. Transducers give the best reproduction of your acoustics tone with little modification to the guitar. On the downside, transducers have a lower output and much strummier sound than some other pickups, making it a weaker choice for full band setups. However, the tone and nature of the transducer works perfectly with an intimate singer songwriter setting. Basically, as long as you don't have to overcome a drumset or a horn section, the transducer will work in nicely with any duo, trio, or quartet. Also, the transducer picks up noise from anything that touches the top of the guitar. In my case, this is a good thing because i often tap the top of my guitar with my finger or the side of my hand for a more percussive playing style. A transducer picks up these thumps better than any other pickup. However, some cleaner players see this as a weakness of the transducer, because they do not want these thuds to be amplified. In conclusion, transducer pickups are low output pickups that closely replicate your guitars distinct acoustic tone, and are best suited for smaller venues.
Magnetic: Magnetic pickups are just slightly modified versions of the pickups you see on an ecletric guitar. They sacrifice alot of the acoustic tone for convenience, ease of use, and output signal. They are most often just the pickup itself with clips on either end to mount right in the soundhole of your guitar. They are the worst pickup at getting your guitars acoustic tone just right, but have many other advantages. They can be easily moved between guitars, and often the output cable just hangs right out the soundhole of your guitar, therefore if you have a few guitars you want to amplify, or plan on upgrading but need to amplify a cheaper guitar, you can easily move the pickup from guitar to guitar without any risk of damage to the guitar or pickup. In some cases you don't even need any tools. Some people feel that the magnetic pickup or its output can get in the way of aggressive strumming. However, magnetic pickups are some of the only pickups to come with volume and tone controls right on them, without the use of a preamp. In conclusion, Magnetic pickups are the worst at replicating acoustic tone, but make up for it with high output, affordability, ease of use, and transportability (not a word i know). They are best suited for people who need to amplify a collection of guitars on a budget.
Mics: One might assume, from using logic, that a small mic on the inside of the guitar would be the best at replicating acoustic tone. This is however not the case and I will explain why. If you were able to put your ear inside your guitar, you would find that the sound in there was drastically different than the sound outside of your guitar, and heres why: The sound of your guitar is a combination of 2 main things, the strings vibrating and the top vibrating. When a mic is places inside of a guitar it hears the strings vibrating just fine, but the sound from the top is either eliminated, greatly reduced, or warped, depending on mic placement. The sound waves move outwards from the top or your guitar, and a mic inside the soundhole is not reached by those vibrations. Basically, onboard mics are high matainence, low output pickups that usually sound very bassy and not very natural. Part of this is because the best place to mic a guitar is around the 12th fret, not right above (or in) the soundhole. I almost didnt include mics as a pickup option, because along with the reasons above and a whole new world of feedback problems, they are not a very reasonable option. I would advise against them.
Mixes: Many pickup companys are now offering pickup systems that mix 2 or more of the types of pickups. (lr baggs iMix, Bband A2, fishman rare earth blend) These are very high quality options if you can afford them. You can basically figure out from combining the descriptions above what each of them is about, but i will say my personal favorite is the piezo transducer combo. The pickup system i would recommend above all others is the Bband A2.2. This system mixes the piezo and transducer pickup types with an onboard preamp and onboard dials for mix and volume that are conveniently placed right inside the soundhole out of sight but right at your fingertips.
Pre-Amps and DI Boxes
By now you should have an idea of what kind of pickup will suit your needs and style best... LETS MOVE ON!
Now that you have a pickup you need something to plug that sucker into! The next section is preamps and DI boxes.
Almost all packaged pickup systems today come with a preamp, and it is ussually just a small box attatched to the inside of your output jack that you would never notice. When i say preamp i mean an outboard preamp with gain and EQ adjustments.
You don't technically need a preamp or DI box to complete your pickup circuit, but it can do wonders to your instruments sound. The preamp or DI box will boost your signal and in some instances convert it from an unbalanced 1/4" to a balanced XLR (perfect for mixers and PAs!) By giving you this signal boost it keeps the pickup or amp from being under strain to get the signal loud enough. i.e. if you have a low output pickup with no preamp or DI box you will have to crank the amplifier to get the same volume, which will increase static, feedback, and take a chunk from your sound quality. A preamp or DI will resolve this problem.
There are many kinds of preamps and DI's out there for you to choose from, so look at the specs and prices and decide which one suits your needs. I would recommend the L.R.Baggs Para Acoustic D.I.
Some things you might want to look for are EQ's, Notch Filters, and effects loop outs. If anybody would like to recommend a preamp or DI, post it and I'll make a list here.
Tone Shaping and Imaging
The next step in your signal path is the extremely optional tone shaping section. There are a few pedals out there that essentially make up for quality lost in your signal path by trying to simulate acoustic tone digitally. The most famous of these is the Fishman Aura. Acoustic shapers and imagers and fairly complicated and make very small nuancey changes to your instruments sound. They can give a recording that extra edge and quality, but when amplified the change is often lost by the speakers or amp, or just wasted on the ears of the average listener. They are very pricey and will aid your tone mildly, but for the average player they are far from a necessity.
Ok I'm done for the night, I promise Amps and PA systems are coming soon! Night all..
This thread is still growing! DO YOUR PART OR GOD WILL KILL A KITTEN.
