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Loop pedal/acoustic pickup advice


Surfer_Rosa

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First off, I'm keen on getting a loop pedal for possible solo stuff. Currently it's a toss up between a JamMan, a Boss RC20 or and Akai Headrush. Anybody had experience of any of them, or be able to say which one would be the best choice?

Also I want to fit a pickup to my acoustic guitar. I want a fairly cheap one so was thinking a Fishman Neo-D. Are these any good?

Any advice would be a great help. Also if anyone has such things for sale, please get in touch.

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I hear the Digitech is the one to go for with loop pedals, although there's nothing wrong with the Boss one.

When it comes to acoustic pickups, I very much recommend a soundhole magnetic one over a piezo.

I have a passive Seymour Duncan Woody that gets great results. It's pretty cheap, looks pretty cool, it easily pops in and out of the guitar and the cable is robust.

SA3SC-medium.jpg

(mine has adjustable pole pieces, which are a nuisance to start with, but give you more control over your sound depending on what style you play)

The Fishman soundhole pups are also really good from my experience, although I've not tried a Neo D.

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I've got a Headrush and a JamMan.......the Headrush also includes delay, but only does fairly short loops, and, if you make a mistake you have to go back to your first loop. The JamMan does much longer loops, and if you make a mistake it only deletes the last loop you did. I'd say the JamMan is the better option of these two...BUT, depending on the power source (power surges??) it occasionally 'quits' a loop live, so that's a worry!

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What do you want to do with your looper?

I'm thinking of mainly just building up guitar layers, but I won't be too sure of whatever else until I get one and start experimenting with one.

When it comes to acoustic pickups, I very much recommend a soundhole magnetic one over a piezo.

I have a passive Seymour Duncan Woody that gets great results. It's pretty cheap, looks pretty cool, it easily pops in and out of the guitar and the cable is robust.

Yeah, it's definitely a soundhole pickup I want to get. Do you just have the lead coming out of the soundhole, and is this any hassle?

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Yeah, it's definitely a soundhole pickup I want to get. Do you just have the lead coming out of the soundhole, and is this any hassle?

Nah, it's not a particular hassle. The lead's chunky enough that it doesn't feel fragile, nor is it so big that it gets in the way.

I did consider making it more permanent, but it does deaden the sound a little if you're playing properly unplugged (this'll happen with any soundhole pickup, although it's magnetic, so doesn't matter when plugged in), and I don't mind loaning it to other people to save them faffing around with a microphone.

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An acoustic pickup will never make an acoustic guitar sound like it should and my advice would be to not bother. It skips over alot of the dynamics of an acoustic tone and for the price, it really isn't worth it. You lose bottom end, and the abrasive sound of the picking/strumming alot of the time.

The best way to keep the natural tone but make it louder is to stick a mic infront of it. Anything else is just a tainted replica of a complete acoustic guitar sound.

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An acoustic pickup will never make an acoustic guitar sound like it should and my advice would be to not bother. It skips over alot of the dynamics of an acoustic tone and for the price, it really isn't worth it. You lose bottom end, and the abrasive sound of the picking/strumming alot of the time.

The best way to keep the natural tone but make it louder is to stick a mic infront of it. Anything else is just a tainted replica of a complete acoustic guitar sound.

I agree, but for playing live DI'ing an electro acoustic is just so much easier than mic'ing one up. You don't have to worry about where you're pointing the guitar and I've heard some really nice acoustic sounds with the seymour duncan type pickups in them. Thats the way I'd go but each to their own.

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I'm really interested that folk are using Woody pickups and getting good sounds from them - the reviews I've read say they're gash.

However, I still use a custom piezo bluetac job I bought off eBay 4 years ago and it works "ok" - unless the venue is too busy then you die in a hail of feedback when my Headrush comes into play.

Is Aberdeen becoming the capital of the loop pedal? Discuss.

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Is Aberdeen becoming the capital of the loop pedal? Discuss.Is Aberdeen becoming the capital of the loop pedal? Discuss.Is Aberdeen becoming the capital of the loop pedal? Discuss.Is Aberdeen becoming the capital of the loop pedal? Discuss.Is Aberdeen becoming the capital of the loop pedal? Discuss.

I think this man has got a point. Although I wonder how many people that have one will actually use it, particularly live.

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Guest davetherave

looping

First off, I'm keen on getting a loop pedal for possible solo stuff. Currently it's a toss up between a JamMan, a Boss RC20 or and Akai Headrush. Anybody had experience of any of them, or be able to say which one would be the best choice?

.

I've used the boss RC20, but I've now switched to two Boss RC2 pedals, easier to fit on a pedal board and twice as many samples. Being the only guitar player in the band I use mine to trigger guitar riffs and samples, works great! I've also used looping pedals for solo stuff with a guitar synth, the synth has a hold pedal, so you can get a loop going, hold the synth, then play over the top, a real one man band.... ;o)

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I think this man has got a point. Although I wonder how many people that have one will actually use it, particularly live.

It's pretty difficult, far more pressure to hit the button at the right time than you do in the comfort of your own home. Plus the background noise / acoustics of the venue can put you off if you're trying to build up a consistent beat. I'm getting there slowly, but I love my Akai Headrush - only thing I would change is to make the buttons a bit quieter so the 'click' doesn't appear in my home recorded loops!

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It's pretty difficult, far more pressure to hit the button at the right time than you do in the comfort of your own home. Plus the background noise / acoustics of the venue can put you off if you're trying to build up a consistent beat. I'm getting there slowly, but I love my Akai Headrush - only thing I would change is to make the buttons a bit quieter so the 'click' doesn't appear in my home recorded loops!

I've never heard the clicks in mine... I don't know if that's my hearing or your headrush...

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Guest idol_wild
It's pretty difficult, far more pressure to hit the button at the right time than you do in the comfort of your own home. Plus the background noise / acoustics of the venue can put you off if you're trying to build up a consistent beat. I'm getting there slowly, but I love my Akai Headrush - only thing I would change is to make the buttons a bit quieter so the 'click' doesn't appear in my home recorded loops!

I noticed the click when I saw you at the Music Club recently.

But I appreciated the click, in an obtuse sort of way.

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I only get a click if i'm looping a microphone.....doesn't sound right to me...is it an electric gtr you're looping Ian, or an acoustic miked up?

An acoustic with piezo pickup, a mic for vocals, a keyboard, a tape player, sometimes a stylophone. It clicks all the time but - yep, only picks up through the mic.

Plus in the music club it was v. quiet.

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