Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by null_pointer »

Acoustics make decent electrics look like bargains...

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by rickenbackerkid »

null_pointer wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:22 pm Acoustics make decent electrics look like bargains...
Yes . . Laughs nervously while eyeing 62 Gibson and 87 Lowden in the corner

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by Slowy »

rickenbackerkid wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:47 am
null_pointer wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:22 pm Acoustics make decent electrics look like bargains...
Yes . . Laughs nervously while eyeing 62 Gibson and 87 Lowden in the corner
Agrees... eyeing 7 series Taylor and Lowden in guitar rack.
But at least you save on amps.

(AER amp waves at me from the corner.)
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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by robthemac »

Slowy wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:22 am
rickenbackerkid wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:47 am
null_pointer wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:22 pm Acoustics make decent electrics look like bargains...
Yes . . Laughs nervously while eyeing 62 Gibson and 87 Lowden in the corner
Agrees... eyeing 7 series Taylor and Lowden in guitar rack.
But at least you save on amps.

(AER amp waves at me from the corner.)
You need to give that Taylor more love. It's a sweetheart.
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by Slowy »

robthemac wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:16 pm
Slowy wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:22 am
rickenbackerkid wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:47 am

Yes . . Laughs nervously while eyeing 62 Gibson and 87 Lowden in the corner
Agrees... eyeing 7 series Taylor and Lowden in guitar rack.
But at least you save on amps.

(AER amp waves at me from the corner.)
You need to give that Taylor more love. It's a sweetheart.
Taylor gets much love; trust me. :D
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by Bg »

Slowy wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:07 pm
robthemac wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:16 pm
Slowy wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:22 am

Agrees... eyeing 7 series Taylor and Lowden in guitar rack.
But at least you save on amps.

(AER amp waves at me from the corner.)
You need to give that Taylor more love. It's a sweetheart.
Taylor gets much love; trust me. :D
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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by JohnG »

Miza wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 7:32 pm
rickenbackerkid wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:12 pm I'm a massive pickup slut, having had 5 systems installed in my Lowden. Quick run down:

Old Fishman UST - splatty, far too piezo-y, nothing like the guitar
LR Baggs M1a - quite a nice sound but nothing like the guitar (kept it)
JJB Electronics 330 - nice but needed lots of EQ, dynamics not quite right
K&K Pure Western - nice but needed lots of EQ, really pretty terrible into a normal DI, so I used a BBE Preamp.
LR Baggs Lyric - nice on it's own. With a bit of EQ, really outstanding. It's a mic, so it sounds like the guitar. Dynamics are just right. However you need to EQ a heavy chunk of mids out to compensate for the boxy tone of the mic being on the inside of the guitar. I have an LR Baggs Para DI, and I have a big chunk of midrange at about 1K dialed out, and that setting works sweet with all three of my Lyric -equipped guitars.

The downside to just a mic (like the Lyric) is that it doesn't have a big thunderous low end, which is pretty limiting to solo players who need some thump to fill out the sound. And the other downside is of course that a mic will run away into feedback far easier than a piezo.

So the ultimate system is really a system with a piezo UST and a mic and a blend so that you can go all the way mic (for recording or quiet gigs) or all the way UST for looping, solo shows, loud stages, or anywhere inbetween.
Allows you to be quite creative with your sound too - couple of times doing sound for Louis Baker, I've noticed him changing the blend to suit the song.

LR Baggs Anthem, Fishman Eclipse Matrix Blend, Seymour Duncan/dtar Wavelength duo are all mic/UST systems I've heard from behind the console as a sound engineer and I though they all sounded really, really good.

Fishman Prefix Pro Blend is a UST/Mic blending system with a side preamp, so that might be worth checking out too
Similar experience. I installed a LR Baggs M1A in my '78 Maton, hoping to improve on the UST that's in there now. It sounded a bit more natural, but a little spiky in the treble, and lacked a bit of oomph. Needed lots of EQing in the preamp to sound good. Also, you need to be careful not to hit the M1A with your pick! Very noisy if you do.

I had the intention of installing a TRRS* jack in the guitar and using a TRS/stereo cable so I could blend the two pickups with my Radial PZ Pre, but like you I never got round to it. The jack for the M1A is still sitting loose inside the body of the guitar! :oops: The PZ Pre has two inputs with independent volumes, and input 1 takes a TRS cable.

*Apparently most acoustic output jacks are TRS (the 'R' is the battery switch) so in order to blend two output signals you need the extra lug from the TRRS. Something to bear in mind if you can't find a system that blends on the guitar itself.


Sounds like an acoustic Tronfest might be in order?
Loving this thread! :)
I have been down the rabbit hole too, with acoustic pickups and amps and effects etc...
Had reasonable success with K&K, which sound God like at home when dialed in, but live is a whole different beast when playing Duo/Trio stuff...those lovely frequencies get swallowed up fast, and you may as well be mute strumming...lol
For live I was getting a good tone with just a UST into an Atomic Amplifire with a Martin IR.
Last year bought a Audio Sprockets Tone Dexter, AER Compact 60/4, and Boss Acoustic Singer Pro. Been using K&K into the Tone Dexter which is nice, but lately preferring K&K into Boss GE7 EQ pedal into the Acoustic Singer Pro.
Put a Fishman UST/Mic Blend into the Clapton which sounds pretty good, but does change the unplugged acoustic tone as it does have a bit of hardware involved. Warren told me off when he installed it and said I'd be back for a K&K within the month :)

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by Repair_Rob »

LR Baggs Anthem: Expensive, but good. Not completely bulletproof.. Would sound great in a J-35.
Baggs also do a split saddle version for Lowden guitars.

DTar/Seymour Duncan Wavelength Duo: Great pickup, I feel like it's 90% as good as the Anthem, for less.

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by rickenbackerkid »

Just traded out an LR Baggs Lyric for a Wavelength Duo this afternoon. I like. No EQ needed, really, just works. And will be more practical in the big theatres. Got a Lyric here if anyone wants to try it?

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by olegmcnoleg »

rickenbackerkid wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:10 pm Just traded out an LR Baggs Lyric for a Wavelength Duo this afternoon. I like. No EQ needed, really, just works. And will be more practical in the big theatres. Got a Lyric here if anyone wants to try it?
Which model?

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by rickenbackerkid »

this one: https://www.lrbaggs.com/pickups/lyric-a ... microphone

it works great and I have a few spare install bits like cable clips and velcro. I think I have spare adhesive pads for the microphone too, just need to have a hunt

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by codedog »

rickenbackerkid wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:10 pm Just traded out an LR Baggs Lyric for a Wavelength Duo this afternoon. I like. No EQ needed, really, just works. And will be more practical in the big theatres. Got a Lyric here if anyone wants to try it?
Do you prefer this to the Anthem? IIRC you had one, right?

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Re: Replacing electrics in a Taylor 314CE (2002)

Post by rickenbackerkid »

Yes I've had an anthem. Got the Lyric as I really liked the idea of having just a mic and therefore just the natural sound of my guitar - no piezo at all. The Lyric works magnificently but has limitations - no big bass, even in my Lowden, and as it's a mic it doesn't love stage monitors, although it is better than a K&K. And because it's a mic in a box, it sounds boxy unless you go to town with EQ.

So I'd say the Anthem is more practical, as you can use the piezo to fill in the bass and you can turn the mic right off to negate feedback problems.
Lyric on the Right speaker on this track https://soundcloud.com/ben-brunskill/acoustic-3-ways

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