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Post by bobcarter on Jan 19, 2023 22:05:14 GMT
Something else to consider:
There's no reason you can't fit the Rare Earth Blend and leave your existing pick-up in place - just get a second jack socket drilled next to the existing one.
I did just that with my Larrivee L03-R, which came fitted with a Baggs Stage Pro Element and side-mounted pre-amp. That pick-up is OK, but I wanted something more natural sounding that would also pick up body sounds for percussive stuff, and I didn't want to sell the guitar or remove the existing pick-up/pre-amp and leave a big hole in the side.
So I got a Rare Earth Blend and had it fitted alongside.
For a long time I just used the Fishman and the Baggs was not used. But recently I now use both in combination, and really like the mix. A mono lead as normal from the Baggs and a second mono lead (which combines the magnetic and mic signals from the Fishman) or a stereo lead to spilt the mag/mic signals (giving three separate sources to play about with - fun!). I find the Baggs gives extra power and definition to the overall sound when used together with the Fishman, even if I don't like it so much by itself.
Just an idea! ....
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Post by bobcarter on Jan 17, 2023 22:02:44 GMT
I plug in at home all the time! Great fun...
I have a Yamaha THR5A. Brilliant little package (rubbish battery life and lack of line out are the only downsides - I always use it on mains). Great for home use, but it has enough volume for folk clubs and other times when you just need to raise the volume a tad, and the mic modelling is a very usable feature.
I also have a Fishman Loudbox Mini. Warm and forgiving sound, pretty portable and a good amount of volume when needed. I've had mine for years and it's been very reliable.
If I were able to justify buying a new amp, it would be a Blackstar Sonnet. Probably the smaller 60w model. They sound lovely, especially for drop tunings and more modern styles. They are also very portable, and just a bit more versatile than the Fishman. Both channels can be used as line level inputs (so two guitars or a stereo pickup system) and there's a bit more in the way of sound shaping available. But unless the Fishman breaks, which looks highly unlikely, I'm happy with that!
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Post by bobcarter on Mar 23, 2022 7:32:34 GMT
Saw the show in Exeter. Also a great night with unstoppable momentum. Fantastic to get the chance to see/hear Jerry Douglas, too, though I agree I thought the duets worked better than solo dobro. A treat of a night.
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Post by bobcarter on Jan 25, 2021 7:52:15 GMT
Pleased that worked out for you Bob. Hope you are keeping well and staying safe. keith Thanks Keith! Yep doing OK thank you. Hope you are too! 😀
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Post by bobcarter on Jan 24, 2021 22:11:53 GMT
That's an interesting story and I'm glad it had a happy ending. It's also really helpful to know as we get quite wide variations in humidity where I live. Just out of interest, do you know what amount of humidity change caused this and where abouts in the case do you put the cannister? No idea about the humidity level, I'm afraid - I went down the budget route so haven't invested in a meter. But I laid the case flat on the floor and put the canister under the heel so there was no risk of me dripping water onto the guitar which I figured probably wouldn't be good! 😀
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Post by bobcarter on Jan 24, 2021 19:28:11 GMT
So, until last week I'd thought that worrying about humidity levels was only something you needed to do if you lived in the US or if your guitar collection was worth more than your house. Until last week, my only concession had been not turning on the radiator in the guitar room.
But recently my Larrivee developed a buzzy top E string around the 12th-15th fret. I gave the truss rod a few half-hearted tweaks, although I suspected it probably wouldn't make much difference that far up the neck, and sure enough it didn't.
I normally try to take forum advice (present forum company excepted of course - advice here is excellent!) with a pinch of salt, much like avoiding self-diagnosing medical problems with Google. But I found an interesting post suggesting it could be a classic symptom of a dry spruce top and suggesting a home-made humidifier as a remedy.
So I followed the advice to get a film canister (even I'm not retro enough to still have one of those, so I used an old tablet box), poke some holes in the top, put in a bit of damp sponge and shut my guitar in the case with it for a while.
I checked after a day - no change - and again after two days - still no change.
But on day three, hey presto! The top E was sounding just fine all the way up the neck.
Not sure why I've had a problem this year after 10 years with the guitar, but I suspect being home more with heating on this winter might have something to do with it.
Anyway, apparently humidity is not such voodoo after all! 😀😀😀
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Post by bobcarter on Jul 24, 2020 18:36:43 GMT
I heard a guitar shop owner say that when people bought online they tended to buy the Venus but when they went in the shop and tried before buying they tended to buy the Neptune. It's a bit bigger and has a fuller sound. I agree. Of the Faiths I've tried, the Neptune High Gloss is my favourite.
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Post by bobcarter on Jul 24, 2020 13:49:13 GMT
Keith makes a good point - spending money on a pick up for your Crafter may be a great solution. Something non-intrusive like a Fishman Rare Earth/Rare Earth Blend maybe - there'll be plenty of recommendations from others on pick up choice too I'm sure!
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Post by bobcarter on Jul 24, 2020 13:46:06 GMT
Hi. I have a Loudbox Mini (not the new Bluetooth enabled one though) and it's superb. Great value, lovely warm sound, as loud as you're ever likely to need and relatively portable. They also do a Charge version now with a battery if you're planning some busking! The only downside is the cover that is available for it is overpriced and rubbish (there is a padded carry bag too I think but that's pricey). But can't fault the amp at the price.
Guitar wise, I'll leave others to recommendations at that price point. I have a Stonebridge (Furch) GS20CM/C which was around £700 when I bought it, which is fantastic, but that particular model is no longer made, I think. Faith will probably be a good brand to look at in that range.
Good luck and enjoy your new gear!
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Post by bobcarter on Jul 17, 2020 11:22:36 GMT
I don't have an A3, but have owned two Zoom multitrack recorders and, while they're brilliant, I've needed the manual on hand even after using them for years! So I don't think you're fuddery - just that Zoom stuff is not always that user friendly!
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Post by bobcarter on Feb 5, 2020 7:35:05 GMT
"you're the kind of girl who wants to Open up the bottle of pop too early in the journey Our love went flat just like that"
Billy Bragg, A Lover Sings
"I saw two shooting stars last night I wished on them but they were only satellites Is it wrong to wish on space hardware"
Billy Bragg, A New England
"You can't jump a jet plane like you can a freight train"
Gordon Lightfoot, Early Morning Rain
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Post by bobcarter on Dec 4, 2019 7:42:05 GMT
I've got a Donner Tutti Love (?!) Chorus, which is compact, cheap and sounds quite usable. Can be set to nice and subtle.
Delay is a Marshall Echohead, which is great but quite bulky and more options than you need for acoustic.
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Post by bobcarter on Sept 3, 2019 18:34:41 GMT
Yep, I always use a Para DI between the guitar and amp. For passive pickups, like the Fishman Neo D humbucker, which sounds great but has a weedy output, the extra gain is very handy, but even with an active pickup you get extra control and it just seems to make it sound nicer!
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Post by bobcarter on Jun 24, 2019 12:02:19 GMT
Ah! Well, since instrumental's all I do (you really wouldn't want to hear me sing), this is some of what's been brought out recently: Ocean (John Butler, a 12-minute epic that is great fun to play) Manha de Carnaval and Uma Precce (both Luiz Bonfa tunes - having a bit of a Latin phase at the moment) Sons de Carrilhões (Sound of Bells), another really fun Brazilian number Tango En Skai (Roland Dyens, keeping up the Latin theme) Mississippi Blues (Clive Carroll's arrangement of the Willie Brown tune) Middle Child (Tristan Seume, lovely picking tune) Kinvarra's Child (Adrian Legg, one of many of Adrian's tunes I have worked out over the years and love to play) Pachelbel's Canon (Trace Bundy's fun tappy version - can also be Streets of London if you prefer, as the chords are the same!) Fields of Gold (Jacques Stotzem's arrangement of the Sting tune - always seems to go down well) Jump (Eric Roche's version of the Van Halen classic) Thunderstruck (Luca Stricagnoli - haven't quite managed to pull this one off properly yet!) Sunburst (Andrew York) In The Deep and Eliza's Eyes (you can never have too many Clive Carroll tunes) Some great tunes there. I play a few of them, including 'Sunburst'. Do you have any recordings online? Jonny Thanks, Jonny. Yes, Sunburst is a terrific tune. Haven't quite managed to record a respectable version of that yet, but there's a selection of others on Spotify here
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Post by bobcarter on Jun 24, 2019 12:00:03 GMT
(you really wouldn't want to hear me sing), I have heard you sing, Bob. You are very good and you should do more of it. Your guitar playing, however, is fantastic. A joy to listen to you always. You missed Billy Jean off your list, and you shouldn't. Brilliant version. Also Superstition. Thanks Paul! Been thinking it might be time to dust off the disco numbers. They haven't made an appearance for a while!
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