Do you pre-Amp the DeArmond Rhythm Chief floating pickup?

PittPastor

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Just wondering... I love the sound of my DeArmond Rhythm Chief 1000 floating pickup when playing alone. But I seem to be getting lost in the mix when playing with anyone with an electric, or even a pre-amped Acoustic player that uses a pick (I use bare fingers.)

Just wondering if anyone else uses anything to boost the DeArmond, and if so... what did you decide on?
 

JohnW63

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I don't have a real answer, and it will be cool to read from the experts. I might ask this... would you like the option of a bit of overdrive when needed as well ? If so, a boost pedal like Full-Drive 3 would do the trick.

fulltone-fd3-editors-pick-main_0.jpg

https://www.fulltone.com/products/fd3

Dial in as much boost as you might need, adjust the tone, and step on the right pedal. If you want some dirt, set the overdrive amount and the volume for it, and step on the left pedal. Play it only as a boost, or only as an over drive or both. You can also set it to boost before the overdrive or after the overdrive. It's a fun pedal. I recommend the special power adapter. The over drive gets grungy faster when running on just batteries.
 

PittPastor

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I don't have a real answer, and it will be cool to read from the experts. I might ask this... would you like the option of a bit of overdrive when needed as well ? If so, a boost pedal like Full-Drive 3 would do the trick.

I don't play with much overdrive. But I like the idea of a boost pedal. When I am fingerpicking especially it would be nice to be able to give it a boost and then back off on the strum.
 

DThomasC

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I don't play with much overdrive. But I like the idea of a boost pedal. When I am fingerpicking especially it would be nice to be able to give it a boost and then back off on the strum.

Can't you just turn the volume up on the amp and back off the volume control on the guitar?

What am I missing?
 

Quantum Strummer

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I like the JRAD Archer Ikon (Klon klone) as a clean boost. IMO this is where the pedal excels. Leave the gain all the way down, treble at Noon-ish and volume to taste. It adds some mids, compression and high-end sparkle while lopping off a little bass. With most single-coil pickup guitars I leave it on all the time. Works great with HBs too.

-Dave-
 

PittPastor

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Can't you just turn the volume up on the amp and back off the volume control on the guitar?
What am I missing?

When I play with the crew, we're going straight into a Mixer. I have a AudioBox 1818VSL but I can never seem to get volume out of it. Really disappointed with that box.

I like the JRAD Archer Ikon (Klon klone) as a clean boost. IMO this is where the pedal excels. Leave the gain all the way down, treble at Noon-ish and volume to taste. It adds some mids, compression and high-end sparkle while lopping off a little bass. With most single-coil pickup guitars I leave it on all the time. Works great with HBs too.
-Dave-

Great! I'll check it out as well. Thx!
 

PittPastor

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the audiobox doesn't have have a high ohm input for direct guitar signals. you should better use a preamp with speaker simulation.
I have 2 superlead pedals and use them in front of anything.

OK. Thanks. I need to learn more about what I am looking for I think.
 

Nuuska

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Hello

Forgot to mention input impedance. The MXR Microamp has about 1Mohm impedance - high enough even for passive piezo - virtually no load on any pickup - just clean sound. No bells & whistle.
 

Quantum Strummer

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I think some pickups sound differently when you dial the volume down. Just my amateur theory.

I think it's hard to say 'cuz so much of what goes on when you dial down the volume has to do with interaction between the pickup and the volume pot. Even the way you wire up the two has a tonal effect.

If you've played through a non-buffered fuzz or booster with an old-style germanium transistor gain stage, then straight into an amp, you'll find your guitar's volume pot interacts with the pedal in a cool way. The pedal's input impedance is much lower than a typical amp's. As you back off on the guitar's vol the signal gradually cleans up but stays bright & clear. Lotsa great '60s players put this to very effective use.

-Dave-
 
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krysh

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I think all you guys miss the he plays directly into a mixer with an interface
 

PittPastor

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It would be more helpful if you explain the band setup in detail.

Right now, the main thing I do is play in church. We do an outdoor concert once a year, and that is a completely different setup. I go straight into the "house" system -- I do not use an amp. That might change if I can't get the sound I really want, but for now, it is straight in.

We have a small Yamaha mixer -- I want to say it is the Yamaha MG16/4 16-Input 4-Bus Mixer. The Yamaha feeds into 4 Electro-Voice ZLX-12P 1000 watt powered speakers and an Electro-Voice ELX118P Active 18" Subwoofer. (Church is a small 35' x 35' building)

I have a Presonus Audiobox-1818VSL that was donated to the church. I've only just started experimenting with that. It can mix 8 channels and goes into one channel in the Yamaha.

From there, it depends on what I am playing. If I am playing my Guild D40C Acoustic, I go through the Fishman Aura, and from there into the Yamaha direct. When I played my Savoy 150A, I went into the Presonus to add a slight delay and reverb, and then went from the Presonus into the Yamaha.

I also own a BOSS VE8 -- that I pretty much regret buying. I haven't found a real good use for it. Originally I bought it because I was chasing a solution to the "quack" in my Guild D40C's Under-The-Saddle pickup -- and they were supposed to resolve that, but (although I would say it was better) it was never good enough to my ear, so I ended up with the Fishman Aura.

When I played on Christmas Eve with the other guitar guys, we had a pre-amped acoustic with on board electronics and another guy playing a home built electric guitar. (Also had a Bass player, but he was in his own Cab). I play bare fingered style. When I strum, I use the back of my fingernail -- like a pick but not as loud as a good nylon pick. When I travis pick, I am using bare fingers. That's the problem. My style is kind of softer than the other guys who use a pick and really go at it (mostly strumming).

The Electric guitar was a whole lot louder than my Savoy. The Acoustic guy and I were about even throughout practice, and then in live performance, he switched to a pick. I played, but I'm not sure anyone could tell. My Savoy was completely lost in the mix. When I tried to bring the volume up using the knob on my guitar, I would start feeding back pretty bad whenever I strummed -- especially the bass strings seemed to cause it. So, the sound guy ended up bringing my guitar down at the mixer level, and I think that was when I officially disappeared from the mix.

It seems to me that between the BOSS, the Fishman Aura, and the Presonus, I should have the ability to amp myself up to a level that wouldn't be lost, but I never seem to be able to get there, regardless of the combinations I have tried.

I appreciate the advice! TIA!
 

Nuuska

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Hello

If you plug your guitar directly into about any mixer line input, you are going to have a "dull" sound because of the input impedance. So you have two choices.
- 1 - use an active DI-box, that has HIGH input impedace, between your guitar and mixer - and use volume control of the guitar.
- 2 - use a preamp - like MXR - and volume pedal AFTER the preamp - and feed either the line input directly - or mic input via DI-box.

Both alternatives should give you a radical difference in sound clarity compared to what you have now.
 

krysh

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since you have it, try the VA-8 with the savoy directly into the yamaha mixer and experiment a bit with the settings when connected to your home stereo first. ;) this should get you somewhere.
 

PittPastor

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Wow. So many questions. Ifg there is some sort of "Audio Hookup Primer" somewhere, point me to it. I hate to ask stupid questions, but...

If you plug your guitar directly into about any mixer line input, you are going to have a "dull" sound because of the input impedance. So you have two choices.
- 1 - use an active DI-box, that has HIGH input impedance, between your guitar and mixer - and use volume control of the guitar.
- 2 - use a preamp - like MXR - and volume pedal AFTER the preamp - and feed either the line input directly - or mic input via DI-box.

OK, so how do I know these things?

What is the definition of "High Impedance DI?" Is there a value I should look for in the specs?

the audiobox doesn't have have a high ohm input for direct guitar signals. you should better use a preamp with speaker simulation.

When krysh says: "the audiobox doesn't have have a high ohm input for direct guitar signals" -- is there a spec somewhere that I can start checking to see this?

Also, both the Fishman Aura and the BOSS VE8 have "volume" controls. Is this effectively a pre-amp boost? (if there is such a thing.) And if I am chaining things ... how should I put it together?

Suppose I want to go through the BOSS VE8 AND the Fishman, AND the Audiobox? (I don't know that I do... but suppose...) Are there things I should never try to chain? Is there an implied order? (I am assuming that the Aura goes first, since it literally changes the guitar sound... But is that right?) Do I turn all volume controls on the chain up to Max and then control the overall volume at the guitar?

since you have it, try the VE-8 with the savoy directly into the yamaha mixer and experiment a bit with the settings when connected to your home stereo first. ;) this should get you somewhere.

I'll try it tomorrow night. Funny thing... I have easy access to the church's system. I have no home stereo. So... I'll try it there.

Thanks again!
 
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